Everything went down in a flash, catching the wolves off guard.
The rogue, whom Celeste recognized as Jessie, an old-timer from Kent's rogue pack, darted straight at the hunters without a second thought. It was no secret that Jessie and Jimmy were practically inseparable. They might as well have been mates. So, when Jessie caught sight of the motionless Jimmy, he completely lost it and charged headlong toward the hunter, consequences be damned.
But Jessie's undoubtedly exposed the location of the wolf pack. And it was still not completely dark outside, so they couldn't fully utilize their advantage. Clearly, their previous plan was now rendered useless due to this unexpected turn of events.
Celeste shifted her gaze towards Kent and noticed a flicker of uncertainty and frustration dance across his face. But that fleeting expression was quickly replaced by a resolute determination. She could practically see the gears turning in his head. Without even glancing back, Celeste saw him stand up and morphed into his wolf, ready to charge. The rogues mirrored his resolve, their eyes burning with purpose.
Kent didn't waste a second and charged forward. The rogues followed suit, becoming a formidable pack of wolves, ready to take on the hunters. Their plan had to be put into action ahead of schedule.
"Seriously, are these guys here to lend a hand or just mess things up?!" Ben muttered under his breath, unable to contain his frustration. He then turned his gaze towards Jeremy and Celeste, his eyebrows furrowing. "So, what's the move? Should we follow them and charge in?"
Before anyone could respond, the air shattered with a deafening gunshot, the sound reverberating in Celeste's ears. She swiveled her head just in time to witness the hunter's barrel aiming straight at a wolf, ready to fire again. But the wolf expertly evaded the bullet, narrowly escaping harm's way. Celeste couldn't help but exhale a huge sigh of relief.
But the gunshot had shattered their advantage, alerting every other hunter in the warehouse to their presence. It was about to get a whole lot messier.
"Let's go!" Jeremy exclaimed. They were left with no choice.
The other werewolves sprung into action, leaping toward the hunters with a surge of energy.
Celeste shifted and raced alongside the wolf pack, skillfully evading the bullets that zipped perilously close. Luckily, they only had three hunters waiting for them up ahead. The werewolves had the numerical advantage for now, allowing them to seize the element of surprise before the bewildered hunters inside the warehouse could react.
But in the blink of an eye, as if mocking Celeste's innocent thoughts, the warehouse doors swung open dramatically. A fleet of armored vehicles burst forth, crashing into the heart of the wolves like a thunderous wave.
The sudden turn of events caught them off guard, leaving the werewolves without a moment to prepare. Chaos ensued as their formation crumbled instantaneously. They scattered in all directions, desperately dodging the menacing armored vehicles. Bullets sprayed forth from the vehicles, peppering the werewolves relentlessly. Exposed to the flat terrain, they became nothing but vulnerable targets.
Damn it, damn it, damn it!
How in the world were these hunters so damn prepared? How did they amass such forces at lightning speed and charge head-on at the werewolves? It was as if they had been lying in wait, eagerly anticipating the werewolves' arrival!
As Celeste narrowly witnessed a bullet grazing past her eyes, she felt her heart race with adrenaline. If she was one more second slower, that bullet would have found its mark, embedding itself in their very skulls.
Before she could even exhale a sigh of relief, a piercing cry of anguish pierced the air. She swiftly turned her head, piercing through the mayhem, and there she saw Jessie sprawled on the ground. A bullet had found its mark in his chest, and now a crimson stream flowed from his matted fur. It wasn't a violent gush, but the sheer volume was staggering, quickly saturating the earth beneath him.
Even with the incredible regenerative abilities of werewolves, Celeste couldn't help but doubt if he would survive this harrowing ordeal.
The other werewolves clearly saw what happened to Jessie. And it was like a signal for them to go batshit crazy. They turned into rabid beasts, flailing around. Some of them tried to charge forward, thirsting for vengeance for Jessie, but the hunters fended them off with their heavy firepower.
And if they were retreating, well, they were stuck on this flat terrain. Those hunters had their hands on pistols, ready to shoot them no matter how far they scampered. It was like the hunters had picked this place as their ambush spot. From up high, it seemed like they had the whole damn view, but once they set foot on this open ground, they were just a sitting duck, man.
Shit, shit, shit! Celeste's mind went blank in an instant. She felt this overwhelming sense of powerlessness pumping through her heart. They hadn't even done anything, and those hunters were already knocking them down like bowling pins.
Then, out of freaking nowhere, she heard this spine-chilling wolf howl that pierced the air.
Retreat! Run, run, run!
Celeste's wolf instincts kicked in. She didn't question it for a second. They had to freaking run, and there was no time to waste. She glanced at the rest of the wolves. They all got the same message from Jeremy and were running away.
But just when they thought they had a chance, a bunch of hunters burst out from the other end of the road. They were decked out in full-on gear. Some were even wearing creepy masks. What the hell was their deal?
And then, like a freaking cinematic sequence in slow motion, it happened right before Celeste's eyes. It was like a freaking rainfall, but instead of water, it was a damn shower of sparkling droplets shooting out from the barrels of those werewolf hunters. The air quickly filled with a misty haze, and Celeste's nose twitched as she caught a whiff of that all-too-familiar scent.
That scent hit her like a brick. It reminded her of that one time at the café when Raymond pulled out a flower from his seat. The scent was so damn distinct, it was etched into her brain. She would never forget it, and she sure as hell wouldn't mistake it.
Wolfsbane!
Those freaking hunters were using freaking wolfsbane against them!
Run!
The command echoed in her ears, but it was quickly drowned out by another pitiful howl from one of her fellow wolves.