The Golden One

They're Under Attack

Christopher has been at my pack for several days now and it's been the happiest few days I've had in ages. We are like giddy teenagers, constantly kissing and cuddling and whispering sweet nothings. I have no doubt we are getting on people's nerves.

We have been sharing a bed but I can't bring myself to move past steamy make out sessions. There's still something holding me back, and I think it might be my heart.

Michael has been more absent than usual, understandably, but Ayoke has been more present than ever before. When I am busy, she is constantly quizzing Christopher about Carl and asking if he's ok. I didn't know, but Carl had found his mate when Christopher was being held captive. She had later died in a rogue attack, Christopher had never met her.

I think Ayoke and Carl are good for each other and even though she is 11 years his senior, you wouldn't notice. They looked so sweet together at the feast and I'm happy if she's happy. Christopher also told me in confidence that Carl has been pining for her since she left.

"Well who wouldn't be pining after this?" She flicks her braids in a comical fashion as she speaks. Ok, admittedly I didn't keep it to myself.

"Anyway, since I'm clearly not getting any please tell me you guys are doing the nasty." She grins and rubs her hands together and I roll my eyes.

"Ayo, stop!" I tap her arm slightly and she gasps.

"Wait. Not even a little naughtiness?" Her face is plastered with shock. I shuffle awkwardly and look at the ground.

"But you were basically jumping on anyone who touched you before he got here!" Her voice is filled with surprise, she shakes me at my shoulders and I meet her gaze.

"It's eased off now he's here. W-we've done some over the clothes stuff." I speak quietly, embarrassed at the topic of conversation.

"Girl you must have hella good self-control. I was lying next to—" I growl at her before she can finish.

"A little possessive are we?" She chuckles at me and I smack my palm to my face at my behaviour.

Where are you?

Christopher's voice rings in my head, sounding panicked. I reply and he runs to us.

"I have to go! Carl, the pack, they're under attack!" His eyes are wide as he speaks frantically and tugs at my arm.

"Wait, wait. Calm down, what has Carl said." I hold onto him trying to keep him as calm as possible.

"A pack of feral rogues attacked out of the blue! I have to go to him."

A pack he said? Rogues are packless and notoriously don't group together, only a hand full here and there. As I'm thinking he's trying to run off but run where? It'll be all over before we get to them.

"Christopher, look at me." My voice is firm. He reluctantly stops wriggling.

"We are three hours away by car, an hour and a half or two by wolf as the crow flies. We can't do anything." It's harsh but it's true and he knows it. He melts into my arms and I nod to Ayoke, she turns on her heel and marches back to the pack house. She's going to see if she can see the outcome.

"I can't lose him too, I just can't." He whimpers in my arms and I stroke his hair trying to calm him.

"We can leave now so that we can be there to support them in the aftermath, no matter what." He raises his head and his eyes are filled with tears though they don't fall. He nods and we hurry to the house to pack a bag and leave.

Michael and Ayoke meet us at the SUV, I briefly explain to Michael and he nods. I have no worries leaving pack business to him, he's more than capable. Christopher is now in the car and Ayoke leans in to whisper what she has seen.

Everyone will be alive but there will be injuries. She looks concerned as she explains the whole vision was clouded in darkness and wasn't as clear as usual. I hug her then hop into the car. I choose not tell Christopher what she has seen, although she's never been wrong before, it would be unfair to give him that hope then something terrible does happen.

The car journey is silent and I hold Christopher's hand in mine, rubbing soft circles over it. His pain lingers in the air and ripples through my body but I just stare out of the window wishing there was something I could do. I mind link the driver to step on it and not to worry about breaking the speed limit and he obliges. The sooner we get there, the better.

It's night time as we arrive and an uncomfortable quietness blankets the packlands. Christopher’s tension passes on to me as we scan the grounds for something, anything. Something doesn't feel right.

We pull up at the entrance and Christopher launches himself out of the car, running desperately up the front stairs to the house.

"Where is he?" He shouts and the guard wolf, Emmett, runs to meet him.

"Chris! You're here?" He scrambles his words, eyes wide seeing Christopher’s frantic energy. Christopher picks him up by the front of his shirt in a rage.

