Rejected by the Alpha

Chapter 22 - Fire, water and wolves

The bridge ignited all in a single moment. Whimpers, howls and cries from the Rogue wolves filled the air immediately.

Many of the wolves jumped into the fast running water below and were trying to swim the the edge as the current carried them away.

It was a terrible sight but it quickly evened numbers and as the bridge began to creak and break apart, the Rogues were left on the other side needing to regroup and make a new plan.

As Moonlight and I watched, we didn't notice that one of the wolves had made their way out of the water, dripping wet and snarling. It leaped towards us and we responded quickly but they had managed to shove us close to the waters edge. The wet bank crumbled under our back paws and we gripped onto the grassy ground with our claws digging them into the mud. The rest of my group were dealing with the wet Rogue that had attacked us and the others that had managed to crawl across as he had. We whimpered as we started to lose traction. We could feel. The pull of the freezing cold river on our back paws. Then there was the feel of teeth on the back of our necks, pulling at the loose flesh there and helping to drag us back to land. We looked up and saw an unexpected saviour. Edward. He huffed and turned away from us returning to the fight.

It didn't take long for us to dispatch of the remaining dropping wet Rogues that had managed to crawl out of the river. Our group then turned and ran towards the pack house, answering a call that one of groups of Rogues had breached defences enough to reach it. We met a group of wolves on our way and a fight broke out. Snarls filled the air as wolves from both sides flung themselves at one another. Moonlight and I were surrounded feeling a bite on our side even as we attacked from the front. We noticed a wolf head towards a beautiful silver grey wolf who's throat was vulnerable to him. Rayn. That was Rayns wolf. We couldn't get to her from the wolves surrounding us. We crouched low and leaped, stepping across the backs of more than one Rogue and landing in front of Rayn with a thud, growling at her would be attacker. He paused and in his hesitation, we lunged, digging our teeth into his throat in the way he planned to do to Rayn. He tried to shake us off but we were strong and we held fast. We let him go when we were confident he was going to be weakened too much to be an issue. Rayn and I worked side by side from that point on. Defending each other's flanks and dispatching our attackers.

Through the telepathic pack link we received word from Archer that our supporters from the allied packs had arrived. The fight continued for a while longer but it wasn't too long before we got the command to stand down as the Rogues were retreating.

Victory was ours.

We were directed to return to the pack house. Everyone's injuries were being assessed in the main hall. Moonlight and I had sustained minimal damage and did not need medical attention. Others... Had not been as lucky. I noticed Sebastian standing with Jessica and I rushed over to them. I ran towards him and Sebastian caught me in his arms and spun me around. "I was so worried," he muttered into my hair. I pulled back to grin at him. "You shouldn't have been. I know how to handle myself," I replied with a wink. I looked down at Jessica who was staring at me in awe. "Did you fight?" she asked me.

"I did," I replied.

"you're so brave. I can't wait to grow up and be able to train and fight. It's so boring waiting here," she told me with a pout.

"Jessica we've spoke about this," Sebastian told her and I was surprised by his firm tone. "There's no honour in fighting."

"Respectfully Sebastian, I'd disagree," I told him thinking about the way I'm now able to defend and protect both myself and my loved ones.

"I want my daughter to be safe Lena," he replied reminding me of my dad.

"You're not protecting her from anything. You can't be there forever to protect her and relying on a mate who might reject her is really short sighted. Would you be saying that if she was male?"

"Well that's different," Sebastian argued.

"In what way?" I asked.

"Lena must we argue about this? It's silly" he complained.

"You should let your daughter be whoever she wants to be just like you would have if she was a son."

"Lena this isn't what this is about...." he tried to reach towards me but I moved away from his touch.

"But it is Sebastian. I'm really glad you're okay and I shouldn't tell you how to parent. I'm sorry," I told him. "I'm going to go see Archer now."

I hurried away from Sebastian and that awkward conversation feeling deflated. I had never disagreed with Sebastian before and although I knew I shouldn't tell him how to parent, that situation had brought up a lot of feelings for me about my past. I worried that Jessica might one day live that herself. I tried to shake it from my mind to move forward. I noticed Archer was speaking with Edward who seemed upset over some issue. As I got closer I could make out fragments of the conversation and understood what was wrong.. He was unhappy that Archer had not told him about my plan.

"Oh Lena, come here," Archer said looking relieved for a break in the discussion with Edward.

As I shuffled up to the pair I began to think it might have been less awkward if I had stayed with Sebastian.

"the Alpha just told me that the bridge was your idea," Edward told me.

"It was," I replied unsure if I would have preferred for Archer to have taken the credit himself.

"it was a smart strategic move," Edward said. "I just wish you would have involved me."

"It was just being cautious," I told him. The truth was I had never been sure if I could trust him after everything that had happened. But... Then he saved me on the battlefield and I was beginning to wonder if perhaps I could.

There was a long pregnant pause as we waited for his response. "I suppose I can understand that," he said. "I'll check on the troops while you tell her the news," Edward announced, leaving Archer and I alone.

"What news Archer?" I asked.

Archer pressed his tongue to his teeth looking uncomfortable. "It's Natalia," he answered. "We suspect the Rogues took her when they reached the pack house."

I could feel my face crumble, "What?" I said though I had understood perfectly well. I thought I was done worrying about Natalia but here she was again.

"I'm sorry Lena. The guards didn't view watching the cells as a priority. But I... But I know how worrying this will be for you."

I took a deep breath and let it go. Then I shrugged, "We'll just have to be cautious," I told him, my words casual but my tone flat.

"And we will," he assured me. "My hopes is that she'll disappear."

"But in reality, she'll be feeding the Rogues every bit of information she can."

"I'm sorry Lena I feel that I've let you down."

I turned to face him again in that moment "No you havent. You captured her so soon after she attacked me. You identified her as a traitor. Everything was chaos earlier, I'm not surprised she used the opportunity to escape."

"Perhaps it might make you feel better to see some of your friends from crescent moon," Archer said and nodded in a direction to his right. "They're over there."

I followed his line of sight and could see a selection of crescent moon pack warriors. There were also some wolves from packs but I didn't know them. Many of those from crescent moon I didn't know well either but there was one face that stood out.