The Blessed Wolf

Chapter 2

17 years later

Janes pov

I was about to run out the door when my mother’s voice sounded behind me, “Jane don’t be out too late. We have another alpha visit tomorrow and I would like you well rested for it.”

“Okay Mom, I am just going for a run with the girls.” I ran out of the house and into the woods. I quickly stripped and tucked my clothes away before I shifted into my somewhat small wolf. I ran through the woods to our special meeting spot right next to the creek where there was a half destroyed church of some kind.

I looked at the wolves of my two best friends, Haly and Cassandra. “Hey, let’s go for a long run.” My friend Cassandra said.

“Sorry, we have to make it a short one. Mom wants me home early because of the alpha visit tomorrow.” I told them.

“Ooo, that’s right, do you know if he has a mate yet?” Haly asked with a wolfish grin.

I shook my head, “really? You just turned eighteen last month, you will find your mate soon enough.” I said with a laugh.

“I am sorry, I just want to find my mate and start having adorable little babies of my own.” She said in excitement.

“We have our whole lives for that.” Cassandra said glumly.

“You’re just upset because you won’t be eighteen for another three months.” Haly said snarkily. Cassandra pounced on her and they started rolling down the shallow slope. Haly got up and bolted away, Cassandra and I chased after her.

We ran for about an hour when I decided it was time to head back home. “Hey guys, I gotta go. I will see you tomorrow.” I heard them haller bye’s in my head as I took off back towards the pack house.

I wasn’t that far from where I had left my clothes when a brown ball of fur ran past me. "Come on Jane! I'm gonna win!" I laughed, Jace was being a brat, he always snuck up on me and tried to beat me home. He rarely won of course. My wolf is white and kind of small compared to other wolves my age. I also got my wolf really early. Most don’t get them until the age of thirteen, mine showed up when I was ten.

"In your dreams!" I mind linked him back, I could see the pack house just beyond the trees. I will be there in no time. I pushed through trying to gain on him. Sean says my wolf, Chastity, is a rare wolf and should be protected. I am of alpha blood and my wolf was smaller than they expected; however, I am extremely fast and strong.

One time Sean and I got into an argument and I was so mad I used my alpha voice, I think I was seven or eight. He submitted to me along with everyone else in the room; I hadn't even gotten my wolf yet. We knew my wolf was different, but Sean began to worry as to how different she really was.

Leaves crunched under my paws and the smell of dirt and forest filled the air. "Jane." I heard a faint whisper. I slowed down and began to look around, it felt like a mind link but it wasn’t. "Jane..." It was a little louder this time but it wasn't a whisper. It's in my head. My vision started to blur. My head was beginning to pound from the intruder in it. I started shaking my head trying to get the pain to stop. "JANE! RUN! My dear baby, he knows where you are, RUN!" The mysterious, yet familiar, voice yelled in my head causing a sharp pain to resonate throughout my skull.

I dropped to the ground in agony, my wolf whimpered out. Suddenly Jace was standing before me. "Jane, they're here, you need to go! Jane!" The pain was starting to subside when I saw a black and brown wolf jump over me and onto Jace’s light brown wolf.

Jace was like my big brother, even though we know we are not siblings we are very close. Seeing him being tackled like that was enough to make my blood boil. I pounced on the other wolf, placed my jaw around the back of its neck and twisted my head until I heard a snap. I dropped the wolf's limp body to the ground with a loud thud. Jace quickly stood up and we nodded at each other, I had always hoped this day would never come.

Sadly this was not the first time I had killed someone, over the last two years I had killed four different rogues. The first time I killed one I was a wreck. My dad says that is normal, it’s a terrible feeling to take a life. He said he would have been worried if it hadn’t affected me.

I was pulled from my thoughts when Jace’s voice came through the link. "Jane go! We knew this day would come!" He turned back to stop another wolf from coming after me. I took one last look at him then turned and ran.

I heard alpha Sean's voice in the link "Go Jane, you know the plan! We love you!" I turned my head in time to see Sean running towards his son as another wolf went for him. All I wanted to do was run and help them fight.

