Warning:
This chapter contains gore and violence

The scent of blood and smoke was pungent in the air.

A young woman with jet black hair ran side by side with a strikingly similar-looking man. They were running through the remains of a dying forest. Its scarred branches still crackling from a fire not long past. A blaze was still very present on the not so distant horizon.

The heart of the fire miles away still lit up the surroundings. The young woman, who was barely 23, and her father were in a mad dash. They were completely desperate to reach their destination.

The man tripped over his legs, his hand clutching the flesh protecting his heart. "They're hurting her! They have both of them!" He screamed as tears fell down his face.

His daughter looked at him, sheer terror evident on her face. "We need to get to them before they kill them." She stated, the smoke in the air combined with her dry throat making her voice crack. She pulled her father up and they continued their death march.

It did not take much longer for them to find what they were looking for.

The ash-covered forest floor was eagerly drinking what could only be described as a thick pond of blood. Dismembered bodies were strewn about. Lives lost for seemingly no purpose but their own beliefs. Lives sacrificed for the chance of more lost lives.

"It's about time for you mutts to make it. You were right about to miss the grand finale!" A gravelly voice sounded from the other side of the blood pond.

The daughter choked on her own vomit as she took in the scents and sight. She had to stare at her feet to avoid taking in any more horros. Her ears ringing as she struggled to process what was before her.

"What- what have you done! What purpose does this serve?" The father yelled, as he stared at the red-haired man who spoke earlier.

A smile broke across the red haired man's lips. Revealing sharp fangs that were also stained red. "Your mate is quite capable. It is pretty hard to believe she did this all single-handed. Just imagine what she could've done if she wasn't still recovering from the birth of your welp."

"Where is she?!"

"Alive. I wanted to see your face when I killed her. Finally, I can defeat you. I wanted to kill you even before the war. I have waited a long time for this. I intend to savor it."

"Where are my mother and brother?" The daughter asked, finally able to look up. She looked directly into the red haired man's eyes. They seemed to glint in excitement at her question.

"Come now, is your eyesight so poor that you can not recognize them? I understand your father is old and lacks the ability to see things clearly. But you? You are young! I can't wait to torment you for hours once I'm done with dear old daddy." He breathed out the end with a sigh. As if he was already imagining it. He shivered in pleasure at his own thoughts.

Her eyes narrowed as she looked at the shadowed slumped behind him. What she thought was a rock was actually her mother's defeated body. Her infant brother in her lap.

"Maria!" Her father yelled at the woman. Causing her to stir slightly.

The woman looked up, ears searching for the direction the voice that called out her name came from. Bloody, empty sockets were where her eyes were supposed to be. Both the father and the daughter gasped when they saw.

The red haired man let out a quiet chuckle. Soon it exploded into manic laughter. "The Great Maria, oh how she has fallen! She was truly so much fun to torture. The sheer desperation on her face while I tore out the welps vocal cords was heavenly. You see, he was too loud. I could not kill him till you were here to watch."

A thunderous growl erupted from the father's throat. He lunged forward. Shifting into a giant black wolf in mid-air.

The daughter did not waste a single second in following him in pursuit. Her wolf only slightly smaller and sharing the same glorious black coat.

But the red haired man was prepared. In an instant, his smile grew impossibly wider as he turned around. Before the wolves even made contact with the ground, he had ripped Maria's head off of her body. Her blood paying tribute to the ground around them.

The daughter felt two bonds within her soul snap instantly. Two bonds that had been there since the day she was born. Bonds, that were always there to help her no matter what. And they had been mercilessly snapped within an instant. They were soul bonds that connected all werewolves with each other and their kin. The bonds of her parents.

Before she could even register her father's lifeless body, she continued her attack. Her lack of hesitance allowed her to surprise the red haired man in return. She had ripped out his throat before either of them had a chance to blink

~~~

A black wolf shot her eyes open, startled from her sleep. She glanced around the dark den she was in briefly, double-checking what reality she was in. She sniffed the air before licking her lips nervously.

She stood up to the best of her abilities in the short tunnel. Her belly scraping against the dirt floor as she crawls out of the den. Emerging to be welcomed by a mossy forest floor.

It was still a few hours before dawn, and a wolf pack was lounging around her den. A large male wolf greeting her with a yippy bark. He stood up and started walking over to her, his tail lowered and slightly between his legs. The rest of the small pack of six wolves quickly following suit. The she-wolf was quickly swarmed with a mixture of tail wagging, licks, and yips.

Huffing, she let out a short growl. Immediately causing the pack to give her space.

"It's sweet of them to try and cheer us up with affection. But I think that a hunt will put our mind more at ease." The she-wolf thought to herself.

"Mm, it has been a long time since we have thought of that night. It has been almost 500 years. That war has come and gone. I agree that a distraction is best." The she-wolf simply nodded her head in response to the other voice inside it's head.

Her large form towered over the other wolves as she started trotting through the forest. Giving away her supernatural heritage.

It did not take long to smell various critters from the forest. A few rabbits', a bear', and even a fox's scent passed through her nose. Hard dirt and soft moss compressed against the ground as her paws hit the forest floor. The pack of wolves' paws drumming against it as they followed.

"Xena, I can understand not wanting to hunt a bear or fox. They are not the tastiest. But no rabbit?" The second voice from the she-wolf's head questioned the first.

"No, Tacoma. If we are going to be leaving this pack today I want to feed them first." Xena thought to the other part of her.

Her head snapped right as she sniffed deeply. Quickly turning, leading the pack to a distant clearing. A distant stream of water sang a serenade of the early morning hours.

The pack slowed down as they approached the water. Quickly getting into position and surrounding the elk who were taking a nap in the clearing. Watching and waiting for a sign from Xena to launch the attack.

She crouched down low, memorizing the scents of the elks. Taking note of their age and health. Studying them, and searching for the best one to hunt.

Suddenly, she shot forward. Before the elk even had the chance to wake up and register the predators surrounding them; she had her teeth sunk into the jugular of a large old female elk. The wolf pack's circle around the elk narrowed to surround Xena. Not letting any chance for it to escape as it bucked in fright. They quickly moved in closer, nipping at its muscular legs. Weakening it.

The elks' herd left it the moment they were startled awake to its belching screams.

Xena held on as the elk got up on its rear legs. Desperately trying to shake her off. The scent and taste of its blood tempting her to dig in and start eating. Despite it still being alive. She tightened the pressure in her jaw.

The elks' screams bubbled dry, Xena had crushed its throat.

It fell to the ground, barely aware of its final moments as the light left its eyes. The wolves barely wasted a second before howling in joy.

"I am sorry for taking your life. However, thank you for providing for this pack." Xena silently thought while releasing the elk from her jaw.

She turned her head up to the brightening skyline and released a howl. Simultaneously saying goodbye to both the elk and the moon. Before filling her belly with the fresh meat.

As soon as Xena finished eating her fill, the wolf pack started devouring the rest of the elk. Not letting a single ounce of its life go to waste.