Casmas Clan: Josiah and Clara
Chapter Fourteen

~ Clara Clara's mouth fell open when she walked around the corner of her house. Twelve wolves fought against four large cats of different species. Pipsqueak was several feet away from the tangling mass, watching, waiting to see what would happen. The cats had to belong with the Casmás Clan, but why would wolves be attacking them? As far as Clara knew, all the shifters in the world were in a peace pact.

A large brown wolf broke away from the fray, along with a silver one. They circled the combatants several times, before stopping and looking around. In unison they stopped when their eyes settled on her. Two dog-like grins appeared though the four eyes were still golden orbs of fury. The silver yipped at the brown and the two of them split up as they headed in her direction.

Pipsqueak instantly went on guard. He knew she was standing behind him, had turned in her direction when she first came upon him. But as large as he was now, Pipsqueak was still just one being and there were two wolves. Clara knew she would have to fight as well. Hopefully, her child would not be harmed, either by the wolves or her using her powers. She never did ask Catalina or Charlie if that was a possibility.

Clara readied a spell for whichever wolf would get by Pipsqueak. Lightning was her best skill and with the storm going on around them, it would be the easiest and strongest as well. She then watched and waited. It happened suddenly. Both wolves attacked at once. One went high, the other low. Pipsqueak went after the high one, while the brown dove between his legs and came after her. Once it cleared Pipsqueak and she knew she wouldn't hit him on accident, Clara let loose "with her spell on the brown wolf.

The bolt hit it dead center, flinging the wolf backward in a charred mass of smoking flesh. Everything seemed to have come to a standstill when the smoking wolf body shot through the fray. Eighteen sets of eyes focused on the dead wolf for several shocked moments, before both sides decided to regroup. Oddly enough, the four Casmás Clan members joined Pipsqueak in a semi-circle of protection before her. But why? Why would the Casmás be protecting her? Clara would ask Catalina the next time she saw her if she survived this.

~ Josiah Josiah began to worry when they came across the first charred body of a large wolf. It appeared to have once been brown in color, now it was ashy where the sporadic patches of fur still sat. Josiah's gaze rose to Alpha Dermet's. The large lion gave a slight shake of his head, before moving on.

Two more bodies in the same condition, both wolves, made Josiah's ears perk up. None of the Casmás could do this type of damage to the Killt; he was also starting to recognize this side of town. Josiah picked up his speed when he passed a very familiar plantation house. This was Clara's house! Dermet growled out a warning at him, but Josiah didn't listen as he bypassed Dermet and headed into the fray down the street.

This battle was fierce; the wolves attacking them now were stronger and more experienced. It didn't help that Josiah had to dodge more than one lightning bolt shot at him from Clara. He couldn't blame her; the wolves had been after her en masse. She didn't know he was on her side, even though he was attacking the other wolves and no felines were going after him.

The storm had died down when Josiah leaped off the last wolf standing among the Killt pack members who had besieged the town. The wolf tried to crawl away while he bled out, Josiah let him. His gaze instead stayed riveted on Clara leaning heavily against Pipsqueak's side and staring wide-eyed at all the carnage and deaths. Josiah didn't think she comprehended just what had happened and how many of the wolves she killed herself.

Unknowingly, Josiah took several steps in her direction. His wolf was in control at the moment and he desperately wanted his mate. He watched Clara's back stiffen at his approach, but she just didn't have the strength to push away from Pipsqueak. Josiah lowered himself to the ground and crawled the rest of the way to where Clara and Pipsqueak stood. Pipsqueak didn't respond to his approach as he had to any of the other wolves, he recognized Josiah's scent, confusing Clara even further.

Josiah slowly leaned forward, so as not to frighten Clara more, and gently licked her hand, before he was brutally shoved away from her by Dermet's large lion form. Dermet didn't allow him to go back to Clara; he kept pushing him in the direction of the den. Josiah's wolf wasn't happy, but Dermet was his Alpha and he had to follow his orders.

Taking one last look at Clara, who was staring at him in shock now, Josiah turned away and headed back to the Casmás den on his own. Dermet stayed close to his left side, Harvey to his right, making certain he didn't change his mind and go back.