The Alpha’s Catharsis

3

Bones dislocated and splintered. Muscles pulled and snapped. Organs shifted and grew in size. My skin stretched and thick, chocolatey brown fur sprouted all over my body. My Wolf’s massive paws hit the ground and a shudder rippled through her as she shook off the last vestiges of the Shift. She broke into a sprint after Asher, yipping and vocalizing along with the thirty-two other wolves around her.

Channing’s group took off to patrol our west border, Frederick’s team was patrolling our east side, and Delilah’s group was stationed in the south. Asher and I, along with seven other men, were left to keep an eye on the north side.

I knew there were Black Summit warriors across Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and New York who were actively patrolling with us. I liked patrolling because in a way, I felt a connection with those who were out protecting our pack members with me, regardless of whether we’d ever even met.

I was certain, though, that if there were rogues lurking about, they would come straight to Vermont. They would pay no attention to our territory in other states.

Just like with the vampire attacks, the rogues likely wanted the Alpha.

As our team moved throughout the woods, I felt no apprehension for what was potentially to come. These rogues were no threat to us; they definitely didn’t make me feel fear like the vampires did. They’d come from Waning Moon. The entire pack was so weak, it would’ve died off on its own, without Reid overtaking it. Even still, he had no qualms about casting out a newly-absorbed wolf if he felt they wouldn’t assimilate well.

In other words, a decision not to disassociate didn’t guarantee acceptance.

James hadn’t elaborated on the issues that Waning Moon had allegedly been having. I knew it in my bones that their problems had to do with the purple-eyed woman.

My Wolf leapt over a decaying, fallen tree with a yip and tad too much enthusiasm.

Get out as much energy as you can, I said to her, before Reid gets back.

He won’t really send us home, she countered.

I chuckled. His Wolf may not want us to leave once he saw mine, but Reid himself would most definitely be sending us home—or he’d at least try. I could tell during our last interaction that he sincerely didn’t want me to be out, but he couldn’t possibly have expected me to return to the house and just sit there.

What would I have done anyway? Just wait? I wanted to help while I could.

Our group had spread out a bit. I could still detect their presences nearby, and every once in a while my Wolf would catch a fleeting glimpse of brown or silver or black fur through the trees as she ran. It had been roughly forty-five minutes, and so far, nobody had reported anything amiss.

But of course, the moment I had a passing thought that maybe Reid’s perturbation was misplaced, Delilah’s voice came through the mind-link.

“We’ve picked up an unfamiliar scent about half a mile southwest…we’re going to check it out.”

“To Delilah’s team, do not leave any areas uncovered unless you have no choice,” Asher instructed calmly. “We can send backup if need be.”

All we could do while we waited for somebody else to speak was continue on, sprinting through the woods, remaining on highest alert for suspicious scents or sounds. It even seemed the forest had stilled, as if it were holding its breath in anticipation. The only sounds were of our paws thundering on the ground.

An impossibly slow ten minutes passed, and Asher finally asked, “Delilah? Status update?”

Nothing. We all waited.

But at last, she spoke. “Four rogues down. As far as I can tell, that’s all for the moment.”

I was taken aback. Four? She rattled off approximate locations, and my Wolf slowed her pace, turning her nose towards the south border, where Delilah and her group were stationed. Her fur bristled. Something wasn’t right.

“Delilah,” I cut in, “I think you need backup.”

There was a pause. “I think so, too. I think there are more on their way.”

Asher acted fast. “Garth, Sebastian, Jacqueline, Hayden, and Luna Natalie—head south.”

My Wolf skidded to a halt and spun around, bolting in the opposite direction at the mention of my name. She glanced over her shoulder when she detected a presence some distance behind her—it was Hayden.

As Hayden and I were en route, the voice of a fairly new warrior in Delilah’s group, Sonny, rang out via mind-link. “I found three more! I need help!”

Another warrior, Leroy, responded, and I hoped he moved quickly. Asher listed off four more names, one from each group. My Wolf quickened her already breakneck pace and left Hayden in the dust.

In record time, we reached Delilah’s section, and my Wolf’s highly-sensitive eats detected snarling and trees snapping in the distance. We followed the sounds of the struggle, and sure enough, she ran right into an all-out battle between five wolves—two of ours, and three rogues.

She wasted no time. Sonny was quite clearly struggling. My Wolf pounced on the rogue’s back and dug her claws into his shoulders, forcibly tearing him away from the inexperienced warrior.

The rogue landed on his side with a heavy thud! several feet away. I stole a hurried glance at my comrades—several more of our own had come to our side, and we were faring quite well.

The sound of bones cracking snapped my attention back to the rogue. Much to my surprise, he was Shifting. My Wolf watched, befuddled. When his Shift was complete, a broken man was slumped on his knees in the dirt before me.

