For The Love of An Alpha

Huntress

Jay stretched as light reached her eyelids. The absence of warmth from the sun caused her to open her eyes and look about the room. It was still dark, save for a dim light coming from the bathroom. She felt to the side of the bed and realized the warmth from beside her was slowly fading away. Her attention back on the bathroom door, she saw the shadow of her beloved moving around. This urge to protect him overwhelmed her, she had to keep him safe. 

We're in a room. Scarlet reminded her blandly.

I know. She tried to brush off the urges and thoughts, but she could almost feel the electricity in the night air. She felt Scarlet's recognition as she too observed the feeling. Something was off. 

Henri stepped from the bathroom and looked to the bed. Dipped his head and coming closer, he could see that Jay's eyes were open.

"Hey." Jay said softly, stretching once more and listening as her back gave a satisfying pop.

"Hey," Henri knelt beside the bed. He was dressed in jeans and a blue t-shirt. "Get some sleep, I'll be back soon."

"Where are you going?" Jay leaned toward him and kissed his cheek.

"On patrol with Sebastian, should only be a few hours."

Jay started to rise from the bed at his words.

"No," Henri tried to stop her, "get your rest."

"I want to go." Jay couldn't explain why, but she needed to.

Henri sighed and weighed the options. He didn't see a point in fighting her, it was just a patrol. A run on the edge of the property might do them both some good.

"Alright," Henri stood, taking her hands in his and helping her to her feet. "I'll find you some clothes."

Jay smiled and walked to the bathroom. When she returned to the room, a pair of black sweats and a t-shirt laid on the bed. She dressed in the sweats and became eternally grateful for the drawstring in the waist and the elastic at her ankles. She slid the shirt over her head and felt like she was wearing a dress. Shaking her head, she whipped it off over her head and walked to the nearby dresser. Searching the drawers she found the tank tops she had seen Henri wear under his shirts. She picked up a dark gray one and slid it over her head. It fit her well, although she noticed her breasts looked surprising good in it.

Smirking, she made her way out of the apartment. Henri had already left to meet Sebastian outside and she hurried to catch up with them. As she walked out the front door, Henri's gasp was audible. His eyes went wide as she turned around and a growl came from deep in his chest.

"Easy man, it's just us." Sebastian chuckled as the possessive alpha let out a warning shot.

"I know," Henri gave a forced smile, "wasn't expecting her to be wearing that."

"That shirt was a dress." She pushed herself under Henri's arm, "I can't run in that."

"You weren't going to." Henri said, walking her over to the ATV's that were parked at the side of the house.

"We're all gassed up and ready to roll." Sebastian said as they got to their transports.

There were only two, Jay didn't mind. Henri mounted his ATV and patted the seat behind him. Jay quickly climbed on and wrapped her arms around Henri's torso. Sebastian took the lead, peeling out from the side of the house. Jay took note of how both males sent gravel flying and were intent on pushing the speed their small vehicles could go. She wouldn't admit it to them, but the thrill of the ride was definitely doing something for her. She hoped Henri was this exuberant on the drive home as well.

They came to a stop before a large oak tree, her yellow and red leaves had begun to litter the forest floor. Jay followed suit as they dismounted and watched as Henri began to disrobe.

Henri's laugh sent chills up Jay's arms, as he watched her eyes dance across his body.

"We're going to shift." He looked at her eyes and she nodded, still not moving. Henri laughed again, now fully nude. He held his arms out so Jay could look upon him properly and then laughed as he turned his back and began to shift. His gray coat began to cover his body, the deep black saddle of fur forming along his back as his skull elongated and his eyes sharpened.

The auburn wolf came alongside him, nuzzling him tenderly. Henri was astonished at how quickly she had stripped and shifted, but he didn't let that stop him from return the affection. He noted the dark saddle of nearly gray fur along her back and how it made the red of her coat pop. Sebastian pawed at the dirt to get their attention, causing Jay to turn to him. She acknowledged the depth of the color on his wolf. He was black as night, with green eyes that almost glowed in contrast to his fur. He lulled his tongue to the side in a smile, as he took off at a trot along the cliff ridge. Henri followed him and Jay was close behind him. They left their clothes and vehicles behind them and focused on their tasks at hand. 

