A Wolf's Pride

by Jennifer T. Alli

  “It must be hard for you.” Chloe nodded in agreement but Erica's expression had turned cold. “It might be a hard choice for you but to me the answer’s blindingly simple. They should have known better that to try and make predators into prey. It’s time I showed them why you should never underestimate a wolf and why you shouldn’t even contemplate hurting one, let alone actually going out and harming a member of its pack.” Her eyes were now completely amber, fangs making an occasional appearance as she spoke.

  Chloe gasped, shocked by the vehemence in Erica's words. “You can’t Erica.”

  Her eyes narrowed in response. “And why exactly is that?”

  “You can’t want to kill people Erica.”

  “I’m just returning the favour. They tried to kill me once, tortured me and are now threatening and hurting members of my family. Sebastian's brother? Do you know how broken he would be if something happened to that idiot? No. I’ve got some hunters to take down. Turnabout’s a bitch, just like me.” The change was already washing over her as she turned to Alex, blue eyes meeting green. “Stay safe Alex, Tobias might try to actually kill me if something happened to you and you’ve got those beautiful kids to think of now.”

  Alex smiled weakly as Erica the wolf appeared. “I’ll stay as safe as I can and if you meet Tobias, remember, it was all my idea.” The wolf nodded before bounding from the room, vanishing in an instant.

  “No!” Chloe howled, running after her. Alex placed a restraining hand on her arm, keeping her in place. “What are you doing?” she screamed, struggling against her grip.

  “Don’t Chloe.”

  “She’s going to kill people Alex, we can’t just wave her off fondly into the sunset as though nothing’s happening.”

  Alex sighed. “After all that she went through she deserves to let off a little anger. There’s nothing you can do to stop her and I think you’d only get hurt if you tried.”

  “We can’t just let them go.”

  “Well unless you have any other ideas then we’re just going to have to let them.”

  Chloe visibly sagged at Alex’s words. “Isn’t there anything we can do? I mean, I know we’re human but there’s got to be something. If I could just talk to my family, maybe I could get them to stop.”

  The words ran round in Alex’s mind and a plan formed. “Do you think it’s possible?”

  “To what?”

  “To convince them to stop? If you can do it then I’ll take you to them.”

  “We’re in the middle of a war zone Alex.”

  “I’ll get you there.” Her words brokered no compromise.

  “Even if I managed to get them to stop firing, the wolves out there came here for blood. They won’t stop.”

  “I’m their Queen, my mate, their King is out there. I’ll make them stop. Don’t worry about them, just answer me, can you make them stop shooting?”

  “I can try.”

  “Then we’ll head out.” She walked over to the window, glancing outside. “By the looks of it things aren’t going their way. If we don’t move now, they’ll be overpowered in a few minutes. Tobias really thought this out. When he goes on the offensive he really goes all out.” She purred the words as though imagining a far more enticing situation than the one unravelling beneath their feet. “But Chloe, if you can’t get your family to stop then I side with the wolves, I’ll hurt your family if I have to.”

  Her spine stiffened as she nodded in agreement to Alex’s statement, her shoulders jutted back and just like that, Chloe was ready for battle. “I’m ready Alex. How are we going to get down there without getting ourselves killed along the way?”

  “Firstly, you’re practically immortal now Chloe. The only way you could die is if Ryan did and he’s a tough one. Secondly, we’re going out the same way I came in, through the window and right into the thick of things. Come here, we have to be quick if we’re going to make a difference.”

  Chloe rushed to Alex’s side, watching as her eyes slid shut in concentration. A few seconds passed before another leafy appendage, far larger than its normal size wound it’s way through the empty pane. “Hold on,” Alex warned before the branch wrapped itself around her midsection, lifting her easily from the ground. She bit back a yelp as they moved through the air, her feet suspended with no support in place. Her eyes widened as what looked like a green bubble began to form around them on their descent to earth. She turned to Alex, a silent question in her eyes. Judging from the smile on Alex’s face this was meant to happen. Her heart calmed and they continued their journey to the ground, landing lightly.

