Red Moon: Revolution:Chapter 27

“Where did he go?" Arden said as he looked outside the building. He had gotten to the Inquisition headquarters with the wolf hot on his heels. Cars were swerving and at one point, he thought that he was dead, but just as soon as he got the building in sight, Vasili, or what was left of Vasili in that beast, had turned and disappeared.

Arden gazed out into the street where people were still trying to figure out what had just happened. Police were on the scene, but no one really knew what to do. The wolf had vanished and that had people more worried now than before. 

Word had been passed and the building was on high alert. There were a few other wolves other than Arden and Sergei who was still guarding his wife, they were scouting around the perimeter, trying to smell out Vasili. Arden had made sure they knew that Vasili was giving off a rather strong, and foul stench. He wouldn't be able to sneak past them.

“How long until the Alpha gets here?" Arden asked the man behind the counter, an Inquisition agent armed with a glock who had replaced the receptionist. The civilian personnel were still inside. It was too dangerous to let them go out with Vasili. They were on the top three floors with guards where they would be safest at the time.

The now armed receptionist put the phone which he was speaking into down onto the receiver. “At least twenty minutes, but with the grid lock around the city, it could be longer." He looked worried and he had a right to be. Most of the people here had only heard of the ferocity of werewolves, despite working with them on a daily basis. There were still tales of how they could tear through people like paper and it was true. Now those that were already weary and on edge from being so close to their former enemies were being told that one had gone feral.

“Too long." Arden breathed out. He turned to the other man. “Call me if anything happens." He held up a radio he had gotten from the security station nearby. “I'll be on channel three, let the other know."

Arden was by no means a pup. He had grown up along side Dmitri and had been close friends with Vasili for many years. He was there when the pack decided to join the Russian army to chase out the French when Napoleon invaded and again with the Germans in World War 2. He was also there when Vasili was exposed. It was a night that he would never forget, to watch his best friend succumb to some force that turned him into a raging wild beast, devoid of anything that resembled who he used to be. Arden hoped that Vasili would come out of it, like he did last time, but even if he did… He was a threat that was shown to be uncontainable. The pack had a way with dealing with those.

Arden radioed in each of his other pack mates that were checking around the building. So far no one had caught scent of Vasili which was good and bad. It meant that they didn't know where he was, which meant that Vasili had the element of surprise.

One asked if they should try to stop Vasili if they came across him. Arden and several others spoke over each other when they yelled, “NO!" Vasili was dangerous when he was in control. He was the only other wolf that was known to be a match for Dmitri and several had expected Vasili to challenged Dmitri for the right to be the next Alpha when it became known that Dmitri had taken another male as a mate and therefore would be unable to sire a pup. When he didn't, it was still believed to be a matter of time. 

Instead, Arden made a plan that as soon as Vasili was spotted, everyone would fall back into the building, the humans would get out of the way and then the werewolves would stop Vasili. As strong as Vasili was, he wouldn't be able to take on four other werewolves. That was what Arden hoped.

“I've got something." The radio came to life in Arden's hands. “A strong smell, above the usual smell of smog and dumpsters." Arden could hear the other wolf sniff the air from his side of the radio. “Definitely. I'm getting back inside." He sounded suddenly scared.

“Everyone get back inside." Arden answered back. “Back inside now,  even if he doesn't try to get in now, we'll wait in here." Arden's heart was beating. He had never had to fight another wolf. There was the occasional incident of a feral wolf, exposed to the red light of the blood moon or just some wolf that went rogue. They were hunted down to prevent collateral damage and to protect the pack, occasionally, the Inquisition got to them first. Arden never went on one of those hunts, the idea of killing another wolf for any reason was sickening.

The others gave their acknowledgements. 

The first to come in was a younger wolf, one of of Rommel's. He looked, when human, around twenty five. He had bleached blonde hair that was too long for his good and wore a leather jacket. He was soon followed by one other, a taller, older female who Arden had known for a few decades. She was no lady, wearing a thick coat that she had brought from Russia and heavy leather boots.

“Where's Ridel?" The female asked She crossed her arms. Ridel was her mate.

Arden frowned and spoke into his radio. “Ridel." 

No reply.

“Ridel, come in." His grip on the radio tightened. He tried several more times, to no avail. 

The female was silent. Arden could feel a cold anger brewing in her. 

“Nein." The other wolf said to himself.

“Why should we stop him?" The female growled. “Why do we have to risk our lives for that bitch." She was talking about the prisoner in the basement. “We know he wants her." She began to cry, the realization that her mate was probably dead hitting her hard. He voice cracked as her shoulder's shuddered with a sob. “We should just let him have her, be damned what Sergei does, that cripple can die with her."

Arden didn't stop her from her rant. He had known Ridel as well. He was a fun loving man who always had a smile on his face and was the favorite of the pups back in Siberia. He always brought treats and gifts for them whenever he had a chance to return home. He would be deeply missed by everyone.

