The Moon Goddess' Chosen

513 At Death’s Door

Dexter, being a delta, was larger than the rest of the wolves around.

However, the differences went far beyond mere size. These hostile newly shifted wolves were bloodthirsty and probably didn’t care about what would happen to him if they attacked fangs and claws blazing.

On the other hand, Dexter felt a bit hesitant to attack them. These weren’t just werewolves out to kill him, they were people who’d attended the games. One of them was Titus, a very talented human player.

These thoughts were cut off, the enemy breaking the delicate balance of taunt with snarls and growls.

The wolves attacked once more, colliding with Dexter and one of the pack warriors aiding him.

The third-pack warrior stayed behind to protect the civilian wolves. The fight, which was a mess of teeth, claws and growls, did not look so good.

Dexter took out one of the wolves with a swift powerful swipe of his paw at the wolf’s feeble neck. After that first attack, which gave him a major confidence boost, the situation turned grim very fast.

One of the wolves attacked from the side, crashing into him from above with its maw clamped down on the back of his neck.

Being the largest, he was also the easiest target for a group attack. At the same time, he was the most powerful around and the one they needed to take down first. Dexter quickly rolled and pinned the wolf that had bitten his neck to the ground and yanked him off viciously.

.....

The delta heard the sound of bones and felt fangs snapping against his hide as he viciously de-clamped the stubborn wolf, ‘Sorry! You’ll heal. In just a few… argh.’

Another attack cut off his thoughts. The weight of his body quickly doubled, partly from his straining muscles and the weight of another wolf on his back.

As soon as he’d removed the first one… another had taken its place. The beta alpha grunted in annoyance and bit down on the pinned wolf’s leg, shattering the bones before shifting his attention to his the wolf’s replacement.

Unfortunately for him, his delayed response time was more than enough for the wolf to gain some leverage.

The delta let out a pained howl as the sharp fangs broke through the hide around his neck… and kept pressing down even harder. His eyes darted about in search of the closest wall.

Before he could take a laboured step toward it, pain shot through his hind leg and another wolf rammed into his side. The tangled mess of fur fell to the ground, separating as they rolled off.

Dexter strained his muscles to stand… blood dripped down his neck and hind foot. He could feel himself get dizzy with the pain. The wolves, on the other hand, were just getting started. His large frame made it hard for the wolves to take him down.

His bones and hide were tougher as well, making their work exponentially harder. That didn’t mean it was impossible for them to take him down. Since the start of the battle, he’d been forced to go on the defensive, trying to rip them off him like gnats.

He was partly grateful for the relief of not being bitten on the neck but that was about it. His muscles were already screaming with pain, reminding him of how much energy he’d wasted in dealing with the neck clampers.

Before he could get his bearings, the wolves attacked again. Dexter couched law and launched forward at the right time, colliding with the first wolf in front of him and rolling into the mess of wolves.

When the wolf that he’d collided with was beneath him, he clawed its neck and slammed its throat, turning his attention to the side in time to avoid another wolf. This time, he was prepared for their sucker-punch tactics.

The black wolf easily overpowered the other, clamping down on its neck as well. Had the wolf been a rogue he didn’t know, this bite would be lethal and end its life in the next few seconds.

However, this was a citizen of Brigadia. He couldn’t afford to kill them. The hostiles noticed his moment of weakness and utilized it. Pain riddled the delta’s body as another rain of attacks aimed at weathering him down covered his brilliant black coat.

A loud scream caught the delta’s attention, prompting him to fight through the pain even more. ‘Screw it,’ the delta cursed, biting down on the wolf’s neck. The neck howled in pain and collapsed soon after, ‘You’ll heal… but I can’t guarantee how soon. Apologies… Ouch…’

Waves of pain and weakness started rolling through the large black wolf’s body. He was strong compared to the others… but there was only so much he could take.

During the assault, he’d ignored the pain inflicted by the other wolves but now it was becoming too much to ignore. His beautiful black coat was now matted with scratches and dripping with blood from numerous bites and scratches.

