Chasing Melody

Dear Journal,

Today was the best day of my life, I got my wolf. Today is the proudest day of my life because I might lose my wolf.

It was all worth it,

Melody Hunter

Ivan stares is one of a scared child that has finally seen the monster under his bed.

My breath gets caught in my throat. I have been concentrated on Ivan that I have forgotten that he is not our only enemy in the forest.

“What is that,” he whispers. I try to hide my own fear but I have to see what he sees. Slowly I turn my head and see this beautiful wolf before me.

Somehow she seems surreal perhaps it is the fact that she is transparent and she walks with the grace of tigeress. There is a part of me that seems to trust her right away instead of being scared like Ivan obviously was.

She makes her way to me and just like a ghost she walks right through me.

It’s me, Melody.

She’s my wolf. My wolf is out of my body and walking before me in her spirit form.

You can project me.

What?

My eyes stay on Ivan and he seems to be taking in what is happening.

“She’s your wolf isn’t she,” he breathes out in astonishment.

The only way that they can hurt me if they hurt you so get ready.

My wolf steps away from me and her eyes scan the area around us.

Hector seems to trust her as well as he steps before me and next to my wolf.

“Ivan,” my anger cuts through my throat, “you’ve caused this pack enough pain it’s time that you pay.” The sword in my hand seems lighter and I tighten my grip.

I am not afraid to die tonight.

If I have to die fighting for my pack I’m okay with that.

You're just like your mother...a fighter.

Hector runs straight at Luke as my wolf bolts behind him. Luke’s teeth dig deeper into Chase and he flings him to the side as if he were a rag doll. Ivan’s menacing eyes lock on me.

“Killing you will be my greatest achievement.” He lunges at me with his sharp claws coming straight at my face.

“Likewise,” I growl and widen my stance as his hairy deformed body comes closer. My mind knows exactly what I have to do. With every step, my mind calculates how much force I need to plunge the sword into him. With a burst of adrenaline, my body heaves forward and the sword goes straight to his heart.

You know how they say never judge a book by its cover, well that is exactly what I should have not done.

Ivan is an old man that cannot completely shift so naturally I thought he was a weak man. He is a weaker form of a wolf but his hand clasps the blade of the sword and he whips it out of my hands onto the ground.

“You thought you had me,” he growls as his hand whips back and lashes across my cheek sending me hurling to the ground.

My molders bite down on my cheek sending blood gushing into my mouth. The howl of pain makes both Ivan and I to look at my wolf as her snout rubs against her shoulder.

“She feels your pain and if I kill you she dies with you,” there is a menacing gleam in his devil eyes.

The flood of blood in my mouth makes me spit out, “just like you and your wolf, idiot!” Ivan crouches down and lunges at me while I am still on the ground.

“Remember when you’re on the ground and someone tries to attack you take advantage of your closeness to the ground and attack them from below,” Chase’s words echo in my mind.

He is almost above me as I push my hips up and my legs push forward. My combat boot collides with his chest as I push myself higher my other boot collides with his jaw as a roar of pain rips through him. Ivan stammers back holding his jaw as a slow stream of blood escapes the corner of his lip.

I am on my feet now and zero in on him. His breathing is uneven and I notice he is exhausted. His old body cannot take much of this.

“Your time has run out,” I always wanted to come up with something witty to say when it came to a confrontation but that is the best I can come up with.

My wolf is on her hind legs clawing at Luke as he lunges at her. Stupid it’s like trying to punch Casper it is not going to happen. Hector is eyeing Ivan but it seems as if he is scared to attack since we are close to each other.

Chase is attacking Luke as well but his attack strategy is more aggressive than tactical. He is running at him with full force and Luke has a chance to dodge most of his moves as he fights my wolf.

“Sweetie, an old dog can learn new tricks,” he sneers as Hector closes in on him.

“Try me,” I hiss and Hector takes a step closer to him, “you’re outnumbered.”

“But not outwitted,” Hector runs at him and I prepare for Ivan to attack me when he does the unthinkable.

Ivan’s body whips around just as Hector reaches him. Hector is not ready for that as well as his steps stammer back and Ivan takes his chance. His elongated nails plunge into Hector's chest as a howl rips through him.

“No!” Every ounce of adrenaline is drained out of me as the sword in my hand suddenly weighs a ton. My body feels light as air making the scene before me appear like a dream.

Hector’s beautiful eyes widen in pain as Ivan pushes his arm further into his chest. His eyes glaze over as he stares in my direction.

The gleam of life slowly diminishes as tears slowly surface. My mind does not want to process what I am seeing.

