The Boy and His Wolf by Sean Thomas

of Amber Pines and with my reign I will do away with every single non-natural born wolf. You inferior humans don’t belong in a wolf pack.”
    My brain was screaming for air now. His grip was getting tighter by the second and I could feel my trachea crushing inward. Frat boy’s face was against mine, the heat pouring from his body burning my eyes.
    “ That’s who I am.” His roar deafened me.
    No, it wasn’t his roar. It wasn’t his howl that cascaded through every cell of my body like lightning. Frat boy’s hand dropped from my throat and I coughed and sputtered at the intake of air. God, I loved air.
    And then chaos broke out around me.
    Everywhere I looked there were wolves. They were on hind legs snapping at one another, tumbling across the ground in front of me. Snarls, yelps, and what sounded like the hounds of hell engaging in war lit every one of my senses on fire. The ground shook with thunderclaps as paws and entire bodies beat against it. My eyes scanned the wolves for my pack. It was too dark and I couldn’t make out the colors of fur. Maybe brown, maybe black…it could have been anybody.
    I pulled and strained at the rope that bound me to the tree. The fibers cut deep into my wrists, but I didn’t stop. My muscles flooded with adrenaline and my chest beat frantically to give me every ounce of strength I had. A wolf landed on my leg like an anvil and I screamed out. I needed to get out of the rope or the next wolf would flatten me.
    “ I’m here.” The voice didn’t even sound real amongst everything that was happening, yet I heard it so clearly.
    I strained my neck to see a flash of bright red in the darkness and silently thanked the universe. A moment later, my hands fell limp to the ground, freed of their captivity. Jacey dropped my Banshee sword and helped me to my feet.
    “ We have to get out of here,” she yelled, ducking against me as a white wolf hurdled past us. That was a very much alive Sylvia. So much for me killing her goon.
    “ I’m not going, but you are.” I brushed her hair and kissed her forehead. “Thank you. Now take the Banshee and get the hell out of here.”
    “ You’re hurt.” She was shaking and pulling at me, trying to head away from the fight.
    “ Take the Banshee and go, Jacey.” I peeled her hands from me, held them for a moment, and pushed her away. “I have to be here.”
    “ Wait, I have your gun.” She fumbled with her purse.
    My gun. My sweet and beautiful gun.
    “ Can you fire it safely?” I asked, stepping out of the way as two wolves raced past me. That was Marco for sure.
    “ Grady gave me lessons,” she said, her tone low and determined.
    “ Good. Take it and shoot the hell out of anybody following you.”
    She softly nodded while staring at me for a moment. I could see her biting her lip and knew she wanted to stay and help, but her abilities were useless in this fight. After a slow paced blink, she handed me the Banshee and ran off in the opposite direction.
    Relieved to have my sword back and with the knowledge that Jacey would be safe, I took a step forward but stumbled. The leg the wolf fell on was weak. I probably had a hairline fracture, but that was the least of my worries right now. I was standing in the middle of a wolf battle, a sword in hand, and no plan in mind.
    “ Dash?” His name escaped my lips, unsteady, as if it waited all night to be spoken.
    I took off in a random direction, heading towards the gaggle of fighting. The Banshee nestled itself between my hands and stood tall against the oppressive darkness. She itched for flesh and I held her tighter in place.
    The black wolf appeared from behind a tree, a mangled and beaten thing. Blood stained its snout and it crept low, legs crisscrossing as it circled closer. I centered myself at my core, allowing maximum mobility in any direction. My body was charged with energy and purpose now, ready to embed the blade inside the wolf.
    “ Let’s go, Wolfie.” I spit at the ground,