Chapter 4
"Landon-"
"Not interested." The boy snaps, storming straight past me and up the stairs.
His sheer disrespect this week is getting on my last goddamn nerve. Kaine has been stepping in and taking over so I don't rip the boys head off, but it seems Landon is having attitude problems with everyone this week.
"Leave him be." I tell Kaine, before he goes all wolf on the teenager and hurts him.
Kaine only grunts in response, disagreeing without words.
"Tomorrow night marks one year as a pack, I want our tradition to be a reminder of how far we've come. Last year I took everyone on their first proper hunt as a pack, I want to do that again." I explain.
Kaine is my second, not a Beta by blood but because he earned his position, as have everyone else in my pack. When I need advise, I come to him. Plus, I like to get opinions on things that involve the pack.
"I think it sounds great, hunting as one bonds our wolves. There are some of us that could really use the support." Kaine says, not having to elaborate on names as I already know.
"Landon hasn't shifted yet, I don't want to leave him here unprotected." I sigh.
"I'll lock him in the dungeon for the night." Kaine retorts.
Sparing him a glance, I couldn't help but grin slightly when I see how serious he is. It's true, the dungeon is the safest place for Landon if anyone attacks or stumbles onto our land whilst we're hunting. No wolf can tear down the steel bars infused with wolfsbane.
"Very well." I agree, figuring it's literally the safest place for the boy.
We head into my office, discussing the issue between Brandy and Zed. It's a complicated situation for them both, more Brandy than Zed. As Alpha, it's not my place to judge, however I would more than love to put my fist down Brandy's throat right now. He's hurt Zed in a way that might never heal, rejecting him knowing how dangerous is it to go against the moon.
"Alpha!" A familiar voice cry's out from down the hallway.
My eyes snap up from my laptop, instincts kicking in as I dive out of my office. The stench of blood is prominent in the air, fresh wounds that I smell before I see.
"What happened?" I growl, eyes blackening as the beast inside of me rises to attention.
Applying pressure to the gushing wound on Leon's stomach, I help him into my office quickly. His body shudders, sweat dripping from his skin as fever sets in, his skin becoming pale.
"We were ambushed on the south border...they came out of nowhere, we weren't prepared." Leon breathes, wincing in pain as I press a towel against his stomach.
My eyes meet Kaine's, silence falling between us. My fury boils within my veins, scorching away any mercy I have forced myself into believing others deserved.
"Wolves?" Kaine questions, and Leon nods immediately.
Had it been some other species, I wouldn't be so quick to retaliate without doing some homework first. Wolves however are my speciality.
Kaine gives me a short glance, and we share a silent nod. In a flash he takes over with Leon, while I rip my heels off my feet and toss them across the floor. Rushing out of the door, I exit the mansion quicker than anyone could even open their mouths to question me.
My heart pounds, adrenaline pushing me harder. I wanted blood, I wanted to hear their screams as I rip their limbs from their bodies. The sheer thought of their terror forces my legs to move faster, the urge to kill growing within my stomach.
The moment my bare toes sink into the fresh soil, the beast within rips itself from its confinement. My clothes shredding, the pieces still in the air as I drop on all fours, claws bedding deep into the earth as I haul my beasts powerful form forwards.
Faster, we ourselves, eyes slitted as we focus south, watching, listening. The wind is cold, hard against our sprinting form, freeing us completely of all human restrictions. Utter bliss.
The stench of blood fuels my temper, a rage that no she-wolf can ever compare to. The blood that soaks they soil, belongs to my wolves. That alone puts my fury into a state of frenzy, a thirst to sink my teeth into our enemy's throats. My own predatory instincts didn't frighten me as they should have.
Slit eyed, I barrel full throttle into a sandy-brown wolf, sinking my vicious canines deep into the wolf's hind leg. Like a savage beast, I viciously shake my huge head back and forth, hearing the sandy-brown wolf scream out in agonised shock. Jaws snap for my rips, I release the wolf in time to dodge its fatal attack, swinging myself to the other side of its body. Just as it swings it's head the opposite way for me, I latch my jaws around it's throat, crushing it's entire neck in the sheer strength of my mouth. It's blood gushes out like a waterfall, the bone and windpipe shattering as I chomp down.
