Chapter 137: Full of Corpses

Chapter 137: Full of Corpses
Xavier's POV
The ring of hunters tightened instantly, steel flashing in the moonlight, their boots pounding the soil as they surged forward.
Magnus’s answering chuckle was wild, carrying through the clearing. “Finally!”
“No, Magnus…” Xavier called.
But before he could order Magnus to hold, the Gamma’s bones had already cracked, fur bursting through skin as his wolf exploded out of him. Bright-eyed and massive, Magnus howled, the sound shaking the trees.
Then he leapt at the nearest hunter, claws raking, jaws snapping near his throat.
“Damn it, Magnus…” Xavier growled under his breath, but he didn’t pull him back this time. The hunters had chosen this route. Blood was inevitable now.
Somehow, Alexander and the freed warrior stayed rooted where they were, wisely holding back from shifting themselves. They both knew it well. Besides, if they burned themselves out here, there would be nothing left for what mattered most.
So Xavier drew himself taller, his black fur bristling, his silver eyes gleaming under the moonlight. His body ached, silver still burning in his wounds, but his wolf surged steadily.
He crouched low, ready to strike. Magnus tore into the first hunter, making the rest hesitate.
“Hold your ground,” Xavier commanded, his wolf’s voice thundering through the pack link. “Let’s end this quick, Magnus…”
He finally lunged, and the clash exploded like thunder in the night. Magnus’s wolf, meanwhile, barreled through the first wave of hunters. He hit one man square in the chest, his claws ripping through leather and flesh, sending the body crashing into a tree.
His howl split the forest afterward.
“Ha!” Magnus bellowed through the pack link, his wolf’s voice full of fire. “Come on! More! Give me more!”
Xavier moved differently, trying to calculate each of his moves. His claws raked across a hunter’s wrist, forcing the man to drop his silver dagger before driving a crushing bite into his thigh.
He twisted, tossing the man aside, already turning to meet the next.
“Stay on the edges, Magnus!” Xavier barked across the clearing, his silver eyes scanning for more hunters. “Don’t let them circle you!”
But Magnus only laughed, his muzzle dripping red. “Let them try!”
The clearing was now full of noise. Hunters shouted orders, their boots pounding the dirt. Werewolves snarled and snapped.
Amidst the chaos, Alexander moved stealthily and dragged the chained warrior out of the fray, his hands shaking as he tried to pry at the silver cuffs using a rock’s rough surface.
“Hold them off!” he shouted desperately. “I almost have him free!”
“Okay!” Xavier growled back, twisting aside as another silver blade sliced past his ribs. His claws shot forward, catching the hunter under the chin. Bone cracked. The man collapsed in a heap.
But the hunters didn’t falter. The scarred leader barked a sharp command and shouted, “Now!”
In an instant, everything shifted. Several hunters dropped their blades and yanked out small cloth pouches. Their hands ripped them open quickly. Green powder burst out and rode on the night breeze.
“What the hell?” Magnus cried out.
Xavier’s nose burned instantly. The bitter, acrid scent of the powder stabbed his lungs. He coughed, his body shuddering violently. It weakened him so suddenly, spreading through his veins. His claws faltered mid-swipe, his legs buckling just slightly under his weight.
“No…” Xavier murmured.
Magnus snarled nearby, snapping his jaws. It seemed his movements slowed too, his swings growing clumsy. The powder clung to his fur like dust, burning wherever it touched.
“Damn it!” Magnus gagged, staggering as his hind leg gave way. “They’re fucking cheating!”
Xavier’s eyes began to blur, struggling to stay sharp.
“They’ve hunted wolves before,” he growled, his voice hoarse. “They know exactly how to break us…”
The hunters pressed the advantage, not wasting any time. Their blades gleamed and their grins widened. One drove his silver dagger into Xavier’s shoulder. He roared, twisting violently to hurl the man away, but the burn ate deeper than flesh, crawling through his muscles.
“Fuck!” he cried out. “It hurts…”
Magnus stumbled as well, two hunters circling him now, their blades cutting shallow slices across his legs and sides. Still, he bared his fangs, spitting blood.
“You’ll have to do better than that!” he roared.
“Magnus!” Xavier snapped, his voice raw. “Stay alive!”
