A howl sounded in the distance, shutting them up immediately. Giving one final look at us, they backed off the border and disappeared into the forest.
Slowly sliding Zea off my back, I went to take a deep breath to calm my raging heart. I didn’t even have the chance as I heard the thunder of running paws came closer to us.
I pushed Zea behind me in a protective position as four wolves emerged in front of us.
One shifted in front of us, wearing nothing but a pair of shorts. His brown hair was matted to his forehead from sweat as he watched us with his blue eyes. He was handsome with a sharp chin and chiseled features, but all looking at him did was make me miss Madden. His tone muscles rippled as I was hit by a wave of his power. He was the beta.
“Shift,” he ordered.
I did as he said, shifting back into my human form. I wore the same outfit I had on when the attack first happened although now it was covered in tears and blood from the attacks by rogues trying to get to Zea and me as we ran here.
“Luna Layla?!” shock covered his face as he took in my appearance, bowing slightly for respect, “What are you doing here?”
I cleared my throat as I pulled Zea closer to me, “I need to speak to the alpha.”
“What happened?” he asked, clearly trying to stop me from making a mistake by asking for this request.
“I must speak with Alpha Axton immediately, Beta,” I said in the tone of Luna, authority demanding respect.
“I don’t-”
I cut him off immediately from trying to stop me.
“Blue Moon has been attacked. I need to speak to the Alpha now,” shock covered his face as he took in the thought of one of the strongest packs being attacked by the group of rogues. I lowered my voice to a softer tone, “Please. Before my pack and my mate are dead.”
Chapter 3
Axton POV
“Axton!” she screamed for me. I could see her reaching for me as the rain poured down on us, blocking me from reaching her fast enough.
“No!” I yelled as I pushed against the hidden force pulling me away from her.
I watched as the slimy hand wrapped around her throat, an evil laugh filled the empty forest as her fear etched into my memory. She opened her soft lips as if to tell me she loved me one last time, but I never heard the sweet music escape in the words I needed to hear as his claws dug into her neck.
In one swift movement, the beast yanked his claws across her throat, taking her from me forever.
The force pulling me back gave way as I raced to catch her before she hit the forest floor. I turned her over to face me as her blood soaked into the soil. Her skin felt as soft as the day I first found her. Her once blonde hair was stained from the black liquid seeping from her wound. Her once beautifully full green eyes were devoid of life.
My mate was gone, forever taken from me.
I held her in my arms, weeping for her to return to me. Finally I laid her down; anger to the one who took her filled my body as my wolf howled for his fallen mate.
That’s when I felt it. Sparks erupted on my arm, but not ones of love. As if my life was being drained from my soul, darkness spread to my heart as I watched my dead mate lift her head from the ground.
She stared at me, devoid of all emotion and love, “Why?”
“What?” I asked the now living corpse.
“Why did you let me die?” her voice monotone from all emotion.
“No.”
“Why am I dead, Axton?” her nails grew into my skin, spilling my blood onto the ground. The only thing I could focus on was her face as it morphed into anger over my failure, “Why did I die, Axton? Why did you kill me?”
“I didn’t-. I tried-”
“It’s all your fault.”
“No!” I yelled.
“It’s all your fault I’m dead.”
“No!” I screamed, jerking out of my nightmare.
I felt my pounding heart as I looked around my office. I slowly peeled my eyes to the clock sitting in front of me. It was almost 3 in the morning. I must have fallen asleep at my desk when I was working on the treaty with two opposing Alphas who were fighting over land.
Knocks pounded against the oak door to my office. I rubbed my hands over my face in frustration. I have been having nightmares over the loss of my mate for years now. I tried to erase the memory as my hoarse voice spoke to the person waiting for me to allow them in, “Enter.”
The doorknob slowly turned as my beta pushed into the room. He lowered his head slightly in respect, “Alpha.”
“What is it, Walker?” I asked him.
Walker had been my best friend since we were children. He has known me for years and he was there when I lost my mate. He had supported me in my search for her, but we never found her. Eventually, he dragged me back to the pack, but I never stopped looking, even if everyone thought she was dead. I will always refuse to believe it until I see her for myself.
