The Last Female Alphas

UNEXPECTED REUNION 4

Blaze POV:

As soon as we got back, we shifted and got dressed behind the bush. Oliver and Davis are ready to attack before they notice us. Blake is still carrying Ritz in his arms like a newlywed couple. Nina helps Ritz with the neck wound, as soon as we settle down. Ritz is still sitting in Blake's lap, and we all do our best to ignore their intimacy. The wound is shallow and will be healed by the morning. Fae are slow healers, but we are in the forest and sleeping on the ground. Being surrounded by nature will help her heal faster. Her earth powers are the strongest, so being in nature comforts her. I have seen her crazily talking to plants in the greenhouse. Sometimes it’s funny when she does that. She looks at me and smiles, so I wink at her, which earns me a growl from Apollo. He is now shifted and is guarding her. I don’t think he will sleep at all now. I followed his lead and shifted into my wolf form. Thor is extremely happy to spend time with his bluey. I checked the perimeter again and once, I am sure she is safe I reflexed just a little. I sat down next to Ray in my wolf form; this would keep her warm.

Thor is overzealous with excitement. This has been a dream throughout our life, to sit next to her and share the warmth of the twinkling night. Even after all the troubles we went through to get here, I won’t change a single thing if I have her next to me. I could die a thousand times to have her next to me. I have one wish, if somehow I can take away all the suffering she endured and give her the happiness she deserves just this ones.

When Ray doesn’t wake up in the morning, I am hyperventilating, but Nina reassures me that she is too weak from dehydration, blood loss, and starvation. She needs to rest to get well. We clean our campsite and hide any traces of our stay. Oliver and Davis buried the dead bodies so nobody else could track us or them. We ate the leftover stew for breakfast and started tracking towards our destination. The path is more dangerous and steeper now, so I secure Ray on my chest with a long scarf just to keep her safe. Ritz and Blake are holding hands and shyly blushing at each other. They both look adorable together. Blake is a tall, massive brute with dark olive skin, while Ritz is a petite Fae, with a fair complexion and auburn hair. She looks like a kid in front of his massive frame.

“This is not fair. This is a rescue mission, not some picnic. You all are just lost in each other, and we are third-wheeling with you. Stop being so lovey-dovey.” Oliver shouts, throwing a tantrum like a kid as if we don’t know he is thinking about Luke. What I don’t understand is what is wrong between them. There is some unspoken tension between them. I have noticed it but for the life of me, I can’t figure out the reason. It almost feels like they have a bond, but that can’t be it, right? They will tell us if they are mates. There is no need to hide.

“Awwww... little Olie is jealous.” I retorted back at him.

He turns bright red but shuts up. We took the pathway ahead through the rocky cliffs which led us further into the darker forest towards the swamps. We should reach our destination by the end of today if nothing else happens. Luke and Connor should be there with Eric, Ria, and Stacey. Our final destination is the magical meadow we call home.

We have locked the meadow with magic, so for any strangers, it looks like a swamp. Only when you rotate the right stone near the old willow tree, does the barrier open and gives you access to enter, and then it closes behind you. This gives us extra protection while we train for what is to come.

We keep walking throughout the day without resting. The crunching sound of leaves under our feet is our companion for the restless journey. We are alert after what happened last night. Nobody says anything, so we can hear our surroundings clearly to notice anyone following us. Even though wolves are very light on their feet, the rustling of the leaves and breaking of the branches sound far too loud in the silent forest. These parts of the woods are completely bare without any wildlife. That’s one of the reasons we chose this path. It gives us the privacy we need, even though it’s highly dangerous to take this journey alone, but we are a pack. We have each other to watch our back. The path has been unused for a long time, hence broken branches and dried leaves are covering the whole area. It’s a spell that Stacey cast to remove our footprints in this area. She is extra careful, but it helps. Due to her cautious attitude, she doesn’t underestimate anything. Even though sometimes we make the mistake of trusting something or ignoring the obvious, she doesn’t.

Forest spirits are chattering in the distance, meaning we have crossed the dead woods. The darkness of the wood lingers around us, but the air doesn’t feel stale and stuffy anymore. The humming of cricket is like a symphony, otherwise the forest is eerily quiet. Blue jays are flying around us, their beautiful blue wings are sparkling in the sunlight. A colony of brightly colored parrots is in the trees whistling without a care in the world. The beautiful, serene atmosphere lets us know that we are closer to our final destination.

After the late afternoon, the landscape around us changes yet again. The brown mold and green moss cover the trees. Huge spider webs cover the trees like a blanket. It's like a giant spider is trapping everything that moves for his meal. The ominous aura around us sends a chill down my spine. The air is moist and stale. Suddenly, the area feels dead. The smell of dirty stagnant water surrounds us. No chirping or singing of the birds is heard around us anymore. We are closing in towards the swamp.

“We are closer to our destination, be alert.” I mind link everyone.