~Zahara~ My head is killing me. It is pounding away, and I’m not sure why. I start to move and quickly stop when my neck starts to radiate pain. What the hell is going on?Aria……..? There is no response, and my mindlink is coming up empty. I take a deep breath and move around again, trying to ignore the pain that comes with it. I feel something soft underneath me, but the room doesn’t smell familiar. “So you’re awake….” A soft voice breaks through the darkness. I don’t recognize the voice or the accompanying scent. I open my eyes, and everything is blurring. I blink a few times to try to get my eyes adjusted to the darkness that surrounds me. I look and find there is a couch underneath me. I guess I should be happy that I’m not outside somewhere. Across from me is an armchair that is occupied by a body. I try to focus on the chair and start to take in some features. There is definitely a woman sitting across from me; red hair in disarray, dull green eyes, and pale
~Cory~ I finally enter my office, and everyone is waiting on me. Frankie is locked in the cells, and Justin is out with warriors, waiting for Len to come back to the pack. They will both be in the cells as well, but I need to make sure I can get to Len. Len and Frankie’s punishment are already written, but I’m not quite sure what to do with Justin. Now isn’t the time to worry about that, though. I need to get my mate back, and in order to do that, I have to go back home. “Where is she? Where’s my bean?” Alpha Byron is sitting next to Luna Amara on the couch. The Luna is devastated, weeping into the Alpha’s shoulder. Bryn and Lennox are standing behind the chairs that are across from me at the desk. I sigh and place both hands on the desk, leaning forward to address everyone. “She is at the Wild Tail Pack.” I fill them in on all that I learned, and I can see Alpha Bryon getting angrier and angrier the more I speak. Luna Amara is ignoring her own pain to t
~Cory~ The silence stretches on, and I wonder if I lost the call. Before I can check, I hear maniacal laughter. “You…..you are challenging me?! You are weak as hell!” The laughter continues, and my grip on the phone is getting tighter and tighter. I wish I could rip his throat out right now. “Are you done?” I huff out in impatience. The laughter stops, and it becomes silent on the other end of the phone. “You’re serious, aren’t you? I can’t……fine. If that is how you want to die, then so be it.” I have so much to say, but I can’t form the words. I quickly hang up the phone and try to breathe. I just want to run over there and rip Laslo’s throat out. I want Zahara back in my arms, and I don’t want to have to wait. “We need to contact the elders and inform them of this conversation. I believe they left some people on site at the Wild Tail Pack so I’m not sure how he was able to get Zahara on the grounds without them being aware.” Alpha Byron is t
~Nona~ She…..she’s an Alpha?! I snatch myself away from her at the news, and she looks disturbed by that. I can’t believe there is an Alpha locked in here with me. I wonder if she is some type of plant by Laslo….a way to keep better tabs on me. “Are you okay?” Am I okay? Does she even truly care how I am? If she’s an Alpha, how did she get caught in the first place, and why hasn’t she made a way out yet? I don’t respond but eye her suspiciously. “I won’t hurt you, you know.” I scoff at that claim. “You won’t hurt me?! Youa re an Alpha just like him. For all I know, you are working with him. Everyone knows that Alphas stay together.” A look of genuine hurt crosses her face. “There are Alphas that do stick together, but I’m not like that. I make sure that all of my members are cared for and treated appropriately. I’m not working with Laslo, I was kidnapped by him.” Zahara gets up and starts to walk to the window. “I met him back in high school and
By the time our people got set up and got the drones going, it was early morning. The Wild Tail territory is pretty expansive, and it would take a while to get the footage we need. We are recording the footage, but the men on the ground are also checking the footage live. We are trying to find where the cabin is, as well as where the guards are throughout the territory. I barely slept during the night, extremely anxious about my mate. I know I need to rest up and be prepared to get her back, but it’s hard to be without my mate right now. Lennox chose to take over morning training, and I’m grateful for that. I don’t think I could be focused on training, and I’m not skilled enough to take Zahara’s spot. I go through the day in a funk. I try to focus on some of the work that Zahara had on her desk, but it is all Greek to me. I have been training with Luna Amara and then Alpha Byron. I know some of the ins and outs of running a pack, but I could use a lot m
~Nona~ I creep down the hall that leads to the front of the house. I was up using the restroom when I heard a sound. It was a soft clicking, and if I had been asleep, I wouldn’t have heard it. I try not to go too far down the hall because I don’t want my scent detected too soon. I bet my mate is here, but I don’t hear any voices. I stop walking and stretch out a bit to see around the wall, and I was right. Laslo is sitting in the armchair across from the couch where Zahara is asleep. He is just sitting there, watching her. It is actually pretty creepy, and it makes me wonder if he has ever done that to me. He has. Nero has mentioned it a few times when he has been trying to talk to me. A shudder goes down my spine. How creepy is it to know that someone has sat and just watched you sleep? It’s different if it were after a lovemaking session and one party wakes up early and basks in your radiance. We are talking about creeping through a house in the dead