“Are you alright, Axton?” he asked.
“I’m fine,” I responded automatically. After so many asking the same question, I had become accustom to the same lie I told to them and myself.
He slowly nodded his head in understanding before giving me a look of sadness, “I heard you call out her name again,” he said.
“I’m fine, Walker,” I told him again.
“I know,” he said, “But it’s ok not to be.” He paused for a second, in an attempt for his words to sink in. I knew he was just trying to look out for me, but nothing he said could get me to crack and spill everything.
When I lost my mate, I lost all hope in life itself. I became feared by all who crossed me. I burned packs into nothing and killed all those who stood against me or my pack. I became cruel, a loveless beast.
“What did you dream this time?” he asked me softly.
I took a deep breath before answering him honestly, “She died in my arms. Then she came back and asked why I killed her.”
“You didn’t kill her,” he said definitively. I looked up to him. He was the only one who refused to believe she was dead. He was the only one who urged me to keep hoping for her return. He was the only one who still saw the man I was, instead of the cruel Alpha I had become, “She isn’t dead.”
“I-” I went to answer him when I was cut off by a message sent in the pack mind link.
Alpha, one of the patrols said.
What is it? I questioned him, standing in case I needed to move quickly.
Rogues are getting close to the border.
I let out a snarl as my wolf became angry at the thought of another rogue coming onto out lands.
Have they crossed yet? I asked, as Walker listened in on the conversation.
No. They appear to be chasing another wolf. She seems set on crossing the border.
I looked at Walker and quickly ordered, “Go. Kill any rogue that crosses into our territory.”
“Yes Alpha,” he quickly said before heading out the door.
Kill those who cross the border, I told the patrols.
I sat back into the chair behind my desk, waiting for my men to tell me they were dead, that no rogue survived. When my mate was taken, the smell of rogues was present. Ever since, I have killed every rogue that crossed my path. If I kill enough of them, I will eventually find her.
A few minutes passed before I heard Walker trying to reach me, Alpha.
How many? I asked.
There were about four rogues but they ran before they crossed the border.
Chase them down, I told him, confused on why he didn’t automatically chase the scum and wipe them from this Earth.
Alpha, someone did cross over. She says she needs to speak with you.
I take no prisoners, Beta, I growled to him as my wolf started to surface at the thought.
Alpha, it’s Alpha Madden’s mate, Luna Layla, he told me, The Blue Moon Pack has been attacked.
Bring her here immediately, I order him.
Yes Alpha, he immediately replies.
After about ten minutes thinking over what could have happened, I heard voices in the forest. I could hear the soft words as my beta guided the poor Luna to the house.
As swiftly as I could, I left my office and pounded down the steps of the pack house until I reached the solid oak front door. Without a thought, I opened the door to greet Luna Layla.
The second the door was open, I didn’t see the Luna in front of me. All I saw was two deep blue eyes reflecting sadness and need for comfort. I stared at the soft face as silent tears flowed down her face.
She looked so small and helpless as she clutched closer in the arms of the Luna.
I could hear my wolf in the pack of my mind calling out to me, Pup! Protect pup!
Chapter 4
Axton POV
Protect pup! My wolf, Knox, kept yelling at me.
What? I asked him, confusion crossing my face, What are you talking about?
We must protect this pup, under any circumstances, he answers me.
Why? I ask him, clearly not understanding the need to protect one small child.
It’s important. You must trust me, he tells me, clearly hiding his reasons.
Alright, I tell him to calm his agitated behavior over my hesitance to automatically agree with him.
“Alpha Axton,” a voice pulls me out of my daze. I move my eyes to Luna Layla.
“Layla,” I greet her. Her face and clothes are covered in dried blood. Mud plagued her skin as she clutched the child closer to her when she saw my immediate fascination with her, “Come in.”
I hold the door for her as she hesitantly enters the house. Walker leads her deeper into the house and back to my office. I follow behind her, staring into the blue eyes of the little pup she held as the pup stared at me with the same fascination.
