I never meant to get Raven involved in this. Even as much as I despise Frost, I would never have asked her to fight him for me. He's too strong, stronger than any were I've ever come across and I fear for anyone who gets in his path. To see Raven so broken on the ground...it tears me to pieces and I wish I was the one lying there instead and she was ten million miles from here. She's there because of me. My whole body is trembling with shock and fear. A part of me knows I should do something, defend my friend and fight for what's right but what can I do against him? I have no powers to aid in such a thing. I am no fighter. Sure, Raven may have taught me a few tricks for defense but I have nothing to fight back in the same league as them. I don't have telekinesis or powrs of cold and hot. I am just me, a weak little fox were who can run silently and heal someone. I would be doing that for Raven now but Frost is standing between us and I'm pretty sure he wouldn't tolerate me undoing all his progress. I feel sick to my stomach just thinking about it, seeing the light of pleasure in his eyes when he hurts someone.

I can see the light of protest in Raven's eyes when he mentions Tetradore. She is obviously proud of her alpha even though she doesn't talk about him much, at least not around me. She taunts him back, calling him insignificant and I flinch, knowing he won't take it well. She doesn't seem happy about me warning her to get away from him either, turning on me with a growl as her eyes look puzzled. I feel helpless and I wish I had time to explain that he's too strong for her but I know she would never accept that as a good reason. I can feel her growing annoyance with me from here and I hate to know she feels anything ill towards me. We used to be so close. I shift uncomfortably. She shakes her head, telling me flat out that he doesn't belong her here. I know that just as surely as I know I don't belong here either. I'm not pack. She promises to get me to Nadya and I think of the graceful black panther who took us clothes shopping before. I haven't seen her in so long either. The thought of Nadya is strangely comforting but all that goes to dust when they charge at each other. Raven changes to her bigger form in mid stride and even amongst all the fear eating at me, I feel admiration for her confidence. She went down with a cry of surprise and pain and I ached to go to her but my feet feel frozen to the ground.

After the collision when she's lying there, I try to send her a message and hoping that she gets it right before I try to talk Frost into going somewhere, anywhere but here. I just need to get him away from her. When I hear a soft whine from her lips, my head snaps back to her, ears pricking forward as my eyes fill with worry. Then I see her form changing, listening to the whines growing in volume and I feel my dread rising. She's still trying to fight. I feel a mixture of pride in her and yet at the same time I wish she would have stayed down until I got him away from here. I see her wince and I cringe with her, not liking seeing her in pain at all. She suddenly slams a paw out at Frost's hock and I see him falter, kicking out at her as she lifts him and slams him into the walls. I take a step back, watching in growing horror as she goes to him and tears into his leg. It reminds me oddly of going on a hunt with my pack and eating our kill. Just somehow it seems so WRONG because this is a person, not a prey animal. This is another were. Were's shouldn't be fighting. They should stick together, pack animals to the end. And yet here I watch two go at it like we're nothing more than savages, pack animals trying to prove who's stronger. But who really wins in the end? My jaw tightens. She slaps a paw at his neck, scratching it and I press myself against the wall, closing my eyes briefly as my stomach starts to somersault. I feel like I might hurl.

She bites down at his sensitive muzzle, tearing into it before she pulls back, warning him to go away. My body shudders again. Did she actually do it? He hasn't even used his true powers yet though...would he really give in so easily? As she turns away, she shifts back to her normal wolf form and I look into the eyes of my best friend. My features soften and I take a step toward her, wanting to run up and comfort her but the look in her eyes stops me cold in my tracks. She looks so betrayed. Did she not hear my message? She bares her teeth and my eyes widen as I backtrack quickly, fear quick to return to my face. Her words are like a sharp knife, cutting me to my core. I slump back against the wall, tears pooling in my eyes. "I-I..." I try to explain but the words just won't come. She doesn't want to see me anymore? The hurt is deep and savage, my claws digging into the asphalt as my heart hammers, threatening to beat right out of my chest. I feel cut open by her words, like my guts are spilling out and I have to hold them in. My bottom lip quivers, a sob threatening. I recall the words from Frost right after I told him we could go. He had looked so pleased with himself, asking if I notice how much easier it is to give in. He thinks I accepted his offer to join his pack but those words never left my mouth. I only said I'd leave with him. He has no idea how hard I'll fight to remain free. Free from all binds.

