Only Human - Chapter Claire

Hey guys, this side chapter takes place between chapters 7 and 8 of Only Human. 

I've learned a lot since finishing Only Human and I'm still learning with Dangerous Games. I actually didn't mean for this chapter to be soo long, but as I kept writing it kind of got away from me.

I went back and forth a lot while writing this, and I'm dying to know your thoughts. So please let me  know what you think in the comments down below.

As always Thank You For Reading!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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Chapter Claire

Clouds were covering the stars tonight, usually I wouldn’t take that to mean anything, but something felt off about tonight. While racing through the woods with the rest of the patrol, I take in everything my heightened wolf senses pick up: sights, sounds, smells. As we continue to run, my muscles begin to ache with the need to break free, and really run. In our wolf forms we could easily cover dozens of miles within minutes without breaking a sweat. And for a split second I almost do; accidently putting too much power into my hind-legs, causing me to shoot forward ahead of everyone else. I quickly control myself and fall back into step with the rest of the patrol. I usually wouldn’t make a mistake like that, but something about tonight had me on edge.

The others perk up at my sudden burst of speed, they immediately scan their surrounding and through our mental link report that everything is clear. Through the corner of my eye, I see a light brown wolf begin pulling ahead from the rest of the group.

“Barry, stay with the group and don’t go too far ahead.” I call out through the mental link.

“Huh, why?”

“Because I have Alice and Cora shadowing us, and I don’t want them getting spotted because they were having to cover your dumb ass!”

“Oh, right, sorry Claire.”

I let out huff; Barry was a good wolf, a good fighter, but he had a habit of charging off alone and that can be dangerous, not just for him but for everyone else on patrol too. I was glad to have Alice and Cora with us tonight, it was helping to take some of the edge I was feeling off. I take a quick glance in the direction the were mostly likely in. I couldn’t see, smell, or sense them, which was a testament to their skill. Caden was lucky to have them watching his back and they were going to greatly increase the pack’s fighting potential once they officially joined.

Thinking about Caden had me thinking about the close call we had with him last night. How could he be so stupid, going off to Bloodfang’s territory alone like that? Does he not understand what that would have done to the pack, and his parents for that matter, had something happened to him?

“Claire!”

Hearing Barry call my name through the mental link, makes me realize that I had begun to let out some of my aura. I quickly stop it, but I could see through the mental link that everyone was looking at me and were worried. Seeing myself through their eyes I could see why, the grey and blue tinged fur around my head and neck were on end and my hackles were up.

Taking a deep breath; I open a line to make sure everyone in the group can hear me, minus Alice and Cora who hadn’t connected to the pack yet.

“Five more minutes and then we’re taking a a short break.”

With that we begin to slow our running speed, and once five minutes are up, we stop. While the others stay in wolf form and stretch out their muscles, I begin shifting into my human form. As my body contracts in on itself I can feel my bones shifting and bending. I watch as my snout disappears, becoming my mouth and nose. Standing on two legs, I watch as my fur rescind back into my body leaving nothing, but smooth human skin. The transformation itself only takes a few seconds, but we can still feel everything as it happens.

Using my hands; I comb my blue dyed hair away from my face so that I could see the wolf approaching me. It was Alice, her jet-black fur makes it almost impossible to see her in the dark with my human eyes. The only reason I even shifted back into human form was to let her and Cora know what’s going on.

“We’re just taking a quick break.” I tell her.

She nods her large wolf head in understanding before seemingly sinking back into the shadows.

“That is one bad ass wolf.”

Turning towards the voice that just spoke, I see that it’s Barry in his human form.

“What wrong, why are you in human form?” I ask him.

“Nothing’s wrong, I just wanted to see how you were doing.”

“You could’ve just asked me through the link.” I reply while motioning to my head.

“Yeah well, I find that talking in human form helps more than when talking through the link. So, come on, what going on Claire?”

For a moment I just stare at Barry, at 5’9” he was just an inch taller than me, he was well built with tan skin, brown hair, and hazel eyes. His nudity didn’t faze me and mine didn’t faze him, I was only staring because I was angry. Angry at myself for getting distracted and angry at Caden for doing something so reckless.

“How could he be so stupid?” I finally let out.

“Who?” Barry asks.

“Caden, last night he could have been hurt, kidnapped or worse!”

“But he wasn’t, and he’s safe now.”

“But still, there are a lot of packs out there that see him as a weakness to exploit.”

“Yeah, I know, but no one in Crestwood is actually dumb enough to act on it. You more than anyone knows, how many jaws we’ve broken and asses we’ve kicked defending him as a member of this pack.”

My mind flashes back to a week and a half ago when some asshole in a bar started bad mouthing Caden and our pack for taking him in. I made sure he was missing some teeth when he finally wobbled out of the bar.

“And come on, we’ve all done something stupid at that age, it’s part of growing up. The only reason your so upset is because Caden is human.”

Hearing Barry say that made me realize he was right, if Caden had been a wolf, I wouldn’t be as upset by his actions as I am now.

“Look I get it, you care for the kid, we all do, and its not just because he’s the Alpha’s son. He’s a genuinely good friend and pack mate.”

I let out a sigh, “Yeah, you’re right. I know Caden is human, but I guess I never really thought of him as one until last night.”

“We’ve all been there, and what matters is that we got him back and not a single wolf in this pack hesitated to go help him. So, come on, let’s get back to it.”

“Alright, and thanks Barry, I appreciate it.”

“Nah, don’t mention it, but real quick, how much longer are you going to leave Caden thinking that we don’t know about his one night with you?”

I let out a laugh, “Not sure, it’s too much fun messing with him.”

Barry chuckles along, “You’re evil, I guess its true what they say, your first is always special.”