Henri and Sebastian were in constant communication. Talking of concerns and openings in the perimeter of the property. Henri pointed out a newly felled tree and Sebastian explained it was from the black bear they dropped last week. Continuing down the ridge to the river, they both noted the increase in doe activity. Henri got excited, as that meant a rich hunt for the Luna Ceremony. This was a sign of prosperity for the pack. He smiled to himself, as that might help ease Eli's worries.

Jay was in her thoughts, taking in the smells and sights. Making notes of everything, noting how the trees laid out and how the dirt responded to her feet. Once she acclimated to the clay, she pushed herself. It was as if she hit a wall, the smell of sulfur flared up and burnt her nostrils. She continued to move, giving a warning growl and taking off after the smell. She knew this smell, and it was not going to hurt her mate. She felt possessive behaviors rise up in her, she was going to kill anything that tried to touch him. She pushed passed Henri and Sebastian, taking the lead and going after her prey. The hunt was on, and it was no buck that she was going after.

Jay slowed her movements as she neared the edge of the tree line, stopping while she was still under the cover of it's brush. The site she took in was almost overwhelming.

Twelve humans were moving to a rhythm of chanting about a softly lit clearing. There were torches that lined the edges of the clearing and when the wind shifted, Jay could smell the hints of wet iron and herbs. She clenched her jaw, as she processed through their behavior. Ten of the humans were female, two of them were male. They all danced and moved in an almost haphazard way, except they had a rhythm from their chanting that caused them to move. Not one seemed to chant in the same language. Jay knew this spell, she'd seen it cast many times but never at this level. Usually it was three or five, never twelve! 

This is what we felt. She reached out to Scarlet.

Yes, I am sorry. I acted like a twitter pated pup. Scarlet was apologizing for her enamored behavior from earlier. 

No worries. We need to focus. Jay was pulling her wolves attention back to the situation. They were in the midst of creating a battle plan when Henri and Sebastian came along either side of her. She watched them share a glance to each other and knew they had a plan. She wasn't pack, she couldn't hear them. Lifting her head high she shifted from her wolf. It was almost instant and she watched as Sebastian and Henri shifted casually beside her.

"We need to get the pack." Sebastian said he looked to Jay, "We can't take a coven this large." 

Jay smirked, she could feel her blood lust begin to rise and she side eyed Henri before looking to Sebastian. "Sure we can." Her eyes flashed with swirls of dark purple, she felt the electricity begin to ignite in the air. Their spell was nearly finished and she knew they had to act quickly.

"Jay," Henri put his hand on her shoulder.

"Trust me." She looked him in his eyes, watching as the purple in her eyes reflected in his blue orbs. Her energy was responding and ready to act, she knew she had to move quickly.

"Stay in wolf, go for their throats. They can't cast if they can't speak." Jay looked to the clearing, "I'll stop the cast, but I can't stop them all. Don't take time to enjoy the kill." She looked back to Sebastian. "Move quick, kill quicker."

She didn't wait for them to respond, she strode forward into the clearing. Her sun kissed skin taking on an orange glow as she passed the nearest torch. The witches noticed her, but didn't stop their movements. One change in their words would destroy their enchantment, Jay knew they were trying to unite their coven. She also knew they weren't going to succeed. A coven this size, this close to the pack, would wreak havoc on them.

She stopped halfway to them, ensuring she was at the right angle to catch all twelve. The closer she was, the easier she could see how they were bathing in Liquid Fire. Her stomach turned and she felt her blood boil. In this moment she was no longer a mate, a daughter, a wolf or a human, she was a huntress ready to take her kill. Watching the twelve closely, she waited for the right moment. The electricity crackled around them, red lines of liquid began to dance up from the ground. Jay let her energy course through her veins, running from her feet to her shoulders and with her fists clenched tight at her side she screamed as loud as she could at the twelve. "Diaskorpízo!"

