The Lone Wolf

Chapter 18

Blake

"No, she wouldn't."

Caleb walked into the office with his hands behind his back looking sincere. I looked at him angrily.

"Mind link bro, you forgot to close it. Now the whole pack knows you are pissed and our Luna is missing" Caleb placed his hands on the back of one of the chairs opposite my desk. I furrow my eyebrows, f**k. I sit down and grab at my hair.

"Send some trackers out, I want her found," I command.

"She left the territory, correct?" Caleb asked standing up straight.

I lift my head up and bring my hands to my chin, I nod. Caleb taking his phone out of his back pocket and dials a number.

" Katerina Pheonix is missing... Yes, your Luna. Ten men, out of the territory, find her, or anything that will lead us to her." He hangs up the phone.

I stand up balling my fists.

"I'm going to the Palace."

"What you can't!" Caleb steps in front of me holding his hands up.

I look at his hands then at his face.

"Watch me," I growl before sidestepping his and walk out the office door.

I'd get there faster if I shifted and ran, driving would just take up more time, I had to get there fast. I run down the stairs and out the front door, I make a beeline for the forest ahead of me and strip down. Shift. I shift and my human body is replaced with my wolves. I pick up my shirt and pants in my mouth and begin to run north. All I know is the Palace is north, when I get there I can shift back and find my way around.

***

Katerina

"Arghhh!" I wake up screaming.

Nightmares of being beaten with a whip invade my memory.

"Hush now, little wolf." The voice came from beside me. I swing my head around and there is Demon, he's sat on a leather chair next to me. He leans forward and places a hand on the edge of the bed. Bed? I don't remember getting here.

I look around confused.

"You are in the pack hospital, your wounds were rather deep." He smiles softly.

"I.." I begin to speak. Only he hushes me again.

"Lie down and go back to sleep." He speaks softly in a commanding voice. I nod and yawn a little before lying back down and going to sleep.

***

I woke sometime later and Demon is gone, I furrow my brows. Demon, I think of him, his golden blonde and blood red eyes. I shake the thoughts away and just like that he walks through the door. I turn over onto my side and watch him. He's talking with a Doctor? It must have been a Doctor as he had a long white lab coat on and a stethoscope around his neck. He seemed maybe in his late forties, I dunno, I was more interested in looking at Demon's back. I shook my head and scrunched my nose. Demon motioned the Doctor away and turned to me.

"Hello, little wolf, sleep well?" He asks as he walks over to the chair next to the bed I'm laid in.

"I..." It comes out croaky and I bring a hand to my throat.

Demon makes an 'ahh' sound and moves to the table on the other side of my bed, there sat a large jug and a plastic cup, he fills it with water and hands it to me. I take it from him with a small smile and he proceeds to sit in the chair. I sip at the water, slowly wetting my throat and mouth. I put the cup on the table and try again,

"I slept okay..." I look at him.

"My back hurts... And my stomach and... my collarbone..." I touch my collarbone and pain sheer down my chest. I wince.

"Leave it be, it will heal on its own." Demon commands and I nod.

"What happened to me?" I asked him, trying to remember. I racked my brain and all I could remember was a man in white clothes running towards me as my eyes went black.

"You were kidnapped. Luckily you mate found you just in time." He looked at me, I furrowed my brows.

"You found me?" I asked him.

He nodded and smiled.

That wasn't right. It didn't sound right, I was leaving for the Palace and then, then... What the hell happened after that? I couldn't remember.

I look at Demon and his red eyes are twinkling.

"Thank you, my love," I tell him, giving him a sweet smile.

He smiles and shows off his canines.

The Doctor walks in but doesn't look up from the clipboard in his hands.

"Ms. Pheonix?" He mumbles.

"Y-yes," I answer. He clears his throat, pushes his glasses up the bridge of his noses and brings the clipboard down and behind his back.

" You'll be able to leave in half an hour. Your wounds are healing a lot faster than most wolves which, I suppose you can't complain, means your out of here a lot quicker. I'll bring along some pain meds just in case though." He explains with a half smile.

He turns to Demon.

"Alpha, will you be taking her home or is someone else coming for her?" He asks.

Demon shakes his head and growls.

"I'm staying so I will be taking her back home, no one touches my mate." He snarls.

I shudder, scared, lustfully, my mind couldn't figure out which feeling my body had, he seemed so protective of me though and it made me feel somewhat safe.

The Doctor nods and bows slightly before leaving. Demon turns to me, his eyes are a dim red, their turning black.

"Demon..." I try to purr.

He blinks and inhales deeply before exhaling slowly.

