The Wolf's Marine

Blood

While Storm is running for her life, Delaney, Aaron, Wilder, and Paul are sitting in Delaney's house brainstorming what to do about Lop.

"I'm supposed to be locked in a cell, might as well do something that actually would put me in there." Wilder offers.

Delaney says something back and Aaron replies with something else but Paul isn't listening. All he can think about is Storm writing 'Nuts' in her clothes and leaving it on the bed for them to find.

Paul takes a deep breath and focuses on Bastogne. In an instant he's transported back to Bastogne on December 22, 1944. The Nazis had sent two blindfolded men into the US 101st Airborne Division's base camp. The Nazis wanted the 101st to surrender because they were surrounded. McAuliffe laughed at them, responding with, "Nuts!" When the Nazis asked what to meant by that he said, "Go to hell!"

Another deep breath and Paul is out of his memory. Storm was telling them that she planned this! Rather than surrender to their enemies she was making them go to hell!

Paul turns to Wilder in excitement before blurting, "She's not a traitor! She said nuts! She's not a traitor!"

"What are you talking about?"

"I've been fighting for the US since it's creation. I was there at the battle of Bastogne when McAuliffe said 'Nuts' to the Nazis who were demanding surrender. He told them it meant go to hell!" Paul says, trying his best not to talk too fast and confuse the werewolves.

"How do we know she's not telling us to go to hell?" Delaney questions.

"During one special op, Storm and I talked about Bastogne to pass the time. She was fascinated when I told her that McAuliffe's reply to the Nazis was 'Nuts'. That's how I know she did this on purpose, she's telling us she's with the rogues on purpose!" It's all coming together in Paul's mind. Pieces are clicking and things are finally making sense.

A big smiles covers Wilder's face at this news. Had he been alone he would've been singing from the rooftop's that his mate's not a traitor.

"Storm's on the inside of Lop's little rogue pack. Is it safe to assume she's sabotaging things?" Aaron asks, looking at the vampire with an unidentifiable expression.

"One hundred percent." Paul replies, already envisioning the bloodshed Storm is inflicting. He can already smell the blood.

Wait, that's actual blood he's smelling and not just his imagination. "She's already killed her first man." The three werewolves look at Paul in confusion, how does he know this.

"We need to warn Alpha Conan that Lop and his rogues are coming! If Storm's already killing that means war is at our doorstep." Delaney abruptly stands up with a look of conviction evident in her eyes.

"Aaron and I will go warn Alpha Conan. You two track down Storm." With her orders given, Delaney leaves with Aaron hot on her heels.

The two men don't say a word and exit the house. With his nose in the air, Paul starts tracking the scent of blood.

It leads him up a thickly foliaged hill to a rocky outcropping. The smell of blood is stronger here and without even being able to see the top of the outcropping, he knows something dead is up there.

He signals Wilder to stay at the bottom of the outcropping and then starts to silently scale up it. The rough edges of the rock cut at his hands but do not deter him.

The sight at the top of the outcropping is not nearly as brutal as he expected it to be. There's a young wolf surrounded by a pool of crimson blood. The wolf's eyes are closed, giving him an almost sleeping look, if it weren't for the fact that his throat's slit and he's in a puddle of blood.

"Come on up Wilder, I found our bleeder."

Climbing the outcropping is not nearly as easy for Wilder as it was Paul. More than once he loses his footing and almost falls to the brushy ground below. He focuses on his strength and slowly but surely pulls himself up.

When he gets to the top his eyes don't go to the dead wolf, they go to the bloodspot near the wolf. He kneels by the spot and dips his fingers in it. Bringing the bloody fingers to his nose, he takes a deep breath.

"This one still lives." Wilder says, wiping the blood onto his pants. "I can track him if I taste the blood." Paul kneels at Wilder's side and laps up some of the blood. The sight disgusts Wilder to no end.

"I can already track him." Wilder responds, looking away from the disgusting scene. "Yes, but I can track him if he goes in water. Now let's go!"

As the two men track Rath through the forest, Storm is running at full speed towards her cabin with Rath hot on her tail. Her lungs scream for more oxygen and her throat cries for water.

Storm takes a sharp turn and stumbles on an unseen rock. She falls to the ground and cuts the palms of her hands open. She lets out a grunt and gets back to her foot.

The sound of breaking brush tells her that Rath is still following her. With this is mind she continues her run for safety.

"I'm coming for you Storm!" Rath lets out a croon that makes the hair stand up on the back of Storm's neck.

Her eyes scan the forest and she abruptly takes another sharp turn. This time she doesn't stumble and spots the cabin. Sticks whack her as she runs through the brush to the cabin's safety. One such stick cuts her face open yet does not stop her.

She leaps up the steps and barrels into the cabin, locking the door behind her. She leans against the door and pants, her eyes scanning the room for danger.

She immediately notices her knife's no longer lodged in the table which causes her to grin. "Wilder knows." She sighs in relief. She continues looking around and spots her new leg. "I love you Paul." She grabs the leg and without looking buckles it into place. She abandons the broom at the door, there's no need for it anymore.

She takes a step on her new leg and then another. This leg will hold, this leg is good. With her new ability in full effect, she bolts for her bedroom. Behind the door is the shotgun Grandpa gave her, and it's full of buckshot.

Just as she double checks that it's loaded, the sound of the front door being busted in fills the air. "I have you now!" Rath yips, heading for where the scent of Storm is the strongest. Storm whirls out from behind the door and a boom follows.

Rath's eyes are wide and a dark spot is on his chest, the dark steadily flowing downwards. "Never talk in a fight." Another boom and the dark spot gets a neighbor a quarter of an inch to the left. Rath sinks to his knees and stares up at Storm. She breaks the action open and the two spent shells pop out.

She doesn't say a word and reloads her weapon. Rath falls face first onto the floor, his life ended by his thirst for revenge. With the danger aside for a moment, Storm goes in her room and fills her shell belt with buckshot. She would've preferred a semiautomatic right now but her side by side will have to do.

She slips her holster onto her right hip and her knife sheath on the left. Her 9 mm is loaded, with extra rounds in her pockets. She's armed and ready to fight.

Storm moves around Rath's body and goes towards the kitchen. Her throat will not let up with its crying for water and now she finally has a chance to rest for a minute and drink.

"I'm going to have a lot of explaining to do." She whispers, looking at the broken door and dead body. "It can wait for the moment though." She fills her glass and takes an eager swig.

She finishes the glass and goes to refill it when she hears a bark at the door. She turns to find Cowboy standing there and wagging his tail.

"Cowboy! You're really here?" She asks, he barks before turning around and walking out the door. "Wait for me!" She calls after him, abandoning the glass to chase after the dog.

She clutches her side by side tightly and keeps it close while chasing after her dog. "Cowboy, slow down. I can't keep up!" She yells to the dog who's disappearing into the forest.