How did it come to this? The story was that we were twins, Jace and I were born on the same day, which was convenient, and I also looked enough like Emily that nobody outside of the pack questioned it. When we turned eight Sean told us everything. How my mom dropped me off and how I needed to stay hidden from my father.

Last month Sean found out that she was still alive. He went to a meeting and saw her. He said she looks really sick and it's obvious he is beating her. Somebody had to have figured out something for him to show her, why else after seventeen years would he bring her out into the light. Unless he wanted to lure me out, Sean had to really talk me out of going and killing him. I feel like I let my pack down, this wouldn’t be happening if I wasn’t here.

"No Jane, we didn't, they knew we would be found, somehow." Chastity said to me. “The pack is prepared for this, the warriors all knew one day this would happen.”

"I know I just feel horrible. I hope everyone is going to be okay. I couldn’t live with myself if something happens to any of them." We made our way towards New York just like Sean told me. Emily's brother, Remus, is the Alpha and that was always our plan. If I was compromised that's where I would go, he swore to his sister to keep me safe.

After two days of running and hiding I finally reached the border of the New Moon Pack. I was so exhausted I almost missed something Chastity had picked up on. "Stop Jane! Something is wrong." She said urgently.

I stopped to listen when the scent hit me like a ton of bricks. "They're here too!" I looked to my right when a border guard noticed me. I stiffened at first, he looked at my wolf and put a finger to his lips. He mouthed one word, run.

"Jane, run!" Chastity’s words rang through my head like a starting whistle.

I took off running like a bolt of lightning, but I heard a growl and pounding footsteps right behind me. There was a black wolf with white paws chasing me. I could feel how hard he was running, he really wanted to get me.

I am faster though and I know these woods from spending summers with my cousins. I took a hard right and heard him hit a tree. He still wasn’t that far behind us, “Geez what do we need to do to shake this guy?” Chastity asked.

I could hear him getting closer and I jumped to the right of a tree at the last second. He did the same, I felt a sharp pain in my side as we tumbled down to the ground together. He pushed me onto my back, his face inches from mine. I put my hind legs up and shoved with all my might. He flew off of me and I took off running again.

I heard a growl behind me and knew he wasn’t ready to give up yet. I saw a bush and jumped over it, landing smoothly. That was a marker for one of the traps we have nearby. I ran towards it, I saw the U mark on the tree marking where it was and leapt over the trap.

The wolf behind me followed suit, but the two that were behind him fell into the trap. I laughed, they would be stuck there until someone helped them out of the twenty five foot deep hole. I realized this guy was good, he must be a tracker or some higher ranking wolf. I needed to get him off of me.

I started looking around in the hopes of anything I could use when it caught my eye. I saw a large branch that was pretty beat up and about to fall if I time it right I might be able to make it fall on him.

I stopped on the other side of the tree and jumped up. It wasn’t very stable but a few good jumps and I could make it fall. I could smell the rot of the tree, this tree would be down within a year anyways. He was running fast then slowed down when he got closer, I gave one large jump and the branch and I both went down with a cracking sound. I landed on the ground with a thud and all the air was knocked out of me. That probably was not the brightest idea with the injury to my side.

He let out a long howl and I heard some in return, I wasn’t sticking around to see any of his friends. I looked at him and he was stuck. Just as I wanted, I stood up and stuck my tongue out at him, before I ran I looked at him one last time and he was glaring at me then licked his lips. I knew he had to stay like that otherwise the branch would crush his human form.

I don’t know how long I ran for but I could still smell the fresh wood on me. I needed to find a way to mask my scent. I turned the corner and noticed there was a part of the ground that was muddy. That will work! I jumped in the mud rolling around to cover myself the best I could. Once I am a good distance away I can find a stream to wash myself in.

We continued running hard, maybe a little too hard as I wasn't paying much attention. I ran up the side of the interstate, I managed to get across one side without even realizing where I was but the second side was a different story. I heard a car horn and tires squealing then I felt the pain before I registered what actually happened. I could feel us shifting as we rolled into the ditch. Black spots were dancing in front of my eyes when I heard someone coming close. I tried sitting up when the smell of human hit my nose. I tried to look up but found the world in front of me fading slowly.