I look at Barry as if he’s crazy, “Yeah, I think we all know that Caden wasn’t my first anything.”

“Not true, he’s actually the first human you’ve ever slept with.”

“We didn’t sleep, we fucked, and…” I take a moment to think back on all the other males of been with and realize that they have all been wolves except for Caden. “Yeah, you’re right, Caden is my first human, huh.”

And with that interesting tidbit we finish our conversation, shifting back into our wolf forms and rejoining the others. As we continue our patrol; I find myself more relaxed and focused, Barry was right, talking things out in human form really did help. But despite my improved mental state something still felt off to me, something was wrong, and I could feel it. I continue to focus my senses trying see or hear anything out of place. Suddenly it hits me, the silence, it was too quiet!

“Ambush!”I yell out through the link.

The moment the thought went out one of the wolves behind me is blindsided by any enemy wolf, who had been hiding in human form in the brush.

“Their not rogues, this is a pack attack.”

“Watch out!”Barry shouts out to me through the link.

Before I realize it, Barry body slams me out of the way as a wolf in human form drops down and stabs Barry in the side with a silver knife causing him to howl out in pain.

“Watch the trees!”One of the other wolves calls out.

Looking up; I barely dodge out of the way in time, as another wolf in human form tries to drop down on me. Having missed and now exposed I quickly use my hindlegs to kick him with all my strength straight in the head. Upon contact his head snaps back with a sickening crack killing him instantly.

“Regroup!” I call out.

But it was too late, the enemy pack had already succeeded in separating us, looking around I see that a few of us were badly injured and and the rest were struggling to hold them off. Just as I begin fearing he worst the voice of my Alpha comes through the link.

“Claire, backup is on the way just hold on!”

Hearing the voice of my Alpha through the link gives me hope, had any other wolf or Alpha said that to me I would have just taken them as empty words. But Mattias was different, he was the Alpha all other Alphas wished they could be.

“Yes, Alpha.” I reply. “You heard him, just hold on!” I call out to everyone.

I hear Barry let out another howl of pain and see that he’s still trying to buck off the wolf from earlier who still had his knife in him. I move to help him, but I’m stopped by two wolves one male and one female, they both release their auras and come at me at the same time. I quickly release my aura at full blast and charge towards them as well, my single aura manages to match both of theirs, surprising them and causing them to flinch. I quickly take advantage and swipe my massive paw across the male’s face, slicing the left side of his face open. The hit is strong enough to knock him off balance and had the added benefit of getting blood in his eyes, temporarily blinding him. But before I could capitalize, pain shoots through me the female wolf manages to bite down and grab hold of my thigh. Pushing through the pain I turn my head and blindly bite at the female’s head. Catching one of her ears in my mouth I pull and tear it clean off, the female’s grip on my leg loosens as she howls out in pain, letting me kick my leg free. I limp back, and although I managed to free my leg the female wolf still managed to take a chunk out of my thigh. The pain was immense, but I push through it, I didn’t have the luxury of waiting for it to heal as the male wolf I had blinded earlier had recovered.

Not wanting to give me time to heal, both wolves come at me again. As I ready myself to take them on, a dark figure leaps from out of the darkness and tackles the female wolf to the ground.

“Alice!”I call out even though she can’t hear me.

Alice quickly tears into the female wolf, leaving the male wolf stunned. Wasting no time, I quickly jump on him as he’s distracted and begin tearing through his neck with my teeth. With blood dripping through my teeth, I look up and see Cora had already begun helping the other wolves, giving them the time they needed to heal and regroup. I quickly motion with my head to Alice to go and help Cora, while I go to help Barry.

Despite his injury and Barry had done a good job of buying himself time, the wolf on top of him couldn’t risk shifting into his wolf form less he gives Barry a bigger chance to grab him. And he hadn’t let the wolf take another stab at him with the knife either. More than likely one of the wolves me and Alice killed was supposed to be that wolf’s backup, too bad for him.

“Barry, stop.”I call out to him.

Without hesitation Barry comes to an absolute standstill, allowing me to jump and bite down on the wolf’s human chest. He begins to scream out in pain as I shake my head violently letting my teeth dig in deeper into his body. Wanting payback Barry runs over and bites down on the wolf’s lower body and pulls. Keeping a firm hold on my end, the wolf is torn in half covering both me and Barry in his blood.

“Thanks Claire.”Barry tells me.

“I owed you one.”I answer back as I spit the dead wolf’s upper body out of my mouth. “How the knife wound?”

“It’ll been in a bit.”

“Then let’s go.” I order.

Soon after Charles our Beta shows up with our reinforcements, he quickly let’s us know that this attack wasn’t just on us, but on all of Crestwood. After finishing off the rest of our attackers, the Alpha calls me through the link.

“Claire how bad is it?” He asks.

“We got quite a few injured but no death.” I reply.

“Thank the goddess.”

“Honestly, if not for Alice and Cora it would have been a lot worse.”

“I see, then it’s about time we get things moving with them.” The tone in his voice indicated that he had come to some sort of decision. “Now then, I want you and Barry to get the injured to James’s clinic, understood?”

“Yes Alpha.”

As ordered me and Barry escort all the injured wolves to James’s clinic, which quickly became a mad house. Not wanting to get in the way me and Barry leave, my thigh having already healed enough for me to put my full weight on it. We were walking by the main house in our human forms when Barry stops.

“What’s wrong?” I ask.

“I’m not sure, I just feel…”

Before he could finish his sentence, Barry collapses.

“Barry!”

I quickly notice the wound he received from the silver knife earlier hadn’t healed and was turning black.

“Shit, shit, shit!”

‘James already has his hands full at the clinic what should I do?’

And then I remember how Caden announced this morning how he wants to be a pack doctor. I quickly get Barry up on his feet and help him into the main house.

“Caden!”