The fight had begun, and Jack easily overpowered David. Jack slashed his claws across David's chest, then punched him, sending David crashing to the ground. Jack bent low, trying to strike him again, but David kicked him away and struggled to his feet. He ran at Jack and speared him to the ground.
David kept punching Jack until Jack finally caught his hand, kicked David off his body, and stood up, beating him once more. Sarah and Alex wanted to intervene, but Mark wouldn't let them.
Jack grabbed David by the neck, slammed him to the ground, and kept punching him until David spat out blood. Then Jack rolled David over, stabbed his claws into David's back, and grabbed his hair with his other hand. He whispered into David's ear,
"Look at how Sarah cares for you. It's a shame you won't be around to enjoy it."
David growled,
"You know she'll hate you forever. You'll lose any chance with her."
Jack smirked.
"You may be right. But according to our pack law, Sarah and I are already mates. When we reach the age, we'll be together. So you see, we were meant to be together... not you."
Hearing this, David snapped. He ripped Jack's hand from his hair, but Jack used the claws still in David's back to fling him into a nearby tree. David's back hit it hard.
Jack turned toward Sarah and shouted,
"So, Sarah, you didn't tell him?"
Alex looked at Sarah.
"Tell him what?"
Jack sneered.
"Sarah and I are mates. We're meant for each other."
Sarah shook her head.
"We aren't mates anymore, Jack. I'm calling it off."
Jack's eyes darkened.
"If you call it off, then I suppose I'll have to tell your father about your little wolf friend."
Alex leaned toward Sarah and whispered,
"I think he's threatening you."
Sarah shot Alex a menacing look.
Alex raised his hands. "Hey! Just saying."
David staggered to his feet. Jack laughed.
"Well, if it isn't the wolf in love with a coyote he can't have. What a load of crap."
Hearing this, David's anger exploded. His bones began snapping, and he dropped to his knees. His fangs grew longer, his claws lengthened, and his mouth stretched into a massive set of jaws.
Alex gasped.
"What is happening?"
Sarah whispered in shock,
"He's shifting into a wolf."
David's body grew larger, ripping through his clothes as red fur spread over him. His face fully transformed into that of a wolf. Within seconds, David had become a massive red wolf.
Alex stepped back in shock.
"Oh my God... he's big."
Mark muttered,
"Yeah."
Alex added,
"Bigger than you."
Mark glared at him.
"Do you ever shut up?"
Alex shrugged.
"Yeah... I'll shut up."
David charged at Jack. Jack leapt aside, barely avoiding the attack. David lunged again, grabbed Jack's ankle with his claws, and slammed him to the ground. He bit Jack's shoulder viciously and hurled him into a nearby tree.
David turned toward the others and roared before running back at Jack.
Mark asked Sarah,
"Did you see that?"
"Yes," Sarah replied. "His eyes are filled with-"
"Rage," Alex finished.
"Exactly," Mark said.
Alex swallowed.
"He's going to kill him, isn't he?"
"If he gets the chance, yes," Sarah said. "And we can't let that happen."
Alex muttered,
"Can't we at least think about letting David kill him?"
"Alex," Sarah warned, giving him a fierce look.
"Fine," he said quickly.
Sarah turned to Mark.
"We'll need your help."
Mark scoffed.
"You need my help? I'm okay if David kills the boy."
"Exactly," Alex agreed.
Sarah shot Alex the same fierce look again.
"Again with that look," Alex muttered, deciding to stay quiet.
Sarah said to Mark,
"You know if David kills Jack, he won't be able to handle it when he shifts back. He's never taken a human life before. He won't know how to live with it."
Mark thought for a moment, then sighed.
"Fine. I'm doing this because of the boy... not you."
Mark called out to James and Peter.
"Stop David!"
Both of them shifted into wolves and ran toward David, while Mark, Sarah, and Alex followed behind.
Meanwhile, Jack stood his ground against David. David leaped toward him, but Jack caught him and slammed him to the ground. Jack grabbed David's tail and hurled him into a tree. He then ran toward David and jumped, trying to slash him with his claws-but David sprang up, bit Jack's hand, and slammed him to the ground.
David planted his paws on Jack's chest, stabbed his claws into him, and roared, sinking them deeper. Jack cried out, stabbed his claws into David's paw, tore David's claws from his chest, and kicked him so hard that David flew into a tree. The tree cracked and fell, and David collapsed with it.
David staggered to his feet, feeling lightheaded. He shook his head, trying to regain consciousness. Then his anger flared again. He charged at Jack and jumped, trying to pin him once more-but out of nowhere, a black wolf speared him from the side and slammed him to the ground.
David hurled the black wolf away, but another black wolf jumped onto his back and bit him. David backed into a tree, crushing the wolf against it until it fell off. The other black wolf lunged again, but David caught it and flung it aside.
David turned to face the black wolf behind him. They snarled, clashed, and began clawing and biting each other. Then the other black wolf leaped onto David's back and bit him again. David grabbed one wolf by the neck, bit down hard, and threw it away. He spun violently, sending the second wolf flying off his back. David then speared it and pinned it to the ground.
Just then, Mark, Sarah, and Alex arrived. Seeing David on top of James, Mark grabbed David's tail and flung him high into the air. David landed on his feet. He charged at Mark, but Sarah and Alex stepped in front of him and begged him to stop. David roared and kept running.
Alex shouted,
"Sarah! Sarah! SARAH!"
But she refused to move.
As David got closer, his speed slowed. When he reached them, he finally stopped.
Sarah said in a trembling, tearful voice,
"David... please stop."
The rage in David's eyes faded, becoming calm and gentle. He shifted back into his human form automatically.
Alex quickly removed his jacket and covered David, since he was naked. He helped David to his jeep and handed him some spare clothes.
David looked surprised.
"What's a pair of clothes doing in the back of your jeep?"
Alex laughed.
"You know, just in case I decide to strip and run into the woods for a swim and come back to find my clothes torn up... or if my friend shifts into a giant wolf so I'll have something to give him when he shifts back."
David laughed and shoved Alex playfully.
Alex then noticed all the injuries David had sustained.
"Are those going to heal?"
"They're supposed to," David replied.
David put on the clothes, and the two of them went back into the woods.
Back in the woods, Sarah ran to David, hugged him tightly, and whispered in his ear,
"Thank you."
David asked softly,
"Thank you for what?"
"For listening," Sarah said.
Mark ordered James and Peter to return to the cabin, and they did as he said.
Alex pointed toward Jack.
"So... what are we going to do with him?"
Jack groaned as he stood.
"I know my place now. I won't get involved-for now. But just know, this isn't over between us."
Jack shifted into his coyote form and ran away.
Mark looked at David.
"Why did you let him go? He could bring a whole pack of coyotes at any time."
"He doesn't have that right," Sarah replied firmly.
"Oh yeah," Mark said. "I forgot. Not until he marries you. And from what I just heard, that could be any time now."
"I'm not getting married to anyone," Sarah snapped. "Pack rule says we have to be twenty before marriage, and I'm only sixteen."
David turned to Mark.
"Thank you for today. I really appreciate it. But I think Jack is my problem, not yours. I'll handle it."
Hearing this, Mark walked away angrily.
David then suggested that the three of them meet in the woods at 8:00 a.m. the next day. They all agreed and left in Alex's jeep.
Alex dropped Sarah off at home, then dropped David off and drove away. David noticed his mom wasn't home, so he went inside and decided to get some rest.