Together Woman of the Otherworld Fanfiction Hannah Suttling
Together
Women of the Otherworld Fanfiction
Singingfrogs
No copyright infringement intended
How had her life changed so much in the last few years that she had to constantly stare over her shoulder in hopes of not being tracked by this thing? She was thirty-four and barely able to keep herself safe in her on territory over in London and she was starting to get sick of it.
She could hear the creature behind her, growling and screeching as it ground its teeth together or rubbed its wings against the bricks of the aging buildings. She just hoped that Nick was able to get to Clayton in time and with her trying to get the creature as far away from the pair of them she just prayed to god that they could come up with a better plan in stopping this thing.
Riley called upon her strength once again as she flew across the cavern so she could land on the other building, the creature roaring with anguish as his wings caused the air around her to knock her off balance; she was just lucky that she was able to hold out her arm to catch her but never once stopping her running. However, as her sensitive eyes took in the path in front of her she could see that she was quickly running out of buildings, her hands balled into tight fists and her heart was a banging drum. What the hell would she do when she got there? She could jump and try to land properly on the floor, jumping out of a two maybe even a three-storied building window provided very little problems for a werewolf, but she was running at full pelt with glacial temperatures and icy pathways below her. These were all the difficulties that could hinder her get away.
The Doctor looked over her shoulder, slamming into the wall in the process. Golden light shone down, framing the creature from their vantage point. It reached out as if to grab her, its large wings propelling it forwards as the sunlight shimmered from between the low grey clouds, each flap sending a jolt of turbulent air towards her. Riley pressed onwards, calling upon her ailing strength as she forced herself to run quicker; her lungs were burning as the freezing air was pulled into her chest; her feet were aching while she paled with exhaustion. She was losing this race. Through the slamming of her own heartbeat she managed to hear it bellow out in anguish as Riley jumped over the last remaining building that was under her feet.
Her footsteps echoed around the enclosed space of the final building as she moved right past the smoking chimneys and headed towards the far end of the shop. She heard the creature flapping its wings over the bricks, the ancient pillar collapsing under it intense strength, the concrete bricks shattering to the stone floor. But Riley needed to come up with a new plan. She had run out of time and buildings and now she had to either prepare herself for a jump that could see her breaking her legs or to somehow circle back the way she came. She could hear it harsh breathing, punctuated by animal grunts. Her own breaths were coming short and fast, her hands clenched so tightly she thought her bones would shatter.
With an exasperated sigh she darted for the edge, almost slipping on the invisible ice as she heard the creature pounding after her. Riley just flung herself from the building, mentally and physically preparing herself to land, if a little awkwardly to the snowy ground, but she grimaced when she heard the inhuman screech bellowing behind her and before she could even comprehend what was going on a sudden jolt of her arm had her snapping her head towards the sky. A yelp of surprise erupted from her lips as she felt her small frame moving further and further away from the ground. Her heart continued to palpitate within her chest as her fear of flying combined with the increasing distance between her and the ground was starting to unsettle her stomach.
Nevertheless, Riley couldn't stop the gasp of pain exploding from her lips as the creature's grip on her wrist tightened to an almost breathtakingly excruciating grip. She could feel the skin of her wrist screaming out in anguish as her writhing caused the skin of her wrist to bruise. The creature took a sudden left turn and jolted Riley's wrist. White-hot agony speared up her arm, her eyes swimming with torture as hot blood suddenly streamed. She was scarcely able to keep her mind calm as she struggled to think of a plan and her rising panic didn't help as Bear Valley swiftly travelled out of sights and was replaced with a vast unknown forest.
The Doctor frantically searched for an idea, for any plan that could potentially lead to her escape. But as she tried to ignore the throbbing of her wrist she tried to push passed her distress as the creature's movements jolted her body and come up with some sort of escape plan. Pain was blinding her. The tormenting suffering of her wrist was distracting her as her body retaliated against her mind. Her eyes were stinging with water as she somehow tried to squirm out of the creatures grip. But as another wave of agony shot up her arm she knew she needed to come up with a new plan.
As she swallowed her nausea to look down at the forest below her it was then that an idea came to her. For the last few years Jeremy had been training her in partly shifting; whether that was an appendage or the whole of her bottom half. However, right now her training was only in the theoretical stage and she had never done it under difficult and rather stressful circumstances before.
Riley struggled to shift her body weight as she trained her attention to her hand. She felt the skin prickling and she felt her fingers shorten and before she could rethink her actions Riley flung her arm towards the creature in hopes of catching it off guard. In a second it regained its lost altitude and lifted its arm as if to shake Riley for her bad behavior. Riley grimaced for only a moment before she snugged her left arm and swiped the creature across its chest. Her nails tore through the muscular flesh of the creature's torso so when she realized she had a good enough grip she yank and ripped its chest open.