The wolves instinctively backed off, sensing a change in the delta’s standards. After watching their comrade get bitten like it was nothing, they were more cautious to attack. The delta was heavily wounded but it seemed as though he was only getting started.

The wolves surrounding him seemed reluctant to attack, afraid of coming close to his dangerous muzzle and front paws. If it wasn’t for Dexter stumbling on his feet, they would have stayed this way…

But his weakness was now all too clear…

A decisive growl from the wolf that was Titus initiated the final attack that would most likely be the end for Dexter if something didn’t change. ‘Where is the other pack warrior?’ his muddled thoughts wandered.

Through his hazy eyesight, he noticed a slender sandy brown wolf collide with the pack of bloodthirsty rogues before it was thrown off and bitten at the neck, quickly going limp at the fangs of the rogues.

A civilian…

Dexter growled and blindly rushed forward, disoriented but mad with rage. Not only that, but his heart suddenly grew heavy with despair. More and more emotions of despair, anguish and pain came pouring in through the mind link.

The wolves easily surrounded him, inviting his disoriented form into a horn formation that would be his end. ‘Damn it! I came here to play some ball. Not to die! There is still so much I have to do.’

Dexter thought of his fellow pack mates he’d only started training with recently. As someone who’d recently finished his studies, he was given two options: Further studies into any field of study he desired or returning to the pack to help run it.

There were plenty of things a delta could do as part of the pack. Essentially, they depended on deltas to train the young ones, and protect and keep the peace within the pack. And Dexter loved his pack… just like he’d come to love Brigadia as a whole.

There was so much more he had to live for to die here…

These thoughts, however, were met with menacing growls announcing his execution, ‘What really happened here? Why did they suddenly shift? Alphas don’t even have that power anymore… No, they attacked even though they made it through the First shift conscious… and I can’t communicate with them. How…?’

More questions…

Just as he was about to collapse, he locked eyes with those of a frightened girl holding tight to Nurse Tilda. The nurse herself was putting on a brave face, trying to keep the tears in her eyes from falling out.

The pack warrior wasn’t guarding them anymore… and he wasn’t anywhere close to them either.

‘Did he fight? Was he defeated? Or maybe he ran… No, he wouldn’t. He knows the consequences of that are worse than death,’ the delta’s thoughts rumbled as he strained to keep himself sane.

The wolves closed in for the kill, baring their fangs with no restraint… just pure bloodlust.

Dexter allowed his eyes to close and waited for the attack…

1 second… 2 seconds… 3 seconds…

The attack never came. Instead, the menacing growls turned to groans and shrieks as the sound of rushed footsteps mingled with the sound of paws against wood. Dexter was almost sure he heard the sound of a wolf’s body slamming the ground like a sack of potatoes.

Similarly, he heard the singing sound of metal in the air before it was accompanied by a muffled collision, followed by the sound of cracking bones.

‘Reinforcements?!’

Dexter opened his eyes to narrow slits and peeked just in time to witness one of the wolves hit the ground with a painful yelp. A large muscular woman with a sledgehammer strapped to her back stood from behind the wolf and dashed towards another one, smashing her fist into its skull with her bare fist… the result of the blow, however, was catastrophic.

With a violent jerk, the wolf was slammed into the ground, unmoving.

On Dexter’s other side, a flurry of white hair caught his sight. He watched a beautiful girl with white hair dancing between three of the wolves in a dangerously choreographed series of steps that had them flipped, slammed, punched and unconscious within a matter of seconds.

The swift and vicious effectiveness with which they had been put down felt all too familiar.

‘I’ve seen this girl before…’ his thoughts were cut off when she turned to face him.

“Long time no see, Dexter. You look terrible,” Katie Sirius grimaced. Dexter’s state was truly a sight to behold… It was a miracle he was still standing.

‘Yeah! I’ve definitely seen her before,’ the delta collapsed on the ground in exhaustion, ‘She’s the reason I was always so lazy with training.’