Alpha Caleb and the Blessed Wolf

4.

NIKITA

"No no no no no!!! Please goddess no!" I repeated forcing my eyes away from the Prince or should I say the devil incarnate. Disappearing into the forest confused and hurting

It can't be true can it? How could he be my mate, the man is evil. What he did to my parents and pack... the thought alone made the sadness and guilt seep into my heart. I had been so selfish storming off after the announcement, I wasn't there with them busy acting like an ungrateful brat. Swallowing hard, if I was there though, I would have been taken along with them. who knows what Alpha Caleb would do to me if I was in his grasp. Tears threatened to spill down my cheek, knowing there was nothing I could do, helpless and alone. The only thing I could do was get help from our allies. Choking back my sobs I missed a tree root sticking out of ground falling hard on my knees. Pain radiated through my injured leg.

"Ahhhh" crying out. The adrenaline had worn off and the pain, blood loss and emotional turmoil zapped any strength I had left.

I wasn't healing, normally a wolf's fast healing ability would push the bullet out and mend the wound. This bullet must have been made of silver. Those bastards! They came with weapons intending to harm and kill other wolves. I hate them! Worst of all I had found him so damn hot.

Desire, lust, hunger in his eyes as they roamed over me. It was like his gaze commanded me stay frozen, like I wanted him to look at me, wanted him to desire me. A sick part of me was enjoying it. Attracted to my enemy was a recipe for disaster and when I noticed his need standing huge, hard, at full salute, a part of me was pleased. I continued to reassure myself it was only the mate bond. Mates! If what he said is true. Of all the people in the world the leader of our enemy. When the mate bond snaps into place at 18 I will reject his arse so quickly it'll be as if it never existed. Then I will tear him and Obsidian Blood pack apart for what they have done to my family and pack.

Night had well and truly fallen and with it the temperature. Too weak to shift and without a wolf's heightened senses it made it difficult to wander through the terrain. Moonstone pack was able to stay hidden for so long because of the mountains, thick forests and the gorge that isolated them. With no knowledge of the terrain past the gorge nor direction of travel in the night, I cursed myself for not listening to Ryker drone on about his training using the constellations for markers. I was so bored that I made him point out the zodiac stars instead and told him their compatibility status, he ended up giving up his lesson. My heart panged when I thought about Ryker.

He was carrying that coat when we parted. Praying he had discarded it along the way and not died trying to fight and protect me.

Remembering the kiss we shared, it was the first time Ryker had kissed me so affectionately on the lips. A kiss I had wanted for 6 months since he had returned. He was a man any she-wolf would want to be mates with. I guess the reason we never crossed the friendship line was because of this moment right now. We would find our mates and remain as friends without the awkward "we've hooked up together and seen each other naked" complications. That reason now seemed inconsequential. I want him and love him.

This was not the kind of adventure I wanted, not the mate I wanted, not the destiny I wanted.

Eventually reaching the headwater where the capped peaks of the mountain normally melted causing it to overflow into the gorge. It had been a painful climb but thankfully the winter chill had stopped the flow and a small cave could be seen in the rockface. Stumbling over the last few jagged rocks to shelter the exhaustion took over. It was cold and damp in that small cave but protected from the wind and hidden enough. Sharpening a stick I attempted to remove the bullet, instead re-opening the wound that was caked in mud from falling down in the forest and trying to hide my scent. Now that I had found a place for the night I gathered the dryest leaves and sticks. I remembered going camping each year for my Dad's birthday he loved getting out into the forest and let me roam in wolf form for once. He had shown me to search the river banks for stones that would spark and when the small spark lit the tinder I curled up on my uninjured side against the warmth.

I watched the first snowflake fractals drift delicately past the entrance. The magic of the first snowflakes falling is usually my favourite time of year. How ironic that I had adored the beautiful snowflake's intricate patterns. A creation of perfect chaos. I wanted something exciting in my life, a little bit of chaos in my boring pack, but not like this. Now, all that I could see and feel around me was the worst of the chaos not the beautiful. The beauty and magic stripped away leaving only the truth that it was frozen particles of dust and water. Reality had truly come crashing down. It was then lying alone half conscious I missed those annoying people, my boring pack and prayed to the goddess to keep them safe.

I cried until there were no tears left in my body. Cried for my parents, for Ryker, for the people in the pack, and finally for myself. Heartbroken that my mate the one person who was supposed to be the partner to my soul was the enemy and he and his family had committed crimes that were unforgivable.

Feeling light headed after the emotional breakdown, heat started to spread up legs to my body I was burning up. Looking down at the wound, nasty purple streaks spread out like tentacles as the reaction to silver started to circulate in my veins. No, it was laced with wolfsbane that's why I was so weak. Blood poisoning, f**k. Unable to move from fetal position all night I stayed curled waiting to greet death in my sleep.

"At least the devil will never get to destroy me if I'm dead". The fever overtook my body hot, cold, hot, cold shivering but my body was burning. I imagined the heat was Ryker's body holding me snuggled infront of the TV. Sharing a kiss, sharing more than a kiss. Breathing in his warm scent of cinnamon, coffee and a whole lot of man. It was almost as if I could almost smell the real thing. It soothed my sadness and eased my pain allowing me to drift off to sleep.

Morning came quickly I didn't know how long I had been out and kept falling in and out of consciousness. The most glorious light shone through the opening of the cavern, at least I thought it was the cavern. It's warmth could have been the warm embrace of the heaven's or the fires of hell, was I dead or had I survived the night. Either way I couldn't move a muscle. I could see it's bright glow behind my heavy swollen eyelids. The heat felt nice even though I continued to shiver. Peaking out from one eye I finally dared to look. I was alive still in hidden in the cave. Sun light filtered through the entrance.

I heard the crunch of foot steps someone was coming closer, my heart pounded in my chest and my shallow breathing quickened, panic consumed me. I couldn't run, couldnt hide, I couldn't f*****g move as a huge figure emerged into view. All I could see was a big black shadowy figure.

Shit, s**t, s**t, was all I thought before my vision started to blur and fade, darkness taking over my consciousness. My heart knew it was the devil coming to drag me to hell. Prince Caleb.