loudly as he hit the trunk and collapsed to the ground. NightPelt nudged SwiftDeath to get up, but he’d been knocked unconscious when Rallan rammed him into a tree twice. Growling lowly, NightPelt walked up to his adversary, eyes burning with a dark fire.

“Do you honestly think you have any hope of winning, Rallan?” NightPelt asked in a chastising manner, “We’ve been doing this for a year now… You have no hope of beating us! Just give up now and your death will be fast and painless- but keep it up and it’ll be prolonged and agonizingly painful…”

“Go to Hell…” Rallan muttered, shaking his head slowly.

“What was that?” NightPelt asked angrily, knowing full-well what the wolf had said, “You’re in no position to say stuff like that, Rallan… I think it’s time I shut you up…”

NightPelt grabbed Rallan by his scruff once again and dragged him away from the tree. Rallan just lay there, not bothering to fight back- at least, not yet… NightPelt growled angrily as he tossed Rallan out into the slow-flowing river, watching as the wolf hit the shallow water with a thud. Rallan tried to get up, but fell to the water again, looking to NightPelt weakly. The evil wolf cackled and walked into the water and toward the gray-brown wolf, intent on finishing this fight.

“You know what Rallan? I thought you’d put up more of a fight… Especially after all that training your father gave to you…” NightPelt said. Rallan’s eyes widened slightly and his gaze turned to his foe.

“W-what did you say?” Rallan asked weakly, raising his head slightly.

“Oh, wouldn’t he be so proud to watch all his training go right out the window along with your pathetic life…” NightPelt said in a mocking, taunting voice, “Oh, by the way, before I kill you I just have one single question for you… Were you proud to put that training to use against him or did you just want to kill dear old Daddy?”

That was the final straw. Rallan flipped and growled viciously, gaining a boost of energy and adrenaline. He jumped to his feet and pounded NightPelt’s muzzle, sending the wolf into the river. He looked up at Rallan, utterly flabbergasted by his sudden rejuvenation. Rallan leapt at NightPelt and tackled him down, holding the wolf’s muzzle underneath the water. SwiftDeath was just beginning to get up as he saw Rallan gain an advantage over NightPelt.

SwiftDeath growled with anger and ran into the water, leaping at Rallan. From his peripheral vision, Rallan saw the jet-black wolf leap at him and let go of NightPelt long enough to hit SwiftDeath in mid-pounce and knock him into the water. Before he could get up again, Rallan tackled him and held his enemy down. Even as SwiftDeath struggled against Rallan, the wolf above him locked his jaws down on his throat and tightened until SwiftDeath moved no more. NightPelt got up again, gasping for air when he saw Rallan kill SwiftDeath.

“Nooooo!” NightPelt shouted and ran after Rallan, knocking the wolf off of his friend and looking down at the bloody body of SwiftDeath, “Oh no… SwiftDeath… You bastard! I’ll kill you! I’ll make you suffer!”

NightPelt was now more determined to kill Rallan than ever before. He charged at him, head-butting Rallan in the side of his chest and sending him sprawling even further into the river. Rallan came up just in time to receive another blow from NightPelt, this one sending him back toward the shore. He rose up, his pelt dripping with the cool, clear water as he glared at NightPelt. When he tried to attack him again, Rallan was ready and dodged, grabbing NightPelt’s scruff in his maw and tossing him to the shore.

NightPelt grunted as he hit land and rolled about for a bit before landing on his side. He got up as he felt someone’s jaws wrap around the back of his neck and force him back down to the ground. He gasped softly as he hit the rocky shore again and glanced up to see Rallan holding him down. He could feel the wolf’s sharp fangs beginning to pierce the skin on his neck, ready to kill him.

“Go ahead, kill me!” NightPelt said, grinning maliciously, “But answer me this: will you be able to live with yourself? You’ve already killed SwiftDeath and your father, now me? How can you live with that?”

“Shut up!” Rallan snapped, his voice muffled by the mass of flesh in his muzzle, “Self-defense is what it was… And don’t you dare speak about my father again!”

“Oh, and there’s one more thing you should know, Rallan…” NightPelt said, chuckling darkly, “Serenity was acting. She doesn’t love you; she helped us try to kill you!”