He puts up a good fight, rearing up again with Raven on his leg to dislodge her. A squeal leaves his lips as she bites down on his muzzle and as he faces her, he lets go with a stream of violent tendencies. He even aims some words at me, telling me how she never cared for me. The words cut deeper into me, twisting the knife she already put there. I remain pressed against the wall, my whole body a shivering mess. I watch as he puts his powers to use now, his skin scabbing over. I can practically watch the steam coming off his body as he heats himself up. It's oddly fascinating but I'm too numb to even feel fearful for Raven right now. I know that he will annihilate her and yet I'm still too frozen, too wounded to react. And then he unleashes on her, her body falling to the ground just as the hunter's did, convulsing as he sucks all the heat from her body. I cast my gaze down, feeling utterly defeated. I don't want to see her like that. It reminds me too much of the hunter. I hear his words and I know what he plans to do next, my teeth grinding against each other to try to drown out any noises she might make. I hear the audible crack of her leg but I don't look up, my ears pinned to my skull as my tail lashes against my flanks in irritation. He does the same to another leg for I hear another crack and then I glance up only to see him grabbing her to throw her back and forth into the walls of the alley way.

Instantly I look away, silent tears running down my red cheeks as I continue to stand there, numb and frozen. I feel as if I'm witnessing my best friend's death and I'm powerless to act. I know I could physically but something has shut down inside of me and I can't figure out what it is to know what to do next. At his question, I look back at him, watching his hoof poised so delicately over her head. I want to react, do something, but my face remains impassive as I simply blink at him, as if waiting to see what he'll do next. I do feel a tide of relief when he lowers his hoof with a snort and turns away from her but it is short lived before the numbness returns. He speaks again, offering me a pet name that makes my skin ripple with disgust. I still loathe him, that's for sure. As I glance down at my friend's body, I can see where his powers are still at work and again my stomach churns. I jump a little when suddenly the horse disappears and a man stands in his place with white blonde hair and mesmerizing violet eyes. He toes at her body like she's nothing more than a dead fish and I stiffen but don't move. Something comes flying toward me and I watch it fall to my paws. A shirt. In this numb state, I simply react, his words bringing the familiar change to my body not out of his order but rather because I'm in a mode of auto pilot and the idea seems fine enough so I decide to follow it.

As I shift, I stand nude before him for a few moments before I slowly reach out to grab the shirt and pull it over my head. I move like a robot, my face still impassive as the hair falls before my strangely vacant eyes. I have a sensation of roaming eyes over my nude form before I'm safely covered and my skin ripples once more but again I can't find the thoughts to really react. His next command has my gaze turning curious as I look from him to Raven. He wants me to carry her? What does he plan to do next? I feel the beginnings of worry starting up but I look into her mauled face and I replay those words. She doesn't want me anymore. I hear the threat in his words even as I walk over to her slowly and reach down. The moment my hands touch her, I automatically start doing some healing, though how much I can do while carrying her and trying to be sneaky about it, who knows? Plus she's got a lot of damage and that's going to take a lot out of me. Still, I feel like I have to try. I carry her delicately in my arms, cradling her to me, my hand gently stroking her hair and with every touch, I send waves of healing into her body. I let nothing show on my features, not wanting to give it away. I merely look like a robot stroking a pet as she walks.

It isn't long before we arrive at the place known as the Ark. I remember Raven talking about it and Tobias has brought me here before. He even tried to get me to go through an obstacle course but it had fire and that's a deathly fear of mine. Thankfully he understood. I listen impassively as he tells someone to fetch an alpha and it registers in my dull mind that he must be talking about Tetradore. I look up into those piercing violet eyes, reading the silent message there. I only give him a dull look as before, blinking as if in answer even as I continue to stroke Raven's hair gently, that is, until she's suddenly yanked from my arms and thrown on the ground like trash. Something in me rises, my hands clenching into fists at my sides even as the green eyed man appears at the door. I remember only brief glances of him and I only healed him at a party where he got shot with an arrow. I bet he doesn't remember me though. I stand defeated behind Frost, probably looking more like a servant than anything as I bow my head and avert my gaze, unable to meet his gaze like this. He'll probably hate me too, believe me to be Frost's accomplice and he'll see Raven's blood on my arms to know I carried her here. My body shakes again uncontrollably but this time it's more subtle. I feel an odd sense of calm about the whole thing, my mind fuzzy and yet my goal is clear. Some day, somehow, I will make Frost pay and maybe then Raven will understand and forgive me. But until then, maybe it's best that she hate me. At least that way she'll stay away as I warned her to. Then I know she'll be safe from those like Frost.

alexis wilde