Duster and Cherry fell from Denver's hold of them.
They could see that their mother was in trouble.
Without a moment to waste, they both rushed in to aide her.
However, she screamed in pain at their vain attempt to help separate the clamping jaws of the trap around their mother's leg.
"AHHH!" Denver screamed.
It was in too deep.
Too deep and force too great for the two little ones to help with.
There was suddenly a loud laughter. It was brutish and was accompanied by the sound of fierce spitting.
"It seems like covering the perimeter with bear trap was a good idea after all. Master Andrew always has the best ideas."
Another voice chuckled too. "Yes, yes! We even managed to get one with them little cubs."
Denver instantly understood what was happening.
Her children were in danger.
This trap was obviously laid for her by Hunters.
"Duster, Cherry, RUN!" Denver screamed her lungs out pushing them to leave her alone.
"But mama!" Cherry instantly broke into tears.
However, Duster was more focused on the situation at hand.
He understood what was happening. He grabbed his twin sister's hand "Cherry, we have to go! The hunters are coming!"
"But Mama!!" Cherry did not want to leave, crying at the sight of her mother helpless on the ground.
Denver saw the problem.
She did not want to, but she knew she had to do something about this.
"Duster," She grabbed his hand, "Your sister doesn't want to go! you have to leave us. We will be fine."
"But mama!" Duster protested.
Denver grabbed him by his neck, focusing his eyes on her's with Cherry still hugging her tightly.
"Listen to me! Listen to me boy!! What is our family creed?"
Duster stared right into his mother's eyes and for the first time since he ever said these words, the gravity of their meaning weighed heavy in his heart.
"In... moonlit unity..." he tried to hold back his tears as they slowly leaked down his chin, "...our Bloodline binds, a... werewolf family, forever entwined."
"Good! One day, you will come back for your us, and for your sister. Remember, the Bloodline is the way, it binds us all."
He nodded.
The voices were getting louder, announcing the nearness of their arrival.
"Go!"
She pushed him. Her voice, instantly pumping life into his weak legs.
Immediately he turned to leave. However, a man suddenly appeared, diving to grab him.
"Leave my son you, you fucking shit face!" Denver waved her hand and a blast of ice flew from her claws straight for his face.
It was not much, but it was enough for a smart Duster to maneuver through, diving through the man's legs and rushing into the night.
As he did, he entered his Were state which incredibly increased his speed.
*WHISTLE!* "It seems the mama wolfie did you a solid one there Kevin. Let me help you get back at her."
A tall skinny man holding a shovel across his shoulder strolled into view.
He had a menacing smile on his face, and the sight of him made Cherry hide deeper in her mother's embrace.
!Gruwwl!
Denver growled at him, with one hand holding Cherry tight to her chest.
"Hmmm, a female," he licked his lips, "you know, if you were not injured, a level 3 like me would have been very careful approaching you, but you wounded and you still trying to protect your cub... In other words..." he hissed, his accent emphasizing the menacing tone, "...you just easy picking for me!"
The skinny man waved his shovel and it glowed a low silver hue as it seemed to shine in the night sky.
*BANG!* He brought it down on her face, instantly knocking her out.
He stepped forward, his eyes tracing her curvy body, "The boys and I are going to enjoy eating you up."
"Boss White, should we go after the cub?" One hunter asked as he walked forward with a hunting gun in hand.
"There's no need! Even if you were deer, you won't catch that little thing. It's the full of the moon. It does something to them. Makes them stronger demons or something."
White kneeled towards Denver. He smiled as he stretch a hand to cup Denver's breast.
Instantly, Cherry noticed this and launched for his fingers, her relentless wolf dental instantly taking a bite of the man's fingers.
"Bloody hell!" He cursed, as he swatted a slap her way, also fainting her.
In this manner, both mother and daughter were knocked out.
"Fucking stupid cub!" Unfortunately for him, Cherry had managed to bite a finger off.
"Sorry Boss White!" The other hunter appologised.
"Hmmm! Take them back, and prepare the mother for me..." His smile became menacing, "She'll pay for her cub's transgression with her body."
.....
Meanwhile, Gray still remained in his father's dead embrace.
Blood from Ironclaw's body fell on him, especially from the new hole in his head that leaked a mixture of brain fluids, blood and strange of meat that was once important brain tissue.
Gray unbeknownst to himself, found tears running down his eyes.
Just then, one of the hunter's stepped forward pulling his father from his embrace and pulling him by his hair to the side.
He was dumped at a corner, where the other Werewolves who had survived the ordeal were.
Ironically on Dan's body.
"Ahhh!" Dan groaned.
It was only now that Gray snapped back into reality.
He looked all around him, the smell of blood and the aura of death had chased away the tranquility of the forest's atmosphere.
Even the refreshing smell of green plants was gone.
"Gray! Gray!! Are you okay?" Dan tried to check on his brother.
Even though both his arms had been injured as a result of the arrows that went through them, he still played the role of a big brother.
"No! No!! I'm fine, I'm fine!" Gray answered, noticing the wounds on his brother's shoulders.
Just then, Rose was dragged into the camp by the Werecats...
(Author's note: back on a regular release schedule)