Oh, look, I put more effort into this chapter. Yay!
It didn't go as I planned, but I guess that's better than nothing.
The dynamic of the pack changed, once more. Once more, like it did before, with the ousting of their former alpha.
Only now the change came in the form of the grey male attacking the green.
Bravo lay within a pool of his own blood, red iron liquid spritzing in globs from his gaping maw, throat muscles bobbing and convulsing as he tried to breathe and swallow. The male's amber eyes were wide and white, pupils large and glazed in terror. His arms and legs spasmed, and horrible gurgling and wheezing noises escaped passed his scaled lips. Warm, wet sanguine spurted from his throat like a raging river, dampening the earth and soaking the soil.
Winter looked upon Bravo struggling to breathe through his own gargled throat, her blue eyes locked upon him. Watching his scaled face contort and twist in distress, lips peeling backwards into a snarl. But despite the gnarled sneer, she could see that he appeared to be in more fear than anything. It felt like a haze, and the white female forgot how to breathe. She didn't understand what happened. She and Blue were fighting. And then-Bravo-her mate-attacked her?
Why?
Why did her mate attack her?
Why did Bravo attack her?
He knew her longer than the blue striped female!
He mated with her long before-and even after the last sister arrived!
He chose her as his mate!
But if so, why did he attack her?
Why did he hurt her?
Was Bravo attacking her to defend Blue?
Did he chose Blue as his true mate?
But if so, why mate with Winter at all?
Betrayal!
Winter's rage began to rise and boil, a heaviness spreading through her chest. She could feel the fury of her enraged heartbeat carry her pulsing blood through her body. She could feel her own power coursing through her veins.
All her rage.
All her sorrow.
All her regret.
She thought Bravo was her mate.
But he was just using her, like a plaything when one plays with hapless, injured prey before the kill.
Bravo could have been her mate.
They could have had babies together.
Winter hoped, at least.
But he attacked her.
He hurt her.
Bravo was no better than Rust.
He was just a different type of monster.
And just like that-Winter didn't feel pity, feel sorrow, feel regret for what happened to Bravo.
Did didn't feel any empathy, watching him drown in terror in his own blood.
No.
She was just shocked that her brother did such damage.
Her brother, who was so timid and shy.
Storm.
Winter's neck craned to look up from her position upon the ground. She had wounds and scratches upon her body, streams of crimson trickling lazily over her snow white scales-but she did not notice. She was more focused upon the blood of her mate-no, Bravo was never her mate-that adorned Storm's scaled lips and teeth like daggers.
She looked upon her brother.
She barely recognized Storm.
Indeed, Storm resumed to watch Bravo struggle, scaled lips peeling back in a snarl, a low hiss riveting from his throat. The grey male's eyes were sharp and hard, posture alert and rigid. His killing claws flexed, and stabbed into the earth in silent debate.
He may not have meant to harm his packmate so, but he was not sorry.
Bravo attacked his sister.
No one attacked his sister.
Not anymore.
A clawed foot then rose, and pressed hard upon the green male's shoulder. Even now, Bravo felt cold. It was then Storm realized the other male was no longer breathing. His head cocked, and his nared flared. His neck craned and lowered to investigate. Bravo's eyes were wide and dull, pupils large. Then were unfocused. But Storm could still see the look of terror within them.
The grey male was briefly torn away from inspecting the male when he heard a cry pierce the air.
A shrill, yet hoarse cry escaped Blue from her grounded position, her chest heaving and scaled skin growing taut over her ribs as she struggled to breathe.
To cry.
To scream.
But the pain she felt was too much.
It felt like she couldn't breathe.
Blue's golden eyes were glued upon the body of her mate. Locked upon the horror that was twisted into his features.
It was like losing her sisters all over again, but much worse.
Because Blue not only lost her mate-she lost her future.
She lost her equal.
She lost her power.
Blue's scaled maw remained agape, chest heaving fiercely as she produced horrid, hoarse cries, like a squealing pig as she struggled to scream yet recover her breath. Tears welled within her eyes, and welled her vision.
