Chapter 2

Days, or weeks, or months ago…

Dargan’s POV

I knew I was close to a pack. The Blackwood Pack, if memory served me right, but for all I cared, it would be the Blue Lagune, and I wouldn’t give less of a fuck. I’d parked my truck a couple of miles back on an old, deserted road and had shifted into my wolf, going for a long well-deserved run after almost a week in my human skin.

It felt good being on all fours again. Being a werewolf and stuck in the human world was a nightmare for an alpha wolf. All werewolves needed to shift just like we needed air to breathe. Being stuck in the city grated on my nerves and I’d become gradually more irritated, to the point where I was even telling my manager off. And considering that the man controlled my paycheck, I knew a run was long overdue.

I’d been running around, hunting and just soaking up the sun, when I heard the first scream. The sun was getting low, and I was on my way back to the truck, so I paused, wondering if it was my mind playing games on me. This was so far from the main pack area that I hadn’t even run into any patrols out here.

But then I heard it again and stupid me decided to play the hero. I crossed the borders, following the calls for help that came between muffled screams.

That’s when I came across them!

He was young, no older than 16 or 17. She looked to be around the same age, perhaps a little younger. He was pushing her to the ground, and she was trashing under him. He was clawing her clothes off, leaving long deep gashes all over her skin. She was fighting back, kicking, and screaming. I rushed forward to reach them in time…

“Shut up, bitch,” he growled when she managed to scratch his face. He lifted his clawed hand and struck!

And just like that, I was too late…

I shifted and ripped him off her, lunging him into a tree close by. But by then, it was already too late. His claws had cut open her jugular and she was bleeding out fast.

“Shit,” I hissed, and without thinking I bent down, helping her to put pressure on the wound. She needed help – fast! – if she was going to survive. Taking a chance I glared at the kid, realizing that he was her only chance of survival. Normally, werewolves didn’t get their mind-link until they were 18, the day they blood-bonded to the alpha and became official members of the pack. And while the kid didn’t look to be that old, he did have a powerful aura around him, meaning that he most likely was an alpha’s or beta’s kid. They were born with the ability and right now, it was her only short…

“Link for some help, asshole!” I growled, letting my own aura come out, hoping that despite my rogue status, it would have the desired effect on him.

But he didn’t move!

Instead, he was looking horrified, glancing between me and the girl. His dark skin turned sickly pale as the reality of his actions was catching up with him.

“She’s dying,” I hissed, hoping to get through to this idiot. “Link for some help!”

“I-I---I didn’t---,” he stuttered, crawling back to his feet. He was staring at the girl, at the blood flowing from her wound, and then back at me as the horrific realization dawned on him.

He’d killed her!

And he was facing execution if anyone found out…

And it was at that moment that I could see the idea pop into his head.

“Don’t even---!” I snarled, but the kid was already gone. Shifted into his wolf form and sprinted away from us, already forming a believable story in his mind…

“Son of a---,” I snarled, but it was too late. He was long gone and there was nothing I could do to stop him.

The girl trashed under me, and I focused my attention on her. I could just choose to leave and avoid getting into shit with the pack, but… Ah, what can I say? The streets made me hard, but far from heartless. The fear in her eyes, the tears rolling down her cheeks as the life slowly left her. Hell, she even clung to me – a stranger she’d never seen before – desperate for something to hold onto.

I couldn’t just leave her…

“Hey, it’s ok,” I cooed, knowing there was no chance of saving her. “It’s alright. You’re going to be just fine,” I lied, keeping my hand on the open wound on her throat, while gently brushing her cheek. Her fingers fervently held my hand, and I could see the fear in her eyes as she felt her life slipping away…

“Helps is coming, I can hear them,” I lied again, giving her a reassuring smile. That finally seemed to calm her, and I continued: “You just need to relax, you’re going to be just fine.”

I knew that I was essentially helping her to die, but what else could I do? It was true that werewolves healed faster than humans and that we usually were tougher to kill. But a missing jugular was still a missing jugular.

Nothing survived that…

“I need you to do something for me, alright?” I said softly, caressing her cheek and brushing the hair out of her face. “I need you to close your eyes and relax,” I said, keeping my voice soft and gentle. “Think about something nice. Something that makes you happy, alright?”

She was scared at first but finally did as I told her to, giving in and letting her eyes fall shut.

“Think about your loved ones,” I continued, feeling my heat lightly squeeze, knowing that someone so young was about to die. “Think about your favorite memory with them.”

I knew it worked when a small smile crept across her lips. Her hold on me loosened slightly as if she was reaching out for someone beyond. The last salty tear slipped down her cheek and a hoarse sigh left her lips. Her body tried to fight it, but she was already gone.

She was at peace.

“Sorry I couldn’t save you,” I told her, surprised at how raw my voice sounded. That’s when I spotted the necklace next to her. The kid had obviously dropped it, but even if I used it as proof that I wasn’t the one who’d killed her, the kid could just say that he’d been there to help her. Well, it wasn’t as if anyone was going to believe that I hadn’t killed her, but I wasn’t about to hang around to find out.

I can’t really say what possessed me to do it, but I grabbed the necklace, shifted to my wolf form, and headed back to my car. On my way there, I dug a hole and hid it.

“Never know when that’s going to come in handy,” I mused and kept running. My car was in sight when I was ambushed by at least 50 wolves. At least that’s what it felt like. They came from all sides and while I did put up a fight, some lucky bastard got a lucky shot in, dazing me to the point where I couldn’t keep my wolf form anymore. I’d barely shifted back before someone grabbed me and then it was lights out for me.

Guess that’s what you get for playing the hero…