The energy around them suddenly became stagnant. The torches that were once lit along the edges of the clearing went out, like candles on a cake. The sounds of growls and roars came forth as a blur of black and gray rushed the clearing. Jay dropped to a knee, as the energy that she used took more from her then she thought. She tried to reach back to Scarlet, but there was silence. They were wiped, it was too much. She tried to stand to her feet, as she watched Henri latch onto another witch's throat. A growl from her left caught her attention, a witch stood over Sebastian. Jay lifted her left hand, she was exhausted and she didn't have much left. "Syntriví." Her voice was a whisper, but the energy left her just the same.

The loud c***k that came from the witch filled the clearing, as his head fell to one side and his body crumbled to the ground. Sebastian eyed Jay briefly, he watched her give him a thumbs up, and he leapt to his feet. His next target went down quickly. There were either witches still in the clearing trying to cast on the wolves that attacked them.

Jay took a ragged breath deep into her lungs, pulling the last of her strength she stood to her feet. She was wobbly, but she had to stand. A loud thud was heard from her right, Henri had two witches on him as he bit a third's neck. That was all Jay needed. A newfound strength filled her body as she lunged for the two on her mate. Her mind exploded with one word. "Mine!"

In two strides she had shifted to her wolf and was lunging for the neck of the male. It only took one bite to feel that satisfying snap, giving Henri the leverage he needed to turn on his other attacker. Jay stood beside her mate, waiting for his move. She had to reserve her energy and she knew they had to work together. Suddenly, she wasn't solo anymore. A thud was heard across the clearing and her eyes caught Sebastian being thrown against a tree. A whimper was barely heard, before he was up and after the caster that sent him flying.

Henri had taken off at full speed for the caster that was in the center of the clearing. Her eyes darted around as Henri closed in on her, he took note of the speed with which her fingers moved. Her gaze stopped on him, no not on him, behind him. Henri was filled with a rage he had never felt before. This witch had set her sites on his mate, His Luna! The growl that emanated from his throat caught Jay's attention, by the time she turned from her prey Henri had his mouth at the throat of the witch. Jay was unaware of the danger she was in, prior to him taking down the witch. She turned her attention to the last two of the witches, the started to flee into the woods as Sebastian and Henri gave chase.

It was only a moment later that the two wolves returned to the clearing. Jay was laying in the center, her wolf form was gone from her. Her energy expended. Henri came up to her, nudging her with his muzzle. Her eyes opened and she looked on him, giving him a weak smile. Her eyes drifted closed and he nudged her again, this time with his hand. 

"Hey," Henri spoke softly, "you can't rest here."

"I know," Jay said softly, "I just can't move." She didn't lift her head from her arm or uncurl her body. She didn't have the energy to summon to move her body at all.

Henri reached down and lifted her into his arms, turning to Sebastian. "I'll carry her back to the ATV, get a message to the patrols. I want high alert for activity."

Sebastian gave a loud howl into the cool night air. Several other howls could be heard in the distance, then there were even more howls. Roughly two dozen howls were heard in the night air, the tension lingering in the air as they pressed on back to the vehicles. 

The sun was rising on the horizon as they reached their ATV's. Jay had napped in Henri's arms as they went, taking comfort in his embrace. When they arrived at the destination Henri roused Jay softly.

"Jay," Henri spoke again, whispering in her ear.

"Hmm" Jay hummed in response.

"Wake up, love."

Jay lifted her head from his chest and took in the space. The ATV was in front of him and their clothes were folded on the seat.

"We need to dress." Henri said as he started to lower her feet to the ground.

Jay nodded slowly and took the little strength she had to stand and dress. She was happy when they were back on the ATV's and in route to the pack house. She clung tightly to Henri's torso, enjoying that he wasn't taking the road as crazy as they had on the way out. Henri had sent Sebastian on ahead to the house, he had orders to increase patrols and set overlapping shifts.