Hector!

Save them Mel. Do it for me...

With a last exhale Hector's body slumps over.

A howl close by echoes in my ears making my breath get caught in my throat, Uncle Andrew, he knows.

There is an energy that pushes down on my thoughts a presence that wants me to know that they are there with me as well. My wolf. She is no longer fighting Luke instead she is back in my body trying to push me forward to help out my pack, my cousin.

Ivan seems to enjoy this moment. The sinister smile on his lips sends a shiver down my spine. He enjoys the kill.

“Hector,” I cry wishing that he would answer me but all I get is a menacing laugh from Ivan.

Ivan forcefully pushes Hector away from him his body slumps to the side as Ivan raises his hand up to the sky. He holds up Hector’s still heart as blood runs down his arm. He holds it like a trophy taunting me telling me that I cannot even save my own family.

“You shouldn’t underestimate me,” he laughs quietly. My wolf wants to surface so she can rip him into shreds but there is something swelling inside of me. I push her down and as he seems to be celebrating his kill my hand tightens on the swords handle.

There is a stream of tears running down my cheeks and I do not notice them until the saltiness enters my mouth.

“You motherfucker,” I growl at him and he looks at me. The sword feels light as a feather and without much effort, I wield it high and he seems shocked with my strength. The air whishes as the sword swing and it collides with Ivan’s shoulder. It cuts him with ease as the blade decapitates him before us.

Luke whines, Ivan was his father nonetheless, and Chase takes his chance and bites down on his shoulder hard bringing him down to the ground.

Ivan’s head rolls off his body onto the ground as his headless body stays standing for a few seconds before dropping to the floor.

Luke snaps at Chase but he cannot get close to him. I let go of the sword as my eyes stay on Ivan.

“Let him go, Chase,” he makes an unease noise, “let him go!” I command him I can hear them snapping at each other. “Now this fight is between you and me,” my eyes lock on Luke. “You tried killing my mother and failed I wanted to kill your father and succeeded.”

Luke’s eyes fall on Ivan’s bloody body at my feet.

“Fight me like a real man,” I challenge, “fight me like a man and not a wolf.”

He breathes out harshly as Chase stands close to him his nails digging into the ground.

“You fucking piece of shit,” the rawness in my throat makes my voice break. “Fight me! Either way, I will kill you for bringing that shit into my life and taking the kindest person I know away from me.”

Luke shifts before me, “your mother was asking for it.” He stands towering over me, “you would have done the same thing.”

“You don’t know my mother,” my voice drops, “she would have never left you out there to die.”

“She did,” his eyes narrow in anger. That is what I want from him to be angry.

“Well, perhaps she deserved what she got,” that did it something in his head snapped and he rages towards me like an angry bull.

His moves are predictable he wants to drop me to the ground and get as many punches in as possible. My feet make quick work of dodging his attempts and as he flings pass me my hands' whip towards him. My hands clasp around his throat pulling him towards me. His back against my chest, “you don’t deserve to have me as your mate and thankfully you are not mine,” he swings his arms back trying to get a grip on me but the last thing we hear is his neck snapping and then his body slumps to the ground.

Turning to the trees I see hundreds of pairs of eyes on me. One wolf stammers forward and my heart breaks, uncle Andrew, makes his way down the hill towards me. I step back giving him space.

Carl and Madison cry as they see that it is, in fact, their brother that lost his life in this fight.

“I’m so sorry,” I blabber as he sniffs his son and rests his snout on him. “I’m sorry that I was too weak to save him,” a sob escapes me and my uncle looks over to me.

My uncle does not move away from Hector.

“It should have been me. He died saving me and I could not return the favor.” My uncle makes his way over to me. He stands tall before me and I feel my world rip apart and he pushes himself closer as I bury my face into his chest. I was never one to cry but right now, at this very moment, what was I suppose to do? I was hurting and this is not the hurt that my wolf can heal.

Andrew wraps his arm around my neck and pulls me closer.

My mother and father soon follow. They stand on either side of us.

My mother licks me letting me know that she is there for me as well, my father being the alpha commences the mourning ceremony.

He howls at the moon his pack, The Crimson Moon pack, then follows his lead. My mother does the same for her pack. They cry to the moon goddess to look after their fallen brother. All the wolves howl as I sob into my uncle's chest.

The pain is so overwhelming that my wolf decides that I need to relax. She pushes me down as she surfaces and she sends me into the darkness.

For the first time, I welcome the darkness. Anything to take this pain away even if it is just for a moment.

Chapter 41 is the last chapter for Chasing Melody. I hope that you have enjoyed this story.