"Where is he?" He growls.

"H-he was bitten. H-he's in the pack hospital." He stutters out and Christopher drops him instantly and runs off, I follow closely behind him trying to keep up with his desperate sprint.

He bursts through the door of the pack hospital and there, on a hospital bed, was an unconscious and bloodied Carl. Christopher growls lowly and runs over to him before grabbing onto his face, his arms; anything he can. Pack doctors rush to stop Christopher but it's no use. I step forward and use my strength to push him back and grab onto his face, stroking his cheeks.

"Let them work, Christopher. Let them do their job." I coo at him trying to calm him. When he stops fighting to get passed me, I take his hand and guide him outside with me. He leans against the wall, eyes filled with tears, and slides to the ground. He buries his face in his hands, letting out soft sobs. I crouch beside him, pulling him into my arms.

We sit there for hours, letting the doctors’ work on Carl. Christopher continues to sob until he drifts off from the adrenaline crash, but I continue to hold him and stoke his hair.

I have mind linked Michael to send Ayoke. Maybe she can shed some light on the attack. It's unusual that she missed something like this.

A pack doctor comes out with a worried expression. I gently shake Christopher and he jumps up and lunges for the doctor. Before he can reach her, I step in and hold him back letting him come to his senses and calm down.

"We've set the broken bones and stitched up the wounds. He's sedated, but you can go in and see him." Christopher pushes past me but the doctor catches his arm before he can walk through the door. I stifle a growl; now is not the time to be possessive.

"Before you go in, he was bitten by something which seems to have infected him. We are running tests, but the wound doesn't look pretty. We've tried to cut out as much infection as possible but it spreads fast. Don't touch it." He brushes her off and storms into the hospital room. I nod and thank her before following.

She wasn't wrong when she said the wound didn't look pretty. It is the first thing I notice when I walked in; an oozing black bite mark on his left shoulder. As I move closer I notice that the darkness looks like it is rotting at the veins around the wound and, as I take another closer look, the smell hits me. The same putrid stench the disheveled rogue had emitted last week.

I look up at Christopher who is towering over his unconscious brother, tears trickling down his cheeks. But it's isn't sadness in his eyes, it is rage. The same level of rage that had been in his eyes the first day we met; the kind that was filled with fire and hurt and gave him an uncontrollable power.

"Christopher, I—" before I can finish he turns and brushes past me leaving me with my mouth half open, mid sentence. I follow him out as he storms to the barracks, his fists clenched and jaw ticking furiously.

He bursts through the door and all conversation and movement stops. I stand just behind him watching the scene unfold.

"I want every single warrior who fought tonight on that field. Now!" He bellows, rage vibrating from his body. I feel everything he is feeling and it scares me, I've never felt rage or hurt like it.

Everyone scurries outside, some half clothed, some limping, but all obey. They would be fools not to. They all run into formation and stand tall, arms by their sides.

"Who will tell me happened here tonight and why my brother, your Alpha, is now lying unconscious in a hospital bed?" He spits the words out at them. No one moves.

"Tell me!" He screams and an older gentleman steps forward.

"I will. Edmund, sir. Chief Warrior." His voice is steady and Christopher storms up to him standing inches from him and towering over him.

"Speak." He growls.

"They attacked without warning. There had been no alerts from the perimeter guards. More rogues together than I'd ever seen sir, and feral... Completely wild. There was this smell that came with them, it smelled like death. We did our best sir, but their bite affects us somehow. After three of our men fell from the bite we knew we couldn't let their teeth near us, that's when it became easier for us to fight them off. Alpha Carl fought hard and saved many pack members, he kept fighting even after he was bitten. He was stronger than any other warriors. We killed many but some escaped. We captured one. Alive." He finishes, his stance and voice unwavering.

"Where is it?" He snarls, seemingly ready to kill the rogue.

"In the cells." He steps back in line as Christopher storms off again.

"Dismissed." He shouts as he walks away. I follow him again, feeling like all I've done is run after him tonight. I'm not sure what else I could be doing, but chasing him around doesn't seem to be helping anyone.

