Reaching Helena

Ten wolves- that's how many he'd already killed to get close to her.

There were five more standing between them and another three on her.

She'd managed to kill two, get their sister to safety, and yet here he was, trying his best to get to Helena.

Three, she'd killed three now as Romeo watched one of the wolves trying to restrain her.

As Romeo went through the wolves before him, more appeared.

'Where are they coming from?' he hissed at Ryder.

'I can't catch their scent,' Ryder answered. 'There's magic involved.'

Magic, the same thing that killed his mother, that Helena's father had possessed.

'Where the fuck are you!' Romeo shouted through the Alpha bond with Neil.

'What the fuck— how—' Neil asked.

'Part of the transition. Now tell me you're near,' Romeo hissed as he took another wolf down, severing his head from his body.

'A few minutes out,' Neil answered. 'Another group from Stonehill is on its way too.'

'Good,' Romeo said before cutting the link.

Romeo knew he couldn't keep this up, there was only so much both he and Helena could fend off.

Helena was back on her feet, she was deflecting attacks from the two wolves that were left. Despite the predicament they were in, Romeo couldn't help but feel proud of Helena.

She was strong, stronger than many Alphas he knew.

Two of the ones that had been on Romeo noticed their companions struggling. They turned and moved to attack Helena.

"No!" Romeo roared as he knocked one of the wolves out.

His warning gave Helena time to evade.

Unfortunately, it seemed like their luck was running out as another wave of wolves arrived.

"Fuck," Romeo hissed as blood dripped from his hands. He'd killed so much today, so much more than in the past, but still, he couldn't get to Helena, to his mate.

'We have to trust her,' Romeo said. 'We have to trust they can handle themselves. That group is headed to the pack house, we need to stop them.'

'We need to protect her, we need to protect them,' Rryder growled in his head.

Romeo watched the group he'd seen pass right through them not even giving them a second glance, and against his better judgment, he decided he'd choose Helena, that he'd always choose her.

'Neil and the others will get them,' he told Ryder as he pushed through the wolves.

From afar, he watched as Helena was tackled to the ground and two wolves held her down.

"Helena!" Romeo shouted.

Hearing him, she seemed to fight back even more, throwing one of the wolves off of her.

'Alpha, we're here,' Romeo heard Neil say through their link.

'Get to Helena, help her,' Romeo instructed.

Romeo felt as the group of his warriors swept through the area, Neil and Kade headed to help Helena while another group of wolves battled those that Romeo had been holding off.

"A group was headed to the pack house, did you get them?" Romeo asked Neil as they dealt with the last wolves.

"We left at least twenty warriors to deal with them, and the ones from Stonehill should be with them now," Neil said with a nod.

Romeo spotted Helena helping subdue one of her attackers. He quickly rushed to her side and pulled her into his arms.

He cupped her face and ran his hands all over her body, checking for injuries.

"Are you really feeling me up right now?" Helena giggled but ended up wincing and holding onto her side.

"Helena," Romeo said as he lifted her bridal style and carried her over to one of the medic cars that had just arrived.

"I'm fine," Helena grumbled but she didn't fight him, at least not physically.

'They're exhausted,' Ryder said as Romeo planted a kiss on Helena's forehead.

"Why didn't you shift?" Romeo asked in a soft voice. "They were all shifted wolves, Helena."

"I didn't have to, now let go of me, I'm healing just fine the doctors will tell you that if you let them near me," Helena scolded him as she pushed him away.

Romeo frowned but he didn't argue with her. 

A pack doctor was quick to check on Helena and to Romeo's surprise she didn't flinch when he pressed on her side.

"See, already healed," she pointed out to him.

Romeo smiled and nodded. He studied her as she hopped back down to the ground as if she hadn't been held down by several shifted wolves.

"How many?" Helena asked as she stepped closer to him.

"What do you mean how many?" He asked.

Romeo knew exactly what Helena was asking but he'd rather not think about it.

'An Alpha shouldn't be this bothered by death,' he sighed to his wolf.

'That's what will make us a good Alpha, we value life,' Ryder answered in an attempt to boost Romeo's mood.

"Romeo," Helena said with a stern tone as she placed her hand on his cheek and forced him to look her in the eyes.

Her gaze was intense, as if she was reading right into his soul and she probably was.

"Not here," he whispered as he took her hand by the wrist and pulled her deeper into the woods.

"Collect the bodies, and secure the living," Romeo called out to Neil and Kade before vanishing beyond the treeline with Helena.

They walked in silence for a bit until Helena stopped and pulled her hand away.

"Okey this is far enough, they won't hear us," Helena told Romeo as she leaned against a tree and crossed her arms on her chest. "You can't keep avoiding my question."

"Will you believe me if I said I didn't count?" Romeo asked with an awkward smile.

"No," Helena said, narrowing her eyes at him. "I know you and I know you will let every death haunt you."

"I could have changed," he groaned.

"I doubt you have," Helena said in a much softer voice this time. "I know that you are a kind person, Romeo. I know you value every life."

Romeo looked away and shook his head.

"I know despite the fact that they tried to kill us you will let each life taint your soul," Helena practically shouted. "You killed them to protect Rebecca, to protect Rae, to protect our pack, to protect me."

Romeo stood silently as he let her speak.

"Mourn the loss of their life, but Romeo, you did it to save all of us," Helena reminded him. "So how many?"

Romeo took a deep breath, "Twelve," he finally confessed.

"Twelve," Helena repeated as she reached out and hugged him. "Twelve people that wanted to take what peace we have, Romeo."

He turned to face her, half expecting to see a look of disgust, but there wasn't one.

Instead, she had a soft expression on her face.

What happened next caught him completely off guard.

Helena wrapped her arms around his neck, stood on her toes, and pressed her lips against his, and with that everything around them seemed to lose importance.

All that mattered was the here and now, him and her.