She screamed and shrieked in pain, body thrashing and writhing upon the ground.
She thought about attacking Storm.
Killing Storm.
Because he killed her mate.
But at the same time, Blue was scared.
Blue was scared Storm would hurt her-kill her-too.
Because Storm killed her mate-her equal.
He could kill her, too.
If Storm could kill Bravo-
-Blue missed her sisters.
She wanted her sisters.
Where she and her sisters did not kill one another.
The only time was when Blue fought Echo, and broke her jaw.
Blue did not mean it, but it happened.
She couldn't imagine killing one of her sisters.
And in this pack-they hurt, and they killed.
Blue did not feel safe.
Not at all.
And just like that, all she fought for was gone.
Storm looked upon the grieving female, and decided to leave her be.
His focus then turned upon Bravo, and he began to eat.
After all, it was not wise to waste a fresh corpse.
Blue was not sure why she was being left alone.
After all, Storm did something worse than Rust ever did.
He killed one of her their own.
He killed her mate-her equal.
He killed a male that was stronger.
So why was Blue being left alone?
Why wasn't Storm hurting her?
Blue did not rise from her potion.
Nor did she try and tend to her wounds.
She was too busy shaking and trembling, breath unsteady and eyes wide.
Looked upon the half eaten corpse of Bravo.
Where Storm tore him apart with teeth and claw, as if knowing the fallen male meant nothing to him.
Where she watched the grey male devour her mate's flesh.
And just like that, everything was calm with the siblings.
They chatted and called, preening and cleaning.
They left Blue alone.
Until they didn't.
Winter found the squirrel that Blue once had, dropped and forgotten in the altercation. The white female picked the small, furry prey within her jaws, and pattered off towards the blue striped sister. Her clawed feet ceased to approach upon reaching Blue, and her neck lowered, scaled snout brushing against Blue's own, her breath hot and moist as she inspected the grey female.
A rumble escaped Winter's scaled throat, soft and cooing. When she offered the prey, Blue did not react. She just stared passed Winter-through Winter, eyes wide and pupils large. Winter cocked her head, and booped the morsel against the sister. She did not respond.
Thus, the white female set the offering upon the ground, and pattered away.
Blue did not notice.
Storm finally approached.
It was what Blue was waiting for.
She curled up within herself, a trembling ball of scales.
She waited for the pain.
Pain from teeth and claws, pain from being mounted and broken inside.
She felt the male's scales glide against hers as he settled down beside her.
She felt his hot breath upon her flesh, his tongue gliding along the smooth scales of her body, cleaning away the caked layers of blood.
But Blue couldn't think of the gentleness and warmth.
For it was in the same matter Bravo used to tend and preen her.
All she could think about was Storm's jaws, tearing apart her mate and devouring his flesh.
Blue was unsure how much time had passed, but it was enough for Bravo to be stripped of flesh, and be nothing but bone.
All she knew was that she could not stand it any longer.
She needed to leave.
Thus, Blue got up, and walked away.
She needed to be alone.
And not have reminders of what she once had-what she could have had-as company.
A worn down cabin, abandoned in the deepest depths of the wood was what they would find.
For the Indoraptor and E, a fine home it would be.
Indeed, the pair made a nest within the second story loft of the wooden home, only accessible by a lone ladder by its previous occupants. The wooden dwelling lay in disrepair, moss and mold snaking within the wood, once fine, hand crafted furniture broken and molded with weather and time.
The wind flowed through the broken door hung ajar and through the dilapidated roof. The windows, once clear and clean were dimmed and clouded with dirt and grime.
What remained of a stone fireplace, long cold and blackened by soot lay along a wall, a sofa and den chairs flanking the hearth, their cushions torn and worn.
The clacking of powerful claws drummed and thrummed upon the aged hardwood, scratches from its current occupants scarring the floorboards. The Indoraptor emerged into the lair, large form almost unable to fit through the door frame. His golden eyes shone and reflected in the dim light cast askew by the fragmented holes within the broken roof, golden, vibrant scales shimmering in the light. His nares flared, and muffled, hissing rumble escaped his striking throat, pupils dilating and searching in the black.