But the hunters weren’t stopping at all. More power surrounded the forest, thick clouds choking their lungs, making every step feel like they were running through fire. The ground beneath Xavier’s paws seemed to tilt, his strength bleeding out every time he breathed.
The scarred leader smiled coldly through the haze, lifting a fresh pouch in his hand. “Stupid dogs don’t win against smart hunters,” he taunted. “You should’ve stayed in your world.”
Xavier’s chest heaved, his wolf snarling weakly inside him. He forced his paws to dig into the earth, forced his eyes to stay locked on the bastard in front of him.
“This fight,” Xavier rasped, “isn’t over yet.”
But he also knew that the fight was slipping away every second.
Xavier’s legs buckled again as two hunters pressed him from either side, their blades carving shallow burns across his flanks. The intoxicating scent thickened in the air, clinging to his fur like acid, soaking into every breath.
His claws swung slower and heavier. His wolf snarled to press forward, but his body betrayed him.
Magnus wasn’t faring better either. He was still laughing, still taunting the bastards, but…
“Come on! Is that all you’ve got?” he bellowed, blood dripping from his muzzle.
Then his movements grew ragged. His bright eyes flickered, his strikes missing their mark by inches.
One hunter slammed a boot into his ribs, sending him staggering, while another raked silver across his shoulder. Magnus roared, stumbling but refusing to fall.
The hunters moved closer, their circle tightening, delight gleaming in their eyes. “Is this all you’ve got?” one of them asked mockingly.
And then, from afar, the sound of chains snapping echoed.
Xavier’s blurred vision caught Dr. Alexander at the edge of the clearing, his hands trembling as he tore the last silver cuff from the captive warrior. The freed warrior collapsed to his knees, gasping heavily as he stared at his blistered wrists.
“Get up!” Alexander urged, pulling at him. “We don’t have time. Now, let’s shift!”
The freed warrior groaned but obeyed, his body beginning to tremble as the first sparks of his wolf emerged. Beside him, the second warrior crouched low, his eyes glowing faintly, ready to join right away.
Alexander straightened, his face pale as he glanced at Xavier. “Beta Xavier! Let us fight as well! We can’t stand here while they tear you apart!”
Through the haze, Xavier’s wolf forced a growl deep from his chest. He pushed his thoughts into the pack link, sharp as steel. “No.”
Alexander’s head snapped toward him, disbelief on his face. “What? Are you mad?” His brow furrowed. “They’ll kill you! Both of you!”
“Just stand down,” Xavier commanded again, his voice booming through the pack link. “Do not transform. That’s an order.”
The freed warrior looked stunned, his half-shifted form trembling. “But Beta—”
“Listen to me, will you!” Alexander cut in, his voice cracking. He took a step closer, dodging as a body slammed to the ground near him. His eyes burned into Xavier’s. “They’re using wolfsbane! If you don’t let us fight, you’ll collapse! Your lungs… your blood… it’ll poison you both!”
Xavier bared his teeth. He staggered as he shoved a hunter back, swiping his claws. Hot blood dripped down his side. His aching mind began to throb violently, but his voice in the link remained fine.
“And if you shift,” he growled, “you’ll fall the same way. Three dead wolves won’t help Meredith. Four won’t. Not even five.”
Magnus snarled nearby, knocking a hunter sprawling, but even he heard it. He froze just long enough to throw Xavier a wild stare. “You’re saying we just run?”
Xavier’s silver eyes blazed through the haze. “I’m saying that we must survive this night. Meredith’s still out there. She needs us alive, not dead in a clearing full of corpses.”
The freed warrior’s claws faltered mid-shift. Alexander’s jaw clenched. Even Magnus growled deep, his wolf pacing wildly.
But Xavier’s command held. It always did.
“Fall back!” he snarled, both aloud and through the link. His voice shook the nearby trees. “Now! That’s an order!”
For a heartbeat, no one moved. Then, reluctantly, Magnus snapped his bloody jaws, pulling back toward Xavier.
The warriors retreated toward the riverbank, dragging one another upright. Alexander gritted his teeth but followed.
Xavier staggered back. They would not win tonight. Not like this. But they would live. And if Meredith was truly near, they’d find her right away after this ended once and for all.