Under The Alpha's Protection

Chapter 5: The First Glimpse

Laia Steele, though being proclaimed by her Pack as one of the best fighters alongside her brother, had gone through many mistakes to be the werewolf that she was today.

The one thing most of her Pack members would never have expected from Laia was her bringing an injured human into the Northern Territory.

Laia hadn't expected it to end up like this either.

She had been truly pissed at her brother at the beginning of the day. It was about the Eastern Pack again, how awfully dangerous it was becoming for the Eastern werewolves to just head into the forest within their Territory without an escort from the Western Pack who were trained to pick up the signs of someone trespassing long before any obvious danger had been presented. Laia had wanted to go to the Eastern Territory, telling Lucian that she had a soon-to-be mate she wanted to check up on, but all Lucian told her was to either text or call Dawson Waverly, because Lucian was not about to let Laia go to the Eastern Pack until they made sure to put up the necessary precautions.

Laia had been a bit childish about it, although she'd never admit that to her brother. They were both worried and too stubborn to just say so, and it resulted in their nerves being released in an argument.

Seeing Blue Emmetson had become a comforting occurrence that Laia had honestly never expected to happen. The human had proved herself to be one of the most down-to-earth, caring, intelligent people that Laia had the pleasure of knowing—and that's including all the werewolves in both the Northern and Western Packs. They were real friends, their friendship becoming one of Laia's most treasured bonds.

So when Laia had been about to head to the diner and had come across that alleyway, her nose had immediately picked up something similar to Blue's scent—like lavender mixed with a few whiffs of alcohol that was always smelled inside the Community Clinic for Werewolves Blue worked at.

Laia had not expected two big guys beating up Blue, one holding her still and having his dirty hand clamped over her mouth while the other landed hit after hit on her torso.

They had sensed Laia coming before she even began running towards them.

But then, as if the Mood Goddess had been on her side, police sirens sounded down the street.

It wasn't until she was a few feet away that her eyes and nose had confirmed who, exactly, was hurting Blue Emmetson in this dark alleyway.

Laia held eye-contact with the man who had been sending his fist against Blue's stomach.

"Niall Ryder," Laia exhaled, a mixture of shock and anger and curiosity.

The alpha, in turn, sneered at her. He didn't say anything, instead looking at Blue who had nearly passed out in the other werewolf's arms. "Leave her. Let's go."

The two alphas had fled to the other end of the alleyway, the police siren that was drawing even closer scaring them off.

Laia wanted to chase after them, but she didn't.

Because Blue had now collapsed onto the dirty alleyway floor, her messenger bag was crushed underneath her weight. Laia smelled blood—and she was scooping her friend into her hold before she could think.

"Blue?" There had been panicked alarm in Laia's voice as she gathered Blue's limbs into her two arms, watching with bated breath as Blue's face pinched in a pained groan before her eyes focused on Laia.

"L-Laia?" Blue swallowed heavily, eyelids threatening to shut as her arm came up to cradle her undoubtedly bruised stomach. Laia wouldn't be surprised if Blue had a fractured rib too, after dealing with blows from an alpha.

Even in the darkness of the alleyway, with the only lights too distant to be useful to either of them, Laia's enhanced eyesight managed to spot where the bleeding was coming from. There were little tears on Blue's top from where the blood was steadily pouring out in tiny quantities from the small but deep punctures made on either side of her small waist. "Blue, you need to go to a hospital, or to the clinic–"

Blue suddenly seemed to gain a bit more focus when Laia mentioned the clinic. "No. No, I can't lead those werewolves to the clinic."

"A hospital then?" Laia tried not to sound as frantic as she felt, holding her battered friend like this. "Blue, you're bleeding out."

Blue had swallowed again. There were indents and markings on her face, from where that other werewolf with Niall had held his hand over the lower region of Blue's face. When Blue spoke again, her voice sounded the smallest that Laia'd ever heard. "Laia, please."

Laia wasn't exactly sure what Blue was asking from her. But all Laia knew was that she let her alpha instincts kick in, and her gut had told her to bring Blue to the Northern Pack—where those Southern werewolves could not touch her.

Blue was either too trusting of Laia, or she did not have the strength to ask where they were going, as Laia ran with Blue in her arms, helping situate Blue onto her motorcycle and not bothering with a helmet.

"I'm fine," Blue had said when Laia stared at her, sat on the motorcycle seat, for a beat too long. She looked anything but fine.

The sirens had passed them, Laia managing to get them both out of the alleyway just in time before the police car had stopped at its opening.

"Don't let go," Laia had told Blue after she straddled the seat as well. Her friend was bleeding out, but it wasn't at a rate that was too alarming yet. Blue wouldn't pass out from such injuries.