~Laslo~ My anger is taking over, and I can feel Zahara’s breath leave her. I could snap her neck right now and end her life. A part of me would be satisfied if I were to do so, but the bigger part of me needs her by my side. I use my free hand and stroke Zahara’s face while I squeeze tighter with my other hand. I feel Zahara’s body go limp in my hand, and I let her fall to the floor. A warrior walks up to us and injects Zahara as she lies on the ground. Another warrior is carrying Nona’s limp body down the hallway. This is not how I wanted things to go. I definitely didn’t think that I would be found. They were smart enough to fly drones over my territory, and I feel stupid not considering that to be a possibility. I follow the warriors out of the cabin, and we make our way across the forest. “Did you get the two that the elders left?” “Yes, sir, they are enroute as well.” I nod in acknowledgment and watch my group head out to my
~Lennox~ I send men after Laslo, but I know they will come up empty. He was ready for us; he had time to move Zahara. This pack is lost to Laslo, so I don't hesitate to send warriors on a search. I want anything and everything that may be a clue or may have to do with where he could be. Cory's anger was already building from the moment we found Laslo in here alone. I know it's only a matter of time before he flips out completely. Because of Zahara's scent, Cory searches the room we found Laslo in. Wherever she is now, she spent some time in this room. The more Cory searches, the more prominent the changes become. I can see fur sprouting from his arms and legs. I notice that his claws are coming out. I mindlink the team to leave the cabin at once, and I take a step out of the room. I make it just in time to see the TV ripped from the wall and flung across the room. Most of the furniture follows the same fate. The books are being ripped in ha
~Third Person~ Four months have passed quickly, and so much has happened. The Wild Tail pack quickly got over the loss of their known leaders. Everyone wasn’t on board with Cory as Alpha, but no one felt strongly enough to voice their opposition. Cory and Zahara made some changes to how the pack treated others as well as how they went about daily life. Cory’s hope was to have everyone feel welcomed and everyone works together to keep the pack going. Even pack members who are against Cory can’t deny the benefits he was bringing to the pack. Cory and Zahara officially take over the Ash Band pack as well. Things continue to go smoothly there as they had before. Flora decided to stay at the Ash Band pack, there being too many negative memories back home. Flora and Maurice found a few common interests and are rarely without each other. The elders took Frankie because of his crimes against his Alphas. Len and Justin were given the opportunity to do better and o
~Zahara~ Elder Langston had his people take away Margaret and Gunner. He had them get rid of Laslo’s body. There were some wet eyes among the members and a lot of distrusting looks thrown toward Cory. I understand that years-long misinformation can’t be fixed in a matter of minutes, but at some point, they will have to let certain things go. I stay near the stage in case anyone had any questions, but no one is approaching me. Cory is off speaking with Elder Langston while his people take care of the cleanup. This entire situation has been crazy but necessary in the end. There is no way that Cory and I could enjoy our future with any of this hanging over our heads. I hate that Cory had to lose so much, but I will be sure to try to make up for it for the rest of our lives. I notice Lennox sitting in a chair, leaning back, looking up at the sky. He has been quiet since we returned, and I’m not sure what’s going on. I should probably talk to him, but before I
~Cory~ I have to say, as surprised as I am, I'm ecstatic for Cyrus. He is a good guy and has always tried his hardest to do right by my dad and me. I'm glad that he finally gets to have his happiness. As great as all that is, it's time to face the crowd. Zahara and I walk outside so we can address the pack. They were told to meet for an announcement, and it seems that everyone has gathered. It's hard to look out into the crowd. I have known everyone here for some time, and they haven't been the best to me. Some of the pack has treated me indifferently, not really doing anything against me or helping me. Others got their jollies from treating me horribly, and I will never forget that. Zahara and I stand off to the side, surveying the group. Lennox and Elder Langston are standing on the small stage that was put up for this. We are in the back of the packhouse, where there is way more space to fit all of the pack members. We watch Bryn and Cyrus walk by, wea