“Damn, Chastity, we got hit by a car. Why didn’t I pay attention to where we were? I know better than to run and not know where the hell I am running.” I huffed as the human came into sight. I couldn’t really make him out other than he was tall, thin, and slightly muscular.

"Oh my God! Where did you come from!" His panicked words were the last thing I heard then everything went dark.

I don’t know how long I was out for but I woke up to the sound of steady beeping. The smell of antiseptic was really strong, I must be in the hospital. I tried to open my eyes but it was like they were made of lead. If I am in the hospital then that means I wasn’t found by my father. Oh thank the goddess! My ears picked up some talking out in the hallway.

"Her rate of healing is insane. I have never seen anything like it, even for a wolf. Do you know why she is healing as fast as she is?"

"I will take over Darcy, don’t think anymore of it, I think you should go home and get some sleep. I am sure there is a reasonable explanation that we can learn about when she wakes up." This was a man's voice and he was chuckling as he spoke to her.

"Maybe you're right, I have been working for nearly twenty-two hours. Okay I am going home, you don’t need to tell me twice. Good night Marcus." The lady said then her footsteps faded away.

Well this is great. I am in the hospital. "Um Jane? We are in a hospital... a human hospital!" Chastity said, slightly panicked.

My eyes darted open at that bit of information, most hospitals hate wolves and refuse to treat them. Some even have a policy about what they are supposed to do with any supernatural creature.

The first thing I noticed was a man sitting in a chair not too far from the bed when another man in a white coat was standing at my side. "I know what you are, you don’t have to hide it from me." I looked into his hazel eyes and just knew he was speaking the truth. His eyes were almost identical to mine. I looked at him curiously, who is he and why does he seem so familiar?

The man in the chair started to stir. I caught his scent and just knew he was human. He looked our way and quickly jumped to his feet. "Oh good you're awake! How is she?"

"Other than some bumps and bruises she is okay." his whole posture relaxed at those words. He must have been the one to hit me. He turned to look at me. "What were you running from?"

"Um, excuse me?" I tried to sound like the bratty teens at school.

"You were obviously running from something, why else would you be running stark naked in the middle of nowhere?" He asked grumpily.

“Someone doesn't like being woken up from his nap.” Chastity said in a baby voice. I had to bite my cheek to keep myself from laughing.

I decided to lie to him as he is a human, obviously. "I was dared by my friends to run a mile naked during the night. My friend has a cabin up this way."

The doctor was definitely calling my bluff. He knew what I was, the human at least looked like he was contemplating on believing me. "Fine you don't want to tell me the truth so be it. How old are you anyway?" He asked angrily.

I cleared my throat, "I will be 18 in less than a week." The human looked at the doctor like they were having a conversation with themselves.

"Do you have anywhere to go after this?" the human asked me as he looked into my eyes like he was searching for something.

"I don't know." I looked at my hands unsure of what else to say.

"How about you come stay with us? We live on a ranch and have a spare room you could use. We could trade work around the ranch for room and board."

My jaw hit the floor. "Somethings up." Chastity is unsure of these two men.

"I don't know who you guys even are!" I said in exhasperation.

"Well I am Leo," the human said pointing to himself, "and he is Marcus. Look, I am going to go home and rest. I will be back tomorrow morning to pick you up." I looked at him shocked, the Doctor just smiled and shook his head.

"I will see you back at the house." Marcus responded to Leo. Once he was gone his gaze was turned to me; his eyes pitch black signaling his wolf to be in control. "Now tell me what is really happening!" His eyes said that he was truly concerned.

"I am running from a bad situation, that's all." That wasn't all but that's all he needs to know.

“Don’t let him know we are a white wolf, I don’t trust him yet.” Chastity snarled.

"Does that bad situation happen to involve Luna Sara Anderson?" My heart jumped into my throat and the monitors started beeping faster. "I take that as a yes." He said with a smirk.

"How do you know my mother?" curiosity getting the better of me.

"Well Jane, she is someone I care very deeply for." his expression softened as a smile broke out over his face. "Sara is my sister. Which makes you my niece." My jaw may as well have just fallen off because it dropped hard.

“You’ve got to be joking?” Chastity growled.

My stomach turned to knots, the only thing I could say was, “What?”