Magic and a Mate

Chapter 5

Archer’s POV

Staring at my computer screen, seeing nothing even though my eyes have been staring at the words for at least fifteen minutes. I have been restless all day, scratch that, all week. My usually productive mind has been scrambled and my frustration is at its peak.

Fuck, I know it is the full moon causing havoc to reign in my mind, my wolf being agitated hasn’t helped either. Unfortunately for me, being the Alpha of one of the strongest and most prosperous packs means that a full moon on December 1st doesn’t stop the work that needs my attention. But s**t, right now I have the attention span of a toddler at a f*****g zoo.

I lean back and run my hand over my face attempting to release some of the tension. A distinct knock, a quick succinct three raps on my office door, tells me my best friends and Beta, Wil, is on the other side of the door.

“Come in”

He comes in the room with long strides and a flash of a smile. Seems suspicious to me, and I don’t even want to hear what he has to tell me. “Alpha”

I give him a disapproving look at his ‘Alpha’ BS, we are best friends for f***s sake. He just glances behind him at the open door as an answer to my obvious annoyance.

“You know I don’t give a rats ass if the pack knows that as my Beta and best friend you don’t have to call me Alpha when addressing me. f**k, I prefer that they know that I am not some pretentious prick to those that are close to me.” I motion for him to close the door so the rest of our conversation is done in private. “Now, what is it that has that smile that I know is only there to cushion whatever issue you are bringing me?”

He blows out a breath as he sits down across from me and runs a hand through the back of his hair, pulling it slightly in the process. One of Wil’s tells for his own frustration. “I went through the security tapes from the attack this morning, as you asked, and you aren’t going to like what I found.” He shakes his head and then makes eye contact with me. “I almost didn’t catch it, until I went through it frame by frame. It wasn’t rogues Archer, it was f*****g vamps again.”

I slam my fist on my desk making everything on my desk shutter from the force. “f**k!!!” I get up and start pacing, this confirms my suspicions. I knew that the way the bodies were found wasn’t what would typically be found after a rogue attack. The more I think about it though, the aftermath wasn’t what I would expect from vamps either.

“But Archer, the thing is all we get is a blur, but the shape of the blur seems off.” He seems to think on his next words.

“Off, what the f**k does that even mean?”

“We have recorded vamps before and they are all long and lean, clean movements, they move like a dance, fluid I guess you could say. In the surveillance, the blur is just as fast as a vamp, but its movements were jerky and they were more of a solid mass, I couldn’t determine where their legs or arms were.” Will shakes his head. “It’s just weird.” He slides a USP drive across the desk. “Take a look.”

I insert the drive into my computer and watch the footage. First, I watch the video at regular speed, then the frame by frame Wil made. I can see what he is talking about. Whatever this thing is, it has the speed of a vamp, but that seems to be the only similarity. I pause the video and try to examine the blur before me. “Can the IT department get better resolution from some of these stilled frames?”

“I can ask.”

“I definitely see what you are talking about. The only thing that this thing has in common with a vamp, is its speed. I mean even the body that was left had no markers that would indicate a vampire attack. I mean the body was mutated and unrecognizable. The only way we ID’d the body was with the border patrol roster and the confirmed breaking of their family bonds. I wonder if it could be something else?”

“Like what? There isn’t anything else out there that has vamp speed.” Wil shakes his head in confusion.

“Not that we know of.” I say with a raised eyebrow in question.

“Great, so some new assholes with super speed that seem hell bent on killing our pack members is out there now?” He throws his hands up in frustration.

“Could be, not that I want more creatures out there that we know absolutely nothing about.” I close out my computer and make my way to the door. “Let’s get the f**k out of here, if my brain wasn’t already fried before you brought me this new shitstorm, then it is now. You already ramped up security and I left messages for Alpha Mitchel and Alpha Conner right after the attack. The rest will have to keep until tomorrow.”

“Sounds good to me, I could use a good run. You up for a run around the borders, really stretch our legs? We can shore up the lines and run under the full moon, it’s a win-win.” Wil nudges me with his elbow.

“Yeah, my wolf has been more antsy than usual. It must be because it’s a super moon.”

“I don’t know Arch, my wolf doesn’t seem any different from his regular full moon angst.”

“My wolf is probably pissed that the full moon corresponds with the humans celebrating the start of the Christmas season. Taking over OUR forest. Maximus is of the opinion that it is our land and that all the humans need to leave. He is huffing and digging his claws in my mind, f*****g giving me a headache all f*****g day.”

We make our way out the back of the pack house and into the forest that surrounds us. I take in a deep breath before I strip my close off and shift into my large, midnight black wolf. Maximus takes in a deep breath, the scent of the forest and earth helps settle me, but seems to aggravate Maximus. That’s weird, I wonder what crawled up his ass. He is always a bit more aggressive than other wolves, but I put that down to him being an alpha wolf with no mate.

Max gives a short bark to Wil’s dark brown wolf, Rolf, and they both start on their run. Rolf following Maximus over logs and through the undergrowth of the forest. The late afternoon sun still lighting their way.

I relax in the back of my mind, mulling over all that we have learned. I try to piece together who or what this new threat could be. As much as I want it to be rogues or vamps, I know it f*****g isn’t. Right now something, anything we already know about would be best. An unknown creature, with unknown origin, unknown abilities, unknown motives and an unknown ways to eliminate said threat; yeah, that doesn’t sound even the slightest bit fun. f**k!!

I feel Maximus bolt off course and I become alert to my surroundings. I tune into Maximus and don’t feel any anger, if anything I feel excitement pulsing through our connection. Evening has now settled over us and the full moon illuminates the forest. s**t, how long have we been running for?

“Hey buddy, what’s up?”

He snorts at me. “Silly human, still not know.”

That confuses me, so I look around again, nothing.

I close my eyes in my mind and listen, nothing.

I take a deep breath in and i am instantly hit by the best smell ever. night blooming jasmine and cedar moss with a slight undertone of ponderosa pine. It is the best scent I have ever smelled and I am hit with the sudden knowledge that my mate is somewhere in this same forest tonight.

My beast confirms my thoughts with a single word roared in my mind “Mate!!”