Noah's POV
Everything felt peaceful. I was almost certain I had died. How else could you explain the bright light that blared onto my face making me squint as I opened my eyes?
How could you explain the beautiful meadow and birds singing, the grasses dancing softly, swaying in the evening breeze? It was paradise for all I knew.
"I shouldn't be here," I mumbled breathlessly as I came to. Paradise was definitely not where I was meant to be. The moon goddess couldn't be so stupid as to be so generous to someone like me.
My head banged like I was hungover. The dizziness hit me like blows to the guts making me sway a little as I staggered to my feet. I shook my head vigorouslybmeaning to shake out the ringing sound in my ears.
The bright light that had almost blinded me, the sun slowly transitioning from a fiery hot ball that blazed all afternoon to a big mass of evening warmth settled on my face gently, its rays playing with my sleek black hair. The only good thing I inherited from my accursed father. My eyes flicked around instinctively taking in my surroundings.
I heard my wolf purr softly in my head and my body froze. Alert. Zak had never warned me about anything and been wrong about it.
I waited silently, my eyes squinted and my muscles taut. I closed my eyes and listened.
And then I heard it. A faint flutter in the distance. Low at first but with each passing moment, the sound grew louder. Like the sound of a very big bird flapping furiously towards me at an alarming speed. Zak growled lowly inside my head.
"Patience now, Zak. Patience," I whispered hoarsely.
Even as I stood there in anticipation, I felt the adrenaline rush in my body. My head still banged. It felt like a bunch of toddlers had gotten handy in the absence of their guardians, clanging empty pots and pans on the floor gleefully without supervision. I passed a hand through my hair roughly, grabbing briefly and wincing a little as one toddler got extra and banged his pan a little louder.
I squinted upwards as a shadow descended blotting out the sun, raring as it came. I raised my hand above my face as my eyes burnt from staring too long. I heaved a sigh of relief when I realized what it was.
"See?" I whispered to Zak. "It's just a hovercraft." I exhaled deeply. I was wrong.
A very slim spear wheezed past my ear missing my face by inches. My eyes widened in shock, my heart skipping a beat. I pulled the spear out of the ground with a grunt.
"What the hell?!" I roared, raising my hands above my head waving the spear. Maybe they hadn't seen me.
A second spear landed right in front of me rudely jolting me out of my delusion. They had definitely seen me. I should have run at this point but I didn't.
I watched as the hovercraft lowered some distance away from me, its blades whirring strongly, blowing the grasses around it furiously. It had an insignia on it. A blue wolf head with a red slash across its face.
"Trouble," I heard Zak growl. He couldn't have been more right.
The hovercraft's blades whirred to a stop. I waited. Its door hissed open. I waited. A man sauntered out the door, a slight limp in his step wearing a lab coat, a thick pair of glasses on his eyes. I didn't wait. I took a step backwards. He had two giant robots tailing him welding stun guns. His eyes seemed to size me up. I let out a growl, low and menacing but loud enough for him to hear.
"Get him," I heard and saw the words leave his lips. That was all the conviction I needed.
I let Zak rip out with a roar as the robots raised their guns.
What exactly was happening? I couldn't get a grasp of what just transpired. I felt like the dog in the animation, 'Bolt' as Zak raced quickly, his paws thudding the ground.
I could hear the hovercraft whirring in the air behind me matching Zak's speed.
"Faster, Zak. Faster."
"If you had listened to me, we wouldn't be in this mess," he panted heavily without slowing down. "Your curiosity would be the death of us one day."
I cursed inside me silently. It wasn't curiosity. It was a daredevil stubbornness that I'd inherited from… I don't know who I got that from. It could be my mother but I hadn't met her so there's really no way to tell. Could it be from Alpha Adolph? He seemed pussy enough to me, taking advantage of a human woman.
The spears came again as the hovercraft loomed above like a rain cloud. Zak jumped out of the way just in time to avoid one sticking into his body.
"Good goddess," I whispered. They meant business. I couldn't understand it. Why was I being hunted like an animal? I had done nothing wrong. At least not this time.
I looked up ahead. A cluster of trees stood invitingly at the far end of the grassland. Yes. Zak could run into them. We'd be safe there.
"Yes," Zak grunted an approval to what I had suggested.
I could feel the breeze brush against his fur as he sprinted more quickly now fueled by the hope of escape. The hope that kills.
The tragedy struck just before Zak dived into the trees. A—dare I say—carefully, well aimed spear pierced into Zak's left hind leg making him tumble into the forest, crashing heavily on the ground. The pain coursed through our body in their torrents as Zak rolled to a stop.
I could hear Zak whimper and whine in pain as he lay there, his furs coating with blood. I gritted my teeth as I felt his pain.
"We can't stay here. Not like this," I coaxed him but he was far too spent from all the running. No worries. I'd shift back to my human form, extract the spear and Zak would heal us. Easy peasy. He was a strong wolf.
I grunted in pain as I shifted back, my body trembling. The spear had gone neatly through my left leg cracking my femur. I gritted my teeth as my hands held the spear. I couldn't pull it out on my own. I needed help. Someone had to pull it out from behind me.
I heard the hovercraft lower just outside the forest. I heard its doors hiss open and I heard the soft mechanical whirring of the robots. I needed to move and fast.
I winced in pain as I tried to stand, my injured leg dragging behind me as I limped forward determinedly, fire in my eyes.
I didn't know what it was they wanted with me but I definitely wasn't sticking around to find out.