The growls became dangerous as the wolves prowled nearer to the fence. Their grey fur stood behind their necks. They made slow and deliberate movements as though the killing was premeditated, as though they were there to kill for the pleasure of it. They didn't hurry and closed in. The leader bared his canine looking at his victim and its tongue licked his jowls.

Cole's body froze. He was rooted to the spot.

​​

"Cole, run inside!" Dawn shouted. Her body was about to explode. Every cell was revolting to shift.

Cole had gripped his guitar so tightly that his knuckles became white. He felt dizzy. The weakness in his knees only made it worse. He heard his sister but couldn't move a muscle.

The leader was now ten feet away from the fence and the rest of the pack was standing right behind him, as they aggressively pawed the ground emanating menacing gnarls.

Cole knew he was about to get mauled and killed by beasts. He had to protect his sister. Somehow, he broke his gaze and looked at Dawn, who was sweating profusely and her face was red. No! "Dawn, please go into the house and bolt the door. I will distract them," he said in a warbled voice. But he was in for a shock of his life. Every fairy tale that he had read about, every fantasy lore that he heard, came true in front of his eyes. His sister growled threateningly, just like the werewolves who were on the outside of the yard. Once again he yelled, "Dawn, they will attack you! Go in!"

Dawn's eyes color changed to dark green with a slit of golden yellow in the center. Anger consumed her and reached her cells. It made her body itch for the transformation, for the rearrangement to convert into her beastly form. The process was painful, always. Fury flooded her veins. The cells split apart, she transformed and she jumped high in the air over Cole.

Cole watched his sister turn into a werewolf. She tensed her hind legs and then leapt in the air over him towards the wolves who were on the outside. The time slowed for him. He watched his sister attacking the leader. There were whines, whimpers, loud growls, teeth, canines, blood and then nothingness. Cole fainted.

She knew that taking down five of these would be impossible. They would injure her and then kill her. "Quetz!" she tried to call her dragon through her mental link.

Yes Dawn. Get them here. Run. Run as fast as you can. Get them to the mist. I will shred each one of them into tiny pieces, Quetz sounded raucous.

She could sense Quetz' agony, his desperation to get out of the mythical lands and kill the rogue werewolves. Suddenly she remembered Daryn's warning. There were rogue neotides who had gone awry. But why did they attack her? She was also a neotide. She was surrounded by five of them. A wolf attacked her from behind and caught her leg with its jaws. She whimpered loudly in pain and hit it on its face with her hind leg. Then suddenly all of them simultaneously attacked her. She dodged their onslaught by rolling low on the ground and getting out. She ran with speed in order to take them away as far as possible from Cole. However, the leader caught up with her and charged on her from behind gouging her flesh on the back. She moaned in pain. Blood trickled down from her back and legs. Her speed slowed and the rest of them soon came around her.

Dawn, run. Quetz sent her the dots to follow the shortest route. Come on Dawn, you can do it. He sounded helpless, anguished. Please Dawn, gather your courage. A dragon is nothing without his Master.

But Dawn knew that the rogue wolves had sealed all her exits. They circled her with bare jaws and blood curdling growls. All at once two neotides attacked her. She was pinned to the ground. So much blood had flown that she had little energy left. She looked up at the faces of the two werewolves and then the stars above them. Was this her end? What about Cole? Who would look after him?

One of the wolves opened its jaws and was about to seize her neck when she saw a large white wolf over it. Familiar scent filled her nostrils. Daryn? How did he find her? How did he come here? What was going on? There were more screams. The white wolf had attacked it on their neck. He caught the neck of the grey wolf with his jaw, lifted it and threw it in the air as if it was weightless. Three more joined the rogues.

Get them to me. She heard Quetz roaring with anger.

Mustering all her energy, she got up and found the white wolf fighting with the remaining four grey wolves. She couldn't let him get in danger. If the werewolves were after her, she would take them away from Daryn. The thought of seeing him dead slashed her soul. Her heart writhed in pain. Taking the opportunity, she growled at them and dashed inside the forest. The neotides heard her. They left the white wolf and charged after her.

Daryn was distracted by the three new rogues who had joined later. They ambushed him. Another black furred wolf joined him. Neal and Daryn howled together and struck back hard, but the fight took them in a different direction.

Dawn entered the mist with the grey wolves behind her.

Quetz was waiting for her. As soon as she entered the fog, she shape-shifted. He tucked her in his wings. Climb my back. He was ready to attack.

Dawn held one of his spikes and climbed on his neck. She wound her hand around his neck feebly. Quetz tensed his hind legs, spread his wings, flapped them like a bat and surged in the air. As they ascended, he saw the grey wolves losing their way in the mist.

Hold me tight. How dare they?

Quetz dived down and what happened in the next few minutes, was unthinkable. He tore them apart one by one as he gouged them with his sharp, black, deadly claws. In a few minutes all of them were dismembered. Dawn had closed her eyes not wanting to see the gore, the rampage Quetz was on. Moments later, she felt his neck shaking and warming up. Suddenly, the heat rose notches high and she left his neck. Quetz! She rose up and bent backwards. She wanted to stop him. But it was too late.

He breathed fire on them. Murderers, he hissed. Whatever parts remained of their bodies was now charred beyond recognition. The earth around them opened and swallowed them. Only barren patches were seen. Quetz slowly lowered himself and Dawn dismounted him. He tucked his wings at the back and leaned his face near Dawn's. She could feel that he was shuddering from the inside. I am fine now, she said. There was blood on her back and right leg. Quetz licked her leg. Calm down Quetz.

You need to recover. Stay with me in the Ensmoire Forests tonight. The Whispering Eobens will take care of the wounds, he insisted because he knew that she wanted to go back to Cole. Cole is going to be fine. He was restless.

She patted his muzzle. She was determined to leave.

Okay, have that blue weed growing near River Lifye before you go. It will fasten the pace of healing.

On the outside, Daryn grew restless not knowing where she had disappeared.