Laia would just have to reach the Northern Territory fast.

Blue had taken Laia's words seriously, her arms wound tightly around Laia's waist as Laia sped through the streets of Bracket Town, cutting through the evening traffic. She was dead set on getting to the Northern Territory in record time.

As soon as Laia spotted the wired fencing indicating the start of their Territory, and Blue's hold remained tight around her, Laia could actually cry in relief.

She didn't let up though, zooming by through the dirt roads inside her home fast enough that no werewolf would have the chance to smell the bleeding human at her back.

"f**k. We made it," Laia had breathed out as soon as she parked her motorcycle near the medical den.

What Laia hadn't expected was for Blue to pass out as soon as Laia had managed to help get her on her feet. She saw the light drain from Blue's eyes before she caught Blue's limp body in her arms again.

"f**k. Fuck." It would be different, Laia knew, if Blue had been a werewolf. Now that she had seen more of the injury just a moment ago, it looked to be made from claws being buried into Blue's waist. This would not have affected a werewolf like Laia as much, but because Blue was human, her body was losing blood faster than it can make clots to help stop the bleeding.

Trying not to panic at the stain of red on Blue's shirt which had gotten bigger, Laia had already turned towards the medical den, but was promptly halted when she spotted Lucian coming straight at her.

Fuck.

The Head Alpha took one look at Blue in Laia's arms, and it was as if he knew instantly that she was the human he and Laia had been arguing about Laia seeing frequently just a few days ago. It was probably confirmed as soon as Blue's scent reached Lucian's nose.

"Laia, what have you done?" Lucian's voice was dark and borderline angry, his shoulders rising with tension the more he got a whiff of Blue's scent—he could smell her injuries too, and could most definitely smell the Southern Pack's werewolves and their scents clinging to Blue after she had been trapped in that alpha's hold like a rag doll.

"She's hurt more badly than I thought, I'm bringing her to Arlo."

Laia had taken a step to her right, planning to end her explanation at that, but Lucian blocked her way. "Laia," He demanded, hands clenching into fists at his side. "Why have you brought an injured human who reeks of the Southern Pack to our Territory?!"

It was expected that her brother would react this way. She just hadn't thought that Lucian would be so affected that his naturally blue eyes would suddenly flash gold at her—a bit of his alpha side peeking out from the sudden surge of emotions.

Laia swallowed, looking down at Blue's pale face. "Those werewolves from the Southern Pack were going to kill her."

"That is not your problem–"

"Two werewolves were attacking Blue in an alleyway," Laia dared to cut off the Head Alpha, her big brother, and she could almost see his metaphorical hackles raised. But she needed to tell him, "One of the werewolves attacking her was Head Alpha Niall Ryder."

Lucian visibly froze, the anger in his face fading, replaced by shock, then uncertainty. "Head Alpha Niall wouldn't go all the way to Neutral Territory for a mere human."

Laia knew that—everyone part of a Pack knew that Head Alpha Niall always sent his lackeys to do his dirty work for him. "Which is why I need to get Blue to the medical den so Arlo could patch her up and I could ask why in Goddess' name the Southern Pack's Head Alpha had targeted her."

Lucian blinked. "Blue?"

Laia jutted her chin towards the body she was still carrying. Blue was not only short, she also weighed nearly nothing for Laia who always worked out her muscles. "That's her name. Blue Emmetson."

As if suddenly taking a reprieve from his righteous fury as Head Alpha, Lucian's (now blue) eyes looked over at Laia. "Did you have to fight Head Alpha Niall?"

"No, he and the other alpha with him fled as soon as they heard sirens. It's probably the only reason they didn't try fighting me either."

"Two alphas?" Lucian let out a harsh breath through his flared nose. "If they intended to hurt her, sending two of their alphas was excessive. On the other hand, if they were planning to kill her..." He trailed off.

The reminder of it made Laia feel furious as well. "f*****g Southern bastards. Ganging up on Blue as if she could do anything to stop two alphas from hurting her." Blue had never struck Laia as a fighter, even when they first met.

Blue Emmetson would never hurt another person if she could help it. She had expressed to Laia once before, how working in a clinic or any medical setting quickly became her life's purpose as soon as she started working with Doctor Oswin. She was a healer, through and through.

Lucian's eyes landed on Blue's form, the pinch in his forehead more prominent.

A beat. Then, "You can take her to Arlo."

Laia exhaled in relief. "Thank you."

Lucian shook his head. "Don't thank me, Laia. We will talk about this little stunt you pulled later. Right now, I have to meet with the Council." The Head Alpha nearly glared at the unconscious body in Laia's arms. "Keep your human in the medical den."