Insight

Bastian stood in the center of the backyard. He heard the scuffling in the forest. He knew Flint had arrived with whatever handful of wolves he could still order around. He also saw a few fighting wolves in shadows through the trees. None had made it past the brush.

Figures began to take shape at the edge of the tree line. Several wolves and walking Lycans. StarLight wolves. Their confident, powerful presence was unmistakable. As was Flint’s.

Bastian focused on the peak of the power in front of him. A large silhouette, hidden by the shade and rain. The person moved toward him with long, slow steps. Lightening flashed in the sky overhead, lighting up the area. Flint’s emerald green eyes grabbed his attention. Bastian couldn’t help but smile.

He howled into the air. The shadow pack began to run toward him, circling him, prepared to fight.

Elijah hadn’t climbed the trees with the others. His injury made the task impossible. So, he and a warrior named Alice Fall had been stationed to follow the others in wolf form. She had a previous leg injury and limped severely. Elijah had grown accustomed to his scars. He moved swiftly, if a bit unevenly.

They followed Johnny’s troop from the ground, several yards behind them. When the cabin was near enough that the forest gave way to the yard, Elijah ducked into the brush. Alice followed suit several feet away. They were waiting for passers by, planning to grab them. They hoped to take a few lives before they were even seen.

Flint walked into the light of the backyard. His dark hair was dripping, hanging in his face. He pulled his shirt over his head and threw it to the ground behind him. He howled as well. This sent the StarLight wolves forward, into the fray.

The packs clashed. Flint and Bastian stood, staring at one another as the fights began to erupt around them. The back door scraped and squealed as it opened. Selena helped Eve onto the deck. It was slanted dangerously from broken supports but it still felt like a solid platform.

Flint's eyes were immediately drawn to her. Bastian turned to see what had grabbed his enemy's attention. The roof of the cabin began crumbling in on itself, cracking and shaking. Bastian turned back to Flint with a sharp smirk on his lips. It was as if he were challenging Flint to come get his mate.

Tyler and Duncan collided beside the tense exchange. Tyler's wolf was fast and strong. But the commander's experience and training were unmatched by any rogue. After suffering several painful bites to the throat, Duncan managed to grab Tyler. He clamped down on his spinal chord, and shattered it.

Tyler yelped and began trembling, jerking his head awkwardly. A few seconds later, he fell onto the ground. Still and dead. Johnny ran to Duncan's side, as if he'd come to help but arrived too late. The wolves nodded at one another, before darting in opposite directions.

Across the yard, Lynn was fighting Leigh in their human forms. They seemed to be evenly matched, until Felix ran by in his wolf body. He knocked Lynn to the ground and turned to pounce on her. He didn't notice the brown wolf speeding toward him. Johnny launched off the ground, grabbing Leigh by the shoulder.

"Felix!" She screamed painfully.

Johnny snarled and buried his teeth further into her flesh. He shook his head back and forth, hoping to tear her muscle away from her bones. Lynn barely had time to wrap her arms around Felix's chest before he jumped onto Johnny. She squeezed his back into her chest with all her strength. Pops rang out and Felix began whimpering and wailing.

"No! No! NO!" Leigh shrieked, reaching for him.

Lynn dropped the panting, dying wolf. She grabbed the girl's hand and lowered it. She pulled the knife from her belt and buried it in Leigh's chest. Johnny jumped over her and ripped Felix's throat out, silencing his tortured breathing.

Lynn and Johnny looked at one another and nodded. They had protected each other and come out alive. Now it was time to return to the fight. They turned around and walked, together, back into the battle around them.

Peter had been a tracker for StarLight for twelve years. However, he hadn't had much experience fighting. This proved to be his downfall. He ran on four legs across the yard, hoping to clear a path for Elkin to get to Eve. Instead, he met Callie.

Even in her human form, she was strong. The rogue had tackled him to the ground before slitting his throat. He squirmed and tried to bite her, so she stabbed him in the stomach several times. She didn't stop until he's stopped breathing.

Dylan saw an opening and ran toward Bastian. The rogue Alpha's back was turned. He hoped to get close enough to strike before he was seen. He ran quickly and silently. He jumped to latch onto the back of Bastian's neck when the man suddenly crouched. Dylan tumbled to the ground.

He snarled at Bastian as if he were going to attack him. Bastian laughed as if he were excited by the prospect. He lifted his hands, offering the wolf the first shot. Flint watched the exchange and took a few fast steps forward to intervene. However, a gray shadow wolf ran at him.

Flint grabbed it by the nape of its fur. He threw it behind him. Its bones cracked as it's body slammed into the trunk of a large tree. He looked back at Bastian just in time to see him rip Dylan's jaw off with his hands. The scream was sickening. Though, not nearly as much as the feeling of death ringing through the mindlink.

Flint looked to the right. Bethany was cornered by two Shadow members. One half-breed and one wolf. She began to turn but the wolf grabbed her by the throat, pinning her to the ground as her bones began cracking. The half-breed stabbed her with a pocket knife. She kicked him away a moment before the wolf tore further into her throat. Killing her.

Anna lept on the human, twisting his head roughly. His spine snapped. She dropped his body as the wolf lunged at her, tearing into her arm. Anna shoved her fist into the animal's throat, forcing it to release her. She then produced a large knife and buried the tip in the wolf's skull. Bethany had been avenged, but she couldn't be saved.

Bastian looked to the left. Erin, a young female supporter, was backing away from David's wolf form. He snarled and jumped at her, nipping at her shins. She tried to kick him in the face but he rushed her and knocked her to the ground. Austin stood over her in his human form. He lifted his boot and returned the favor. He stopped on her head until it split open.

Death, bloodshed, and chaos was all around. Bastian and Flint met gazes again. Flint held a steady, stern expression. It was as if he were weighing the losses of his pack members against his conscience.

Bastian, on the other hand, was smiling cheerfully. What looked like pandemonium to someone else, was an orchestra of well made plans to him. Plans that were quickly coming to fruition, much to Bastian's excitement.