03. After Midnight

My mother’s public facade began to crumble. I knew she had always been disappointed she could never provide my father with a son, but unlike my father, she’d never made me feel worthless for it. The look she was giving me right now, though… I wish I’d never seen that expression. The moment when realisation dawned that not only had she birthed one daughter and no sons, the heir she had produced was human. 

Father’s demeanour never changed, though. He just turned his head back to the audience as he took in a deep breath to address them.

I felt like I was suffocating. If the ground opened up before me, I would jump right in, never to be seen again. Tears of shame and embarrassment welled in my eyes, threatening to spill over at any moment. Ellis put his arm around my shoulders and I shrugged out of his grasp, moving to the edge of the stage.

Gunshots rang outside. The sounds of shouting followed, then screams from the back of the ballroom and the shattering of glass. The packhouse guards appeared from the shadows and leapt into action. My personal bodyguard, Mike, was at my side before I even blinked. He gripped my arm tightly and I heard my father shout at him.

“Get her out of here. Take her to the bunker!”

Mike nodded at his Alpha and I remained glued to his side as we slipped out the side door. I turned to see my mother also being escorted out, then heard the unmistakable roar of my father’s wolf as he shifted and prepared to fight.

I ran with Mike as best I could in the heels I was wearing. It was pure chaos outside. Wolves were swarming in every direction, but I felt safe with Mike. He’d been my bodyguard since birth, and he was a giant brute of a werewolf.

The ground became uneven as we neared the entrance to the hidden bunker, and I stumbled several times, with Mike catching me and pulling me along. The blast of a gun at close range rang in the air, and my heart felt like it leapt into my throat as Mike cried out in pain and hit the dirt, pulling me down with him.

“Mike! Mike! Are you ok?”

“Bastards shot me,” he replied, pain etched on his face. “Silver bullets.”

He was clutching his abdomen, and even in the dim moonlight I could see the blood glisten as it oozed from the wounds. I reached out to apply pressure to help stop the bleeding, but he knocked my hand away.

“Run, Alina,” he ordered.

I’d never been in this situation before and I didn’t know what to do. Every part of me wanted to help him, I couldn’t just leave him here out in the open. But I was the sole heir to the pack. My father was fighting at this very minute, I couldn’t risk both of us being taken out.

Footsteps came thundering towards us, and I tensed with fear. A young man skidded to a stop in front of me, his eyes flitting to Mike as he assessed the damage. He looked familiar but I couldn’t place where I’d seen him.

“You can’t stay here, it’s not safe,” he said.

“Who are you?” asked Mike.

“They sent me as backup,” the stranger replied.

“He was at the packhouse yesterday. He’s new,” I added, as my memory caught up with me, and my cheeks heated slightly.

“Ok then. Take her to the bunker, Alpha’s orders,” directed Mike. “Go, Alina. Don’t look at me like that girl, just go.”

He reached out his arm and I gave his hand a squeeze. We both knew this was goodbye. This man had shown me more kindness and affection than my father ever had. During his working hours, I had been his number one priority for eighteen years, which was more care than my father had ever shown me, even in his downtime. 

I kissed his cheek and whispered my goodbye, and he wiped away my tears before I stood to face the newcomer. He gave me a quizzical look before he masked it and motioned me to follow him. I gave Mike one last forlorn look, then ran.

This new guy was faster than Mike. Still powerfully built, but younger and lighter on his feet. And impossibly impatient. He kept stopping ahead of me, rolling his eyes as he waited for me to catch up. He’s rude.

Finally, the bunker came into view and I breathed a sigh of relief. The guard ran straight past it. For someone who was so impatient to get here, he sure was an idiot.

“Excuse me?” I called out smugly. I couldn’t help it. There was something about this guy that rubbed me the wrong way. “You missed the bunker.”

“We’re not going to the bunker, Princess,” he replied. Ugh. Princess. I hated him already. When all of this was over, I’d make sure he was never put on my service.

“Mike ordered you to take me to the bunker,” I replied, putting my hands on my hips.

“An Alpha’s order trumps his. I mind-linked him to update your whereabouts and he ordered me to take you further away. We’re going up the mountain to the safe house. Must be more intruders than he first thought,” he said with a shrug, before he turned and kept running, giving me no opportunity to argue.

My legs were aching, my feet were sore, and I debated whether to just take my shoes off, but the terrain was rough. We finally reached the forest line that led to the mountain path and ducked under the cover of the tree growth. I stopped, puffing and panting, trying to fill my lungs with air.

“Right, now we have cover, we’ll shift and go the rest of the way in wolf form,” he said.

“No. Let’s continue as we are.”

He rolled his eyes. He actually rolled his eyes at me. The audacity.

“Look Princess, I’m not arguing. It’s quicker and safer in wolf form. We’re shifting.”

“Don’t call me Princess! And we’re not shifting!” I stomped my foot on the ground.

“What’s the big deal? Wasn’t that your birthday ball? You’re eighteen, you have a wolf now. This is the perfect time to bloody use it,” he argued.

“I don’t have a wolf,” I muttered as I stared at the ground.

“You’re kidding. Just my luck,” he mumbled.

“Excuse me?” I asked, a tinge of venom lacing my words.

“I’ll shift and you can ride me then.” There was a teasing tone to his voice as he wiggled his eyebrows at me.

My eyes widened as his words registered. Me, the Alpha’s daughter, riding around on a stranger’s wolf like a kid on a pony? I don’t think so.

“That won’t be happening. Not now, not ever.”

“I’m not doing this for fun, Princess. Do you want to live or not?”

I planted my feet firmly and raised my chin in defiance, ignoring the fact that my heels were sinking into the soft earth and I was losing an inch of height every second.

“For fuck’s sake!” he yelled. “You’re going to get both of us killed, just because you’re too prim and proper to pull the stick out of your arse.”

“You’re dismissed,” I said, turning my back and walking in the opposite direction. I didn’t need him. I could find my own way to safety.

“You’re being ridiculous. Come on.”

“What is your name?” I asked.

“Josh.”

“Well, Josh. I refuse to be spoken to that way. Consider yourself relieved of your duties. Go home.”

I stalked away, forcefully swatting branches from my face as I ploughed blindly through the trees, stumbling in the dark. I tripped over a fallen branch, hitting the ground with a thud. Ouch, my wrist hurt from the impact, but I picked myself up and continued my hasty escape.

“Why couldn’t you move this fast when I actually wanted you to?” came Josh’s voice from behind me. Ugh, why is he following me? I shot a dirty look over my shoulder.

As I turned back, my shoe caught on my dress and I stepped on the front hem. My arms flailed wildly as I felt myself fall forwards and I braced for impact. I tumbled and rolled, sliding further and further down what seemed to be a steep embankment. I felt sick and dizzy as I finally came to a stop in a crumpled heap of pain.

I looked up and saw the swirling jade green clouds of the Jade Willow Forest above me.