Out of the corner of my eye, I saw beams of light moving swiftly. I swore other wolves stood with us, a brown wolf with a white star on his chest, and my mother gasped in my head as she whispered abel abel abel, and there was another wolf, white with black on his back and chest, and I heard him, I heard him as he said my sons my loves my pack. He was there and then gone, there and then gone, each time he reappeared, more blood spilled.
I jumped onto the beast’s back. He tried to shake me off, but I dug my claws in, burying my fangs into his skin.
He slumped closer to the ground, the rock and vines rising higher up his arms and legs. He tried to pull himself free. The rock cracked.
Chris and Tanner landed on either side of me. They pressed against me and lowered their heads, tearing into his back.
The sound Livingstone made then was one I would remember forever. It was rage and loss, betrayal and fear, fear so strong I could taste it.
He was afraid.
I bit down harder.
All of us were on him.
All of us except for one.
He shifted in front o
f Livingstone. He stood tall. His chest heaved. His eyes filled with red and violet.
And Oxnard Matheson said, “I’m sorry. For all that you’ve become.”
“This isn’t over,” Livingstone hissed at him.
“It is,” Ox said. “At last. At long last. Father, I remember what you said. Help me. Please help me.”
Ox ran toward the beast.
At his side, the glowing white wolf ran with him. Right before Ox jumped, they merged, the white wolf bursting into shards of light like glass, embedding themselves into Ox’s skin.
And through the bonds, Joe howled no no no NONONO OX OX OX—
Livingstone pulled his right arm free. The stone shattered. The vines broke.
His arm shot out, claws extended.
They punched into Ox’s stomach.
Through Ox’s stomach.
Out his back.
Time slowed around us as the bonds burned in blue fire.
We all held on as our Alpha said, “Oh. Oh. Oh.”
Gordo screamed for all of us. “Ox, no!”
But Ox didn’t stop. Even mortally wounded, even with a hand through him, the claws on the other side dripping with his life blood, he sank his own claws into Livingstone’s arm and pulled himself closer. His eyes fluttered closed as he grunted. The white light along his skin flickered.
And went out.
Ox opened his eyes.
He said, “Your song. I hear your song. Of wolves. Of ravens. Of hearts. Of brothers. I hear them all.”
The white lights returned in full force, burning brightly.