  The sounds of combat were even more intense close up. Bullets flew all around them but they ricocheted harmlessly off their green cocoon and Chloe finally understood the purpose behind it. Whilst they were inside they would be safe from harm. Maybe we can do this. She yelled, the loud sounds around them making it a necessity if she wanted to be heard. “What now Alex?”

  “Your family should be right in front of us.”

  “How do you know that?” Chloe interrupted. “You’ve never seen them before and we look nothing alike.”

  “If I remember correctly Ryan once said that they were the commanders and judging from what I saw when I looked out of the window, the ones in front of us are giving orders. That and the fact that the wolves are trying to surround those guys gives them away. They’re gunning for your family in particular and they smell like you.”

  “Oh, okay,” she responded inanely, uncertain of how she could respond to such logical reasoning.

  “As I was saying, your family should be directly in front of us. In a minute I’m going to drop these walls and you’re going to run straight for them. Don’t look back, don’t look left or right just run.” Alex paused, her eyes sliding shut for a moment. “And you’re going to have to make the run alone.”

  “What?” Chloe demanded flabbergasted. “I thought you were coming with me.”

  “I can’t. There are wolves surrounding us now, probably at Tobias’ order. If I try to leave they’ll stop us.”

  “How do you know that?”

  “I can feel them on the grass, the earth speaks to me. I know where everyone is around here so don’t worry I’ll protect you but I’m going to have to do it at a distance. I have faith in you Chloe. You’re Ryan’s mate and to claim that title you have to be made of tough stuff. You’re going to be fine. If you really don’t think you’re up to it then I’ll take us both back to higher ground and I can fight from there. It’s probably what Tobias and Ryan would want. The safer they think we are, the happier they are.”

  Ryan. His name slid through her mind giving Chloe another burst of strength. She wasn’t doing this for herself, she was doing it for him, for their future. “I’m ready.” Her voice was steady now, calm even.

  There was a look of stalwart determination on Chloe’s face and Alex knew better than to question such resolve. She took a deep breath, closed her eyes and let the familiar whispers overwhelm her senses imbuing her with their power. “Now!” she screamed.

  The green walls dropped down and Chloe took off running. Adrenaline rushed through her body giving her unprecedented speed and awareness. From the corner of her eyes, she could make out flickering images of green and she smiled, realising just what Alex had planned to do. With every step that she took, thick vines erupted from the earth on either side of her, creating a protected path for her to travel along. Gun shots flew by her harmlessly, the vines on either side of her moving to intercept any bullets that may have ventured into her path. Her already racing pulse quickened when she saw a man directly in her path, his hands raised to shoot. She needn’t have worried. The ground before her began to heave and buckle creating what looked like waves in front of her. The man stumbled, falling harmlessly out of her way. She continued running, breaths leaving her body in wild bursts. Another man appeared in the way and again the ground bucked and heaved trying to move him. This man was a little more sure footed and managed to stand his gro
und despite the mini earthquake happening beneath his feet. His eyes met hers for a fleeting second before he was lifted unceremoniously from the ground and thrown into the distance by the vines surrounding her. She could just about make out her destination, her family coming closer with each second that passed.

  The splash of blonde hair shone like a beacon against the dark night sky instantly attracting Harry’s attention. His eyes widened at the sight of Chloe running desperately towards them bullets flying all around her. The image of his only daughter lying bleeding against the cold ground, turning the grass red with her blood, crashed through his mind and he turned, eyeing the men under his command with wild eyes. “Stop!” he bellowed, his loud voice carrying even over the sound of guns and animal howls of triumph. “I said STOP!!”

  The silence that followed Harry’s harshly delivered command was almost deafening, the sound of gunfire dying in an instant, men rushing to follow their commander’s orders. As Chloe bridged the short distance between herself and her family, her previously sure steps began to falter. Her father’s expression was murderous, her brothers’ equally so.

  “Chloe, what are you doing here?” Harry demanded.

