Page 12 of Blood Pearl
If Aurora was my woman, I’d put her over my knee and tan her backside until she couldn’t sit for more than a week. What she thinks this is going to achieve, I don’t know. But now we have eleven hostages and not ten! I’m going to have to get back to Councilman Flint and report.
Watching her drop from the tree and literally hand herself over has my heart pounding, but the signal to run and report nearly had my heart stop.
Turning, I shift into Asher and head back to the border. I’m going to have to run hard and as stealthily as I can, but anything, man or beast, getting in my way will be dead.
The journey has me killing three, leaving their carcasses for anyone to find. I don’t have time to hide their bodies. My aim is to get back and devise something to get Aurora and her pack members out of that camp.
War is coming. I know that will happen now!
‘Asher, can you keep going or do you need a rest?’
I can run for a little longer, but I’m tiring. If we have to fight I won’t be at full strength.
‘Let’s look for somewhere to get our breath back. We have covered many miles and we can’t do more than we are doing. We will get back during the night.’
Yes, we rest, then we move fast during the night.
Finding a hollowed-out tree, I shift and squeeze myself inside, allowing Asher to curl in the back of my mind and sleep. I lower myself down, resting the best I can, but keeping alert enough to hear rogues passing now and again.
Once darkness falls the last part of the journey is covered without incident. I’m able to dodge the patrol and cross the border into Blood Pearl Pack territory.
Reaching out to Councilman Flint through the mind link. ‘Councilman Flint. I just crossed into Blood Pearl Territory, and I need an urgent meeting.’
‘Is Alpha Aurora with you?’
‘No.’
‘I will wait for you at the packhouse after alerting acting Alpha Raina.’
By the time I reach the packhouse and shift to my human form, I am exhausted, but I know I must inform them of what has happened. A decision on what to do about Alpha Aurora and her packmates has to be made, and made quickly.
Inside the office, I take a seat and catch my breath. I’m truly exhausted. I traveled at twice the speed I’d taken when running with Alpha Aurora, taking into account that myself and my wolf are used to running fast over long periods of time.
Alpha Raina walks into the office and hands me a tall glass of water. “Thank you,” I say as I drink the whole glass in one.
Alpha Raina, Councilman Flint, and Head Warrior Wallace are sitting waiting for me to report. I gather my thoughts and relay the information regarding the journey, what we heard, and what Alpha Aurora did when seeing her pack members.
“What happened to the pack members to tip Alpha Aurora over the edge?” Councilman Flint asks.
“The Alpha rejected a she-wolf who was at that moment the Luna of this disgusting show of rogues, and he pointed at one of Aurora’s she-wolves and said she would be the new Luna. With that, Alpha Aurora reacted so fast I had no time to stop her. She entered the camp and gave me the signal to get out and back here to report.”
Alpha Raina stands and paces back and forth behind the desk before turning to look at me. “You know you wouldn’t have been able to stop her. She was determined to either get them out or die trying. I know she was at the end of her limit waiting for something to give, allowing the rogues to keep taking from the pack, and us all on rations because of it.”
“I realize that, but I can’t help but feel guilty that she’s now going to be a hostage, and she could also be picked out as the next Luna.” Turning I look at Councilman Flint, but before he speaks the door opens and Warrior Roul walks inside.
“Tell me she didn’t do something stupid?” He asks.
Head Warrior Wallace sighs, “Of course she did. We would expect nothing less from her. She is the best Alpha this pack could have had. She gave of herself more and more, and we could all see she was tired and needed this situation to end. I hoped she wouldn’t do something stupid, but she wouldn’t see this as stupid, she’ll see this as getting inside the enemy camp to find out exactly what is happening. She will then strategize to get her people out, or take down the leading rogues to cause mayhem.”
The door opens and bangs against the wall, having us all stand quickly and into our fighting positions. But we calm when we see it’s Taria. Our relief doesn’t last long when we see the worry on her face as she realizes her mother isn’t among us.
“Where is my Momma?” Taria asks as she steps in front of me.
Again, I go over what happened from us leaving here to my getting back. I can see the tears forming in Taria’s eyes, but she doesn’t let them fall. It’s easy to see her mother’s strength in the way she pulls herself together, not allowing herself to fall apart.
“No more titles while in the office, it’s time wasting and unnecessary,” Raina states, then takes her seat once more behind the desk and not at the long table where meetings are usually held. “Wallace, triple the border patrol. We need check-ins every thirty minutes. I’m taking no risks with the patrol or the pack’s safety.”
We can all see Wallace mind linking and know the extra patrol will be in place in no time. Giving Raina a nod, Wallace remains standing next to the desk, fully alert and ready for whatever is going to happen.