"Yes, little wolf?" He speaks through gritted teeth.

I try and think of something to say to calm him down. Was he pissed off at the thought of someone else coming in here and taking care of me or was it something else?

"I can't wait to go home with you." I finish.

He growls and not a happy one, I look at him confused.

"Why? So you can fawn over the other pack men?" He jumps up from the chair and leans over me.

I flinch away and shake my head furiously.

"No, I meant I couldn't wait to get out of here and spend as much time with you. I've been in here since yesterday correct. That means I've been away from my mate, you for a while. Haven't I? I was kidnapped, then I was brought here, so I have been away from you for what feels like forever." My words came out quick and breathy.

Demon huffs and sits back in the chair. His eyes slowly turn back to their usual red.

"You're right, little wolf. You've been gone for almost two weeks. That does seem like forever, even when we aren't mated." He smiles showing his canines again.

"Exactly. Demon?" I lean over to him.

"Hmmm." He responds looking out the window.

"I've missed you." I purr.

He looks at me and growls softly. My spine tingles and I bite my bottom lip.

"You have?" He sits on the bed in front of me.

I nod and smile shyly. He brings a hand up to my face, cupping the right cheek. I lean into it, but I don't feel anything, shouldn't I be feeling like sparks or something? I push the thought away, maybe it doesn't happen to everyone. He strokes my cheek with his thumb, I sigh contently.

Someone clears their throat, we look to the direction of the door, it's the Doctor.

"You pain meds. You can leave now." The Doctor leaves the meds on the table and walks out of the room.

Demon looks at me and I smile widely.

"Ready to go home?" He asks and I nod happily.

I swing my legs off the edge of the bed and begin to stand. Okay, that's good I can stand. Demon stands beside me, I take a step forward then scream in pain, I plant my ass back on the bed and clench my teeth.

"Hurt to walk?" Demon asks, I just nod.

I feel him move away from me and come back, I look over and he has a wheelchair. He comes to my side and holds out his hand, I take it in mine.

"Put your weight on me." He commands and as I stand up I push my weight into Demon's hand until I get into the wheelchair.

He smiles softly and gives me my meds. He pushes me out of the hospital room and along the hallway. There are many rooms and a nurses stations, the nurses wave as we pass by and I smile back. The door to the hospital opens on its own and Demon wheels me out.

"Good job we have that elevator, save you walking up the stairs ey?" Demon casually talks behind me.

"We have an elevator?" I ask.

He chuckles.

"Aye, easier for the Elders to get too and from floors."

"I suppose your right, how thoughtful of you Demon, and I'll be able to use it until I can walk again."

He nods and by this point, we are already across the small garden from the hospital and outside of the pack house. The packhouse was huge, made with large sandy colored bricks with white ones at every corner. It had large bay windows on either side of the large mahogany doors. One of the doors had a large iron knocker on it in the shape of a wolf, the part you used to knock on the door went through the wolf's jaw.

Demon wheels me into the house and towards the elevator. The foyer was decorated with a red carpet and white walls with golden decoratives all around. Pictures of wolves were hung on each wall. I sigh, it was a lovely house, I could tell.

We get into the elevator and Demon presses a button marked 'P'.

"P?" I asked Demon.

"Like Penthouse, I have my own floor with everything I need in it." He explains.

"Only me and you can get in and of course our maid." He tells me further, watching the light above the elevator door light up as we went past each floor.

"Our maid?" I looked, my mouth was agape.

He chuckles.

"Yes, little wolf, our maid. You'll meet her soon enough."

*Ding*

The elevator makes a noise as it comes to a halt and the door opens. Revealing a large living area, the carpets were black and the walls white and there were large windows that allowed light to flood into the room. Demon pushed me into the center of the living room, I think he could tell by my face I wanted to look around. He left me there for a few minutes. A large fabric black corner couch sat in the middle of the room and there was a TV mounted to the wall above a fake fireplace. A cabinet next to it, it had a PS4. an XBOX One, the works, all sorts of gadgets, near one of the windows on the west side was a love chair, it had a grey fluffy blanket on it and there was a small coffee table in front of it and a bookshelf behind, it was littered with books from every century and genre.

Demon finally came back with a cane? I looked at him funny. He chuckled.

"Here try." He motioned for me to try and walk, that was what the cane was for, dummy.

I take the cane from him, at the hilt of it was a gold wolfs head, its eyes had rubies encrusted into them. I put my hand on the wolfs head a breathed out. I pushed all my weight into the cane as I stood up. I looked at Demon, he smiled at my achievement. Another breath and I stepped forward, no pain, I stepped again, a little pain but bearable. I sigh in relief, I look at Demon and smile triumphantly.

