Hunted
6

I trotted along the edge of the tree line, letting the light breeze tickle through my fur. I wagged my tail, letting myself enjoy the stroll.

I told Alpha James I was going to sweep the territory, checking for anything that could endanger the pack. But, really, I just wanted some time to myself. I needed to think. About Alexis.

How had I never noticed her in school before? I'm eighteen; if I'd payed attention, I could've discovered her as my mate two years ago! That's what angered me. I found out she's been dating this human for around a year. If I'd gotten to her first, she would've never dated the guy, we'd be together, and this situation would be far less complicated. Agh.

I dropped my tail, letting it drag on the ground as my trot turned into a trudge. Alexis was beautiful; I was easily falling for her, fast. And my wolf was begging me to claim her as ours already.

Stupid Kaden. I kicked a stone. Why are you in my way? I lifted my paw to send another pebble into the trees only to stop short, stiffening. I inhaled deep, confirming what I already knew. Rogues. And they were heading straight towards Alexis' house.

My first instinct was to run in the direction they were going, to try to intercept them before they got too close to my mate. But I knew that would be a suicide mission. Based on the smell alone, I knew there were too many for me to take on alone. So, I turned and bolted back towards the pack house.

From where I was in the territory, normally the run would've taken around five minutes. But in my panic, and my wolf's drive to protect Alexis, I got there in under two.

I was panting, out of breath, when I arrived at one of the hidden side doors to the massive castle. I shifted, slipping on a random pair of shorts that were lying against the wall, and pressed the disguised panel. A tiny section of the stone folded in on itself, creating a small doorway. I ducked in, finding myself in front of a set of spiraling stairs. James' office was on the second story, so I started up. I heard the wall slide back into place behind me.

I reached the landing on the second floor, opening the wooden door and making a dash down the wide corridor. I didn't know how much time I had, but I knew I needed to be fast.

I burst into the Alpha's office, which I knew was extremely rude and could get me even a small punishment, but I didn't care. My mind was on the safety of my mate.

James looked up from the papers on his desk, slightly startled at the noise I made. When he caught sight of the state I was in, he dropped what he was doing and jumped out of his chair. His face serious.

"Austin? What's going on?"

Taylor and Kaitlyn, James' daughters, jumped up from their spots on the couch. Kate handed me a glass of water.

"Thanks." I gasped, gulping it. Still out of breath, I gave them the information I had as fast as possible. As soon as I said "rogues," James was ordering Taylor to gather a group of enforcers. She left without waiting to hear the end.

I turned my eyes to Kate. "They're near Alexis' house." Instantly, she understood my panic.

"She won't know the difference! She'll just see them as wolves, and they'll see her has an easy capture!" Her eyes were wide now, her fear for her friend was obvious.

Alpha put a hand up. "Wait who's Alexis? I don't understand."

"My mate." I said at the same time Kate said, "My best friend."

He raised an eyebrow at his daughter. "Best friend? Why have I never heard of this girl?"

Kaitlyn rolled her eyes. "Now's not the time, Dad. She's human, so I don't invite her to hang out here." She didn't give any more of an explanation, and I could tell James wanted more, but we were running out of time. Who knew how far the rogues had gotten already.

The door flew open and Taylor stood in the doorway. "They're ready." She announced, pushing her wild blonde curls away from her face.

"Let's go."

We followed James down the main staircase, towards the front doors. As we hit the main floor, I nearly ran into the strange blind girl Cameron Brown — the Beta's son —was taking care of. I'm not really sure what the whole story with that is.

She gasped and blinked, her eyes darting all over the place. "Sorry, Indigo!" I called to her as I rushed by.

We flew out the main double doors, shifting into our wolves mid-leap. Knowing the rest of the enforcers would follow us, we took off.

James' let me push ahead, a huge honor, but I was also the only one who knew were we were going. After about three minutes, I skidded to a stop, putting my nose to the ground and sniffing until I picked up the scent. And then we were plunging into the undergrowth.

I followed the rogue's trail as quickly as I could without losing it. I curved around a clump of trees, practically trampling the rogue pack.

I barely had time to spot Alexis before I heard her scream.

