The Lycaetos

Chapter 8: Monster

I don't know what to do, so I do the first thing my instincts let me. 

My mind completely blank with a heavy heart, I run to the girl and as gently as I can I grab her wrist with my teeth and pull her to the ground. She screams even louder now, but then she stops as I hit her across the back of the head. This too, I try to do as soft as I can. I don't know how much force this would be to a human, but it was enough to cause her to fall limply to the ground. Breathing light, eyes completely shut. Her pulse is calmed as well. She's completely knocked out. 

The stale water odor dissipates to what it was.

A little blood has smeared on her now from the dead other winged wolf. I drag her to a cleanish spot that was behind some rubbish, so it was free from the spattered blood that was mostly everywhere else. I use the back of my front arm to have the fur wipe off the blood that did get on her, from the contact with the ground.  

Guilt weighed on me as my mind finally caught up with my actions. I tried to push the shame away as I turned back to my main focus and problem. 

The dead creature. I can't let anyone else see this. He didn't shift back during or after his death, from what I see here, so I'll assume he won't shift back later either. I need to get rid of the body. In a way no one will ever find it. 

But what of his family? 

If he's anything like me, his family might already be dead too. That's what I'll tell myself. Otherwise, I don't know how I'll do this. Is this the fate of my kind? Will I die one day too like this? Murdered. 

Well, he did try to kill me before he got killed, so I guess. It still doesn't make this right. 

The pit of my stomach hardens like a stone has made its way there. Blocking and causing extreme pain. My options present themselves out in my head. 

I know what I need to do.

Slowly I step to the body. Trembling. Eyes stinging. 

My mouth gently rests on one of the arms, I'm trying to get a grip around it. 

I bite down.

Ripping into the flesh, cracking the bone. My tongue grazing against the skin, while my mouth fills with blood. Biting down like this, its nauseatingly easy to do. Almost natural feeling. Like biting down on meat topped chips. But the taste, the taste is terrible. Its similar to a mixture of bad milk and dried blood. 

I am a monster.

The iron taste particularly attacks my senses as I pull the broken flesh and throw it opposite of me. Further into the alleyway. I stick out my tongue, brushing it with my paw, trying to get my mouth clean, but then I stop.

I forgot, there's still more. 

I bite down again, tear another piece, and throw it further down. This time I almost shift back, the taste is getting to me so much. Yet I'm able to stop myself, painfully forcing my body to stay in its winged wolf form. If I even get close to becoming my human form I will for sure vomit and never be able to finish this. 

My teeth meet flesh once more. 

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By the time I'm finished, all that's left is what looks like a mix of pieces of a furred animal and bird feathers. It's not even possible to tell its a wolf as I crushed and tore apart the skull with such intensity that it'd take months to try and put it back together. Each piece of bone so small, they'd float with the wind if enough force pulled them. 

It felt like hours had gone by, but really it'd barely been forty minutes. 

Using my wolf speed, I was far faster. 

Now I turned toward the girl. She's still passed out, and I don't know what to do. She's seen me and the other one, but she's young enough where no one would believe her, and it could always be blamed on the trauma of getting lost. Plus it's not like she knows its me.

In my human form I don't look alike at all.

Still, I can't leave her here.

Maybe I'll go to Hunter this one time. This girl's life is more important than whatever punishment he'll dole out. He did say I could go to him after all. I don't have the resources nor enough sneak to help this girl without him. I can't go to Kirsa either, as her mother hates strangers, especially females. I don't know why she likes me, but she always has so I'm one of the only females that has gone to Kirsa's house. Only men otherwise, strangely enough. Really even if I'm debating with myself on this, I truly have to go to Hunter as he's my only option. I know I can't leave her behind. I guess I have no choice then. 

I take a deep breath and stretch my claws into the concrete below. Relaxing, clearing my head. 

Finally, I grab the girl throwing her over my shoulders and onto my back. She's small enough that I'm able to use my wings to hold her in place when I fold them. Cradling her into safety.

As fast as I can move while crouched and quietly running, I make my way through the alleys and the shadows. Heading for home.

When I get there, I'll switch to human form and carry her in my arms. His room is on the first floor in the back, so I'll just kick the window gently 'til he wakes up.

Not my best plan, but if it works...