It was growing dark and with how weak and physically exhausted Johan was, made it difficult to navigate the whole thing. Even as he ran to put some distance between him and the house, his physical exhaustion was making it difficult to even keep walking.
He still kept going as his brain and thoughts swirled around in his head. 'He saw me…Shit..! This isn't how I wanted him to know…' Johan shook slightly as he though as he continued to move, the slow shinking sky made the forest look like it was on fire as it turned the trees into an orange redish glaze.
'Father am I just a coward…?' Johan thought as his memories flashed back to a specific day.
"Father, wheres Jehu?" Johan asked who was just 6 years old. He was wondering what happened to his big brother who seemed to have just upped and vanished. His brother being almost 6 years older than him was a mischief maker and Johan didnt like his older brother causing everyone such problems.
It didnt help he hung out with Andrian and Axel who were troubling in their own right with their own familes as Hassleberry and Jim often complained about their annoying older cousins.
"Go look for him Johan but dont get to far okay?" Their father looked down at the youngest as he shifted and entered the woods. He followed the trail his brother left and soon arrived upon at the three circling something on the ground.
'Shit…is that a human..? Jehu what are you even thinking??' Johan panicked in his head watching his older brother nip at the body on the ground.
Thankfully one of the Elders howled calling back all the wolves and even grabbed the attetion of Jehu Andrian and Axel who dashed off in the specific direction back to the werewolf village. The pack was located 10 miles from Willow Colorado and was surrounded by dense forests that kept people from wandering in.
The road outside the woods was as close to humans any of them got. Johan walked over to the body and sniffed it and noticed it was still alive. 'Cmon lets get you sitting up.' Johan nudged the human with his nose.
'Hmm maybe this will work..' Johan latched his teeth onto the hoodie of the human and pulled causing the human to quickly be brought into a sitting position.
Johan sat on his butt looking at the human. He could tell because of how dark it was and how dim the woods were, the child in front of him couldnt see him very well.
However Johan felt a strange warmth fill his small body looking at the beautiful brown locks with a light golden brown crown of hair on top of his chocolate brown head, his doe brown eyes looked at him almost worriedly and scared.
Theyre eyes connected as Johan got to his feet and turned and started walking. He could smell the direction from which his brother dragged the human child's body through. He glanced behind him wagged his tail slightly and started walking.
The human boy realized what he was doing and followed him through the woods. 'Jehu you could've gotten us in soo much trouble.' The wolf boy huffed as he got the two closer to the edge of the woods where light broke through the woods.
Johan looked at the human who saw the light at the end of the dense woods, turned to look at him with a kind smile. '"Thank you..'" He didnt linger long as the boy turned back around and walked ahead, Johan took it upon himself to dash away and return to the village.
Johan stumbled before resting against a tree to catch his breath as he huffed, his vision trying to go blurry on him. His legs collapsed under him as he panted leaning against a tree, the sound of rushing water just ahead.
Somewhere nearby someone was watching him glaring and growling from the shadows.
Xxx
Judai dashed through the woods following the trail or rather somewhat trail Johan left in the ground with his running. The still snowcovered grown lead the way for him as Johan hadn't made it overly complicated to follow let alone to see as the paw prints in the snow were freash and only looped the the trees a couple times, making it only slightly difficult for Judai to keep track.
Judai puffed still carrying his jacket on his arm gasping at the cold as he continued to keep walking looking for Johan. "JOHAN!!!! COME BACK JOHAN!" Judai gasped out his air puffing as he cried out for his crush. 'Johan… What made you run away…Could it be? Are you the same wolf I told my parents about repeatedly about…?' Judai recalled back to his childhood.
"Mama! Dad! I'm not lying, a wolf led me out of the woods! They're not bad creatures!" 6 year old Judai spoke definatly in defense over the wolves living in the woods when a news report about hunting season was begining soon.
"Judai, just because it didnt try to hurt you doesnt mean you can trust a wild animal! Your not allowed near the woods and thats final!" his father ordered making the brunette tear up in frustration.
He grit his teeth. "I hate this! We're only here because of you Dad! At least let me outside!" Judai ran out of the room and raced to his attic room.
"Didn't believe me back then, did ya Dad…" Judai chuckled half heartedly as he kept walking, his sense of smell getting a wiff of the area around him.
A faint odar hit his nose as he gasped heavily. "Blood?! JOHAN!" Judai took off running once again fearful of being too late as he ran through the dense woods.
'Let me get there! Let me protect him!' Unknowingly to him his eyes shined with a hint of gold in them, fear and determination filled him as he ran.
