[permission to god-mode granted for plot]
Frankly, she wanted to go home already. The wolf couldn’t help but think if she had been with Ethan, she wouldn’t have been at the guild which ultimately meant she wouldn’t have heard the news. It was easier to be a recluse - and she was good at it. If it did not involve her family, typically she wasn’t concerned.
“But they’re children,” she reminded herself as the moon grew full. It was unrealistic for the wolf to expect to find the culprit quickly. She could not be sure that someone else had not already apprehended him for his crimes. Something in her gut motivated her to carry on, to be patient. Isleen quietly built a small semblance of a shelter before shifting to her wolf form for the night. She circled the space three times before curling into a ball. Her tired gaze looked to the sky with a sigh. She inhaled deeply before allowing herself to drift to sleep.
***
It had been four days without any progress. The girl remained as a rust colored wolf more often than not and satisfied her hunger with a couple of rabbits. Occasionally she left the outskirts of the town to go deeper into the woods again for water. Sleeping had been more challenging than originally expected. She appreciated the sounds of the nocturnal creatures but it did not help the overall loneliness that crept into her soul. Her emotions were on edge as her grasp on controlling her wolfish nature grew thinner. Instead, her vampiric nature was taking control. Anxiety shifted to anger. Patience detortiated into frustration.
Isleen changed into her last set of clean clothes consisting of a wrinkled tunic and simple pants. Her feet were covered in dirt but she preferred that over shoes. It let her feel more connected to the earth beneath her. Upon catching a glimpse of her reflection in the creek, she kneeled down to get a better look and used a piece of leather to pull her onyx, wavy locks out of her face. Then she growled audibly as the majority of hair fell out of the binding. Her gaze narrowed, noticing her dark circles for the first time. The bright pink of her mouth was a sharp contrast against her pale, cracked lips. She snarled at the woman staring back at her. Isleen’s eyebrow arched at the sight of her pointed teeth. The wilderness she felt in her mind had seemingly taken over her form.
Monster.The seer started her way back to her camp. Her movements were slow and intentional until she heard sounds of protest. Her body burst into a sprint. The scent of fresh blood made her eyes dilate immediately and made her run faster. Her muscles did not dare protest as adrenaline filled her form. As she grew closer, Isleen was certain she heard a child’s voice and could smell tears. She was too engrossed in her senses to stop and consider that she was wrong. Her wolf
knew there were other lycans nearby. This had to be it. This person would be stopped.
She saw the boy first and then the girl. Between everything she was smelling and the limp body, the wolf grew certain. The rage from before came rushing back like a broken dam. The sound of blood pumping muffled any other sound. The vaewolf’s movement did not slow. Instead, she pounced forward and tackled the boy down to the ground. The dead body fell from his grasp. Isleen, despite her fairly small size, was incredibly strong due to her bloodline. She straddled him with one hand on each shoulder. Isleen gnashed her teeth and hit him across the face with her rough nails.
“Never again” she growled. The seer immediately tapped a leyline to draw in the raw, magical energy. The surge caused bright symbols to appear on her skin as she dipped her head down. The wolf bit directly into his shoulder. The blood hit the back of her mouth like hot lava. Involuntarily, her body shuddered but she buried the desire to feed off of him. He did not deserve death. Instead, she twisted a curse from his life force. Isleen pulled back, her gaze bright with hate and mouth covered in blood. She rose from him, panting slightly. Using the back of her hand, she wiped her mouth slightly.
“Shift,” she demanded as a wave of alpha influence pushed out. He wasn’t her pack but between the curse that was now making its way through his veins and her power, Isleen was not concerned. She didn’t fail - it simply wasn’t an option in her mind. The transition wouldn’t be easy on him. Under any other conditions, it would have been hard to watch but instead she stood with an air of arrogance. The girl’s arms were crossed, shoulders back, and chin raised. Her eyes never left him. Staring back at her was a dark wolf with three eyes and horns. Isleen went down to one knee to meet his gaze directly.
“I bind you to this form. Kill anything and another year will be tacked on - control yourself, my pet.” She grinned, proud of her work. No other children would die at his hands. The hybrid rose to her feet and ultimately made her way back towards the camp to back up and go home.