Chapter 50

Ariel should have known it was not going to be that easy. Of course they would have spiers out in the forest. She was upset at herself for not thinking of it, but at the moment it didn't matter. She shifted as the others rushed to Joshua, and she sprinted across the open area. She could hear the click as she got closer, a sigh that the hunter had reloaded and she darted to the side as the gun fired again, this time missing it's target. With the sound of the gunshot, she was able to pinpoint where the hunter was, and found that he was up in a tree.

"What you gunna do now, fucking wolf?" He teased, reloading his gun. Ariel narrowed her eyes and shifted, jumping up to grab the lowest branch and she hauled herself up. She moved quickly and numbly, ascending the tree as the hunter took aim. He was so engrossed in what he was doing he didn't realize Ariel was there until she was grabbing his shirt.

"Oi! Hey!" He shouted, but Ariel just yanked back, throwing him out of the tree. He landed with a hard thud and she was down the tree just as quickly as she had climbed it. She grabbed his dropped gun and slammed the end of it into his face with a sickening crack. She then dropped the gun on him and headed back. She was covered in small scratches, but she hardly felt them.

Ariel knew what the scene would be by the time she got back, and it just made her feel all the more exhausted. Joshua lay on the floor, now no longer moving and no longer breathing. Cole and Alexander were still kneeling beside him, Cole using his hand to close Joshua's eyes. The entire area was silent, and Ariel could feel how heavy the air was.

"I'm sorry." Ariel said to the remaining three. Cole remained still and Alexander did not turn away, but Mark turned toward her sharply.

"Did you know?" He shouted at her. Ariel just stared back blankly.

"Did you know about the hunter in the woods?" He demanded, his voice cracking with emotion.

"No." Ariel responded, giving a shake if her head.

"I didn't think they would have snipers. Each hunter group has their own way of operating. This one uses snipers." She explained, looking down at the still form of Joshua in the ground. All hopes of joining a pack were now dashed. Joshua was gone. The alpha of this pack was gone. There was nothing she could do now except try and help them recover what they lost so they could eventually rebuild.

"He named me as Alpha." Cole's voice cut through the silent air. Ariel looked at him, a mix of confusion and awe on her face.

"What?" Was all she could manage and he turned around to face her.

"I was his Beta. With his parents dead and him not having found his Luna, he made me the Alpha. To keep the pack together. To keep the pack going." He explained,a new determination on his face. Ariel had no idea what any of it meant, but she could feel the weight of it's importance. Cole was the Alpha now, meaning he was to lead his pack. It should have been a great honor, but considering how he got it she had now doubt that it was bitter sweet. Losing most of his pack, both alphas, the pack Luna, whatever that was, and his best friend. It was too much.

"I still plan to aid you and your pack. I know how the hunters think. I know how they operate, and I cam get into their towns." She explained.

"What do you mean get into their towns?" Mark growled out.

"I was raised by hunters. I know how their towns work. I can blend in as if I was just another human." She explained, all three men looked as if this had just dawned in them. They didn't see her as a human, and so the thought of getting into a hunter town was of danger and stealth. Instead, they had someone who could just walk right in.

"We have to get miving." Cole told them, and the four set to work burying Joshua. Once done, they all shifted and made their way toward where they last heard gunshots. It was eerily quiet in the town, aside from the distant roar of flames as they co summed more of the town and surrounding forest. Bodies lay scattered about, but as they passed Ariel could see that they were all hunters.

When finally they made it to the meet up point, there were roughly a dozen wolves, a little less than what they had started with. Information was exchanged between all of the wolves, and news was shared about who had made it, and who hadn't. There was a collective sadness from what was left of the pack as they realized all they had lost. Those still in the prison were retrieved and informed, and the monumental task of burning the hunters and burying the dead was started.

No words were exchanged during this time. Everyone set to talks that needed to be done without being told. The bodies were taken care of, the fires were put out, supplies were salvaged, and Ariel drove all of the hunter vehicals to the meet up point. There were supplies in them, as well as maps and more information on the hunters. All of the weapons were gathered and when all of the supplies were accounted for, it was better news than any of them could have hoped.

They had plenty of food for those who were left, and enough medical supplies to treat all of the wounded. They had several maps of all the hunter towns in the country, along with recent information on the movements of other hunter groups. They knew where the missing children were, and Ariel was confident they could get them back.