The Runaway Maverick

Chapter 8 -Alive

Cato's Prov:

Ugh my head was pounding.

Thud. Thud. Thud.

The continuous throbbing left my cringing as I attempted to open my eyes: I couldn't. What the f**k?

It all came flooding back to me... was I dead? A deep empty swelling silenced the pain in my head as realization settled in. I had broken my promise to help her.

The only pack I had ever known had been gained and lost in a single instant.

Mulling in the black barren wasteland of my reality, I couldn't stop myself from sobbing into the darkness. Im so sorry Jes-

"Cato? Can you hear me?" The melodic hum of Jess's whisper disrupted my self-pity. How could I hear her? Had my attempt to lead them away from her been fruitless? Was she as dead as me?

Thinking of her sitting alone in her own darkness stirred my wolf deep inside me. He was growling just at the mere notion.

"It's alright. Hush now" I felt myself soon enveloped in warmth which banished away all the hollowness of my mind as well as quieting my wolf into soft purrs.

"I've got you now. You are are safe here in my arms. You're not dead nor are you dying so please stop crying" Her words fluttered into my ears as her arms tightened around me protectively.

I was alive, she was alive, we were both alive. I had but one question ringing clear in my mind:

How the f**k had we managed that?

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Jess's prov:

As I sat holding Cato in my arms I rocked him slowly back and fourth to stop his whimpers. I had no idea what he was thinking of but I couldn't bare to hear or see him in any more pain.

The short period of time we had known each other had impacted both our lives so much so that I don't think I could cope with his death. It would completely break me but why did he have so much sway over me?

I was now incapable of imagining my life without this man and for once I accepted my weakness.

After I had stitched and cleaned his gashes in the shelter of the cavern I was unable to sleep. My mind wouldn't stop spiraling into perplexing theories. As each idea played out in my head another waited to take its place.

Just who or what had tried to kill him? The scene I had witnessed prier held tormentingly small but similar traits to the destruction of my village. The actions of the... beast.

However something didn't seem to add up: why would it leave him alive and not come after me and the stone? There was only one answer.

It wouldn't.

Briefly Tanno's death clawed at the edge of my thoughts causing me to stifle a small stirring of terror. We had somehow been lucky that it wasn't those demons because I'm pretty certain we'd both be dead and all would have been lost.

If this was the case only one question remained: Who or what attacked Cato? Clearly it was unaware of my presence as it most likely would have finished him off or come to kill me too.

Ugh. The more I pondered it, the more it haunted me. Nothing could be answered till Cato awoke from his rest.

In an attempt to destract myself from my tireless mind I trained my attention to the resting man on my lap.

Hushing his cradled, bruised form I brushed his fringe from his eyes. Instinctive my eyes were drawn to the slither of skin that was exposed just above the blanket I had wrapped him in. It revealed a peek of his smooth, toned chest. He truly was gorgeous.

The urge to continue admiring his body was irrefutable but I felt as if he knew I was oogling over him so decided to restrain myself.

"Enjoying the view?" As if on cue his raspy husk of a voice penetrated the comfortable silence in the cave. Instantly my opinion changed:

Asshole.

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Cato's prov:

I had caught her staring at me... For some reason this caused my wolf to begin to rouse in my mind. The opportunity to irritate Jess was just too good.

"Enjoying the view?" Damn my voice was tender. I hadn't being or even sounding frail.

Her glare burned into the back of my head as I leaned forward off her lap. A sharp guttural growl slipped passed my lips as my side ached.

Those dickheads had really done a number on me!

"Cato?"

"mm?"

"What happened?" Her words were abrupt and precise. Although her voice of bluntly cold, her eyes told a different story. Worry, anxiety, fear and care swirled in the deep pools of her soul.

Taking a deep breathe I signaled for her to get comfortable as I prepared to recall my near death experience.

"Patrol caught whiff of my scent not too long after I left you at the cave so I decided to draw them away from you. " Clear confusion distorted her normally calm features.

"Do you know so little of the world Jess?" Her cheeks flushed rosy red in embarrassment. I take that as a yes.

"My village, as I told you the other day, was very rural but that's not entirely true. Well in reality we were completely isolated from the world. Before you I had never met anyone outside of my birth community."

Whoa.

"No one?" She nodded.

"I guess I'll have to explain from the very beginning then?"

"If you don't mind?" A small taint of worry intertwined in her voice as she watched me carefully. So she was worried about me.

"Uh well let me see... Do you know about the King?" Jess shook her head. I guess she wasn't kidding when she said her people were disconnected from the rest of the world.

"Everything in existence in this world is ruled over by a single King. He's a tyrant that has slaughtered thousands and dethroned hundreds of royal families taking their place."

"Damn" Yep my thoughts exactly Jess.

"The King was originally the Alpha King" I looked momentarily into her eyes for understanding. I received a simple nod.

She would ask me if she didn't get what I was saying.

"Clearly his hunger for power grew which led to his world domination but he did leave a small fraction of wilderness open for rouges in each continent. So where you and I live is a small example. I knew I should have informed you of this prier but we over stepped the capitals border a few miles back."

Jess gasped as she realized. We, apparent rouges, had entered the Kings main area of dominion without permission. Not only that but the Capital is where the royal himself mostly resides.

"f**k"

"Yep, f**k" re-positioning myself on the rock face Jess shuffled closer to me playing her head on my slumped shoulder.

"So the patrol that attacked you were guards for the king?" I nodded.

"Why did they let you live?"

"They probably assumed the cold and blood loss would finish the job. I'm guessing leaving me to suffer was to serve as further punishment. So in conclusion the world is governed by this dictator who doesn't take kindly to disloyalty or so called 'disruption of the law'"

Looking down at her as she clearly thought it over I awaited a response.

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Jessie's Prov:

As Cato finished his general explanation I realized just how ignorant to everything I had been. He had known the dangers of trespassing but still came with me. Maybe that was why he originally wanted to help me?

For some reason it made me feel a little sad. God what the hell is wrong with me?

Nodding my head I slowly processed the information and began to ask questions. If I'm going to keep this stone safe I've got to be aware of all the danger this time.

"So what is this king? Just a werewolf?" I had been wondering how powerful or supernatural you had to be to be able to cast such a domineering rule.

" If I'm honest I don't really know much as I've always lived in the rouge land but rumors get around. He's not just some wolf but apparently he's demonic? demonish? I'm not entirely certain if this is just a result of his overwhelming power that is used to scare his subjects into submission or not."

As he spoke unsure of his own words I found myself only about to focus on one...

Demonic. What if he was the one after the stone? Within this moment I felt my reality crushing me as even more questions and worries violated my thoughts.

This King had reason enough to desire the stone but so did almost everyone who knew about it.

"Any other questions?" My grimace transmuted into a slight forced smile.

Oh I had plenty. Clearing my mind, I prepared my onslaught of questioning.

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OOOOOOOh shizzles getting real!