"Well done babe." He applauds me.

"I wanna see the rest." I blurt looking in the direction Demon disappeared.

He smiles and nods, I begin to walk past the chimney breast where the TV is mounted. My left foot tingled from the pain lingering in my back, it traveled all the way down my leg and into my foot.

"What would you like to see first?" Demon asks from beside me.

"Anywhere."

***

Blake

I was as north as the north was in Canada. I shifted in a bush and put my clothes on quickly, I could smell food and hear people chatting. There must be a town or something nearby. I walk out of the bush and keep pressing north. A wooden building came into view. It had 'INN' written on the side.

Good sign. I could ask the innkeeper for information.

I open the door to the inn and I am instantly hit with the smell of sweat and alcohol. Okay, I look for the bar, spotting it I trudge over. Damn, I ran for a long time there, my legs are a little tired. I sit at a barstool.

"What can I help you with pup?" A man asks he wasn't facing my direction, he was facing the drinks wall behind the bar.

He turns with a whiskey tumbler in hand and a towel. he placed the tumbler on the bar and poured some whiskey, he nods his head indicating it was for me. I take a quick swig and set the glass down.

"This is a werewolf town?" I ask tapping the bar with my thumb.

He taps the bar twice, 'yes.' I smile, I thought I was the only wolf that did that now.

"Am I anywhere near the Royal Palace?" I ask.

The mans face immediately drops and he clenches his teeth.

"Who would like to know?" He asked sternly.

"Alpha Blake of the Eclipse Moon Pack, my mate is called Katerina Pheonix and she is missing she was making her way to the Royal Palace and has now been missing for two weeks," I state, my tone none empathetic.

"Pheonix?" The man asks, I nod.

He takes the time to think and pours me another glass.

"You'll have to wait until closing, think you can do that?" The man raises an eyebrow at me.

"As long as there's food, I'm starved," I reply.

"I'll have Bethan bring you something. Stay put." The man commands and walks away.

He leaves the bar and disappears off through a door, with my inhumane hearing I can hear someone making their way up the stairs. I waited for a little under half an hour and sure enough, a young small women came over greeted me with a smile and a huge plate of fish and chips.

"Sorry, we only have pub food." She bows her head and leaves.

I sat and ate the food the small female had placed in front of me, I hadn't eaten since this morning at it was now 7 in the evening. I watched many people leave, some enter and have a drink or two before leaving. The conversations were all the same.

'I've marked her and it's making my wolf more anxious than ever.' A few males said that, clearing frustrated with not being able to mate.

A small cuckoo clock chimed 10 pm and a bartender shouted out 'last call'. Indicating that the customers of the inn had half an hour to finish their drinks and skedaddle. Many didn't bother to finish their drinks and left. The bartender made his way to me and perched an eyebrow.

"You not hear me mate, time to leave." He said placing a glass under the counter.

"I'm waiting for your boss." I didn't bother looking up from the bar and I felt the guy leave the bar room.

"I know what he is boy, don't speak to me in that tone." The man from before spoke angrily as he neared me with the bartender at his feet.

"Sorry about my son, he's a little protective of his old man." The man smiled a toothy smile my way and I nodded a response.

"No matter, this is your establishment."

***

Katerina

After a few hours of Demon showing me around and us fighting over if I could change something or not, we finally sat down at the dining table and waited for Gina our maid to bring our food. My back had almost healed fully the pain of walking had gone away. I could still feel the cuts on my back and stomach though. I sighed as I placed the cane beside me.

Demon insisted I still used it until I fully healed. I didn't argue with him, the more I did the more his eyes grew darker and almost black, they were intimidating enough with their odd color of red. I had never met someone who didn't have blue, green or brown eyes. I sighed and looked out of the window into the night sky and at the trees below us.

"Something wrong?" Demon asked following my gaze.

"I feel like I haven't shifted in forever." I didn't bother looking his way I just watched the moon as clouds passed by it.

A small growl came from Demons chest loud enough for me to pull away from my thoughts, his eyes had become black now and I flinched. Calm him down Katerina.

"Don't worry love, I'm not thinking of doing that just yet, I just love the outdoor and miss it is all." I softly smiled and held his hand in mine.

His nose twitched, that didn't work.

"I won't go anywhere without you, I promise." I mustered up a lustful tone and that seemed to work, his eyes returned red and he looked at me, almost scanning me for a lie.

I was telling the truth I knew I shouldn't go anywhere without him and I didn't feel comfortable with going anywhere as my injuries were taking a little time to heal fully but were healing fast.

