Chapter 18

Raphael watched as the Elf flew back and hit a tree. Then he saw the Alpha's jet black wolf speed across to the Elf. He attacked it head on. It soon appeared that the Elf was dead. He watched as the shapeshifters retreated into the woods some in human form some shifted into a bizarre assortment of animals.

Once it seemed that the battle had stopped they climbed down from the window. It was probably close to midnight now the moon was high in the sky, but not providing much light.

He walked to where the Alpha was standing, human form, not naked. He turned when he felt a tug on his shirt. He saw the hybrid girl that they'd rescued. Her golden hair covered half of her face, and her eyes were wide. 'Has she never been outside?' He wondered looking at the small girl.

"I'll be back in just a second. I have to talk with my Alpha." He said calmly and reassuringly to her. She looked at him then the Alpha. She nodded and let go of his shirt.

He smiled at her than walked to the Alpha. Thresh was giving orders for following the retreating enemies. Once he was done he turned to Raphael.

"So, did you find Spruce?" He asked looking at the group of people assembled by the window. Raph quickly mind linked the other team that had broken off and was supposed to check the other rooms. The response wasn't a good one.

"We found his body in his kitchen, it appears he was tortured to death." He whispered because of the girl who claimed to be Alpha Spruce's daughter. He didn't want to, well, traumatize her even more.

"Hmm. Who's the girl?" He asked.

"She says that she's Alpha Spruce's daughter. She's a hybrid."

Thresh looked at the girl then looked away remembering something.

"Since her supposed father is dead, take her back to camp and have her checked up on. Then we'll take her with us, back to the Pack." The Alpha ordered.

"Yes, Alpha." Raphael replied.

He wasn't sure how the girl would take the news of her "father" being dead. So he decided to tell her after they got back to camp.

"Where are we going?" She asked on the drive there. They had borrowed some of Alpha Spruce's cars. He wouldn't mind.

"We're going to a place where we can get you all fixed up and clean." He glanced at her out of the corner of his eye. She seemed happy with that.

During the drive Raphael's mind wandered to his mate. Last time he saw her she was shivering on his bed and a tube going up her arm. He would call Mark the moment he got to camp.

They arrived and he handed the girl over to Lilla, who was in charge of the make-shift hospital. He waved and gave her a reassuring smile. Then he opened his phone and called Mark.

"Hey Raph. How's things on the island?" Mark's voice came through the phone.

"Fine. How are things over there?" He was overcome with worry.

"Things are fine. She's sleeping… now." He sounded apprehensive.

"Now? What do you mean now?!" Raph was getting frustrated with Mark's stalling.

"Well she woke up a couple hours after you left, and well." He sighed, "Raph, she was in constant pain. She was screaming and calling for you."

Raphael slumped to the ground after hearing that. She was in constant pain, and he wasn't there to soothe her. Just strangers. She even asked for him. That made him smile weakly.

"Raph, hey Raph you there." He heard Marks voice faintly through the phone.

"Sir, Lilla needs you at the hospital." Someone else's voice interrupted his thoughts. He hung up on Mark and headed over to the hospital.

He arrived and saw Lilla trying to calm the girl down. The girl was partly shifted. Her claws had extended and her teeth were elongated and there was little bits of hair spurting out of her skin.

She was growling at Lilla. Raphael walked forward with his hands raised in an attempt to calm her down.

"You." The girl pointed her razor sharp claw in Raphael's direction.

"That's Beta Raphael, Amelia." Lilla said.

-Amelia's her name?- he asked Lilla.

-Yes.-

"Beta, huh?" Amelia cocked her head in a manner that creeped Raph out.

"My father. Where is he? He's not here!" Amelia was shouting frantically.

'Well it's now or never.' Raph thought, "Your father, Alpha Spruce. Was found dead-" he stopped when she looked at him with her frightening eyes, then she shifted into a full grown lioness and leapt past him and Lilla.

She charged through the camp and escaped into the night.

"Shit." Raph muttered under his breath.

"Lilla find James, and tell him to gather a group of his best hunters and follow her." He ordered.

"What if they catch her?" She asked.

"Then… keep her contained till I get there." She ran off to find her mate.

Raphael made his way to the Alpha's tent. Again.

He waited at the entrance for a couple seconds then asked, "Thresh, you in there?" Raph knew he was, he could smell him. After a couple seconds more of waiting.

"Come in." Came the tired sounding voice of the Alpha. Thresh was usually exhausted after fighting. Using his unique gift.

The Alpha was sitting on his cot massaging his temples.

"Sorry to disturb you, but the girl escaped and ran into the woods." The Alpha looked at him impatiently, "I have James on it, with his best hunters." Raph added quickly, worried of disappointing his Alpha.

"I see." Thresh slowly drawled out, "I will be leaving in an hour. There are pressing matters I must attend to. I have been absent from town to long."

Raph nodded. Jealous that Thresh would see his mate, while he had to stay behind and look for Amelia.

Raphael left the tent and asked how the hunt was going. So far they couldn't find her, it was like her scent was gone. But they could still find evidence of her crashing through the woods, so they were following her tracks.

He looked at his phone, and decided to text Mark and tell him that he would be a little longer.

(How long?) Came his immediate reply.

(I don't know?) He answered then turned his phone off.

He asked where James and his team were. They were in the North part of the forest, but something wasn't adding up. So Raph shifted and headed in the opposite direction toward the mansion.