Nocturnal by Jami Lynn Saunders Page B

daughters. The girls fought ferociously, but there were too many hyenas, and they went down under the onslaught.
    A chilling scream filled the air. They looked up and saw a nocturnal standing on top of a vehicle, screaming to the air. His call was returned, and dots appeared on the darkened skyline. The nocturnals had found their leader. The winged creatures fell upon the hyenas with a ferocity no one had ever witnessed before. Fear spread through the two packs of hyenas, but the fight carried on. Rathbone and Rebecka watched in horror as Pippa and Abby were taken away.
    The alpha leader ordered a retreat. Jack directed his nocturnals to the girls’ aid, but the hyenas packed in tighter together, protecting their prey. The alpha leader laughed, but his laughter was silenced as a young hyena appeared from the woods.
    Salvatore challenged the leader head on, a challenge for control of the pack. The pack made way, forming a circle for the fight to come. Pippa and Abby screamed but were held tight by their captors as nocturnals, werecats, and humans fought to reach them. Jack hovered over the circle, watching, waiting.
    â€œStop the fight,” Rathbone yelled up to Jack. And then his mind was filled with the doctor’s words.
    I cannot. This is our only hope. This is a fight to the death for Salvatore to regain his honor and control the pack. If he succeeds, he will become alpha leader.
    The fight commenced, and the alpha leader quickly pinned Salvatore to the ground. The slightest twist of the leader’s grip would snap Salvatore’s neck. Salvatore heard Abby scream his name. The sound of emotion leaking from her cry filled the young hyena with renewed strength. He was fueled by love. Salvatore howled, a scream of control and new power. Fighting against the alpha leader’s grip, Salvatore howled and morphed more deeply than he ever had. In an instant, he thrust his hand into the alpha leader’s throat. The surprised creature fell on his side, choking on his own blood. Salvatore climbed to his feet and looked down at the dead alpha leader. Then he screamed into the night. The hyenas bowed before him.
    â€œRelease the girls,” he demanded. The hyenas did as commanded. Pippa and Abby ran to him and wrapped their arms around him. “I’m so sorry,” he whispered. Rathbone, Rebecka, Aiden, and Piper worked through the pack and entered the circle.
    â€œLooks like you’ve redeemed yourself, son,” Rathbone said.
    â€œHyenas, acknowledge your new alpha leader,” Salvatore roared. The hyenas cackled in unison and bowed to the ground.
    â€œThey can’t come with us,” Rathbone said to Salvatore. “But you can.”
    Jack descended to the ground next to them. “The hyenas can be trusted now,” he said. “They now follow Salvatore, as the nocturnals follow me.”
    Salvatore spoke aloud. “Hyenas, as your new alpha leader, I affirm that our pack is changing our ways. This is a new world, and we can’t take what we want just to survive. We must begin to work together, to rediscover civilized behavior. I will help lead you into the future, but not as your controller. We must work together with the humans, werecats, and nocturnals to establish a new system of leadership in order to survive as an equal race. This is my decree.”
    â€œWell put,” Rathbone said, patting the boy on the back.
    Abby took his hand as the entire group cheered. “I forgive you,” she said before kissing him.
    Over the next few hours, the groups worked together to bury the dead and tend to the wounded. Salvatore’s speech had dissolved the groups’ hatreds, if only for a few hours. They all knew it would be a long road to forgiveness and trust.
    The wind began to clear the smoke bombs that camouflaged their scents, and the smell of ferals filtered into the woods. In response, Jack sent his nocturnals into the air to scout the area before the sun