02| Pack Moon Stone Territory.

THE NEXT NIGHT...

What should have been a straightforward retrieval mission quickly went awry, much to Mira's surprise.

As the daunting sounds of vicious sounds of snarling, teeth snapping and paws hitting the ground in a violent beat suffused the air. It urged Mira to keep running as fast as her legs would carry her without the desire to look over her shoulder. 

She knew it was a bad idea to sneak back over the river after the Corbette twins had escorted her off their territory last night. 

But she had to return and collect the ruby pendant her mother had left behind before she had been forced to return to Morzovia, after giving birth to Mira. It was the only sentiment she had of her mother and now, her father, for he always wore it around his neck before he went hunting. 

And she still can not comprehend why her father did not wear the pendant last night.  He always wore it without fail. As they both knew the pendant had a protection cloak placed inside the ruby stone. It was her mother's way of protecting them both since she couldn't physically be by their sides.

~JUMP!!!~ A voice cried out in her head. ~Make the jump over the river. They can not follow you once you step on Pack Moon Stone territory!~ The voice filled her head once more with urgency. 

"What the..." Mira mumbled with confusion.

She shook her head as she started to believe she was experiencing signs of mild hallucinations once again. 

Her steps faltered for all but a second, fortunately, she was quick to regain her composure and she picked up her speed.

 For she now knew her chosen destination which was only a few feet away.  

As she approached the river, she attempted to regain her breathing while observing the tree branches battling the turbulent currents. There was no way she was going to get to the other side unscathed unless she withdrew some of her Oracle energy from her inner core. 

Suddenly, a howl resonated through the dark woods travelling with the wind as it grew dangerously close. 

Followed by another, and then another. 

She closed her eyes as she could sense the wolves approaching her from behind. But she refused to turn around and face them. She wanted them to believe that they had the upper hand, the element of surprise. And when the first wolf lunged at her, she lifted her hand in the air and then catapulted it downwards summoning her source of energy.

~Mira, drawing on your source of energy is too dangerous. I strongly advise against it...~

Her eyes opened as a niggling headache was making its way up her neck. "Yeah well... I don't find me being a snack for the wolves too appealing." She grumbled into the open air. 

The sound of a tree's roots forcing it out of the earth as it fell filled the woods. The wolf behind her glanced up to see the tree slowly descending, cried out in mid-air with a high-pitched howl, and slid to the side before crashing into the river.

She watched with stunned, wide eyes as the wolf struggled to keep its head above water. Her breathing became shallow as the wolf was carried away in the rough waters.

The largest tree behind her had fallen, landing across the river as it created a bridge for her to cross over.

A vicious blood-curdling howl swept through the air. The guarding wolves were pissed and they sought blood for their fallen wolf.

Mira quickly became paralyzed with fear when the soft padding of paws snapping branches came from behind her. Her jaw clenched as the cold wind emanating from the river slammed into her.

~RUN CHILD, RUN!!!~ The feminine voice screamed in her head once again, breaking her paralyzed stance. 

Mira ran across the thick tree trunk, setting it alight behind her so the wolves could not follow her across the river. The second her feet hit the ground, she bent over coughing and gasping for air as her stomach twisted in knots. 

~Put the pendant on and follow the trail of mushrooms on your right.~ 

After Mira caught her breath and the pain in her stomach subsided, she took the pendant out of the back pocket of her jeans and held it out. 

"Who are you and what do you want from me?" She said out loud as she continued to stare at the pendant. 

~If I was to tell you, you wouldn't believe me.~ The voice said with an underlay of sadness and grief.

"No, you're absolutely right!" Mira snorted as she placed the pendant over her head. "This is all in my head. I'm fucking losing my mind..." She huffed, wiping the sweat that beaded across her brow line. 

"Grieving... This is my way of grieving... by losing my damn mind!" She kicked the dirt and started to follow the trail of mushrooms. 

Mira continued to walk for what seemed like an eternity. She savoured the stillness that engulfed her as she gazed up at the jet black heavens. 

Which reminded her of spilt ink that coated the sky, reflecting across the atmosphere that enveloped her.

She was sure to be wary of where she stepped as Pack Moon Stone was a well-known pack for its strength and being active at night. Most of the wolves in the pack had thick black fur with eyes as dark as the devil's lost soul. 

"Please Alpha Bastion, I swear my sons had nothing to do with the fire that happened at the bar." 

Mira stopped walking, she held her breath as she tried to listen to the commotion rising between the trees in front of her.

"Do you truly believe that I would take whatever you have to say seriously you omega filth?" The velvet-like voice whom she could only assume belonged to Alpha Bastion growled bitterly. "Beta Daniel overheard your imbecile sons gloating about the fine art they unleashed for the whole town to enjoy in front of the mechanic shop. Now, are you telling me that Beta Daniel is bullshitting me?"

Three males were present. An elderly man was bound to a tree, and a man with ash-blonde hair that obscured his eyes stood next to the suit-wearing man who held her gaze longer than she intended.

Though she could not see the face of the man that adorned the suit. She could sense that there was something alluring about him.  

"I-uh..." The old man stammered as he was speechless to find out that his sons had gone up against the Alpha of their pack. And they were stupid enough to gloat about it on the streets. 

"No, I didn't think so." 

Mira slowly tiptoed to the tree across from her, giving her a front-row seat to what was occurring before her very eyes. She watched as the man who was still dressed in a suit removed a zip lighter from the pocket of his slacks. 

He flipped the gold plated lighter open, and ran his thumb across the small serrated wheel, igniting a small flame that flickered in the dark. 

"Now, I'm going to ask you something Mr Travis, and  I will only ask you this one time. Where are your sons?" 

"No..." The old man pleaded with a sob. "Please... Not my boys, they are all I have..."

"Don't say I didn't warn you." Alpha Bastion hissed as he tossed his lighter on top of the petrol soiled grass setting Mr Travis on fire. 

Mr Travis began to fight against the rope that held him a prisoner against the tree, crying and pleading for the Alpha to show him and his two sons some mercy.

Mira gasped, "No..." She whimpered, stepping away from the tree.

She sucked in a razor-sharp breath and released it through a gusty breath that stamped out the fire.

~NO MY CHILD!!! You are forbidden to use your source of energy until you turn twenty-one.~ The voice in her head screamed with dismay.

Falling to her knees, Mira hunched over swallowing the pain that coursed through her trembling body. Her body felt like it was on fire and her stomach was twisting in knots.

ALPHA BASTIONS' head whipped to the side the second the fire died out by the unusual gust of wind that came out of nowhere in the still night with his hands curled at his sides. 

He knew magic when he saw it, and if a witch was nearby he would not hesitate to rip its heart out of its chest.

For they are the reason why werewolves are savaged beasts.

Slowly, he turned around and faced the same direction where Mira was.

Thrusting his chin out, he sniffed the air.

It smelt like fresh mango doused in warm caramel sauce on a hot summer's day by the salty ocean. 

It caused his heart to skip a beat and he suddenly forgot how to breathe until the sweet smell drifted from his senses. 

~Mate...~ His inner wolf howled. 

Bastion mindlessly took three steps forward, holding up his hand as Beta Daniel attempted to follow him. 

"I know you are out there, and I highly suggest that you show yourself." His deep voice drifted through the darkness. 

Miras' pulse spiked dangerously, but she refused to show herself. 

She couldn't, no matter how strong his compelling voice warned her to.

"So be it, when I find you, you are mine..." He snarled in a threatening manner.

He was quickly becoming anxious to identify the source of the seductive odour that was causing his inner wolf to howl, and attempt to subjugate his free will.