“Right in here,” Walker says to her as he opens the door and waits for both of us to enter.
“Please sit,” I tell her. She immediately takes a seat, placing the child on her lap.
I came around the desk and sat in my chair as Walker took the seat next to her. Before either of us could say a word, the door opened again and my Gamma, Reid, entered.
He didn’t take more than five steps in before he plastered a grimace on his face the second he saw me. Most thought he should be my Beta. He was stronger and bigger than Walker, but his gentleness towards those in need made him a perfect Gamma. His job was to protect the Luna, but there was no longer a Luna to protect.
His dark hair covered his eyes, but I knew what they held. Anger.
Ever since I lost my mate, he has been different. They had been as close as siblings. He had been one of the first to step up in the hunt to find her. But after six months of searching, he came back changed. He was no longer the same man that left to find her. He refused to be in the same room as me for more than five minutes without making an excuse to leave. He seemed as angry with me over the loss of our Luna as I was. As I became darker and crueler, he became even angrier with me.
He closed the door silently and stood in the back of the room, holding his contempt with me in silence.
I drew my eyes away from him and back to the matter at hand, “Can you tell us what happened?” I asked Layla, trying not to feel the sting of seeing her again.
She cleared her throat before answering, “We were attacked by rogues. Madden and I were at the pack house when the first warning signal sounded.”
Her head dipped as she tried to hold back the tears that wanted to flow, “What happened next?”
“They came from everywhere. They were attacking everyone, not just the warriors. Women, children, they went after all of them,” she said as a single tear escaped her eyes.
Before she could lift her hand, the little girl in her arms reached up to her cheek and caught the fallen tear. Layla gave her a small smile as she stared down at the little girl and whispered quietly, “Thank you.”
The little girl just nodded slowly back to her and went back to staring around the room in wonder.
“Is this your daughter?” Walker asked her, trying to get her mind off of the attack for a second.
“This is my Aunt Layla,” the little girl spoke out before Layla even had a chance to say anything. The girl’s laughter jingled out as Walker started to mess around with her, allowing her to escape from any horror she witnessed.
“What is your name?” he asked her.
“Zea!” she yelled out loudly. I smiled slightly at her hearty response.
Out of the corner of my eye, I swear I caught shock cover Reid’s face as he started to take a step toward Zea. But the second I turned to look at him, his features returned to his blank composure as if nothing had happened.
I was confused by his actions, but decided to let it go for now.
“Zea, do you want to go play a game?” Walker asked her. The second she heard the words, she was nodding her head violently at the idea of fun, “Alright, let’s go.”
Walker picked her up from Layla’s lap and left the room with the little girl. Layla watched nervously as they left, as if afraid of what would happen to her.
“I’m going to send some pack members to your territory to drive the rogues out,” I look back to Layla, picking up the conversation again.
“No!” she says automatically, “As much as I wish for this, just a few pack members will not be enough. These rogues will tear apart anyone you send.”
“I’m sure we can handle it,” I said reassuringly, “I will send some men over to help with the rogue problem immediately.”
She shook her head violently, standing up to make her point clear, “You don’t understand. It was as if they were in a frenzy. It was if all they wanted was one thing.”
“What?”
Her eyes were cold and haunted by the memories she witnessed, “Blood.”
* * *
After Layla’s declaration about the rogues earlier, I gave her a guest room for her and her niece and sent them to bed. I promised her we would talk about it after she had gained some rest from the ordeal.
Her story baffled me as to why a werewolf, even one as low as a rogue, would want the blood of pack members. Rogues could do nothing with the blood of those they had killed, so what was truly going on?
I sat in silence in the pack library, away from the prying eyes of any other pack member; as I scoured the pages of old pack history books. There had to be something in these stories that described what Layla saw. Frenzied, red-eyed rogues after blood had to have been seen before.
After looking for almost two hours, my wolf and I were as frustrated as ever.
THE ALPHA's MATE: A Romantic Thriller Page 2