A small fawn was held limply within his jaws, blood a sluggish trickle down its furred mouth, eyes wide and pupils fully dilated akin to a doll's eyes. It's neck was broken.
E briefly popped her head from out of the darkness of the second story loft, blue eyes peering at the larger raptor below. A rasp of greeting escaped her, before the pattering of her claws could be heard scraping and clattering against the wooden lair above. The Indoraptor produced a snort in response, before nearing the still standing ladder-the guardian to their nest.
Though rather than climbing the wooden steps, the onyx and gold beast reared upon his powerful find legs, muscular forearms extending and clawed fingers curling and grasping the wooden ledge above. His powerful arms pulled and his legs pushed, and in one fluid motion, the hybrid hoisted himself upon the ledge above, tail curled over the edge, swaying in the rays of light.
The Indoraptor's amber eyes would find E pattering around, tending to their bedding area, which held broken foliage, soft leaves, stolen pillows, blankets and sleeping bags torn asunder, innards of stuffing and soft feathers laying around. E's clawed hands were raking and fixing, collecting the dried and unneeded leaves and branches to remove them from the nest.
The soft thud of the fawn's body hit the floor, and E briefly swiveled her neck, head turning to look upon the kill. Her head cocked to the right, then to the left. Her gaze then flicked to the hybrid, and a pleased noise escaped her. The red and white raptor then swiveled and pattered towards towards her mate-mate? E guessed so, after all this time.
The small female released a cooing purr from her white throat, and nuzzling and rubbed into the Indoraptor in greeting, rubbing her scaled snout against his. The male produced a pleased trill, quills beginning to flatten along his head, eyes closing as he enjoyed the warmth of her body and the affection in her touch.
E then pulled away after giving a swift lick, and before the Indoraptor knew it, the scarred female was gone, the sound of her weight hitting the first floor with a thud reaching his ears.
The male's neck craned, and his piercing eyes briefly watched as his female scurried out the cabin's door cast ajar, and into the world outside.
The Indoraptor's clawed hand flexed, and he briefly thought about following E.
However, the hybrid decided not to as his interest fell upon the nest, inspecting it.
His neck craned downward, and his nared flared. He then began to step into the bedding area, and curled himself into a ball as he settled down among the soft comfort.
The Indoraptor's jaws parted in a deep yawn, quills briefly becoming erect before flattening once more.
Sleep hung heavy upon his scaled eyelids, and it was not long before the hybrid drifted off into slumber.
The Indoraptor awoke to the flash of lightning, and the cracking of thunder.
He jolted upright, and released a cry of panic-one that seemed too feeble for a beast of his size. The blinding light flashing from the broken boards of the roof hurt his eyes, and the loud, booming noises seemed to shake the very earth. The torrent of rains from the storm mercilessly battered their cabin home, and the wind howled like a beast baying for blood.
The Indoraptor rose upon his hind legs, twirling and thrashing like a hapless animal caught in a cage, jaws snapping at threats unseen. His eyes were wide with terror, breath ragged and saliva frothing.
Because in his mind, he was back there.
Back there in the darkness, behind the metal bars that grew too small as he grew too large.
Back there where the humans brought pointy sticks to shock and sear his hide.
The hybrid twisted and twirled so much so-that he fell from the loft, and crashed down hard onto the floor below, ladder snapping and splintering. And then the Indoraptor felt pain, of something piercing his belly.
The noise startled E from up above, and she was swift to leap down to go to her mate's side.
The fall-and the piercing pain-was enough to wake the hybrid from his storm-born nightmare. He was no longer back there in the dark, behind the metal he cannot break out of. Back there where the scary things hurt him with light, like the one in storms.
He was in his home, on the ground, in pain.
Something sharp pierced his belly, and the Indoraptor regained enough of his barings to wrap his clawed fingers upon the piece of broken ladder-and pull.