  “That’s what I’d like to know.” The darkly posed question slithered up her spine as warm breaths caressed her ear. She shivered slightly, anticipation thrumming through her and she knew without a shadow of a doubt that Ryan was behind her. “I asked you a question angel. What are you doing here? I left you somewhere safe, you should have stayed there.”

  She turned to face him, her eyes momentarily meeting Erica's, who seemed to be having a similar conversation with her equally irate mate. They shared a secret smile before she gave her full attention to Ryan. Head held high, shoulders back; she met his gaze defiantly. “What am I doing here?” Her tone was incredulous as though he’d asked the most ridiculous question in the world. “I’m trying to stop you guys from tearing each other apart.”

  “Tearing each other apart? There’s no way that could happen angel. Now that they don’t have the element of surprise, they won’t be able to lay a finger on me let alone tear me apart. The real problem is you being out here, you could get seriously hurt. You know I can’t let that happen. Please, go back inside where it’s safe. Let me take care of this.”

  “No. I’m not going to stand by idly while you two kill each other. I love you Ryan, you know that but I love them too. If I can have both of you then I will and I’ll do everything in my power to ensure that happens.” She sighed, placing a reassuring hand against his chest. “Nothing’s going to happen to me.”

  “How can you be so sure?”

  “Because you’re here.”

  The simple words calmed him, quelling the boiling rage within him and reducing it to a mere simmer. Her eyes were pleading, silently begging for his permission to do this. He could feel her determination, her need to at the very least try and resolve the matter peacefully and the instinct moved within him, responding to her need and insisting he give in. What did I expect? His mind scolded lightly. Angels are peace loving. “Fine,” he growled reluctantly, his eyes scanning the surroundings, landing on the many wolves that were now watching the unfolding situation intently. “Go ahead, try to talk to them but if that doesn’t work then you’re going back inside where it’s safe and I’ll deal with this my way.”

  “Thank you Ryan, this means a lot to me.”

  “I know, just get started before I change my mind.”

  She nodded enthusiastically before turning to face her family. Watching the interaction between Chloe and Ryan had produced conflicting feelings within each of them. Ryan was exactly the sort of man they themselves would have chosen for Chloe, strong, protective and loved her to a fault, why did he have to be a werewolf at the same time?

  “Dad, Jon, Daniel, Christian, we need to talk about what you’ve been doing.”

  “No we don’t,” Harry interrupted. “You need to go inside and we need to take care of this situation. Once we’ve taken care of these animals we’ll be right in and then we’ll have a long discussion about exactly what happened to you when you were that man’s captive.”

  She scoffed. “Dad, I was never really Ryan’s captive. Yes, he said I couldn’t leave him but I was free to do whatever I wanted and he took care of me. He still does and I want to take care of him as well that’s why I can’t just do what you want… especially after what I saw last night.”

  “What exactly did you see?” Christian demanded, his eyes narrowing.

  “You tortured him. I saw everything. What I can’t understand is why. Why would you do something so inhumane, so illegal to someone you’d just met who’d done nothing wrong?”

  “Laws and words like humane are only applicable to humans Chloe and he’s definitely not one,” Jonathan stated simply.

  She scowled at her eldest brother’s response. “What’s wrong with you guys? You don’t even know him and you’re hunting him because what…he’s different? That’s beyond ignorance.”

  “Chloe, he’s a monster. Look around you and you’ll see that,” Daniel pleaded. Stepping forward his hands outstretched, he tried to reach her only for her to step away and move more firmly into the shelter of Ryan’s body.

  “No, you’re the monsters here! Damn it Dan, can’t you see that the things you think are facts clearly aren’t true. I spent time with them, I know. Werewolf myths really are just that, myths. They have no basis in reality at all. They don’t live like animals; they live just like anybody else, with family and friends around them. They don’t fight each other just for the hell of it. They do it only to protect the people they love. And as for actively trying to hurt normal people well that’s just stupid. They live away from people and they don’t even try to interact with us on a regular basis. The only humans that are of any concern to them are people like me; mates, and I feel sorry for anyone that tries to hurt a mate especially if that person has a mate like mine. Think about it, if you can give me one time, just one time, when a werewolf attacked you first without any provocation on your part then I’ll leave, I’ll go inside and let you continue this stupid war.”