Rallan wasn’t about to take anymore from this wolf. Just as NightPelt went to speak once again, Rallan tightened his bite down on his enemy’s neck and pulled back, listening to the bones in the wolf’s neck snap. NightPelt’s body spasmed once before it went limp. Rallan tossed it away and growled angrily, staring at the bodies of NightPelt and SwiftDeath. After a moment, he sniffed about and followed what he could find of Serenity’s scent, eyes narrowed fiercely as he followed her trail through the forest.

Serenity stood along the shore of the lake where they’d found Rallan two months earlier. She was pacing quickly back and forth along the shore, eyes full of worry and concern. After a few more minutes, a rustling in some nearby bushes caught her attention and a wolf came pushing through them. She sighed with relief and took a few steps closer to the wolf.

“Oh thank God, NightP-” Serenity began, but stopped herself when she saw it wasn’t NightPelt nor was it SwiftDeath. It was a slightly beaten Rallan. “Rallan… Oh my God… You’re alive! I was so worried about you!”

“Save it Serenity!” Rallan shouted, a vicious glare targeted right at her, “You think I don’t know your secret?! How you deceived me for two months?!” Serenity felt her heart speed up slightly, but decided to keep up her act for as long as she could.

“Rallan, I… I don’t know what you’re talking about… Why are you accusing me of such things?” she asked softly, taking a single step backward, “I thought we loved each other… I had nothing to do with-”

“Save it Serenity! I know all about your act to get information from me!” Rallan snapped back, interrupting her, “NightPelt told me everything- just before I killed him… So I think it’s about time you start telling the truth to me…” Serenity sighed heavily and took a few steps closer to him until they were a foot apart.

“Rallan, it’s true… I was tasked to seduce you and get information from you… I’m not sorry for what I did because it’s what I’ve been doing for a year… And no, I don’t really love you…” she admitted softly.

“I thought so…” Rallan whispered, his eyes glassy as he felt so betrayed again, “I’m sorry it had to come to this, Serenity…”

“Yeah… Me too…” Serenity replied then slashed him across his muzzle.

Rallan cried out in pain as he stumbled backward, but kept to his feet. A few droplets of crimson liquid fell to the shore, the blood slowly dripping from the cuts on the left side of his muzzle. Rallan glared at Serenity and leapt at her, tackling her and tossing about with her for a moment. The two then ended up with Rallan on top of Serenity, paws pressed firmly on her shoulders.

“Rallan! Please stop!” Serenity begged, “I’m sorry for what I did! It was wrong and I realize that now! Please, just let me go and I swear I’ll change my ways! I swear, just please don’t kill me!” Rallan thought for a moment, then sighed and let her up with what mercy he had left for her.

“Get out of here Serenity… Don’t come after me anymore or I won’t let you get away next time…” he said softly, a deep look of betrayal on his face, “Run away, Serenity… Start your life over again… Consider this my act of mercy for you…”

Rallan turned and sighed softly. He felt like he was going to break down and cry right there and then, but held his tears and sorrow back. Serenity got up and watched as Rallan began to walk away. She grinned wickedly and leapt at him, not about to let him get away for killing her partners. However, Rallan anticipated this and reacted faster.

Rallan spun around and smacked Serenity in the side of her muzzle, sending the female crashing into the shallow water of the lake. Before she could get up again, Rallan was on top of her, one paw pressing her back down and the other on the back of her head. Without a second thought, he pushed her head under the water, holding her down even as she flailed and thrashed about.

“You lied to me Serenity… You lied to me for two months straight… and right when Death was knocking on your door, you still lied to me and tried to kill me…” Rallan muttered, “No… No more forgiveness and no more mercy…”

Rallan continued to fight against Serenity’s tossing about. After a couple of minutes, he felt her body relax underneath his paws and go limp, her struggling dying down until nothing was left. With a heavy sigh, Rallan let go of Serenity and moved off of her. Much as Rallan had expected, she didn’t move; Serenity was dead.

“Goodbye Serenity…” Rallan muttered, washing the blood from NightPelt and SwiftDeath off of his muzzle. Without another word, Rallan turned, walked out of the water, and wandered off through the forest, continuing with his life like he had been two months before.

            Chapter 3

            Once more, Rallan was left alone in the world. He felt so betrayed, unwanted, and uncared for. Though it had been over four months since Rallan’s battle against NightPelt, SwiftDeath, and Serenity, he still had yet to recover from