She watched, helplessly, as he threw himself into battle. His teeth bared, he slashed at the other wolves, showing no mercy. She knew it wasn't him, not fully him. His pelt was shadowy and transparent. His eyes, once a light, sky blue, was now dark and evil.

    She wished she could tell him to come back, but she couldn't move. Her maternal instinct held her back. She knew that she couldn't do anything to help, it was too dangerous.

    Blood dripping from his teeth, the shadowy wolf, was now all alone on the battlefield. His enemies lay either dead or dying around him. He turned his head to where she hid, under a holly bush. She was shocked at the amount of evil and darkness that came from her mate's eyes. He took a step towards her, then a step back. Something was pulling at him to stop, to not hurt the wolf he had loved so much.

    He snarled and whimpered. He sat back down on his haunches, paws grabbing at his muzzle. He shook his head and opened his eyes. With his last few seconds of conscious thought, he looked at the she-wolf with love in his blue eyes.

    She knew he would do it, to save her, his son, and unborn pups.

    Her breath made white clouds in the air as she whispered, "No..."

    Casting one last smile at his mate, he mouthed only five words, "I will love you forever." His eyes closed. His back began to shift, the shoulder blades grew taller, seeming to pierce through his fur. The flesh on his head seemed to peel off, leaving the ivory white skull to gleam dully. The white teeth still dripped with the scarlet fluid that flowed down his chest fur. His deep, dark eyes stared at her. They never closed.

    He snarled, blood dripping, and walked towards his mate. All remnants of the prior wolf, before this cruel, skeletal creature, was gone.

    She knew what she had to do. She got up on four paws and walked towards the demon without trace of fear. Looking straight into his dark eyes, she whispered, "I never loved you."

    She saw the wolf shiver at her words, but not in sadness or fear, but in anger. The huge, bony jaws opened, releasing a blood-curdling roar. The dark eyes flickered red in fury.

    The she-wolf looked in horror as, from the creature's mouth, came a dark smoke. Almost a liquid, it tumbled out and around the demon's paws. The smoke traveled up his legs, seeping into his fur.

    With one last cry of fury, the smoke enveloped him completely. Without a single sound, the dark enveloped wolf disappeared forever.

Her paws and legs trembled and she fell to the ground, tears flowing from her yellow eyes. She sobbed, whimpering in horror and grief. She knew it was her lie that made him go into his last stage. A sound, a whistling, made her ears prick. She looked up in wonder. From up above came a small feather, black with two yellow stripes. She recognized the feather as the one her mate always wore, even when he slept.

    She knew in her heart, the feather was now the last thing she had of him. Using her paw, she tucked the feather behind her ear. Raising her head, she looked to the stars.

    He will live on in our pups. They will be taught the name Darron.
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Chapter by: Badgerstrike13 :3