~Zahara~ Cory is so much stronger than he realizes. He keeps getting thrown curve balls, but he rises above and makes it out the other side. I’m not sure how I would have handled all that Cory has had to deal with. We sorted through the presented evidence, which is all compelling. Elder Langston has gone through it and has alerted the other elders. Everyone now knows what happened to former Alpha Brian Williams, and it’s tragic, to say the least. He picked a woman who he felt would make a good chosen mate. He accepted her son and treated him as his own. The minute he brought in his own son, there was an issue, though. From the information we gathered, it looks like they decided to end the Alpha’s life because of Cory because Cory exists. His existence is a reminder that the Alpha created a child with someone else. The thing about it is that he met his fated mate. The fact that they didn’t immediately choose each other is a testament to his loyalty and se
~Cory~ I’m so so tempted to end him right here and right now. Laslo is passed out, and it would take nothing for me to snap his neck this way or even rip his throat out. A hand into his chest, going for the heart, would work as well. Something in me is telling me that isn’t the way to go, that I need to be better about this. I let Laslo drop to the floor and get some warriors to fit him with silver chains so he can be transported back. Nona is still holding onto my mate, and it's a bit troublesome. I want nothing more than to rip her from Nona and truly show her how much I missed her. It is a struggle to hold myself back at this moment, but I really don’t have much choice. “What are you going to do with him?” Nona is using a whispered voice. A part of me doesn’t understand why she should care, but then again, it makes sense. They were fated mates, and that is something hard to turn off. Yes, they rejected each other, but those feelings can still linger to
~Cory~ Laslo came at me quickly, throwing his fist at my face, but I was able to dodge it. That didn’t deter him, as he threw an elbow back and was able to connect with my ear. We kept going like this; Laslo coming at me and me dodging his attacks. Laslo quickly became angered and shifted into his wolf. I spent some time fighting his wolf in human form, and that seemed to anger him even more. I have never been in a position to fight back or to defend myself before, Laslo always having an advantage over me. Now I know who I was always meant to be, and that isn’t someone who is supposed to be a punching bag. Once I shift into my wolf, things get more interesting. Laslo is coming at me again and again while I try my hardest to cut him off. I want to end him, but I don’t want it to be quick. There is no enjoyment if he isn’t able to fight back a bit. Laslo is fighting back. He continues to swipe at me, and each connection is a new sting. I can feel
~Zahara~ Laslo left the room quickly, and that propelled me to try to get out of these restraints. I have to get myself free before Laslo comes back, or I’m sure that he will try to finish what he started. I don’t know how long he’ll be gone, so time is of the essence. I twist and pull, trying my hardest to loosen up the ropes around my wrists. These ropes seem to be expertly tied. The ropes are as tight as when I first got there. Damn, I wish I had Aria right now. I could be out of this quickly by just extending a claw and slashing the ropes. I shake that thought out of my head and focus on the task at hand. The hallways are filled with the sounds of people crying and screaming. I want to know who’s attacking. Maybe it’s actually my pack; if it is, I know I will be out of here soon. If it isn’t my pack, I need to get free, so I can defend myself if needed, but these damn ropes won’t budge. GRRRRRRR! I can hear screams, ‘stop
~Laslo ~ “We’re under attack.” “FROM WHO?!” I growl out, shaking the cave and causing dust and pebbles to rain on our heads. “I…..I….I’m nnn…nnot sssssssure.” Pathetic! I push past the weak wolf with the intent of seeing what the hell is going on. I turn to Zahara, seeing her bent at the waist and breathing heavily. “We will finish this later.” I head down the hall and watch people running back and forth in front of me. I have no idea who is attacking, but I plan to find out. “Laslo!” I see my mom at the cave entrance, and she looks distraught. “What the hell is going on, mom?” She looks outside the cave, at me, and back again. “It’s Ash Band. They found us.” I growl ferociously, and those around me still look fearful. “Take care of Nona and Zahara. I will handle this; it won’t take long.” I can’t believe that weak fucker actually found me and came out here. What did he expect would happen if we met
Time went by fast but slowly at the same time. I tried to sleep and eat, but the anxiety of what's to come took over. I'm beyond ready to start this because I will have my mate back when it's over. I will be able to breathe again once I get my mate back. I head downstairs and out the door to meet with everyone else. Lennox is waiting for me with Elder Langston, Beta Cyrus, and a bunch of our warriors. We have a plan and are ready to go with it. It will take us about 45 minutes to get to the area of caves. We plan to travel in three groups and come from different angles. The plan is to take the site with as little bloodshed as possible. The only blood I want spilling is Laslo's, and I want to take care of it myself. We divide into groups, and half of us in each group shift into our wolves. The rest of us get on all-terrain vehicles to back us up. They will stop a bit away from the area and pick up anyone who tries to flee. We start to run, and I