Arden found himself with a tear on his cheek which he brushed off his face and looked at it as it settled on his index finger. “At this point." He spoke and wiped the tear onto his pants. “I wouldn't really care, I never really cared about her, but it's become clear to me now that this isn't about that woman anymore. Vasili is a threat that needs to be put down." It was the conclusion that Arden didn't want to come to, but Ridel had been one of the people that Vasili got along with easily and now he wasn't answering his radio. If he had killed someone that he should have recognized as a friend, then he was truly lost to them, he had gone completely feral.

Rommel's pack member was doing his best to comfort the female. He led her to a nearby couch. They had met in one of the spare rooms that was being converted into an office. It was along the same hallway that led to the only stairwell that led down to the basement levels where Sergei was. There was no other way to get there since Vasili wouldn't be able to use the elevator in the state of mind he was in.

Arden peaked out the door. There was nothing, but the slight breeze from air vents that kept air circulation. He could smell his, a slight tinge on the air that the filters couldn't get. He was in the building now.

“Get ready." Arden said even as he was already changing. He was hunching over, getting closer to the floor as brown fur began to sprout out. He kicked off his shoes and slid out of his pants fast enough to save them, but his shirt ripped at the pits as his body grew in bulk, taking on his more feral form.

The transformation wasn't as violent as Vasili's had been. This was mentally controlled to minimize pain and to be fast. The other's followed suit. The German became a, still small, wolf with grey fur that had a hint of blonde at the edges. The grieving female was a large, largest of the three, wolfress with maroon fur and a a white belly. She was snarling as she picked up the scent as well.

They didn't have to wait long for Vasili. His scent grew stronger and stronger, burning their noses as the black, hulking wolf, larger than all of them by a lot, came walking down the hall. His back muscles rolled with each stride and there was blood on his fur.

The female saw this and immediately gave a savage howl and charged. Arden would have stopped her if he could, but she darted right at the massive wolf with no regards to anything else around her. Arden had no choice but to join as well, he was tailed closely by the timid looking German wolf.

--

Sergei heard the fighting above, even if the fight was taking place some forty feet above him. Underground, sound had no where to go, but deeper.

He pushed himself off the wall he was leaning against and opened the door that led him back into the room where Erika was. She looked up at Sergei, worried.

“What's going on?" She had noticed the commotion outside when everyone was rushing to get out, leaving only her and Sergei.

“He's come." Sergei hobbled over to the desk and sat opposite from his wife. “He's finally come." He said with no emotion. Sergei had been mentally preparing for this moment. If they could stop Vasili, then great, but they wouldn't. Once Vasili had a goal in mind, he pursued it, even if her was now feral. He would go to the ends of the Earth to achieve his goals.

“Who?" Erika asked. He gripped the sides of her chair tightly. She had never felt so useless than now, just waiting for something to come.

“Vasili. The one that brought you here." Sergei rubbed his leg stump. There were days that it felt like it was still there, along with his arm. He would wake up in bed and slide out as if he could stand on two legs. How he wished that was true instead of him ending up falling over back into the mattress. 

“Why?" Erika asked. It was all she could do, ask for more information. 

“He holds grudges better than anyone I know and you did kill some of his friends." Sergei left none of the venom out of his voice. He couldn't forgive her for what she did. It was monstrous and unwarranted. She had used him for her own ends. Watching her, he couldn't help but love her as well. She was the woman he fell in love with, that wasn't fake, she wasn't different now than before and she was genuinely scare, making him want to protect both her and his child even more.

“War turns us all into monsters." Erika said. “It makes us believe that the horrible things we do are justified. That somehow what we do is the right thing, that the other side is more deserving of death." She took a breath. “Im a monster. You should just let him kill me."

“SHUT UP!" Sergei yelled. “No. I can't let him. The child. I have too protect the child… And you." He both hated and loved her, it was tearing him apart.

“The child is nothing more than a collection of cells right now." Erika patter her stomach. “Nothing would be lost if I were to die."

“Everything would be lost." Sergei got up from his chair and nearly crawled over to her side of the desk where he took her hand in his. “I've lost so much already. I have no one, but you and the child. No one." He was crying into her lap where he rested his head. “I can never forgive you for what you did. It was horrible, but I wouldn't be able to forgive myself if I stood by and let him take the only semblance of normalcy I've been able to retake from this fucking screwed up world. I- I can't let those that I care for be taken from me again."

Erika looked down at this broken man. She was stunned. She wanted him to hate her so that she knew that when she died, she wouldn't be leaving someone that lover her behind. To see and hear him shatter that notion shook her world. 

“I've lost it all before. I can't again. Not again." Sergei sucked in a breath of snot. “Never again." He would have kept mumbling if the air hadn't chained. The basement was interconnected with air ducts that kept the air fresh, it also made each room connected to each other.

There was a strong scent that came wafting into the room from the sole vent. It was not one that he smelled often, it belonged to Vasili when he was truly pissed and it was mixed with the smell of blood and it was already strong.