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Legend of Cyrus

By Revera Love

AuthorHouse

Copyright © 2012 Revera Love
All right reserved.
ISBN: 978-1-4772-9699-8

Chapter One

Part 1: Blood Pack Territory

Cyrus fell with a thud on the hard ground scuffing her white pelt into the dust. Black and brown figures hovered inches from her face pinning her into the dirt.

"What's the matter, Runt?"

One of her cruel brothers laughed snapping at her nose.

"She just can't keep up with us." Turveren snarled from behind. Cyrus fought to draw her paws to her chest and push off her larger brother, but his snapping teeth deterred her efforts. "Not so strong without Camera huh you little weasel?" Their taunts rang in her ears like the echoes of so many others.

It was true. Cyrus knew that her pack was watching her squirm in the dirt; just as she knew no one would help her. She was just a runt.

Useless.

The whole pack said so. They didn't bother to hide their snide comments or sheath their fangs. Even her parents turned their backs on the little white wolf. Camera was the only one who could seem to stomach the sight of her.

"Is there a problem?"

The pup let out a sigh of relief. "Camera,"

It didn't matter that Camera was an Omega. She was still one of the largest wolves in the pack and even Taro and Turveren would not challenge her. With relief she felt the weight of the black pup lift, and the dust found its way beneath her paws where it belonged. Both young males sat hunched, avoiding their sister's hot orange gaze. Cyrus's tail wagged with justification. If there was one wolf she could count on it was Camera.

"Leave. Your. Sister. Alone." She growled and, with that, drew Cyrus to her side and marched off. Cyrus yipped with excitement as the den site faded into the tree line behind her. She breathed in deep the scent of pine. Soft needles folded under her pudgy paws occasionally finding a way to trip her. Camera never faltered though. Her long legs loped over the ground with the grace of ghosts.

Again, Cyrus found herself wondering why Camera would choose to be an Omega. She'd told the young pup once after a trip like this, but it didn't make sense. Camera chose to live on the outskirts of the pack; almost more Lone then Pack. Why wouldn't she want to be with her family?

Camera flicked her tail to the young wolf that was falling behind. Before long they come up to a strand of honeysuckle. This was where Cyrus would be staying while Camera hunted. Her tiny body fit easily in the bush just like it had countless times before.

See being small is good for something.

She smiled at the thought and milked a flower between her little black gums. This was her favorite place. The nectar was endlessly sweet and the petals fun to bat. All she had to do was stay quiet until Camera returned. She licked her lips thinking about the kill Camera would bring. She imagined the soft brush of downy fur on her muzzle and the sweet tang of hare meat.

Her little head cocked as she wondered not for the first time why her pack did not eat with them. Was it because they were outsiders? Her face fell.

Maybe they just like the meat they get. It might not be us. She wasn't convinced.

A crackle in the grass caught her attention. She pricked her ears expecting to see Camera's gray white pelt marching over the little hill where she always was but it was not her this time. A scent unlike she'd ever experienced wafted on the breeze. Her hackles rose and she shrunk down, instinctively terrified. Something was coming. Its heavy paws plodded the ground like a troop of bears.

Hungry bears She thought.

The scent of their blood lust was not unlike Camera after a hunt. She strained to see the strange creature through the golden bloomed branches. Not even the birds sang anymore. Unable to resist she crept closer. The ground scraped against her belly, and her haunches hurt from crouching. She let out a whine and it appeared.

It stood larger than any creature she'd ever seen. Its two legs suspended it like a duck before flight but it was much swifter than any duck. It rushed the bush, wielding a long stick that tapered to a point. Cyrus watched wide eyed and frozen. One stick flew straight into the bush and glided past Cyrus's shoulder branding her with an ugly red scratch beginning to pool with blood. She screamed a silent cry of terror. Desperate to flee she turned and caused the burning pain to race down her little foreleg.

Another stick flew from the creature's paw. Its point found the flesh of her flank bringing a sharp cry from her lips. The point fell as she ran but she could still feel the wetness sliding down her hocks and painting her tail. Her terror escalated, A blood trail! Now they could follow her forever! Clutching her eyes shut against the pain she ran blindly. The creature's heavy approach was in time with her exploding heart.

Then the beat detached, blooming and morphing from one mutant to many. An entire mutant pack was after her!

Chapter Two

With the blood pounding in her ears Cyrus ran. She wanted to scream for Camera but pain and fear held her in its grasp. The ground pounded with the clumsy paw steps behind her.

Her small legs couldn't carry her much longer. She was about to give up when suddenly she was flying over the dirt with her scruff clutched in familiar jaws. The ground flew as Camera raced the pointy sticks. They flew like flies all around the fleeing wolves. Cyrus trembled, too frightened to whine.

* * *

Camera ducked and dodged the flying arrows. In her jaws was the most precious thing of her life.

I have to get you safe! She growled with frustration as the Mans' closed in. The path was widening and she could see the soft etch of many paw prints. She gulped and twisted to the side of the trail.

There the undergrowth was thicker and hazel branches reached their prickly hands out to catch the skin of the unlucky. Camera dipped her head to shield the pup. Pain laced her face where they met the sharp leaves but she kept on. Man Pack howled as their stretchy pelts caught in bramble and hazel. Camera sighed and turned back to the trail. She couldn't do this alone and now, with the yowls of Man Pack warning the others, she wouldn't have to.

* * *

Gentle spring sunlight flitted like may flies through the canopy of maple trees that framed the den site. Soft green foliage marred the ground in huddles where the pups had balled it for play toys. Taric sat quietly with pride in his eyes. Camelle, his mate, lay off to the side; her pale cream coat dusted a light brown with dappled shadows.

Tumbling and playing before her were his prized pups. Taro drew his teeth over the soft skin of his brother's neck in a perfect death swipe. He would be a fantastic warrior one day. The black wolf watched his son's nimble paws and cunning eyes, an alpha in the making.

Suddenly a yowl wrenched the peace from the very air. Taric was up in an instant, his mate at his flank. "There's an attack." she barked calmly. This pair had been through many battles at the paws of Man. The pups stumbled and listened to the howling of a creature they had never seen.

Taric did not need to direct his pack. Many practice bouts had honed their emergency strategy to a science. Alexandria and Demetry grabbed the young ones and bundled them deep in the den. Then Alexandria went to join her parents in the ambush while Demetry stayed behind to watch the pups.

Something top heavy was bashing down the path straight for Blood Pack's den site. The wolves filtered about the bushes and trees to become no more than specters themselves. A...