His skin was splotched with black and blue bruises. They were on his arms and his thighs, and they covered his abdomen. He also appeared to have suffered multiple lacerations across his chest, all in various stages of healing. His auburn hair was matted and dirty.

His shoulders were hunched and he struggled to catch his breath. By the time he finally raised his head, my pack members had completed their task and they had come to gather around. The rogue’s eyes flicked between all six of us before coming to rest on my Wolf, meeting her puzzled gaze.

“This is a suicide mission,” he began, his voice brittle. “This is our only way out. If we put up a fight, it’s because we’re angry.”

My Wolf c****d her head to the side.

“Please,” the rogue continued, “tell Alpha Reid to help those of us who can’t escape. Better to be absorbed and subsequently cast out than to continue to live the way we are. Alpha Nicholas needs help worst of all.”

And then, he did something else that none of us expected. He bowed his head in defeat and said, “Kill me quickly.”

“Don’t touch him,” I instructed my men telepathically. “Sounds like he may have some useful information.”

“What do we do with him, then?” one warrior asked. “Alpha will definitely execute him.”

“Yes,” I agreed, “he will. But not yet. Sonny, you are not ready for battle. You can babysit. Don’t let him out of your sight. Hold him down if he tries to run.”

“What do I do if he Shifts back?” Sonny asked.

My Wolf hadn’t taken her eyes off the rogue. His head was still lowered in surrender.

“He won’t,” I replied confidently, and then I mind-linked the rest of the patrolling warriors to inform them of the unique situation we’d found ourselves in.

And right on cue, two more rogues were discovered. I sent Hayden and the others off to assist if need be, while I lingered with Sonny for a moment.

“I don’t want to be left alone with him,” Sonny admitted.

I felt a prick of irritation but I kept my tone level. “Then you are not ready to patrol. You are dismissed. Go home.”

His Wolf hesitated, but Sonny didn’t say another word. Soon, he obediently left, and took off in the direction of the little clearing where we’d all left our clothes.

Once he was gone, the rogue looked up at my Wolf again. “Are you Luna Natalie?”

My Wolf gave two, humanlike nods of her massive head.

“I am sorry.”

I assumed he was referring to the rumors about me that had spread like wildfire once the news of the infamous Alpha Reid finding his Mate had become common knowledge. It was said that I was treated terribly, that I was beaten and neglected and berated just for being who I was—the daughter of Alpha Angus.

In reality, I was quite happy. I was unbeaten and very well taken care of. I kept myself busy, I worked hard to build up a good rapport with my pack members, and Reid and I were equals, of course.

But how would an ex-member of Waning Moon know that?

My Wolf nodded her head again, simply accepting his sentiment, because even though this man was going to die, we still had to play the part, for the sake of Black Summit’s reputation.

“I want you to know,” the rogue went on, “exactly what I mean. The purple-eyed woman wants your Mate. It’s no use trying to hide. I am sorry.”

My blood heart leapt into my throat. My Wolf growled lowly, protectively, her entire demeanor changing in an instant.

“I’m not threatening him. She is.”

Another low, but considerably more menacing-sounding growl emanated from deep within my Wolf’s chest. She stomped one paw on the ground, and the rogue took the hint. He bowed submissively and fell silent.

Reid’s voice invaded my head via the link, in what I assumed was a message received by all of us who were patrolling. “We’ve arrived. Beck and I will be joining you. Any rogues?”

Asher responded immediately. “Seven rogues, Alpha. Southwest sector. Delilah and sixteen others have been stationed there.”

“I need you to come find me,” I interjected. “Come in human form.”

“Why?” Reid asked.

“I have a rogue. He has information.”

“I’m in pursuit of three more,” Leroy reported.

Several warriors went to help Leroy, while my Wolf sat and waited. The rogue hadn’t moved, but I noticed that, in spite of the freezing temperature and his trembling body, his forehead was beaded with sweat. My Wolf could smell his fear. He likely sensed something was coming.

And something certainly did. My Wolf scented him first, faintly, carried by a light breeze.

To most, Alpha Reid was an enigma. I doubted this rogue had ever seen him in-person—his fear stemmed from the unknown, amplified by the rumors that swirled around our pack.

Sure enough, the rogue seemed to hold his breath as he lifted his head slightly, his eyes darting along the dark tree line.

It didn’t take Reid long to seek us out, of course. His arrival was bizarrely casual, which was quite typical of Reid, but the rogue was visibly confused. He probably expected a terrifying, war-ravaged beast to come bursting out of the forest.

Instead, Reid simply stepped out from the inky, shadowy blackness of the dense woods to our right, and of course my heart soared at the sight of him.

He came to stand by my Wolf’s side, and he lightly patted her back in greeting before turning his attention to the rogue.