Xxx
Johan panted hard but his gaze went to the bushes as a large black wolf exited the bushes a toothy but malicious grin on his furry muzzle. 'Remember me Johan?' Johan growled as he dragged himself to his feet glaring at him.
'What do you want Viper…' Viper being one of the Elders and the earliest members to be elected to join the elders. Sadly his intentions for the pack was nothing short of damaging. Viper wanted the deaths of The Protector and the possible Supreme Alpha.
He had gotten word from one of the other elders about Judai's arrival to Willow and has sent Axel Jehu and Adrian to intercept the car, drag out the child and kill him before anyone in the pack realized the child's idenity.
Johan's father figured this out easily and intercepted the attack using both Johan and a more compassionate Elder to call back the wolves foiling Viper's sceme.
'You should know well Johan. After all you are the Protector of the Supreme Alpha. The elders are quite concerned over the issue. Sadly in your condition I can kill you easily, then go and snap that boys neck before anyone starts wondering.' He chuckled through the mental link. Johan growled digging his paws into the ground.
The two could hear in the distance Judai calling Johan's name. 'Well we'll, looks like I don't have to look for him after all. I'll kill you right here, let him find you then break his neck and toss him into the river.' Viper made a noise almost sounding like laughter
'You stay away from him!' Johan in his weakened state leaped at the wolf and scratched his eye making it bleed as the wolf roared in anguish as he caught Johan by his leg and threw the teal wolf into the tree making teeth marks in his leg.
"You can't beat me Johan!' The large wolf tried to throw himself on top of the injured and sick wolf grabbing him by his scruff and throwing him into another tree making a whimper cry from his throat.
Johan sank to the base of the tree a whine escaping him as his scruff was now wet from his blood. Johan glared heavily at Viper. 'Your a coward!' He bared his teeth. Viper again made a noise that sounded like laughter.
'Time to die Johan..' the wolf was prepared to pounce on the teal fur wolf, when out of the bushes Judai leaped and rolled against the ground grabbing Johan in his arms before taking off running away from Viper.
"Hang on Johan!" Judai had Johan lifted in his arms cradling him close the wolf looking over Judai's shoulder at Viper giving chase to them as Judai continued to run dodging tree roots and undergrowth as he reached the cliff edge.
"Shit.. shit!!" Judai looked over the edge to see the river and large waterfall below them. Viper exited the bushes growling threateningly at the two.
Judai looked down at the drop while Johan glared at Viper. 'Looks like you'll both die together, Johan. How sweet, just like how the original duo went out.'
Johan growled at the black wolf as Judai saw the horizon getting darker. "Well Johan. We might die, but at least we'll make it out of this!" Judai with no hesitation takes two steps back and leaps off the cliff pushing his legs off the edge as the two plummeted into the river nearly 15 feet from the cliff before vanishing in the water.
Viper leered out over the side of the cliff before taking off into the woods away from the scene.
Xxx
Hassleberry and Jim paced back and forth. "Damnit, Jim we need to find them! It's getting dark and Johan is sick! He'll never be able to lead Judai back!" Hassleberry looked at the time it was 6p.m and the sky was getting darker.
"Your right lead the way. In your fur suit now." Jim pulled on his leather jacket before shoving his boots on as The duo rushed out the door with Hassleberry scratching the ground at his feet. "Lead the way if you can smell them dannit! We gotta make sure they're okay." Jim took a good look at with horizon, the sun nearly gone as the light was fading.
The duo weaved through the trees keeping track of Judai and Johan's scent which nearly blended together. "Shit I think someone else was out here with them.. Hmm it's faint but it smells of another wolf…" Jim spoke up white Hassleberry voicing his agreement with a yip.
The two continued through the woods quickly following the train until Hassleberry barked loudly to Jim. "Yea, I know I smell it too. Johan was attacked by the wolf. Right here." He see the small droplets of blood liter the ground in 4 places and then Judai's scent interlinked with Johan as if Judai had carried Johan, Jim had to only assume.
"There's a river nearby tho… You don't think.." He looks to Hassleberry who ran off like a rocket to the edge Jim not far behind as the two assessed the smell.
"Looks like they were cornered… and the only option was to jump into the river." Jim looked over the cliff. "Judging by the smell it wasn't more than ten minutes ago. If we follow the path by the river we should eventually find them was onto the river bank." Jim came to the conclusion as he glared at the direction that the wolf went after cornering them.
'As much as I want to follow whoever it was, it's better to find then before Judai gets hyperthermia from the cold, as long as Johan stays a werewolf he can maintain his body heat.' He thought delicately and calculatingly as the two took their detour down the river to find them.