The Gamma's Choice

Chapter 4

CHAPTER FOUR

The scent of elk wafts through the crisp mountain air, stirring a primal urge within me. My paws thud softly against the forest floor as I run with my pack, our movements as synchronized as the phases of the moon. The West Mountains are alive with the whispers of nature, and we are one with its rhythm.

"Spread out!" Red's command slices through the quiet like a bolt of lightning. His massive form, a shadow amongst shadows, takes the lead. We obey without hesitation, fanning out to flank our prey.

I catch Melody's emerald gaze from across the clearing, a silent conversation passing between us. We've done this dance a hundred times—a shared nod and we break into action, darting through the trees with Emmy keeping pace just behind us.

That's when I feel it—a foreign energy, malicious and cold. It ripples through the underbrush, setting my fur on edge. The presence of others, invaders on our land. I come to an abrupt halt, ears pricked, every muscle tensed.

"Rival pack," I growl lowly, the words unnecessary as recognition dawns in every pair of eyes around me. Our hunt forgotten, we circle up, backs together, waiting for the inevitable confrontation.

"West Mountains territory is off-limits," Red snarls, authority resonating in his deep voice. But the intruders are brazen, hungry not just for game but for a challenge.

"Looks like we stumbled upon a prize," Ethan says, his voice laced with sarcasm. Even in the face of danger, he exudes confidence, his blue eyes shimmering with reckless excitement.

"Stay focused," I snap at him, even though my heart thrums at the sight of his tan fur bristling, ready for combat.

"Always am, darling," he retorts, a grin evident in his tone.

Then they're upon us, a blur of fur and snarls. The clash of bodies is violent, a cacophony of aggression and territorial rage. I dodge a set of snapping jaws, retaliating with a bite that finds its mark. Pain flares briefly as claws rake my side, but I shake it off, driven by the need to protect my home.

"Watch your back, Ava!" Melody's warning cry cuts through the fray just as a dark form lunges towards me.

Instinctively, I pivot, only to find Kyle there, his brown eyes fierce with protective fire. He engages the attacker before I can, their bodies colliding with a force that reverberates through the ground.

"Kyle?" I gasp, my mind reeling. He's been gone for so long, yet here he is, fighting alongside me as if no time has passed.

"Later, Ava!" he barks, focused entirely on the rival wolf he wrestles to the ground.

"Stay safe," I manage to say, my heart a tumultuous storm of emotions—relief, confusion, and an old ache that resurges with a vengeance.

"Always," he grunts before throwing himself back into the melee.

As the battle rages around us, I'm caught in a whirlwind of past and present. Ethan's charismatic charm, Kyle's steadfast return. The two wolves embody different parts of my soul, yet here, amidst the chaos, my resolve hardens.

We will protect our land. We will stand united. And when the dust settles, I'll have to confront the feelings that this fight has unearthed. But for now, we battle as one—fierce, unyielding, and together.

Blood coats the forest floor, seeping into the earth as howls and snarls of combat fade into frightened whimpers. My heart pounds with the adrenaline of battle, my breaths coming in ragged gasps. I'm ready to leap back into the fray when a sudden yelp catches my ear—a sound of pain that pierces through the chaos.

"Melody!" I cry out, spotting her crumpled form near an oak tree's twisted roots. Her leg is bent at an unnatural angle, blood blossoming across her fur. Our eyes meet; hers are filled with fear and agony.

"Stay with me," I urge, dropping to her side. My hands hover over the wound instinctively, though I've never been trained to heal.

"Please," she whimpers, her body trembling.

I focus on the gashes, unsure of what compels me, but driven by a need to help. A warm sensation builds in my palms, and to my astonishment, a soft golden light emanates from them, enveloping Melody's leg.

"Wha—?" I start, but the glow intensifies, and Melody's whimpers subside. I watch, transfixed, as the torn flesh knits together beneath the light, the bleeding stops, and her leg straightens.

The golden hue fades, and I pull my hands back, stunned. Melody tests her weight on the leg, amazement replacing the pain in her eyes. She rises, unsteady but whole.

"Your leg—it's..." I can't finish the sentence.

"Thank you, Ava," she says, her voice thick with gratitude.

"Did you know you could do that?" Ethan's voice slices through my confusion. He stands a few feet away, having witnessed the impossible.

"I—I had no idea," I stammer, meeting his gaze. His eyes reflect not just awe, but something deeper, something that stirs the embers in my chest.

"Looks like there's more to you than even you knew," he says softly, stepping closer. The air between us crackles with something intangible yet potent.

"Apparently," I murmur, my pulse quickening under his intense scrutiny.

"Kyle!" Ethan suddenly calls out, and I whirl around to see Kyle staggering towards us, his shoulder dripping crimson.

"Can you...?" Ethan trails off, nodularity clear in his unfinished question.

"Let's find out," I reply, feeling the weight of both their stares as I approach Kyle.

"Hey," Kyle says hoarsely, a pained smile touching his lips. "You've always been full of surprises, Ava."

"Stay still," I whisper, placing my trembling hands over his wound. The golden light returns, wrapping around him, and Kyle's grimace eases. Minutes pass, or maybe seconds—I can't tell. Time seems irrelevant when the light fades, leaving Kyle's shoulder healed.

"Thanks," he says, his brown eyes locked onto mine. It's an old look, one that tugged at my heartstrings once upon a time. But now, it's Ethan's gaze that lingers in my peripheral vision, Ethan's concern that warms me amidst the cool mountain air.

"Anytime," I manage to reply to Kyle, my voice barely above a whisper.

But it's not just words between us—it's history, memories, and the echo of a bond that hasn't fully severed. Yet, standing here, amidst the aftermath of battle and healing, I feel the pull of something new—something that promises to be just as compelling.

As I stand between the two wolves who have marked my heart in different ways, I realize the fight isn't over. There's another battle ahead—the battle for where my affections truly lie. And as the scent of pine and blood mingles in the air, I know that this power within me, this newfound ability, has changed everything.