The group walked outside into the garden.  The night air was crisp and clean.

"Stay here," Kris ordered Arwen.

"Why?" she questioned.  "You'll get yourselves killed!"

"Stay," he repeated with teary eyes, and turned and ran down the path with the others following closely behind.

Arwen sighed heavily.

Suddenly, a wolf came growling out of a nearby bush.  Arwen transformed and faced it.  Its piercing amber eyes glared at her deep blue ones.

"It's time to finish this," the wolf snarled and pounced.

Arwen cried out in pain as she felt its claws come raking down her flank.  She whipped around and froze its paws into the ground.  With rage, her paw struck its head, and it collapsed, unconscious. 

She sighed shakily and started walking down the dirt path.

--

The soft moonlight shone through the trees as Arwen made her way down the path.  She paised at the sound of the leaves rustling in a nearby bush, only to see that it was merely a pigeon.  It squawked at her and hopped away.   She nodded, reassuring herself, and went on.

"Arwen!" she heard Baekhyun's voice in the distance.

"Baekhyun?" she looked around wildly.  "Baekhyun!"

"Arwen!"

She turned her head to see Baekhyun racing down the path.  She was about to run towards him when she felt another presence.

"Baekhyun!  No!" she cried, but it was too late.  A wolf jumped out of the bush next to him and fastened its teeth into his shoulder.

"No!" she screamed.  She sent the wolf sailing into the trunk of a tall tree.  She rushed over to Baekhyun's bleeding body.  "Baekhyun," she gently shook him.  "Baek, stay with me."

"Perfect," she heard Jae's all-too-familiar voice ring in her ears.  "I've been wanting to find you two."

"What do you want, Jae?" she growled protectively.

He his lips.  "Blood.  Yours in particular."  He took a step forward.  "Any last words?"

"Burn in hell," she snarled fiercely and put her body over Baekhyun's.

Just as the evil wolf was about to pounce, a new voice rang out. 

"You're dead, Jae!" Tao shouted as he exploded from the side of the forest.   He snarled and stood in front of the couple. 

Jae chuckled.  "Tao, it's lovely to see you again."

"If you want to kill her, you're gonna have to go through me first," he spat.

"Very well."  Jae sighed and pounced towards Tao's muscular figure.

"No!" Arwen screeched and held her hand up.  A blinding light exploded into Jae's sight.  He grumbled, rubbing his eyes.  Tao changed into his wolf form and turned to face Arwen.

"Go," he breathed.

"I don't want to leave you," she shook her head.

"Go!" he shouted.  "I don't want to lose you!  Go!  Please!"

He could see her tremble as she slightly nodded.  Baekhyun let out a small whimper as she swung his arm around her shoulder and helped him up.  Together, they slowly trudged down the path.

"How sweet," Tao heard Jae laugh evilly.

--

"Arwen, where were you?" Kris shouted, annoyed, as she came barging through the door, struggling under Baekhyun's dead weight.  "We were looking-!"

"Shut up, Kris!" she sobbed as she had Baekhyun lay down on the couch.

"Arwen..." he moaned.

"I'm here, Baekhyun," she sniffed as she placed her hand on his.  "I'm here."

He writhed and howled in pain.  She squeezed his hand tightly and put her free hand over his wound.  It immediately evaporated and disappeared.

Sweat crawled down his face as he opened his weary eyes.  "Arwen."

She smiled.  "I'm here, love.  I'm here."

He gently touched her cheek.  "Arwen."

More tears came streaming down.  "Baekhyun."

"Where's Tao?" his eyes widened.

"He..." she faltered.  "He stayed behind."

At that moment, they heard a pain-filled howl.  Arwen changed into her wolf-self and turned to Baekhyun.

"Stay here," she instructed.

"But," he started to protest.

"Please," she begged with teary eyes.  "It's my destiny."  She turned and dashed out the door.

--

Tao cried out with pain as Jae's monsterous claws came ripping down his chest.  His skin burned as blood oozed from the wound.  His legs were crushed under Jae's massive weight.  He felt his left foreleg crunch, and he screeched with pain.  He struggled, but Jae wouldn't budge.

"Where's your hero now?" Jae sneered in his face.

"Safe," he spat.  "Away from you."

"That's what you think," Jae said as he pulled his paw back for the final blow. 

"No!"  Arwen ran down the path and flung herself into Jae’s side.  He yelped with shock and fell over.  They toppled over into a tree.  She pinned him down skillfully with her paws, like she did with Baekhyun in the training.  Tears flooded his eyes as she fiercely roared in his scarred face.

He chuckled.  "You put up quite a good fight."  He hoisted his stronger, more-built body up against hers and flipped her over.  She struggled helplessly against his weight.  "But not good enough," he whispered in her ear.

"Be brave," she heard Min Joon's voice in her head.

With her powers, she flung Jae off and smashed him into the stone wall.  She could hear his ribs crackle, causing her to cringe with disgust.  She held him there and stared into his deep red eyes.

"Can't bring yourself to kill me?" his eyes displayed slight fear and tons of defiance. 

She growled ferociously.  “You’ll know what to do when the time comes,” she heard Baekhyun’s voice in her head.

“Kill me now,” Jae challenged her.  “Go ahead.”

“Shut up,” she glared.  “I’m not the one who should kill you.”  She turned her head to see EXO standing there, awestruck.  She transformed and kneed his stomach, causing him to double over with pain.  She walked up to Kris.  “He’s all yours.”

Kris’ eyes widened, but then darkened with understanding.  He slowly approached his younger brother.  Memories flashed through his mind.  He used to see an innocent boy who wanted to love the world.  Now, he saw nothing.

Jae transformed and coughed up blood.  He sneered as Kris grabbed his collar and shoved him up against the wall.

“Kill him,” a voice in his head screamed.  “Kill him now!”

Kris shook his head and chuckled darkly.  “Oh, boy, you’ve caused me a lot of trouble.”

“That was the point,” Jae stared deeply into his gaze.

“Kill him!” the voice shouted louder.

“Shut up!” Kris shouted aloud, startling everyone.

Jae snickered.  Kris pulled his fist back and punched him hard across the face, and he fell to the ground.

“That’s the best you can do?” Jae glared at him. 

“Kris,” Arwen whispered. 

His pendant around his neck started to glow.  He snapped the chain and started chanting something inaudible.  Jae shrunk and was into the pendant.  The once silver, glowing necklace soon turned dark and tarnished.  Kris sighed and dropped it into the dirt, where it sank deep into the earth.  With his foot, he kicked dirt over it and made a small mound.  He stuck his hand into his pocket and found the small flower Arwen had given him the night before.  With slightly teary eyes, he knelt and placed it on top of the mound. 

“Stay safe,” he whispered.

“Kris,” he heard Arwen whisper again.

He turned around and smiled weakly.  “You don’t know how much I’m hurting right now.”

She knelt beside him.  “Trust me, I know.”

Tao writhed in pain.  His leg was completely crushed.  "Arwen..."

She turned and ran towards his sprawled body.  Her hands traveled down his leg, restoring the break.  His eyes twinkled with gratitude.  Tears came streaming down her cheeks as she pulled him into a tight hug.  His eyes widened slightly at the contact.  She pulled back and smiled.

"Thanks," he murmured and pecked her cheek.  

For once, she didn't mind.

************

Thanks for all the support, guys!  I really appreciate it  :)

I've been thinking about writing a sequel with more action and drama...should I?

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