A groan of discomfort escaped him, and his warm blood seeped from the wound, mixing with the downpour of the storm.
E was swift to find the source of blood. She peeled back her scaled lips, and snarled at the offending piece of wood, before beginning to tend to the larger raptor. Her tongue moved to lick and clean the tarnished scales of her partner's black belly, his muscles tensing under her touch-and from the stabbing pain. The Indoraptor shook, and trembled, heart hammering in his chest as he looked from E, then to the skies above, through the aged roof.
The hybrid trembled, terrified, by the light and the pain, as he lay upon the ground.
He did not realize that his powerful forearms wrapped around E, and pressed her belly flush to his, through the red and the wet, like a child clutching to a cherished toy for comfort.
E could not help but endure the captivity.
Not that she entirely minded.
E may not have entirely understood why the hybrid was frightened, but she knew what it felt like to be scared.
The only thing she could do for her distressed mate was to try and soothe him with nuzzles, kisses and purrs.
E carried out her cleaning duties, scurrying to and fro and placing the filth and useless objects on a pile upon the ground.
Briefly did the scarred female cease her cleaning to swivel her head and look around her territory. Her nares flared, and her hearing sharpened, on alert for any approaching predators-or prey.
In truth, her patrols of her little home would increase, for E was quite protective of her lair.
After all, she had a mate, and she had a nest.
She had a home.
This was where E belonged.
And she was not going to let others bully her and take it away.
She did not need to be scared anymore.
Not of Rust, not of being alone.
Not of others.
E was strong.
She just needed to figure out how to be.
There was then a foreign scent that E caught upon the wind.
Her nares flared, and her chest expanded with large intakes of breath.
Her pupils dilated, and her killing claws twitched.
Her head swiveled, neck twisting and turning, as she sought the direction in which the intruder entered.
E was swift to move when she picked up the scent, bounding in great leaps and strides through the woods, footfalls pounding into the earth.
She slowed when the scent became greater, stronger
She slowed until she ceased her stride, scaled lips peeled back in a snarl, gutting claws twitching, powerful leg muscles tensing for a feline leap.
E remained quiet, and focused, like a stalking predator to prey, eyes alert and narrowed upon the intruder just beyond the brush.
Upon the intruder that was her kind, grey scaled with stripes of white and blue.
When E struck, it was like a raging storm being unleashed.
Blue was on edge.
She knew something was near.
Another of her kind, perhaps.
But a scent she did not recognize.
The grey sister's golden eyes squinted, neck craning forward to look upon the direction she thought she heard footsteps. Her head warbled, and her weight shifted from foot to foot.
Upon seeing a flicker of red-one of her kind-Blue attempted to communicate.
Attempted to call out.
What answered her was teeth and talons pinning her to the ground, instead, and a horrid, angry noise that she did not understand coming from one that looked like her.
E snarled at the grey female, a killing claw pinning down her head.
The intruder did not even try and fight, try and defend herself.
E cocked her head to the left, then to the right, perplexed and confused. Her gutting claw flexed, and tapped and raked against the downed female's scales, threatening, yet debating.
Blue's eyes were wide, and shone with fear.
It was like being back there-with Rust.
At the mercy of another's strength.
E thought, silent.
This female did not seem to be a threat.
But she may become one, if given the chance.
It was then that E felt a tremor from the ground.
At first, she thought it was nothing.
But she felt it again.
And again.
And again.
And E realized, it was getting closer.
So close, she could hear the heavy footfalls.
So close, she could hear the breath of the monster in the woods.
So close, she could hear the beast that was hunting them.
E was swift to take her pinning foot off Blue, head swiveling and heart pounding.
The grey striped sister was more than eager to get to her feet, scaled hackles raised as she looked around, alert and on edge.
Silence.
And then the forest erupted around them, exploding with the hulking mass of a beast with a large head, and crushing jaws.
And the Rex arrives! Yay! Or not.
Thank you for reading. Sorry for any Bravo fans. He was going to live, but my writing had other plans.
Stay safe.