A?N: Hey guys again, didn't get nearly enough of reviews for the last chapter, but I'll post this up anyways, as I'm just that nice. Ok, ok, calm down, you can all thank me one at a time ;) The reviews I did get though were much the same, apart from one by Harley Quinn 577, that got me thinking. It was a simple, one line "Love it! But could u make the chapters a bit longer? Danke" and I got the same from another reviewer TheMysticWolf36 ( by the way, no, they aren't being hunted for their pelts, which begs the question, why ARE they being hunted? ;P And thanks so much for that long review too! ) so, I made a resolution not to post anything under 1000 words, is that enough, or too short? Am I writing too much in the author's notes too? Haha. But thanks for the constructive critisism guys, seriously. I love you for it *huggles*
You ran silently through the forest, your thick paws making no sound or tracks on the soft earth, as you glided through the forest. Roma ran behind you, in a defensive manoeuvre, to cover your back, checking behind him often for the two people. He was terrified, he had already lost his brother, he didn't want to lose you too.
You felt different, though. You were usually very skilled in the forest, you were the silent ghost that left no footprints, and was gone with a whisper, but you stumbled over countless branches and left an obvious trail of dirt-caked, deep gouges in the earth, which were all too easy to follow. You howled with a sharp shot of pain and you ran nearly head-on into a sharp branch, the wooden stem embedding itself in your stomach, but a quick flick of your now unco-ordinated back paws dislodged it. You were thankful, a sharp branch can easily cause an infection.
You felt so dizzy, it was just strange, but it wasn't normal dizzy, as in I-stood-up-too-fast dizzy, it was the confusion that when you looked down at your paws, criss-crossing over each other as you stumbled through the forest, they felt a million miles away, yet when you looked up at the interlocking branches overhead, they felt so close that you could nearly touch them. It was terrifying, the last thing you wanted was to be disorientated with an enemy on your heels.
Romano noticed your clumsy demeanor, the sight of you stumbling slowly through the forest, but luckily you kept up a fast pace, but definitely not fast enough to out-run those humans.
He was at first scared, but now he had started blaming himself for not being there for Feli and for you, which made him furious. For fucks sake, why-a didn't I keep an eye-a on mio frattelo?! He cursed to himself. You are-a the biggest assh- he started scolding himself before colliding with a bush, earning a quick glance of concern from (y/n). He shook himself off as he ran, kicking you with his ever-impatient attitude to get you moving again.
You just stood there, looking off into the distance, until you felt a gentle, yet firm jab in your side. Growling, you turned and saw Romano running off, so you took a deep breath, tensed your muscles, and ran after him. You quickly overtook him, and remained at the head of your "pack" of now only two members, and continued your pace.
Keep it together, idiota, the-a last thing mio Alpha wants is-a another headcase, he growled to himself, before picking up the pace. He couldn't lose his temper, not now. There was bound to be an unsuspecting tree or bush he could rip apart with his anger once they got to safety. He might even use his anger to help him hunt a meal for you.
Unfortunately they hadn't gotten far until you started to feel very... sleepy. Like you just wanted to rest your majestic head on your (h/c) paws and go to sleep right there. So, you did the obvious thing, going against all your years of training, your endless experience, your common sense. You stopped running
Romano ran into the back of you, stopping with a grunt and a look of confusion. He tilted his head and nudged your nose with his wet one, but you just looked away, with half-lidded eyes. You were tired, and even though at the back of your head there was a thought screaming at you to Run! you put it out of your thoughts. You heard rustling behind you, getting louder. Wow, that was one clumsy animal, making that much noise, you thought. Oh well, as you put your head on your paws and quickly drifted into a dreamless slumber.
Romano was in a frenzy. (y/n) just stopped, just as the human's chasing them would have lost sight of them! Why did she stop? he thought, as he nudged his nose to hers, urging her to move quickly. he heard rustling of clothes and grunts of exasperation and exhaustion. They were so close, and you were just stopping?! Romano took a few steps back from you, and tensed his back legs, before leaping onto you, trying to get you up.
Romano ran into you, causing you to roll on your side, but you just lay there sleepily. Much better, you thought.
Romano was frustrated. his fratello had been kidnapped, probably killed, and now his only other family was going to SLEEP in the middle of a chase?! What was with everyone today?! He paced around in a circle, muttering obscenities to himself, and then sat in front of (y/n), ready to protect her from the hunters, to do anything to keep her safe. Anything. He had to keep his family together, he couldn't bear the thought of being apart from them. So, if (y/n) died today, he would willingly die too to join her again. The thought that dying might be the only way to see his fratello Feli again was sickening, and he tried to push that dark idea away with a shake of his head, his muscular neck rippling with the action.
A small rustling of leaves from Romano's extreme right alerted him to their presence. He could smell the adrenaline pouring off them. He sniffed the air quickly as he tensed in a better position to strike, trying to make out how many he was against, and how strong they were. He inhaled the smell of testosterone, a sweet, honey-like smell, as sweet as maple syrup, or honey perhaps, and the bitter smell of tough meat and strong beer. Ok, two males, both at least 5 foot 10, one well built, one slim, he thought.
He knew that the well built one was the one to watch out for, as he saw the red eyes of him gleaming out through the bushes, before Romano lunged for him.