What is she doing out here? I thought. Her eyes were closed and the wolf in front of her snarled. And then it leaped.

She dropped to the forest floor, but I didn't let the rogue get to her. I catapulted myself and rammed into him head first. Caught completely off guard, he fell to the ground and rolled with me.

I ended up on top, so I sunk my teeth into his shoulder, making him howl. Finally realizing what was happening, the wolf placed his forepaws on my chest and shoved hard. I landed hard with a grunt, but scrambled up immediately, not letting him have the advantage.

His paws slammed into my shoulder and I buckled, using his weight to roll us again. We stopped back near Alexis and I risked a glance at her.

Her brown eyes were wide, her hair tangled. She stared at me with fear, but I could see wonder mixed in with it. She knew I wasn't there to hurt her. That was all I needed.

I must've held her gaze too long, because teeth met my neck and I was brought back to the fight. I snarled and ripped myself out of his grip, springing backwards and out of his reach. I could hear snarls and growls echo through the trees as my pack fought with the rogues and I narrowed my eyes at the grey wolf in front of me.

I could tell he was the leader of this particular group. His red eyes gleamed as he glared back at me. For split seconds at a time, I'd glance as Alexis, making sure she was okay. The rogue seemed to catch on, and his glare turned mischievous.

Instead of lunging at me, he directed the attack at my mate, his teeth snapping inches from her cheek. She yanked herself sideways, her face paling as she yelped.

I snarled at him and charged, successfully knocking him off his feet. I didn't give us a chance to roll this time, darting out of his reach instantly. I positioned myself directly in front of Alexis, my tail was nearly touching her face. The rogue figured out she was my weakness; I knew he intended to use that to his advantage.

I raised my hackles completely, showing my aggressiveness, daring him to advance. Unfortunately, he struck anyway, determined to win. I jolted backwards as he lunged, narrowly missing me. My tail was now against Alexis' head. I didn't mind, though, and she made no move to get away.

The wolf attacked again, and I lost contact with Alexis as I moved away to defend myself. I swiped the rogue away with a sharp blow. Alexis groaned in pain from behind me.

I barked, loud and clear, telling my pack to protect her. Kate was closest to me, and she darted over, crouching on top of her friend. Her gleaming white fur tickled Alexis' face.

Claws sank into my flank and I whirled around, yelling. The new attacker was much smaller than the other one, and I detached myself fairly easily. I sent it flying into the nearest tree. A sharp snap echoed, and I knew it was dead.

I glanced back at Kate and Alexis to see a wolf stalking up close. Kate let out a loud warning growl and it backed off, her Royal Aura coming in handy.

The lead rogue from before howled suddenly and took off, most of the group following after. The brave ones that stayed behind, we finished off as quickly as possible.

I yipped at Kaitlyn, telling her it was alright to step off of her friend. She gave me a nod and left to go stand next to her sister and father. I followed slowly, taking the place next to Taylor.

We watched silently, keeping still, as Alexis slowly sat up. She grabbed her shoulder and a silent growl rumbled in my chest; she was hurt. She glanced around the silent forest before her wide eyes landed on us. What a sight this must've been for her!

My mate held her hands out in front of her. She closed her eyes and sighed. I think she was exhausted, both mentally and physically. "Thank you," she said suddenly. "I could've died today. But I didn't because of you guys. I wish I could do something in return, but I can't think of anything at the moment. I just hope you know how grateful I am."

I wanted to shift. I wanted her to know just how much she meant to me and that I'd save her life as many times as her life needed saving. She meant the world to me. I just wished I meant the world to her.

I walked forward a few feet, stopping about a foot away from her. She looked up at me, starting a little at my closeness. I leaned forward to her outstretched hand, letting her know it was okay to touch me.

Hesitantly, she placed her hand on my auburn-brown fur, sliding it over my head and behind my ears. She smiled, scratching her way down to my chin. I wagged my tail, showing her how happy I was with the single touch.

"Thank you for saving my life." She murmured softly. I took a risk and licked her face, making her giggle.

Oh, boy was I whipped! I needed to win her over in my human form. And fast. Or I might just go a little insane.