Against the Black

Chapter 14

Kalua came forward and charged toward our western border. We ushered people toward the bunker. Someone had started the pack alarms, so most people were already rushing to the bunker.

Kalua, on your left! I called out to her, and we spun. There was a kid, no more than four or five years old, standing in between two buildings. He looked dazed and confused, but not upset. We jumped in front of him and Kalua gave me back control. I knelt before him and asked,

“What are you doing here, kid? You need to get to the bunker. Where are your parents?” I looked around while he just stared at me in shocked silence. “Do you mind if I pick you up and carry you? I want to get you to safety quickly.” Rather than nod or say anything, he simply held his hands up to me and I lifted him onto my hip. I carried him and ran toward the pack house. A woman screamed nearby, and I spun to face her. The little boy in my arms reached for her.

“Get him to the bunker.” I told the woman. She nodded, crying and thanking me. I shifted, and Kalua took us back to the western edge of our clearing. As soon as we reached the edge of the forest, we could smell blood and other wolves. Kalua growled low. She began moving up the mountainside that surrounded our home. She moved quickly, but cautiously.

Alpha, some of the Pine Claw pack, has made it through. We have reinforcements coming from other border locations, but I’m not sure how quickly they’ll get here. Kalua stopped and sniffed.

Send them back to their posts. Let the warriors on the inner ring in the clearing handle any that get through the front lines. I cut the link with my warrior and made a pack wide link explaining the plan.

Something doesn’t feel right. Kalua said, and I agreed. But I couldn’t place what felt wrong. Then it hit me.

Prepare for an attack on the east side. Pine Claw territory is southeast of us. Their main force will come from the east. I called to my warriors and Kalua spun to run to the eastern edge of our territory. Before she breached the trees, an enemy wolf blocked our path.

He was a small brown wolf with white markings on his face and paws. He bared his teeth and backed away. His body language told me he didn’t want to fight, but knew he needed to. Kalua charged, and he met her head on. She snapped her paw out and swatted him into the closest tree. With a loud crack, the wolf was unconscious.

Did you have to hit him so hard? I asked Kalua.

It needed to look believable. He was terrified. I could smell his fear. But we couldn’t have him hurting other pack members. So, knock him out and don’t make him look like a wimp. It keeps our pack members safe and keeps him from getting too big of a scolding when he returns to his pack lands.

If he goes back to his pack lands. Kalua huffed her agreement and ran to the eastern border. We met up with the east border captain.

Alpha, it’s quiet so far. His large gray wolf bowed slightly to Kalua.

Make a hole in the line. Make it look like you’ve gone to the western border to help contain the breach. Fall back to the north and south borders. Alpha Brian will charge in and once all his wolves are inside, close the gap and surround them. Once they’re inside, we’ll slowly tighten the noose around them. His wolf nodded, and he moved off to relay my orders. Kalua moved to the north and hunkered low.

Once the way was open, Alpha Brian’s wolf barreled down the mountain, followed closely by close to twenty other wolves. Kalua chose that moment to jump out of the bushes ahead of Brian. He saw her and charged faster. She stood frozen for a moment, letting him close in a little, then bolted for the clearing below. Any time he got too far behind, she would stop and wait for him to catch up, then take off again. She played the part of the scared rabbit and he, the part of the ferocious wolf. But he fell into her traps every time he pushed harder to catch her.

As soon as Alpha Brian and his pack entered the clearing, my warriors surrounded them. The inner circle of defense had been given the same orders and swiftly closed the gap. Alpha Brians pack members faltered and slowed. Some even stopped to spin, realizing they were surrounded. Kalua stopped and turned, letting out a menacing growl directly at Alpha Brian, who skidded to a stop about a hundred feet away. Then she shifted, giving me control.

“Pine Claw pack, you are surrounded. You have two choices. Alpha Brian may fight me alone, and the rest of you will leave unharmed. Or you will all fight, and you will all leave gravely wounded or not at all.”

I stood in the clearing, feeling the wind on my skin and all eyes on me. It was a risky move, shifting back to my human form in the middle of a battle. Alpha Brian decided to take advantage of my vulnerable position and charged. Kalua surged forward, and we shared control as he came at us. She poured all her strength into me and as he lunged, snapping at me, I spun. Dodging to the side while placing my left hand on his muzzle and right hand under his belly. Together, Kalua and I flipped him, using his momentum against him. He landed on his back with a loud crack. His wolf howled in pain and I leapt over him, straddling his chest. My human legs wrapped around him and my feet barely touched the ground on either side of his large wolf's body. I pressed my hands against his throat, just under his jaw, as it tried to snap at me. Kalua and I spoke as one.

“You have harmed your mate, you have trespassed on our lands, and now you have attacked my pack while housing the royal family.” He froze, and his eyes grew huge. “And you lost. You will either be killed or kept prisoner. I will let your mate decide your fate.” I leaned in closer and whispered, “You better hope she is more forgiving than you or I.” I climbed off and Kalua pushed her aura onto his wolf, forcing him to shift. Then she receded, and I had full control again. As soon as he was shifted, two of my warriors bound his wrists and ankles with silver shackles and dragged him to the pack house steps.

A third warrior brought me a pair of gray sweatpants and a white tank top. I hadn’t registered that I was naked for half of that, and quickly put the clothes on. Though I did feel a little silly passing judgment in sweatpants, I wasn’t about to go change my clothes just to tell this ass wipe to kick rocks.

The remainder of the Pine Claw pack had all shifted to their human forms and stood with their heads bowed. I could feel the fear and uncertainty coming off them in waves. I stepped up the pack house steps and looked down on Alpha Brian’s kneeling figure until Michelle emerged from the pack house. Followed by Beta Marck and Roman.