Mythical Mate for an Alpha

Chapter 19

I registered the fear on Andre’s face briefly before shifting to Nash and bolting through the door, my father right at my heels. I could hear paws hitting the stairs behind me and knew that Andre had shifted and was heading down with us. 

Rogues had never breached our borders before today. The more that kept happening with these rogues and oddities, the angrier I became. How come no one told me? I may not want the Alpha title, but as a member of the Alpha family I had a right to know, especially after having to sit through weeks of Alpha summit. 

A million different thoughts were flashing through my mind as we pounded through the house. Were we prepared as a pack for something like this? Yes, our warriors were skilled and highly deadly. Though no one had attempted something like this before didn’t mean it wasn’t possible. One of my great grandfathers had said as much in one of the grimy journals I was forced to read. Today’s current situation made me glad for that bit of fortune telling.

We burst through the front doors to see the pack land in chaos. Everywhere, there were wolves fighting rogues. Mothers were screaming for their children while men and women alike were shifting into battle 

“Where are the Elite?” I asked my father. They were our formal warrior brigade. While we all trained from childhood, another one of those fanciful suggestions from a long dead Alpha, there were soldiers who trained specifically for this.

“Cross’s Summit, training,” he replied blankly. 

I looked at him confused. Sensing my gaze, he went on. “Other Alphas run their fighting teams through more rigorous terrain a few times a year. It is meant to build their stamina. They left yesterday morning at dawn.”

I could sense from my father an emotion I have never felt from him. It was fear. My father was never afraid. 

I opened my mind to take in the voices. This was bad. Very bad. If the Elite weren’t here then all we had were the regular wolves. I had no idea how many rogues we were facing and no clue where to even start. 

“Owen!” I called out through link. “Report!” I needed to have some base line if I was going to help.

“I’m coming in from Hancock Stream. A few were lurking, but it was a distraction. They came through the front freaking gate Syrus. Took out our guards there while the rest of us were monitoring the east and west border.”

Owen was panting hard and sounded worried. This was completely new to us. He had to have been as confused as me. 

I opened my link deeper and listened to the voices. I honed in on our the guards that hold down the entrance to the pack lands. The howls and growling made my stomach turn. The pained cry of a wolf rang through my conscious and almost brought me to my knees. It didn’t sound like we were winning. 

“Andre!” I barked through our link, turning behind me to face him. “To the front! I need a report on how many are coming through and how many wolves are still standing. Send another patrol to the east and west borders to watch for other ‘distractions’.”

Andre bowed his head and took off through the woods. Andre was skilled at tracking, but more skilled at being undetected. This is what made him so good at our security. If it could fool Andre, then this was a caliber of wolves that we never expected. Regular rogues did not have the ability to get the upper hand on us this way. 

In that moment, a rogue tore through the underbrush in front of us heading toward a woman and child. Before Nash could make a move, my fathers wolf Titan sprang forward. 

My father and Titan are a sight to behold even on a good day. He is a huge brown wolf flecked with black. He stands even taller than me, and I am large even for an Alpha male.

Titan skidded in front of the woman right as the rogue closed in. Before he could lay another paw forward, Titan reared back and came down with heavy claws. The rogue’s throat was torn out before he could exhale his next breath. 

Those who weren’t fighting were running as fast as they could to the pack house. Not only was it our sanctuary, but it was also fortified decades ago when these attacks were common. Then it hit me. My family. Where was my family? 

Three more rogues were coming through the tree line heading toward Titan. From the left, I could see another 2 pressing in. I looked to Titan, who merely nodded and turned back to bear his massive teeth. 

Nash wasn’t going to stay idle any longer. First priority was to ensure that the path into the pack house remained clear for those who could not fight. We tore off in the direction of the two rogues. I took them in, assessing as much as I could as we hurtled across the grass.

They were smaller, scrawny looking even. They were in no condition to descend on a pack like us. On a normal day with the Elite here, they would have been dead in a matter of seconds. Hell, they wouldn’t have even made it through the gates. 

Nash and I didn’t hesitate. We aimed right for the one on the right and barreled into him. We rolled across the ground, teeth barred and snapping. The weight of my wolf was too much and soon had him below me. Without a second thought, I tore through the fur and flesh of his neck until the rogue’s head was barely attached. 

The second rogue was in mid leap and knocked into me as the blood and fur slipped from my snout. He bit into my shoulder and Nash roared. Now we were pissed. 

I rolled onto my back with the rogue on top of me. I wanted him to think he had the upper hand. The victory flashed briefly across his eyes, and in that moment I knew I had him. 

I curled up my legs and thrust with all my strength into his torso. He flew back into the nearest tree. A loud crack resounded through the air and the wolf fell limp to the ground, dead.

I could hear more voices trying to get through so I pushed open the connection once again. Screams were filling my thoughts. I needed to try and sift through.

Suddenly, I heard the voice of my mother. She was calling out to the others and telling them to get to the pack house. To those inside, she was giving instructions on how to to secure certain parts of the house and where to shelter the children. 

“Mom. Are you ok?” I called to her.

“Syrus? Is that you?” she questioned. “Yes. We are fine.”

“Where are the others?” I called back with a lump in my throat.

“Eli went with a patrol to the right side of the lands toward our house. Trish, Ella, and Kitty are still there sleeping.” she called back breathlessly. I heard her give a few more instructions to someone around her. “Orla is with me putting the women and children into the bunker rooms and locking them in.”

