4

"Beta Zeke, you have to reason with him, everyone will make fun of me at school if they see me staying at the packhouse, ugh, please!" I groaned, doing my best to convince the beta as we journeyed to my home, "think about my mom, she can barely sleep at night with me there, let alone me moving out spontaneously."

"You're acting like you didn't bring this on yourself." He raised a brow at me. "The pack is in dangerous times, you can't risk away like that and expect no punishments for it.

"But..." I raised an argument, stopped by a raise of his finger.

"What is it beta?" I furrowed my eyebrows at him and then I heard it. Screams coming from all around us. "Not again," I groaned, if it was my mysterious kidnapper, I wasn't going to let go without a fight.

Beta Zeke pulled me behind him, naturally protective and ready to take over. Multiple mind links were created as people tried to communicate with their loved ones amid the panic.

I put my hands over my ear to block out the voices while trying to concentrate on the reason for the panic.

People scampered around in wolf form and before I knew it, beta Zeke was gone to join the fight. The wolves in chaos caused me to stumble and fall. I picked myself up, ready to join them in running when I smelled it.

Rotten and fearless. Rogues.

"Mom!" I yelled through the mind link, trying to tune out all the meddling voices. "Mom, where are you?" I shifted, running in the direction of the pack members. There was fear in my heart, the pack attacks had been happening mostly at the border and warrior wolves had been there to fight. But never this close to us.

"Mom!" I cried a second time. Taking short breaths as I ran in panic.

'we are going to be fine,' Nala tried to assure me but her fur was standing erect as she led us through a sea of wolves for a hiding place. We never took pack trainings serious because the warriors took everything for us. My mom was a warrior and she'd be facing these people.

"Please be fine mom." I said hopelessly.

"Talie!" I heard Shayla call behind me, she was holding Ash. Nala turned her neck to look at them before shifting.

"Guys, you're okay!" I hurried to throw my arms around Shayla's neck.

"Not for long, we have to hide." She tugged my arm and pulled me away, still holding onto her boyfriend with her other hand.

We headed into the school since it was closest to us.

"Lock the fucking door!" Brit's voice cried when we got into the school building. We jammed the door locked. "Hurry, let's head underground." Her usual cool voice was shaky. We had a school basement we referred to as underground.

"No one will be able to find us here," Brit swallowed once we were in the basement. There were other students curled in there as well. We couldn't hear that much noise from in here, it was dark and I could hear everyone's heart racing in fear.

I sat in a corner, hugging my knees to my chest, trying to catch my breath, "I have to head back there," I attempted to stand to my feet but Shayla pulled my arm, dragging me down.

"Where the fuck do you think you're going?"

"My mom is out there, I have to go get her!" I lifted my brows, panting slowly.

"You must be insane, you can't go out there, our parents are all out there, we can only hope they are safe, what do you think you can do to help? They are more experienced and know how to handle rogues, we don't." She snapped at me. "Your mom is the only female warrior for a reason, trust me, she's got this."

"But she's not responding to the mind link,"

"Because the link is broken, a hundred wolves are trying to link at once, just calm down." She cupped my cheeks, "let's stay safe together, the pack has got this, alpha has got this."

She was right.

I sat still and closed my eyes tight, hoping it would all go away sooner than later.

**

I don't know how long exactly we were there, but it was long enough to give me butt cramps. "Do you hear that?" I broke the long hours of silence.

"No," Brit shook her head.

"Exactly," I got to my feet, cracking a few bones, "the noise, it's all gone."

"Do you think they left?" Shayla stood up right after me, fixing her ponytail that had gotten messed up from the scampering off.

"Only one way to find out," I shrugged one shoulder and opened the aluminium door that led us out of the basement. The smell of blood filled my nostrils and I gagged on reflex, "I swear if I find one dead body, I'm going to freak out." I swallowed as everyone else tagged along behind me.

I caught sight of Ash giving Shayla assuring squeezes and wished so much that someone would give me that sort of comfort right now. My mom. "Mom?" I started the link, hopeful it would go through.

"Talie, where are you?" She called back in the most exhausted voice. I let out a breath I'd held against my will, relief washing over me, she was alive.

"I'm at the school." I hastened my steps. It was so late, the moon had come up. How long were we in there really. "Where are you?"

"Just stay there, I'm coming right now. You and anyone with you should stay in place." She said before ending the link. At first my heart sank that she hasn't even tried to communicate with me at all but then I remembered she was dealing with the pack's safety. It was her commitment.

"Guys, my mom's on her way, she's asked us to stay put." I told the rest. Brit and her friends huddled together whilst Shayla leaned closer into Ash.

I wrapped my arms around myself, taking long breaths to keep myself sane.

My mom showed up in less than ten minutes, reeking so much of blood, her clothes were torn and her hair appeared lie it had been hit by a tornado. "Mom!" I cried in relief, "I was so worried," I held her hands after pulling away.

"Are you hurt in any way?" She asked, scanning my face. I shook my head at her and frowned when I noticed the sadness behind her eyes.

"What's wrong mom?" I asked in a slight whisper.

"Alpha Dan is gone," she bowed her head and collective gasps from all around me filled my ears.