Page 1 of Blood Pearl

Chapter 1

AURORA

Packed with the demanded food, the truck raced through the forest. If I learn that my pack members are starving despite the abundance of food I provide, I will bring about destruction and chaos.

There are ten individuals from my pack who are currently being held captive. Ensuring a steady supply of food, clothing, and information. The information I'm supplying is false, as I would never sell out my fellow shifters. I realize that my fate is death, but I'm more than willing to accept the consequences.

Stopping at the edge of my pack territory which joins no-man's-land, I stop the truck and grab the packaged food and start to throw it over the boundary. I wait patiently for the rogues to appear and pray to the Goddess that she is keeping my people safe.

Hearing rustling, I wait, keep myself calm, and do not show the anger and disgust I feel for these people. I've not met the leaders of this rogue pack, but I'm trying to find out as much as I can without getting any of my pack killed. Anything I find I will eventually share with the shifter council and hope they can forgive me for my transgressions.

“Did you bring what you were asked to bring?”

Looking over, I see the same shifter who has always collected the food, clothing or anything else they have demanded in return for keeping my pack members safe.

“Yes, of course.” I continue taking the packages from the truck and throwing them over the pack boundary. No way am I stepping into no-man’s-land. That would give them the ideal opportunity to take me as a hostage, too.

Three more appear from the safety of the trees. All have the stink of a rogue, which is sour, dirty, as you would smell on a corpse. It’s disgusting and I struggle not to cover my nose with my hand.

“What information do you have?” Taking steps closer to me and the boundary as he speaks. I struggle not to gag at the smell of him, and he knows it, but doesn’t seem to care that he will never get rid of the stink that follows him wherever he goes.

“No information. The packs have been fighting a war, which I’m sure you know about. I have had no communication with any packs or the Shifter Council.” I would tell them if I had, but thankfully I’ve not spoken to anyone since I stepped away from helping with the war.

I did what I could at the time for the Parklands, sending over clothing parcels, as and when I could. I could not supply warriors because I needed them in the pack, protecting the border between ourselves and no-man's-land. How they took ten of my people I don’t know, but I’ll get them back, and if I have to go to war without the other packs, I will.

“We need to know what the patrol times are, the numbers and anything else to get us in and out of Alpha Lyle’s pack land.”

“What is your name?” I ask, because I want to know who I’m dealing with most of the time. If he is from one of the other packs, then we may have information that will help us.

“You can call me Beta.”

I can’t contain the burst of laughter that escapes me, and looking at this idiot, I shake my head. “You have got to be delusional if you think you have a legitimate pack and can claim a pack hierarchy. You have all lost your minds and forfeited rank when you became filthy rogues.”

The Beta steps closer, giving me a feral smile before saying, “This filthy rogue has your pack members, and I can tell you now that if you cause trouble, I’ll enjoy taking them in front of everyone and killing them one-by-one.”

I step forward, throwing my Alpha aura forward, and I can see this Beta struggling to maintain his stance. “I’m telling you Beta…you touch one hair on their heads, and I’ll make sure you are the first one that I tear apart, and I’ll enjoy doing it.”

Laughing before he slowly claps his hands, his wolf has come to the surface and I can see he’s getting more feral by the red glow in his eyes. It won’t be long before his wolf is feral and he’ll have trouble holding himself together. Unless he has a mate who will keep him calm and stop him turning past the point of no return, truly becoming a feral wolf and needing to be put down.

Snapping his fingers together, wolves slink out of the trees and grab the food parcels, dragging them away until they’ve disappeared into the forest once more. I take in as much as I can, but it's nothing worth reporting back until I hear a woman’s voice speak. “Jackson, come on.”

“Well, well, Beta Jackson. Seems you have a name, after all.” I give him a raised eyebrow before I grin, then turn and walk back to the truck. Opening the driver’s door before turning to look once more at the angry shifter standing on the border of my territory. One step over the border and I will rip him apart. Aztec my wolf has kept quiet, but she has been watching and listening. Now she is ready to spring into action if needed.

Beta Jackson steps back toward the forest, and from my peripheral vision I see a woman appear from the trees. She is a mess. Hair not seeing a brush in a long time, clothing that may as well not be on her body, and she has the stink of a rogue, but it matches Jackson’s. Interesting! Seems Jackson has a chosen mate, not a fated mate, or he’d not be able to resist her demands before he goes to her.

Stepping into the truck and closing the door, I roll down the window. Resting my elbow, I lean out of the truck window slightly and grin. “Take care, Jackson. Now I know you have a mate. I know your weakness.” Winking as I drive away, listening to the growls and howls of fury. I know I shouldn’t push him, but I’m not sure I can get my pack members out at this point. They have been hostages for months and I’m not even sure if they are still alive.

Back at the packhouse, I run to my room, shower, and change my clothes. It’s always the same when I’ve delivered the food. Being close to the rogues has my skin itching and needing to get clean.

Aurora, we need to get our pack members back.

‘I know, Aztec, but I don’t know how. I’m doing my best to keep them alive, if they are still alive. We’ve had no proof of that in quite some time.’

No pains of losing a pack member. We would feel the pack bond break if they died.

Nodding, because I know that. It’s just hard to stay thinking rationally when you are worried about what is happening to them. Six females and four males. I know the males will try to protect the females, but I also know that Wren, Rue and Wynona will cause trouble when they can. They are powerful females and they will not want those males to suffer for them.

Randall and Fergus have started warrior training. That gives them skills that the rogues won’t have. I need to find out more about Jackson. Who is he, where did he come from, and why is he rogue?