Before he had time to straighten himself into a defensive pose, I jumped over him, grabbing one arm at the shoulder and wrenching it off as I landed behind him.
My neck knitted back together but I could feel the hot blood dripping off of me. My skin burned and I locked my jaw against the pain. His scream of pain and anger fueled my inner beast and my laugh echoed in the mind link. Paul, Leah, and Jared were chasing Victoria again as Jake and Seth gathered more pieces of vampire flesh to set aflame and be rid of the hoard for good. The blonde came at me with a holler of rage and he kicked his leg out as I came around his side. It was so fast that I didn't see it coming until the pain ricocheted across my body. At least two ribs snapped in half, and something vital inside my body felt liquefied as the pain burned it's way through me. Paul came to my aid as I fell to the ground, huffing with difficulty and trying to fight the blackness that encroached on my vision.
I was vulnerable like this but there was no way I could stand. The bracken and sticks made a poor resting place, the scent of rotting wet leaves hung heavy in the air, along with the stench of iron. My lung must have been punctured from a broken rib and blood seeped out of my muzzle. My tongue lazily licked at the metallic liquid as I vaguely watched Paul decimate the blonde leech before I closed my eyes in relief for just a moment.
Unsure how much time had passed, I was brought out of my agonized unconsciousness by a loud shriek. My head pounded with the sound, a migraine of epic proportions now embedded in my skull. The scream echoed through the pack mind as a wolf's terrified howl rent the air. Paul vanished from my line of sight and as I struggled to stand, still unsteady, I watched through the eyes of my pack as Victoria swiftly landed on Leah's back.