Chapter 37

Kuma P.O.V.

We fly for a few hours until we're far enough away from the town that the rune knights can't track us, and the others start to descend.

The others land safely and when Laxus gives me the all clear I fly low enough to drop Crystal and shift as I hit the ground.

Standing up I walk over to where Crystal crouches, her ears pinned to her head as she watches the others warily.

"Crystal!"

She jumps at my bark and turns to me. I can feel my scruff start to stand on end with anger but I force myself to relax and walk up to lick her snout.

"Why the hell were you in that cage, I thought you had found a pack?" My whimper causes her to look away and I growl forcing her to answer. Her shoulders fall and I immediately feel guilty for forcing her to answer, but I need to know what happened.

She lifts her head and snaps her jaws shut as she answers. "The packs have marked me as KOS, Kuma. When I found the pack they let me in without a problem until I overheard one of the males telling his mate about how their alpha needed heirs."

My scruff starts to stand on end again and I barely catch the end of her explanation as she looks away. "They were gonna use me as a breeder then kill me after the pups were born."

I rub my head along her shoulder and my next question escapes as a sigh. "What did you do?"

"The night of the ritual I dosed his liquor with a heavy sleeping potion my mother had taught me and ran. I didn't look back, I couldn't. I knew that they would follow me and if I went to you then they would kill you as well."

I turn away and pace, my blood starting to boil and I snap at her. "Crystal, we could've protected you."

She snaps back. "What? You and some half blood dragons?"

My patience snaps and I tackle her, pressing a paw to her throat and growl in her ear. "They're not like others we've met, they took me in, and they're the ones helping me gain my human form back ."

She whimpers in defeat and I back off allowing her to get up. Then she tilts her head and I nod.

"My souls are blocking my human form, the elders are saying the only way I can get it back is by achieving balance between my human soul and my animals."

I hear her sharp breath and nod again, this time looking over to see the slayers watching us in fascination.

"Yeah, Crystal, I have to return to the glaciers, that's why we were passing through the town."

We avoid each other's gaze and the silence stretches until I hear her mumble something, then my ears turn to her and I hear her soft growl.

"Do you still want me around?"

My tail wags a little and I huff, my tone sarcastic. "No, Crystal, I'm gonna let my best friend run the gauntlet of being killed by another pack when there's a perfectly good guild that's as close as a pack can get."

She lets out a sharp bark and her gaze settles on the slayers.

"So how exactly do I tell your friends that I'm joining the party?"

I roll my eyes at her question and place my head on her shoulder, shove her forward. "Easy, you shift and tell them. Lightning rod and Metal Piercer might seem as stiff as wood but they'll understand. Though," she looks back at me when I pause and point my nose to Wendy. "even if you're talking to everyone, keep your gaze on her, she'll be your biggest help."

She nods and shifts, her arms crossed over her chest, while she follows my instructions and looks at Wendy. As she explains I take the chance to take in her appearance and I feel my scruff stand on end as I take in the new scars covering her arms, shoulders, and what I can see of her legs below the edge of her capris.

Then my head turns back to her words. I've heard of the packs marking an exile as KOS but I didn't think they would do it to her. To be Killed On Sight is generally only used for the most dangerous of exiled wolves. Mostly those that have killed their own kin or have betrayed their pack to another.

"Kuma!"

I jump when a bolt of lightning strikes the ground in front of my paws and look up to see everyone watching me.

"Kuma, we have to get a move on before dark if we're gonna have any hope of making the next town in three days."

We start moving northwest, being careful to circumvent Richfield. It slows us down having to stay off the roads to avoid rune knights but as the sun starts to meet the horizon my nose picks up a mouth watering scent.

Barking to gain their attention they stop and Crystal picks up the scent next, so she turns to them.

"There's elk on the wind, a medium sized herd, we may be able to take down a couple to last us the next few nights."

They look confused and Natsu asks the question on their mind. "How are we gonna catch them?"

I grin and Crystal rolls her eyes. "The shit head next to me does a good job of scaring the shit out of them and causing them to stampede. We only need two to hold us over so she'll split one away from the herd and I can pull another. Then you four come into play to take them down once they're separated."

Laxus looks from her to me and back at her and nods. "Alright, Natsu and Wendy go with Kuma." They nod and he turns to Metal Piercer. "Gajeel, you and I will follow Crystal. Carla, Lily, and Happy you three go find us a campsite well away from the road."

The Exceeds take off and I turn into the wind to track down the herd, Wendy and Natsu following a few feet behind me while I make out a flash of grey fur from Crystal leading Lightning Rod and Metal Piercer away.


Grizzly out for the night.