Blood Trail

A howl answered, Marina’s thankfully. She wondered who the second call was for; it sounded motherly. A child? No matter. He was already running hard, throwing out a call for his brother, and hoping he was nearby. He had no trouble following her blood trail; it was dark against the ground, and the scent was strong.

He reached the barn and slid to a stop, blinking up at it before he stepped inside and sought out the multicolored woman. She looked a sorry sight. One leg was indeed broken, another mangled. The lacerations were made by a wolf, and the ones on the mangled leg looked similar to a small predator or scavenger’s.

“What happened, and who did this?” His voice was very quiet, much like it had been when he’d arrived at the Challenge for Celestial, but his touch was very gentle as he nosed along the injuries, snorting softly at the infection he could smell. And there was something else in her scent, a difference that hadn’t been there when he’d invited her to join the pack, but had been there when he’d first met her.

Pregnant. She was pregnant.

“You were raped.” It wasn’t a question, and the chill in his voice deepened as a slight glaze came over those sapphires as they fastened on Marina's eyes.