“I sincerely hope you didn’t come here seeking shelter. I will not help you,” Reid said coolly.

“I don’t want help,” the rogue replied, his voice shaking. I couldn’t tell if it was from fear or the cold.

“Why the f**k are you here, then?” Reid asked.

“This is our only way out. About thirty of us escaped. We’re here because we want to die.”

“Suicide, huh?”

Reid crossed the small space between us and the rogue and knelt down in front of him. The rogue cowered a bit, but he stayed rooted in place.

“The purple-eyed woman, she—”

Reid interrupted him, his voice lowered. “It doesn’t matter whether you’re dead or alive. If she wants you, I bet she can get you.”

A look of terror flitted across the rogue’s features. “D-do you know who she is? Or why she came to us?”

“I know she doesn’t give a s**t about what we perceive to be reality.”

The rogue was shaking like a leaf.

“What did she do to your Alpha?” Reid asked slowly.

“W-we don’t know,” the rogue stammered. “She just…showed up about two weeks ago, the same day you announced you wanted our territory. Alpha Nicholas hasn’t been the same since.”

“What has she done that’s so awful, it’s driven you to this?”

The rogue stifled a sob. “She forces us to do unthinkable things. She made me kill my own Mate. Sometimes she disappears, but she always comes back.”

“Does she come alone?”

“Yes.” The rogue paused to wipe tears from his cheeks. “I have nothing left to live for, but please, Alpha Reid, at least help Alpha Nicholas.”

Reid didn’t answer him. He stood up, his eyes glazed over, and returned to my Wolf. His eyes refocused as he reached up to stroke her muzzle. We heard paws on the ground some distance away, getting closer and closer, and not five seconds later, Beck’s Wolf catapulted himself out of the trees and on top of the rogue.

His death was mercifully quick. He didn’t even scream.

“You need to Shift,” Reid said to my Wolf, as Beck, having done what he was summoned to do, bounded away to resume his patrol.

“I want to help,” I argued via mind-link. “These rogues are harmless.”

“Don’t be ridiculous. Rogues are unpredictable. Just because one was desperate enough to give us a sob story doesn’t mean they all are.”

“A sob story?” I asked, taken aback. “She made him kill his Mate. He wants us to help his pack.”

“They’re beyond help, Nat. Go home, and I’ll tell you about the meeting once I’m done out here.”

“No,” I refused. “I’m more useful out here with you than I am at home.”

With that, my Wolf gave him a slobbery lick up the side of his face, and then she turned and dashed away.

“Natalie!” he yelled after us, but my Wolf ran deeper into the woods anyway.

His efforts to send us home stopped there. I fully expected him to try much harder, but maybe he was drained from the meeting and just didn’t have it in him. Whatever the reason, I didn’t question it. My Wolf gave it her all.

Fourteen more rogues were disposed of before the end of our patrol. Usually, there would be about five to ten minutes between patrol groups during which our borders were technically unprotected. Black Summit was feared enough that we were typically left unbothered. A five to ten minute lapse couldn’t have mattered any less under normal circumstances, but this time, none of us left our posts until the next group of warriors arrived to relieve us. Briefing for the next group took place telepathically.

We all returned to the meeting place to Shift back to human form and retrieve our clothing. There was a brief discussion via mind-link about the events that took place that night, but everyone was tired. Honestly, there wasn’t much to discuss, as rogues were rogues.

I pulled my jacket tightly around myself and my eyes darted around the small clearing in which we stood, searching the crowd for Reid. I found him near the front of the mass of warriors, standing with Beck and Asher.

Back in human form, with my senses and my thoughts predominant over my Wolf’s in my consciousness, I had a much better view of him. His curls were delightfully disheveled and the stubble on his face was longer than he usually kept it—just as handsome. He wore a short-sleeved T-shirt, even though it couldn’t possibly have been any warmer than 20 degrees. Cold temperatures didn’t bother him.

Asher stepped up to address the warriors, and everyone immediately fell silent. “Thank you all for your service. We will meet here again at midnight. Be prepared.”

Nobody spoke, and so Asher dismissed us. Everybody looked visibly tired—we’d had a busy night. The crowd began to head back into town, where they’d disperse, and go off on their own towards their respective houses to rest. I moved with them, attempting to stay hidden and sneak past Reid. As badly as I wanted to be near him, I knew he wasn’t happy that I hadn’t gone home.

Of course, he wove through the sea of people and found me with such ease that I jumped when he stepped up to me, effectively stopping me in my tracks.

“What are you doing?” he asked flatly.

“Going home.” I c****d my head to the side and feigned confusion. “Isn’t that what you wanted me to do?”

He gave me a pointed look. “Yeah, like, four hours ago, smartass.”

I stretched up on my tiptoes and gave him a peck on the lips. “Welcome home, Alpha.”