William POV
The smell became more and more intense as he rushed down the halls. Everything was dark, but he saw an orange glow out the window that he knew shouldn't have been there. Enzo was on his heel barking questions at him that he didn't have time to answer-or even know the answer to. Soon, Enzo seemed to catch on himself and followed him quietly.
All of the guards were already out of the palace as if they were about to storm the villages to help. They surrounded William as soon as they saw him as if they remembered who they were supposed to be protecting.
"What's happening?" William demanded. "Where are the soldiers?"
"They were training on the battlefields overnight. We've sent for them already-they're on their way and should be here soon-"
"Hunter wolves are attacking the village! They say that they've come on behalf of the palace!" One of the other guards shouted as he raced up to them. He stopped and put his hands on his knees to catch his breath.
"The palace of Eldon?" William growled. He was already heading towards the village with his guards on his heels. "They're attacking one of my villages?"
Would they come for the palace next? William didn't want to consider that. He would tear them all apart before they could get anywhere near his family. He should have been that way from the start instead of playing a political game that led to this.
"No." The guard said and stopped short. He gave William an odd look. "They said that you sent them to the village."
"I assure you that your king would never do such a thing." Enzo snapped at the guard. He flinched and took a small step back.
William didn't have time to dwell on that lie the hunters told. He could hear screams from where he stood and he knew that they were dying. The last thing he wanted to think about was his people dying and believing he was the reason why.
William shifted into his wolf and raced down the palace steps with Enzo behind him. They moved down the path like lightening, it was hard to tell when his feet hit the ground with how fast he moved across the surface.
The flames lit up the dark sky. Normally he wouldn't have been able to see his village at this time of night. But he could have seen it from miles away with how many flames lit up the sky. This was all wrong-he had to stop this.
The moment they entered the village, it was pure chaos as the guards told him. Survivors were in the dirt on the edge of the village looking on helplessly. Screams came from every angle and across the village, a building exploded.
What the hell was happening? How has it gotten so bad so fast?
William and Enzo broke off into different directions towards the closest screams. William could only hope his friend would be fine, they didn't have enough help but he knew it was on the way.
William ran in through the first flames and ignored the burns as he pulled out a woman that was trapped in the corner. He dragged her out with the rest before helping a man on the second floor.
As he was about to go to the next house, a strange, dark wolf stood in his path. He growled as he kept his stance in front of William as if it was scare him. William didn't hesitate in the slightest.
He tackled the wolf to the floor and ripped out his throat before taking down the one that tried to sneak up on him. His rage burned through him. He felt as if he could have lit them all on fire with just his anger he felt burning through him.
The rulers that he had tried to treat with respect sent wolves to harm his villagers. He invited them to stay at him palace and all they did was sent death and misery in return. Perhaps they learned that William had a spy in their palace. Maybe they found out his own plans and tried to act first to win.
They didn't realize the wrath they caused with this. They wouldn't be ready to handle what William would do to them after this. He would take everything from them and laugh as they begged for mercy.
Doris was in the back of his mind. He knew she never listened and he loved her for it, but this time he hoped she stayed put. It was hard to see between all of the fire and what could be hiding in the shadows.
William moved as fast as he could. He moved through the fire even as it tired to burn his fur off and tried to find as many of his villagers as he could. This village was one of the largest in the kingdom and it seemed like there was only pain all around him.
He couldn't focus on the ones that were dead. He had to shove down the feelings that tried to arise at the sight of them. This was his fault. He played a dangerous game and his people suffered because of him.
They were dead because of him. If he had rejected their invitation and minded his own kingdom, this wouldn't have happened. He felt selfish and the selfishness only drove him to move faster and take down anything that tried to stop him.
Enzo was tackled across the fiery clearing. William brought down two of the wolves before Enzo caught his footing and was able to take down the rest. They worked like a force together back and forth. They both knew that the other had their backs without having to check.
A roof on a nearby home caved in and brought the entire thing crumbling to the ground. The sound of helpless cries broke his chest and made him want to run straight to their kingdom and do worse than what they did here. He knew that if there was anyone inside, he wouldn't be able to help them.
Enzo cried out and brought William back to the moment. He knocked a wolf off his back and skid across the clearing. He almost went straight into a pile of flames but something big came straight at him and knocked him back.
William didn't hesitate, he pushed back and snapped at the large wolf who tries to best him. He already had enough blood on him to fill a wolf, but he didn't mind taking more.
The wolf's large teeth clamped on William's leg the exact moment something grabbed William by his neck and tried to rip him apart. William thrashed as hard as he could the get it off him. They stumbled back and he tackled them to the ground to silence forever.
With his back turned, he didn't have a moment to notice the wolves that hanged up on him. He was distracted by the feeling of someone he knew well nearby. Someone he knew shouldn't have been there.