At the time it was a good idea and at least she had managed to get away from the creature; but as she fell towards the forest she knew she needed to twist her position so she could land without harming herself. So, as she distorted her body and as the tips of the trees grew ever closer Riley prepared herself for grabbing a few of the tree branches.
It was her feet that contacted with leaves first. But she was falling to fast and she frantically clawed at the tree, the young werewolf barely able to gain a firm hold on the rough wood as her body continued to tumble between the branches of the tree. White-hot agony speared though her stomach as her body draped itself over one of the tree branches and she struggled to regain the air that whooshed from her lungs, gravity pulled on her legs as she felt herself falling again, her hands slapping on another tree branch before she well and truly landed on the wooded floor.
Her eyes were firmly closed as she tried to recover from her fall; her back aching with tormenting distress as her body quivered and ached. She could hear the creature screeching at her impudence due to his newly acquired wound and the fact that she had gotten away from him. But, as the young werewolf slowly heaved herself onto her side she clutched at her torso to try and get her lungs working again. The young werewolf glanced down to her hand, thankful that it was a hand considering she had managed to partly shift and turned her human hand into a wolf one. She wouldn't have gotten away otherwise. Nevertheless, Riley observed the creature diving for the forest and before she could fully recover she knew she needed to move and find an ideal hiding spot.
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She knew it was coming for her. She could feel it deep within her bones. She could sniff it in the air, as recognizable as the scent that had plagued her dreams for so many years. It was the smell of death itself and it was still so vivid to her, even though the creature was hopefully miles away from her now. It seemed the creature had a remarkable ability in tracking her; whether that was across the Atlantic or it uncanny ability in following her tracks within the snowy undergrowth of the forest in which she had fallen, but as she tried to avoid the creature she couldn't stop the decaying odor from overwhelming her. Riley had no idea whether she was just a little more sensitive to the decomposing stench considering she had dealt with numerous patients in which they had arrested and been unable to be brought back. It was when they were noted for recess and she had the un-dignifying task of CPR that she really noticed it. The smell usually hit her like a ton of bricks as she compressed on the patient's chest or used the defibrillator and was almost instantaneous to the heart and lungs stopping; after all with no oxygen in the blood tissues started to die.
But she had been in that profession for nearly ten years and never once did she let it bother her, so she was trying her damned hardest to get over the stench produced by the creature and somehow get back to her pack mates. The wind moaned like a woman when it swept through the oak, pine and hickory trees; her eyesight momentarily blinded as chips of sunlight filtered through the canopy, dappling the undergrowth but still struggling to shed some light into the forest. For the time of day, and due to her location deep within the trees, little light shone through, and in the green shadows, thick with underbrush saplings were struggling to protrude from the deep layer of freshly fallen snow.
She could still hear the crunching of inhuman feet within the snow and the scratching of tree trunks, can picture its bat like wings leaving a trail within the snow due to their size while saliva, blood and flesh would drop from its mouth as it continued its extensive search for its prey; the creature relying completely on its smell and hearing as in all the years of Rileys tracking she had never identified its eyes. Instead its face was contorted into grotesque protuberances as its thick skin melded to its horns that were imbedded into its skull while his ears were pointed and horrifyingly large; an adaption that she knew had occurred due to its lack of eyesight. But, never before had she been so alone when facing this thing; back in England she had James and Alastair, the pair of them never refusing to aid in her searching, but tracking and hiding in a forest she could barely navigate was causing her anxiety levels rise as she tried to find an exit at the same time as remaining hidden.
The sudden snapping of a twig echoed around her and she momentarily held her breath as she frantically tried to strain her hearing for any signs of attack. She just crouch there, the large bushy shrubs concealing her from view as her senses went into overdrive, her brain struggling to understand all the information given to her as she frantically searched for the creature. What she sees makes her heart shudder within her chest.
The creature was standing about two-hundred meters away, it's large bat like wings were the only thing she could see considering it had it's back to her and all it was doing was standing there. She just watched while it just waited the pair of them anticipating the other to make the first move but neither of them made that mistake. For a long time the pair of them remained as still as they could, the creatures only movement was in its wings and the occasional snapping of his head as if looking at a sudden intrusion that was all imagined within its head. Riley could formulate so many reasons for the creature's behavior and future attacks, each of them becoming more and more dangerous causing her skin to prickle with hot dread. Riley told herself to calm down because now was not the time to accidently trigger a shift and she knew she would be caught and killed mid-way through her change.