I cut the link with her before she could say anymore. I looked around at the blood and fur around me. Our wolves were holding their own, but they were starting to tire. Owen’s wolf Tabeous had finally gotten to the clearing and was flanking a father and son as they made their way to the pack house. 

My fury at the c*****e in my pack had my blood boiling over. If only someone had listened to me. This was Kitty’s doing. How else would someone have known that our warriors were gone. Only someone familiar with the pack could have known the points of entry. As soon as the rogues were killed, Kitty would be next on my list.

Two more rogues burst through the tree line, blood dripping from their fangs. Tabeous let out a roar and held a fighting stance, waiting for them to come to him. It was wise on his part. He could anticipate their plan of attack better from the brief observation. 

As planned, Tabeous tore the leg from the first and rounded on the second. As I was about to turn away, I saw three more rogues descend. They were heading for Tabeous. While he was a skilled fighter, even 5 wolves was too much for Tabeous. They would kill him. It was then that something snapped in me.

My family was at risk, my pack, my friends. Tabeous was about to die. The fury and anger could no longer be contained. A roar ripped through me from the very depth of my soul. All heads snapped in my direction. The rogues stopped dead in their tracks. They seemed confused and conflicted. A few, I noticed, bowed while still others coward. Another roar, deeper than the first exploded from Nash before I took off toward Tabeous.

Nash rocketed through the air and onto the back of the fist rogue that was trying to sneak up on Tabeous. We brought down our paw and tore his head clean off. As the blood poured out covering our fur, Nash turned to the others. They each took a few steps back as if wanting to flee. Nash lunged and bit into the leg of the first. The rogue reared back howling, and Nash ripped through its torso spilling its innards.

The third turned to flee. Nash and I were having none of it. Hot on his heels, we reached out and grabbed onto his tail. A piercing howl escaped from the wolf and we tore his tail from his body, spine slipping out along with it. 

I turned back around to find no more rogures trying to get through. Dead wolves littered the dirt and grass of the common. My pack mates were trying to catch their breath and cuont our dead as I caught sight of my father. 

As I passed through, every wolf in my pack bowed their head. I was confused, but didn’t have the extra capacity to even try to understand. There could be more of these filthy wolves at any moment. Now was not the time to get lax.

Owen had shifted back and was standing next to my human formed father. Nash and I shifted back as we continued to stride toward them. The look on Owen’s face was concerning. There was a fear in his eyes and something else. It was a  look I could not recognize. He too bowed before me as I approached. Now was not the time for his games. 

I dismissed Owen’s behavior and got right to the point.

“Have we called back the Elite?” I asked my father, irritated. 

“Yes. Owen called them back when we realized what was happening.” my father said nodding in Owen’s direction. I looked to Owen who would still not meet my eye. 

It was then that my father, Owen, and I heard Andre reaching out to us through link. “There are more coming, atleast 100. There are only a handful of guards left up here Alpha. We can’t hold them.”

“The Elite are running full speed, but are still too far from the grounds. Alpha, I don’t know if we have enough strength with the wolves that are left to fend off that many.” Owen said with concern and desperation lacing his words.

“We can help!” said a voice from behind me. I whipped around to see Ella. Trish was by her side.

“Ella, you and Trish get back to the house. It isn’t safe here.” I announced gruffly. 

Trish stepped forward. “This is my pack too Syrus. I am also Alpha born. I will defend my land and my people or I will die doing so.” She stated. I could feel the Alpha tone in her statement. I was shocked. And for the second time that day, Owen bowed. I was really going to punch the guy for his antics at a time like this. 

“Fine. Trish stays. Ella, get to the pack house.” I demanded.

“No Syrus. I’m staying with you and Dad and Trish.” she pouted. 

“No Ella” came Trish’s response. “You are needed with Mom at the pack house. Should the rogues get through, someone will need to be there to fight and protect the bunker rooms.”

That idea sounded more gallant to Ella. She looked to all of us before turning back to Trish and nodding. My sisters hugged tightly before Ella took off back to the pack house. 

“Where is Eli?” I asked Trish

“He and the patrol came to wake us up and get us back here. They went back into the forest to keep watch on the West. It looks like someone has been making small campsites on the edge of the boundary. Someone has been watching us Sy.” she said with a darkness in her tone. 

“Alpha!” Andre called through the link again for all of us to hear. “I pulled back the last of our guards and am working to set a trap” came the frantic words.

“Andre, are the rogues still holding at the border?” my father asked sternly. The silence that followed turned my skin cold. 

“Andre” my father called again. “Andre, answer me.”

Another beat passed. A wave of terror broke over me as no response came from Andre. I couldn’t comprehend that one of my best friends may have just died. 

From the short distance between the common and tree line, we could hear the pounding of paws. Breaking twigs and maddening howls were heading in our direction. I had almost lost Owen today and now it seems that I may have truly lost Andre. I shifted to Nash faster than I have ever shifted in my life. 

WIth more fury than the first two times, Nash reared back on his hind legs standing to full height and roared into the sky. The sound shook the ground beneath us. It was a war cry and the rest of the pack joined in. Every wolf around me, and those far out on the edges of the borders, let out a deafening howl. We would defend these lands like we had done for so many generations before us. Only death would keep me from protecting what was mine.