Releasing the limp wolf, I take that second to take in the sight before me. The south bored of our land completely invaded by foreign rouges, outnumbered by the many. Seeing my wolves at war, fighting with everything they have despite not being prepared or completely trained, it makes me proud.
Snarling, I lower my head and reveal my razor like canines, ears flat as I sink my claws into the dirt. A darker wolf comes barrelling from the pit of wolves, baring it's blood covered teeth at me in warning.
I didn't flinch. Seeing the blood coating it's fur, knowing it's the blood of my pack, it makes my blood boil beyond rage.
Lunging, I slam head on into the coming beast, raising on my hind legs, using my claws to swipe at its dark brown face. I didn't take notice of the blood, I didn't hear it's cries, in full savage mode I ripped it apart, using my claws to scoop out its eyeballs while I rip open it's stomach.
I didn't care for being outnumbered, all I know is that there's no way in hell I'm backing down.
*****
"No..."
"She's lost too much blood."
"Zed...help Zed..."
"What did she say?"
"Zed..." My words are faint to my own ears, groans of agony pouring from me as I drag myself to my knees.
Every bone and muscle in my body screams for me to stop, my heart, my soul, everything except my mind. In my head, I'm getting up, I'm getting Zed from those wolves and nothing is going to stop me. The physical torture of moving, slows me down considerably.
Crawling to my hands and knees, I cry out, excruciating pain explodes within every part of my flesh. My limbs too weak to push me up, my veins having lost far too much blood to have any strength left, yet still I refuse to give in.
"Zed.." I groan through gritted teeth, sweat and blood trickling down my face, I couldn't see properly.
Dizzy, nauseous, and livid, all I know is that I can't fail them. My pack, I have to help them.
"Put her out of her misery." I could hear a voice growling,
He's talking about us, Calliope. A voice whispers from the darkest depths of my mind, in hopes of awakening some magical healing technique.
"Yes sir." One of the men comply.
Bare feet hitting the blood soaked soil echo as he approaches me. All I could do was listen as he nears me, each step bringing me closer to my death. I felt helpless, and still I would not beg them for my life.
A hard force collides with my stomach, a loud agonising cry of pain passing my lips as I'm thrown harshly on my back. My arms grip my stomach in attempt to conceal the sheer torture, but even I knew deep down that there's little chance I'll survive this.
Zed, you have to help Zed. I tell myself, growing angry and upset when I can't muster the energy to move a second longer.
Opening my eyes, I ignore the tears that rush down my face from anger. Weakly, I glare at the naked creature towering over me, staring down at me without the slightest remorse.
"Aren't you going to beg?" The man muses, his voice more animalistic than human.
I remain silent, my hand keeping pressure on my stomach as blood pumps out. My breathing is heavy, uneven and slightly painful. Yet despite all the agony, the strength of my wolf seeps through like a silent prayer. I'd assumed my best to be far too weak, hence why I'm in human form. Yet it rises inside of me, pulling strength from unknown sources, allowing me to heal.
Not entirely, but enough to minimise the fatality of my wounds so that I'm able to move.
"Why did you come?" I whisper, distracting the man before he reaches down to snap my neck.
He pauses, tilting his head slightly as if he's unsure of that answer himself.
"I didn't." The man grunts, black eyes full of distaste. I would have asked him to explain, but I didn't want to waste the energy.
"Leave the wolf, it's time to go." A darker voice echoes from behind the man by my head, commanding him without needing to inflict force.
My beast growls inside of me, reacting like a rabid dog does a stranger.
My eyes flicker up to the man above me, and I inhale sharply, gritting my teeth through the excruciating pain as I slowly roll myself over. Face down in the dark red soil, I control my breathing, hearing my blood drip from my stomach into the ground.
