The two women smiled as they watched the darkness engulf the man’s body and turn him into something much more terrifying. His body morphed into a monstrous bipedal creature that just remotely resembled a wolf. The creature’s eyes were grey and the fur covering his body was ebony black. It looked at the two women and ran its tongue over its sharp fangs.

“Sit,” the mercenary woman said. The icy fingers inside the creature’s soul tugged and unwillingly it sat down. “It’s time.” The woman laughed evilly. The creature, though made of darkness and kept alive by the power of the Cŵn Annwn, shuddered.

The creature poked at the ice inside its soul as it unwillingly followed the two women through the dark forest. The bond the witch had forced onto him was a horrible, twisted version of a pack bond. He was forced to listen to the woman’s will and every time he even thought about hurting her, the icy fingers dug deeper into his soul preventing him from doing anything other than obey. The creature was growing annoyed.

No one stopped them as they passed through the vampire territory. Once they set foot on the wolf territory the forest stirred and seared the creature’s paws with confusion. While this was the creature’s homeland the forest didn’t appreciate him coming in with malicious intent. The creature had no choice but to ignore it.

No one was on a patrol… The creature could hear everyone at the house, ready for them. It sure hoped they were ready, its claws were itching for a fight, though it would more gladly sink them into the woman’s flesh than into the other wolves. As they walked the few last steps to the house, cadracs, simuns, and other beasts morphed into existence from the shadows of the night. The creature counted thirty.

At last, they broke through the forest and onto the little clearing in front of the house. There stood the Ghealach family in all its glory… Alistair with a sword strapped to his side, Trystan by his right with two matte black axes, even Akira by his left with daggers at the ready. Behind them stood Nikolai with all the warriors together with Marc, Yuri, and Scott. The creature pawed at the ground nervously, that wasn’t enough fighters.

“Reid!” Yuri called out desperately, but Alistair shook his head.

“That’s not Reid. That thing won’t hesitate to kill you,” he said with an expression full of sorrow. “Of all my traits did you have to inherit my stubbornness?” he asked with a sigh looking straight at the creature. It whined in an answer. It knew Alistair was not someone to mess with… In the end, the darkness in Alistair’s soul gave birth to the creature.

“He is mine now,” the mercenary woman said and lay her hand between the creature's ears. The only reason she could do that was because it was resting on all fours, if it wasn’t it would’ve been taller than her. “I will enjoy watching him rip your pack to pieces.”

“You will regret ever crossing the Ghealach pack,” Alistair growled out, emanating power from his every pore. More wolves creeped out from behind the house growling and baring their fangs. “And you will especially regret ever touching my son,” he said darkly and drew his sword. Its silvery surface reflected in the moonlight. A howl tore through the wolves and they all lunged at the beasts with Alistair in the lead. This time no buzzing of bloodlust and anticipation filled the creature as the woman pointed at Alistair and said: “Kill him.”

The creature leaped and just barely avoided the long sword as it sang through the air right in the creature’s direction. “I do not want to hurt you, Reid. But I will stop you forcefully if necessary. The pack comes first, it has to,” he said and there was an edge of deep sadness in his eyes, that turned from mossy green to stone-grey.

Something inside the creature stirred but it wasn’t enough to break through the icy fingers holding him. The creature had no choice but to attack with all its heart. It ran at Alistair head-on and feigned right as the blade swiped at him, then slashed its clawed paw at the man’s side, but he quickly jumped back and before the creature even noticed he threw a dagger at it with his other hand. And so they danced…

No matter how fast and powerful the creature was the man managed to dodge every one of its attacks. Like this their strength was equal… The creature knew that if the man was to shift into a creature like him it would have no chance, and he wondered why the man didn’t do so. While they desperately tried to hit each other the battle around them was in full gear. The wolves clashed with the beasts, while the ones still in human form were trying and failing to get to the witch that threw around spells of ice like nothing.

The creature jumped back and the sword missed its face by only inches. Then it lunged for the man’s shoulder and missed. But in that millisecond as the man dodged there was an opening. The creature knew it, it miscalculated and now its side was vulnerable, it clenched its jaw awaiting the hit… but nothing happened. The man hesitated. He deliberately didn’t hit. The creature knew it. There was a woeful expression on the man’s face. The creature growled, if the man held back then this battle was already decided and it was in the creature's favor.

It ran head-on at the man, fangs bared, claws outstretched and for the first time, the creature saw the man’s face twist in fear.

Then the creature roared as something hit its side and rolled it away from its prey. “Stop it, Reid! You’re better than this!” Yuri screamed in his ear. The creature dug its claws into his side and enjoyed the man’s scream as they stopped rolling and the creature pinned the man under itself. And then a dagger sank deep into his side and the creature shrieked with anger.

“Leave my son alone you monster!” Nikolai threw him off and another man took hold of its clawed arms. The creature roared.

“Wait!” Yuri scrambled up from the ground, looking quite battered. The creature jerked its body in an attempt to free itself but more hands appeared.

“Just kill him! It won’t be any loss!” Marc. That was Marc with hatred pouring out of him. The creature saw red with rage wanting nothing more than to sink its fangs into the man’s throat.

“No! Stop it!” Yuri tried to grab Marc, but Trystan appeared and pushed Yuri away.

“Don’t. It’s not Reid anymore. There is no hope for him. Either we kill it or it will kill us. If you think you mean anything to this thing, you’re wrong.” Then Trystan turned to the struggling creature, axes in hand. There was no emotion in Trystan’s eyes. Only a blank empty look. The creature growled, Trystan raised his axes...