"Once you are healed we can go for a run, just the two of us." He spoke softly as Gina placed plates of food in front of us. Demon gave her a nod and she bowed before leaving.

"I don't recall if I have met your wolf." I scrunched my nose and looked at Demon his eyes flickered with thought and he shook his head.

"You haven't love, but you will soon." He smiled at me and began to eat, I picked up my fork and began eating my food as well.

***

Demon

I hope this is working and she's not taking me for a fool. I search her eyes every so often and it seems she is believing the facade she is in. Nothing is telling me she is lying or pretending. I watch her happily eat her food while taking a look out the window every now and again. Maybe she was telling the truth and just missed being outside. I sighed as I finished my plate and waited for her to finish eating.

She looked over at me a smiled softly before eating the last bite of her food.

"Full love?" I asked her. She smiled and nodded.

A yawn ruptured from her chest and she couldn't help but stretch a little.

"Tired?" I asked and she shyly nodded.

I got up from my chair and walked to her side.

"Come I will take you to bed."

She sighed happily and began to stand up without the cane, I grumbled and grabbed it and placed it under her hand. She looked at me and rolled her eyes slightly but didn't argue. I held her free hand and guided her to the bedroom, our bedroom. I mentally chuckled, a royal as my mate.

We stepped into the room and it was a large room with an adjoining bathroom. Katerina furrowed her brows.

"Do I have any clothes here Demon?" She asked it seemed she was having a hard time to remember anything. Luckily while we were down in the dungeons I had my Beta's mate go out and buy her many clothes and toiletries, the works.

"Everything you need is here love." I walked over to the walk-in closet and opened the door for her.

She made an 'ahhh' sound and made her way to me. She was in front of me and did something I wasn't expecting from her. A kiss, just a peck on my cheek, she smiled with hooded eyes and walked into the closet.

"Need any help?" I asked placing a hand to the cheek she had kissed.

"As much as I like to say no, I think I do." She mumbled in defeat.

I only chuckled and made my way into the closet to assist her. She picked up some shorts and a spaghetti strap vest. She mumbled something to herself, a curse word, she was cursing herself for being unable to dress and undress. She propped the cane up against a set of draws and slowly turned to face me. Her face began to change bright red, replacing her fair skin tone.

"I need help with my top." She whispered blushing hard.

"I'll look away, promise," I whispered.

She nodded and placed her clean clothes on a shelf, she slowly lifted her arms up, grunting in pain as the wounds on her back and stomach stretched to accommodate the movement. I grabbed the edge of her top and looked away before slowly pulling up and off her head.

"Thank you.." She whispered as she turned and began putting her vest on.

I looked back and indeed the wounds were healing but they still looked raw and painful, I gulped, maybe I went a little too hard on her? Nope, I did what was needed to be done.

"Are you okay on your own now?" I asked her.

She only nodded as she pulled the vest down to cover herself. I nodded and kissed her shoulder blade before leaving.

***

Katerina

I gasped softly at the small kiss Demon planted on my shoulder blade before exiting the closet. It was a light kiss but it had meaning behind it, I didn't know what but it did.

I sighed as I pulled my trousers down and replaced them with the small shorts I had found in the closet, everything seemed to fit perfectly even though I had only tried the basic stuff. I grabbed the cane and walked out of the closet and into the bedroom. Demon was laid in bed already over the covers with just a pair of boxes on. I gulped looking over his body.

His skin was a little darker than mine but not by much, he had muscular legs and his chest was large and didn't small when he exhaled, his stomach had a six pack that rippled every time he breathed, he almost took my breath away and when he looked over at me he did.

"I.. I'm ready for bed..." I managed to get out as I walked over to the kingsized bed. I propped the cane up against the cherrywood bedside table that matched the bed and slowly sat myself down. I felt the bed move under me and when I looked around Demon was under the covers and placing his ring onto the bedside table on his side. He sighed contently and waited for me, with a look in his eyes I hadn't seen from him before.

I moved the covers over and slowly laid down, I winced a little when the mattress touched my back.

"Your back still hurt love?" He asked me turning on his side to look at me more.

I nodded and turned over to face him.

"I'll have to try and sleep on my side, just until my wounds have healed," I concluded out loud.

"You do that." Demon mumbled.

He propped himself up on his elbow and pulled the sheet over me, just up to my waist so they wouldn't touch my back and cause me further pain. I smiled softly and sighed.

"Good night my love." Demon whispered in my ear and placed a kiss on my neck. I shivered at the touch and this time the shiver was a nice one.

***