Pushing on my palms, I ignore the trembling of my entire body as it resists all movement. I force myself past the barrier that keeps me down, using my beasts strength and my own will to drag myself to my knees. Every inch of my body crying out in protest and torture, yet the pain is dull compared to minutes ago.
"Sir?" The man closest to me questions, uncertain of what he is to do now.
Surging to my feet, I feel my head spin as I ascend, my body stumbling for a moment as dizziness sweeps over me. I catch myself, refusing to fall back down, knowing I will not have the strength to get up again.
Heaving, I place my hand over the bleeding wound, pressing down in attempt to control the blood loss.
Lifting my green eyes to the men standing within the trees of my land, I quickly pick out their leader. Tall, tan, muscular and covered in tattoos, his sharp jaw line tight with anger, grey eyes narrowing into slits. His chest is broad, thick with muscle and dripping in blood, a sight that even I felt attracted to.
Our eyes clash, like fire and ice. The beasts grey eyes soften slightly, yet the man shows none of the signs that my own beast instantly reacts to.
Mate.
Inhaling sharply, I fixate on the beautiful creature for only a moment, before I come to realise that the beast doesn't feel it.
He's not a wolf, he doesn't have a mate. I realise, my beast growling as we realise the beast will never want us.
"Not possible." The man closest to me mutters, slowly backing away as he stares at me as if finally seeing something none of the others have.
My grey eyes flicker to the man backing away, one look into his brown eyes as I see the weariness that fills them. The disbelief of a Alpha Female right before his very eyes.
"We thought the Alpha here was either dead or running." The mans voice is a breath of confusion.
The rest of the men towering over the lifeless bodies of my pack, gaze at me with the same recognition as they quickly realise what I am, who I am.
I felt threatened, with hardly any strength and half of my pack lying dead before me, I know I wouldn't be able to fight off a full grown Lycan.
"You should have put me out of my misery when you had the chance." I spit maliciously, ice filling my glare.
The grey eyed beast shows no confusion or fear of me, if anything he seems to care less now that he did moments ago. His neutral expression tells me that this mate thing, it'll never work, he feels nothing.
"Get off my land." I mutter, giving them my torn back as I slowly make my way home.
Despite them helping my pack, I wouldn't thank them, it wasn't just the wolves ambushing is that they ripped apart. My wolves fell at their claws, and even though the lycans hadn't known the difference between friend and foe, I couldn't forgive that.
My wolf growls as I forcibly walk away from our mate, every step feeling so wrong, and yet it's my only choice. Lycans are primal, they're not bound to anything or anyone unlike wolves, they're reckless and free of laws and limits. I see no use in wasting time trying to get him to want me, it'll only strengthen the one sided emotions and I don't want that.
I don't want to crave a man that I'll never have.
"Alpha!" Maison quickly takes my arm, helping me inside to my office.
The moment I finally get to sit down, I let out a breath of relief. My eyes closing as I bask in the euphoria of sitting, with no energy I found it hard to stand never-mind walk all those miles back to the mansion.
"Send all available men to the south border, I want all our fallen bringing home." I breathe, resting my head back against the soft leather.
"And the others?" Maison frowns.
This is the moment that will be told to the world. If I send the enemy wolves to their homeland, I'd be considered merciful. In the eyes of the Elders and Alpha Males, I'll be seen as weak, but they will respect my choice of honouring the death ritual.
Or I can burn the wolves and leave their crispy corpses on my borders to rot. That'll infuriate the Elders, I'll be considered a disgrace, but they'll fear me, they'll see that I'm worthy of being Alpha. Either way they still hate me, but my pack will fall mercy to the same fate if I choose to be heartless.
What will it be, the easy way or the hard way?
"Alpha?" Maison says, glancing at me as he waits for my orders.
My wolves deserve more. That voice whispers, the part of me that is capable of mercy.
"Bring them too." I decide. I've never had anything the easy way, why start now?