Nevertheless, something washed over her body, screaming at her that something wasn't right. Within the undergrowth her eyes once again desperately searched the forest. Was that a footfall? The snapping of a stick? She could feel her palms beginning to sweat as her heart battered against her chest, the young Doctor afraid to move in case she alerted the creature or the sudden intruder that was invading her hiding spot. After years of allowing her instincts to take over, those urgent twinges that were provided by her animal counterpart were the only reason she was still alive. Riley had learnt to pay heed to every anomaly, every tremor of disquiet and notice even the smallest thing out of place. She would snap to attention every time a co-worker asked for her or coming up with elaborate escape and attack plans to either hunt this creature or put down an intruding Mutt within her territory. That was a high point with being aligned with a Pack; she had the ability to settle down and create a life for her, and in ways much like a wolf she would do anything to protect her home and her family.
She should have left by now; she should not have waited this long and made to move away from this creature. That was what her mind was telling her but the wolf within her was telling her to wait, and that's what she did. But the crunching of snow grew ever louder and as Riley continued to search the forest in front of her she was acutely aware of the flicking of the creatures ear. It too had sensed this new presence. Riley continued to linger, her mind frantically trying to come up with any ways of getting out of this forest, but with the creature so close and another unidentified figure heading towards them Riley had no idea which way she could go and remain hidden.
However her time had run out. She felt a warm hand curling around her upper arm and without even a thought she frantically clawed at her intruder. She swung her arm at her attacker and inwardly she leapt with joy when she felt the back of her hand contacting with her offenders cheek. But, as her aggressive clouded mind slowly calmed when her grey eyes recognized her 'attacker'. Nicky was sitting on his knees, a confused but rather affronted expression on his features as he gently rubbed at his slapped cheek. Riley just frowned at Nick, mouthing his name as the pair of them looked to the other before each of them was pulled from their thoughts. Nick placed one of his fingers over his lips before each of them crept closer to the bushes, each of them taking in the frustration evident on the creatures features before he stretched out his wings and within seconds was flinging himself into the air and way from the pair of them.
Riley just let out the air she had been unconsciously holding before she rested her forehead to Nick's shoulder; her heart was slowly returning to its normal pace when she felt Nick's warm palm resting to her forearm as he studied her relieved expression.
"Found you." Nick voiced happily, one of his hands protectively placed to the bottom of her back as Riley looked towards him with an incredulous look on her face.
"Found me?" Riley whispered, half snapping and half miss believing as she balled her fists and pommelled Nick's forearm.
"What, I was helping!" Nick replied with a laugh, trying and failing to move out the way of Riley's punches.
"Helping my butt! Don't do that! You scared me half to death!" Riley bellowed, her irritation at Nick's smile only growing until she stopped hitting him and gave him a proper look. Deep purples were shining under his eyes, his coat ripped at the sleeves while several large bramble thorns had imbedding into his expensive coat. But, Riley couldn't stop herself from lifting her hand to his cheek, feeling the handsome stubble under her fingertips as she gently pressed the large black bruise that had formed on his jaw from a blow he must have received from the creature while she was running to Clayton.
Nick's eyes simply searched hers as Riley was unknowingly wrapped in her studying of Nick's ailments. Out of the three of them he was probably the one who had come out of this situation pretty much unscathed while Riley's skin was littered with small cuts given to her by the undergrowth and Clay was suffering with two horrendous cuts to his shoulder; cuts that he had no doubt needed Riley's attention. However, Riley's eyes were swimming with such trepidation Nick simply gave her a very weak comforting smile. Riley just intertwined her arms with his as she lifted and rested her chin to the back of his shoulder, her soft hands feeling the tension of his shoulders as she tightly embraced him. Her heart swelled when she felt Nick clinging onto the back of her neck with one of his large warm hands the other pressing to the middle of her back as he too tucked his chin to the back of her shoulder, inhaling her scent as the older werewolf clung onto her as if his world had finally been given back to him.
When she pulled away, her eyes found his and she gave him the smile she saved only for him. She felt him move his hand to her cheek, his thumb lightly trailing the small cut that had been placed to her cheekbone, feeling the rough contours of the skin as he relished in the feel of her and the comfort she provided, nothing how he held her undivided attention as she tried to aid in the organization of his thoughts and emotions; the same way in which he was helping her.
"Two hours we've been looking for you." Nick stated as he heaved his heavy figure to its feet. "Jeremy was getting worried." He finished as he held out his hand for Riley who graciously took it and slowly moved onto her feet.
"I couldn't help it." She started as she gently tugged a few of the bramble thorns from Nick's expensive, but now ruined coat. "That thing was tracking me for the entire time, I couldn't escape it."
"Good thing I found you when I did." Nick exhumed with a smile, a smile that was returned by one of Riley's. "Clay also requires you're attention as he got quite a beating when face this thing."
"I'm not surprised." Riley said sadly. "Take me home and I'll see what I can do."
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