  Their brows furrowed in thought, their minds struggling frantically to recall one such occasion.

  “Can any of you give me one example of a werewolf attacking you first!” she screamed, hoping her voice would carry to the men surrounding her father. “Any of you!” A few moments passed, the silence was telling. “See, you can’t. You’ve been persecuting these people, trying to wipe out an entire species and at the first challenge to your position you don’t have a leg to stand on. Can’t you see that there’s something wrong with what you’ve been doing? If you can’t,” she hiccupped, her emotions beginning to slip from her control. “If you can’t then maybe you deserve exactly what theses wolves plan to do to you. You’ve tortured and killed people, torn entire families apart and you don’t even have a reason. If this is what it means to be a member of this family then maybe I don’t want to be a part of it anymore.”

  “Chloe,” Harry began only to be interrupted by Ryan’s angry growl.

  He pulled his mate close to his body; increasingly angry with the family she loved so much. Smells of sadness, fear and agitation were beginning to cloud her beautiful scent but it was the burgeoning smell of tears that was bringing out the beast within him. No one made his angel cry. “Speak carefully hunter. If you say anything to upset my mate further, I’ll have my brother rip your throat out.”

  “Not man enough to do it yourself,” Harry taunted. “Or are you afraid after what I did to you last night.”

  “You did nothing to me hunter. I was covering for my mate’s escape and it’s clear that you believed it. Do I look like I’m suffering from any ill effects of what you think you accomplished? The only reason I won’t hurt you is because I promised her I wouldn’t attack you, any of you.” He raised his voice, his eyes wandering over her brothers. “Us wolves have overcome the human need to lie to their partners. Promises betw
een mates are practically sacred. Just say your piece so I can take Chloe home. She’s exhausted and I want her safe in our bed before the night is over.”

  A scowl made its way to Harry’s lips but he refrained from hurling any further abuse at Ryan, instead turning his attention to his daughter. “Chloe, I don’t know what to say.”

  “After what I saw last night I don’t know what you can say to make it up to these people either. How could you not even check out your facts before going out and killing people?”

  “It’s what I was raised to believe. It’s what my father told me and what his father told him and his father before that. It’s been this way for hundreds of years from when the myths started.”

  “Did you ever think that maybe something that old might have been exaggerated? Hundreds of years ago people were afraid of their own shadows. You were wrong, you’ve always been wrong about these people. If you don’t stop what you’re doing then they’ll kill you.”

  His shoulders slumped, the life seeming to leave his body in an instant. “It’s hard to believe what you’re saying is true. This has been my life for so long.”

  “Daddy.” She stepped forward, her hands reaching for his hesitantly. “It’s never too late to change. This is your life we’re talking about and mine too for that matter. I want you to be a part of my life dad, I don’t want to lose the only parent I have left especially not to something like this.”

  Daniel strode forward, motioning for his brothers to join him. “If we disarm Chloe, we’ll be defenceless. If what you say is true, then these people have good reason to see us dead. They’ll kill us either way.”

  “No they won’t.” Alex walked forward, Tobias’ arm wrapped tightly around her waist as she moved into dangerous territory.

  “Who are you?” Christian pressed.

  “My name is Alexandria and I’m the very, very human Queen of the werewolves.”

  “And I’m Tobias, the very, very pissed off King of the werewolves. My mate has promised Chloe that if she can get you to stop this ridiculous campaign then I won’t let my people kill you.” His angry growl made even the life saving promise seem like a threat. Amber seeped back into his grey eyes as he took in the mark he’d been raised to hate for over three hundred years. “My mate’s word is my word. Disarm and we can end this…” He paused, hesitating over the last word. Alex stroked the skin of his forearm gently forcing him to look at her. It was an unwise decision on his part if he’d wanted to stay angry. Hundreds of years of hatred began to melt away as he looked into eyes the colour of the richest emeralds. “Peace,” he choked. “We can end this in peace. The choice is yours, I won’t offer again.”