“No!” The cry of the submissive wolf made everyone freeze. Well everyone except for the creature. It jerked forward, slipping from the restraining hands. It ran at Trystan full force, pummeling him to the ground and sinking its fangs into the man’s arm.

“Damn it Lowell! Get back in the house! Scott, you were supposed to take him to the city!” Alistair yelled angrily and then the creature jumped away avoiding the silver sword. As the creature licked its bloody muzzle, concentrating on the Alpha and the Prince ahead it noticed too late the dagger flying its way. But before the dagger could hit, a strong big body blocked it, crying out in pain as the dagger hit his shoulder. Yuri. Protecting him. Something inside the creature moved, but it still wasn’t enough, it had to listen to the witch's orders, it had to kill them.

“Have you lost your mind?! Stop protecting him, he will kill you!” Nikolai yelled at his son, his eyes blazing wolf yellow.

“Don’t ask me to watch my alpha die…” Yuri said softly, making everyone gasp in shock.

The creature didn’t care, it launched at Yuri, sinking its claws into the man’s side, tearing out flesh. Yuri screamed in pain and fell on his back, the snow bloody under him. The creature growled, buzzing with bloodlust and frustration, with excitement and dread, with rage and sorrow.

“It’s alright Reid,” Yuri whispered, blood turning his lips crimson. The creature bit into the man’s shoulder, the flesh giving under his fangs easily. The people around screamed and yelled something but Yuri just whimpered and buried his face in the creature’s fur. “It’s alright, I’ll happily follow you to hell and back… my alpha…” His tears were warm as they drenched the creature's fur. So warm.

“I can’t do this,” I cried out, feeling my bones shift under my skin. It hurt so much. The beast inside me tried desperately to free itself of my human body and with the beast, darkness deep inside stretched and tried to seep out. I tried my best to hold them both down but everything hurt so much. I screamed.

“Hush, my boy. You’re going to be okay.” A warm hand landed gently on my back as I curled into a ball. “Just let me help you.”

My head was gently moved up to his lap, I looked up at Bran’s face twisted in a grimace like he could feel my pain. He put his hand on my forehead and closed his eyes. I felt the bond deep in my soul glimmer with silver light and I opened myself to it. Warmth filled me chasing away both the malicious creatures. I exhaled a shaky breath as the pain subsided. For a second we just stayed like that, with my head in his lap stroking my hair gently.

“I’m so scared, Bran,” I told him then. “I’m so scared I’ll hurt someone.”

“You will learn how to control it. I know that right now it might seem like an impossible feat, but you are strong, stronger than you or anyone else believes you to be,” he said with absolute confidence. “But I see it.” He smiled down at me. “I see the power that you possess and one day you will see it too. Until then, remember that you are not alone. You are a Ghealach with a strong pack behind you, if you ever feel like you’re losing control let the warmth of the pack help you remember who you truly are, my boy…”

“Reid! Hey Reid! Come on! Let’s go to the park!” Yuri’s voice called far away, tugging at the bond deep in my soul, making me feel warm.

“Yeah, you’re right, I’m not alone…”

The creature growled quietly, shaking its head.

“Hey, guys… Come on, you’re scaring me…” A hand landed on the creature’s head and it looked up into Scott’s tear-covered face. “I don’t like it when you play rough, you know.”

“You were always such a baby,” Yuri rasped, chuckling at least until it turned into coughing. The creature whimpered and nuzzled into the man’s bloody shoulder. So warm… It took in Yuri’s scent, he smelled of the forest, wild and unbound, brimming with life.

“Scott, get away from him! Now!” Trystan yelled. The creature turned around just in time to see a dagger flying at him. The first thought was to jump away but there was Yuri… The dagger would hit him. So the creature let it hit its shoulder with a roar. Then turned his body to shield Yuri and Scott from Trystan, Marc, and Nikolai that gathered around them. It growled at them baring its fangs. Trystan ran at him with the axes raised above his head. The creature leapt taking a hit to his side so he could sink its fangs into the man’s shoulder with a satisfying crunch of bone. Then it quickly rolled away as Nikolai thrust a sword in its direction. As Marc rounded close the creature prepared for an attack and… Scott, yelped as a cadrac rolled him into the snow. The creature roared its rage and jumped cleanly over its opponents, clashing with the cadrac and crushing the dog’s skull in its jaws. Scott stared wide-eyed as the dog disappeared.

Trystan started towards them. “You—”

“Stop.” Nikolai grabbed him by his arm. “Look at him, he’s protecting them.”

Trystan looked over the creature as it sniffed Scott, making sure he wasn’t hurt. “Fucking traitors the lot of them! Just fucking kill them!” Trystan yelled angrily.

The creature growled a warning, shooing Scott closer to Yuri, standing above them protectively. Yuri groaned in pain, but pushed himself up, fisting his hand in the creature’s fur.

“That’s my son you’re talking about!” Nikolai growled.

“Your son just turned on the pack in favor of fucking with that freak,” Trystan growled out and then Nikolai punched him, hard, in the face.

“Couldn’t you talk it out later?!” Katashi yelled, wrestling with a cadrac, covered in blood. The battle raged on all around, wolves and humans against beasts.

“What are you doing?! Kill them!” The mercenary woman yelled engaged in combat with no one else than Alistair Ghealach. The creature felt the pull of those icy fingers in his soul. It looked at Yuri and Scott.

“Don’t worry, we’re right here…” Yuri smiled.

“Yeah, not gonna run away this time.” Scott pressed his face against the creature. Their hands were in his fur, their bodies so close, the warmth and love radiating from them easily melted the ice away. The creature glared at the woman. How could she possibly think the creature would attack its own pack? How stupid of her to think she could control it.