Jay slowly pulled herself from the ATV, as Henri was turning it off. He quickly moved off the machine and came to the side to help her down. She avoided his eye contact, she could feel his worrying gaze. 

"Jay," Henri started as they approached the house, "you can't keep doing this."

She kept her eyes down and ground her jaw as she listened to the disappointment in his words. 

"Are you listening to me?" The agitation in Henri's voice clear.

Jay stopped in her tracks, a sudden burst of energy filling body as her eyes saw red. "Ya, I'm listening." Her gaze was fierce as she looked on to Henri.

Henri squared himself and rolled his shoulders back. His gaze was firm as he entered her space. "Stop acting like you have to do it all." The muscles in his jaw tightened.

"Stop acting like you're my alpha!" Jay yelled at him. "This whole mate thing doesn't mean I am your b***h!" She shoved him hard, her alpha blood boiling in her veins.

"Woman," Henri clenched his fists, "don't push me!" The growl in his tone was enough to get the attention of Sebastian as he left the house, Eli close behind him.

"Push you?" Jay gave an evil smirk, "I saved your ass back there and this is what I get?!" 

"Saved?" Veins began to bulge at his temples, "Were you even aware of your surroundings? You could have been killed!"

"I've been doing this, ALONE, for 16 years!" Jay had had enough. Both of her palms pressed into his shoulders as she stepped forward and exerted all her energy into knocking him back. She stood there, tall as she watched her energy knock Henri on his ass. Tears pricked at her eyes as she saw the anger flash across his face. She glanced behind him, Sebastian and Eli were rushing to their Alpha and a young woman with beautiful chocolate skin stood on the porch. 

Henri lifted a hand to stop Eli and Sebastian in their tracks. He looked back and saw a tear roll down Jay's cheek. He was cursing himself, this isn't how he wanted this to go.

Jay turned to walk away from the house, back toward the forest. 

"Jay!" Henri hurried to his feet, "Stop!"

Jay didn't listen to him, she burst into a run and shifted. She didn't have much left in her, but she was done with playing house. It was good while it lasted, but she knew she didn't belong there. She broke into a full run, her hind legs burning with every dig that her feet made in the dirt. She heard the howl behind her, it was Henri, she knew it. Her heart broke and her legs began to tremble. She collapsed to the ground, still in wolf form. She wanted to run, everything in her wanted to leave. It was easier alone. 

I can't do this Lettie. Jay reached out to her only friend. She felt broken in this moment, her heart was crushing and she could have sworn a dagger was in her chest.

Jay, you have to give him a chance.

I can't, please don't make me. Jay was pleading with her wolf.

Jay, we were made for him. He's our soul.

Everything in Jay screamed in white hot pain. She let out a howl of agony that slowly shifted to a deafening cry from her throat. Her wolf form was gone, she had nothing left to hold it in. She knelt on the cold dirt floor, her body burning. The tears poured from her face, her muscles hurt but her bones felt like they were on fire. Her heart felt like it was stopping, she gasped for air but no relief came.

The sound of cracking of branches came from behind her, then there was pressure and warmth. She felt relief begin to come to her body and she felt arms wrap around her. She lifted her tear stricken eyes to meet the ice blue eyes of her mate. Her soul was breaking as she tried to reject him, yet he still came to her. Jay began to cry as she curled into him. The soft shushing sounds he made gave her no comfort as the tears continued to flow. Her clothes were in shreds and she laid naked in the arms of her truest mate. He was her soul, her home, everything she was missing was with him. She couldn't deny him.

"I'm sorry." The words poured from her mouth as tears fell. "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry."

"Shhh..." Henry ran his right hand through her hair as she rested her head on his shoulder, "It's ok. I'm sorry." He whispered it to her, trying his best to calm her. "I shouldn't have yelled at you." She was broken and he just wanted to fix her, to help her, to make her whole again.