THE ALPHA'S ABANDONED MATE

The Return and The Surprise

Alpha Lucas and his men were en route to their kingdom. The long journey indeed weighed heavily on them, yet they were alert. The forest that lied around them was unusually quiet, far too quiet. Woods would usually be filled with animals, rustling of leaves, but now all was still heard.

It was one of those silences that stood the hair on the back of Lucas's neck on end. Something was wrong, badly wrong. "Stay alert," Lucas growled low at his men, his voice barely audible but firm. His gaze cut across the trees as his instincts yelled at him that something was close.

Then, suddenly, the rustling in the bushes reached his ears. In the next instant, time barely to think, and some stray werewolves jumped out from the shades, their eyes all aglow with malice, snarls filling the air. The attack came swift and vicious, utterly unprepared for Lucas and his warriors. In this instance, there was not even a moment taken for hesitation, and instantly, Lucas was in full wolf form, molding his body into it in that moment.

His muscles flexed beneath his fur, his claws extended ready for combat. Eyes that had turned a bright yellow furiously blazed as he lunged at the first rogue, his claws swiping into the flesh of the animal with such ease. His men soon followed suit, shifting into their wolf forms, and in no time, the forest was filled with the sounds of a very brutal battle.

The savage fight the rogue werewolves put on, their claws and teeth tearing into Lucas's men. That it was no kind of random attack was apparent. The rogues had been lying in wait, biding their time to ambush him. Fighting with all his might, he moved swiftly and deadlier.

His claws ripped into one rogue's throat as he quickly turned to avoid another's attack. No matter how many he killed, there seemed to be a number equal to take their place. It was if the forest was spitting them out, one after another. Lucas's men were fighting valiantly, but the number of rogues was so overwhelming. He saw one of his warriors go down, his body hitting the ground with a sickening thud.

Then another. And another. His heart twisted; men were falling. The blood soaked into the earth beneath them as the peaceful forest was turned into a blood-drenched arena. A furious roar tore from Lucas' mouth as his wolf towered over that of the rogues, attacking with teeth and claws alike. His body yowled in protest at the wounds he'd already sustained, yet he didn't cease. Couldn't. Not while his men were still fighting for their lives. With a last growl, Lucas took down the final rogue, his body trembling with the exertion.

He lay there, panting, his fur matted with blood-some his, some belonged to the rogues he had killed. Hard breathing; his muscles screamed in protest, but he didn't care. He stared around him at the aftermath of the battle.

Most of his warriors were still on their feet, though they were battered and bloody, too. But so many of his men had fallen. The weight of that loss hung heavy in the air, on Lucas's chest, heavy with anger and grief. His fists clenched, the claws digging into his palms as he fought for control of the storm raging inside him. "We cannot stay here," Lucas growled low, his frustration high. "Let us be off. We have to go back to the palace." The remaining warriors only nodded, their faces stern. The others started to walk, their footsteps slow and labored.

They were all wounded, and the burden of their dead comrades weighed heavily upon them. Lucas turned to walk away from the forest, and he cast one last look back at the bodies of his dead warriors, vowing silently that their sacrifice would not be in vain. He was going to find out who had sent these rogues, and they were going to pay dearly. By the time they reached the palace gates, the sky had darkened, and stars began peeking through the clouds. The sight of the injured Alpha and his men sent the palace guards hurrying to open the gates and running forward.

"Alpha Lucas, you're back!" One of the guards hailed; great was the relief to finally see their leader again, even though quite obvious that Alpha and his warriors had just gone through a rough battle. Lucas merely nodded briefly. "Barely," he grumbled low, his voice barely above a whisper, laced with exhaustion. His body ached from the fight, but he knew he couldn't rest. Not yet. Attend to the hurt," he ordered, voice clear and firm despite his own pain.

The guards had hastened to support the hurt warriors and got them inside the palace. Lucas himself wounded, limped steadily towards the palace entrance in torn and bloodied clothes; the power of his usual stride impeded just a little by his pain. Still, he forged ahead. From the shadows at the door came Viktor, Lucas's Beta. Viktor took one look at Lucas and paled. "Alpha, what happened?" Viktor asked, instant concern threading in his voice. "We were attacked by rogues," Lucas said after a much-hardened voice.

"We lost too many men." He said nothing more for several seconds as his eyes clouded with the memory of the fight. "But I need to see Isabella," he said, softness seeping into his voice. Viktor nodded. "Of course, Alpha," he replied, stepping aside to let Lucas through.

The more he was inside the palace, the more one's footsteps reverberated off stone floors. Palace servants bowed at his passing, eyes wide in surprise at their injured Alpha. But Lucas barely noticed. His brain was consumed by a single thought-see Isabella. It had been several months since he saw her, and the pain and tiredness only made him yearn more to be at her side. With every step nearer to her, his heart beat with anticipation just that much faster. The battle was cruel; he felt heavy in his heart the loss of his men. But now, the thought of being with Isabella brought some peace. She was his mate, his anchor in the tempest that was his life.

Finally, Lucas reached the hallway that led to Isabella's room. He slowed his pace, his heart pounding in his chest. It was too long since he had last held her, too long since he had heard her voice. He came to a stop in front of the door, taking a deep breath. There was something that seemed off, but he wasn't really sure what it was. A second ticked by with his hand merely stalled over the door handle before he finally pushed it open. As the door swung wide, Lucas froze, eyes wide in utter shock at the incredible sight his eyes met.