As we enter the cells the smell of putrid flesh is suffocating. We can hear chains clanking, clashing teeth, growls and barks. We follow the smells and sounds down the corridor and find the cell where the rogue is being kept. It's being guarded by two men, both have heads bowed as we approach. The rogue is clawing at the chains and itself, making itself bleed. It is completely feral looking as it's eyes are dark and it's teeth are covered in blood and a thick black liquid.

I step from behind Christopher to examine it properly. It doesn't look like the same rogue I'd saw in the forest, it's smaller and a different colour.

The rogue notices me and stops lashing around and bows it's head. It whines and whimpers and approaches the cell door. I kneel in front of it trying to examine it closer. It's eyes have changed from pure black to a faded golden colour. Another whine escapes it's mouth as it lies down in front of me. I look up at Christopher and the guards and they look back, brows knotted together in confusion.

"Has it calmed like this before now?" I ask still crouching in front of the dishevelled rogue.

"No, it has been lashing around since we got it in there a few hours ago." A guard replies. I turn my attention back the rogue. It looks up at me, eyes almost pleading with me.

It's ok. I want to help you.

It's ears prick up at my mind link. Did that actually work? It bows it's head and backs itself into the far corner of the cell, whimpering as it lies down.

"What did you say to it?" Christopher's voice is cold, a tone I haven't heard since our first day together.

"I said I wanted to help it." I stand and meet his eyes with mine, making sure to be firm yet not aggressive.

"We will help it, we will put it out of its misery." He snarls.

"No." I snap. His face contorts with more anger. "We don't even know what's wrong with it." I growl at him. I know he's hurt but being irrational and taking revenge won't help. He clenches his jaw and balls his fists.

"If we have any hope of helping Carl, we need to find out what's wrong with it." I say calmly, trying to remove the tension in the air.

He sighs, knowing I'm right then turns and walks away. I follow, again, and when I catch up to him I tug on his arm and spin him to face me.

"Stop." My voice is strong and commanding. I want to help him but he's not giving me the opportunity. His eyes darken and his body is tensed.

"You're not in this world alone anymore. You're not fighting this battle on your own. I'm here, but you have to let me be here for you." I soften my tone and his eyes begin to return to normal.

"I'm sorry, Meila. I-I'm so scared." His shoulders sink and he looks at the floor.

"I know, but I'm here. I will always be here for you from now on, if you let me." I keep my tone calm as I walk to him and wrap my arms around him. He inhales deeply, letting my scent fill his lungs and calm him.

I pull back and wipe away a single tear from his stubbled cheek and he leans into my hand.

"Let's go and sit with Carl until he wakes up." I say as I reach out and take his hand. He squeezes it and nods then we head back to the pack hospital.

The sun rises and we are still by Carl's side in the hospital. Christopher has his head on my lap and is snoring softly.

I however, can't seem to rest my mind. It spins constantly, thinking about the rogue in the forest and the rogue in the cells. Why do they respond so calmly to me but so aggressive to others? It seems to be an infection that is spreading through the werewolf community. It started with a few sightings and now they have launched a seemingly organised attack on a pack. What does this mean?

My train of thought is disturbed as I catch Ayoke's scent just before she bursts through the door and gasps at the sight of Carl's almost lifeless body. Christopher stirs in my lap and sits up. I take the opportunity to go over and comfort Ayoke. She seems shaken and I can't help but think her and Carl shared more than that last slow dance we witnessed at the feast. She sniffs and regains composure before taking a step back from me.

"You called, baby girl?" She tries to be her usual playful self but I see through her.

"I wondered if you could read him?" I ask, uncertain if she can help. If I’m honest, I don't fully understand her power.

"I can try." She also speaks with uncertainty before walking around the hospital bed and removing her signature red cloak. She wears a strapless black mini dress to display the markings she has etched on her skin. They are linked to her power and need to be free when she's seeing.

She places a hand on Carl's head and a hand on his heart then takes a deep breath. Christopher stands behind me, wrapping his arms around me and resting his chin on my shoulder. This is the Christopher I'm falling for, not the rage filled one from last night.

"Is this safe?" He whispers. I turn to place a peck on his cheek hoping that will reassure him. The truth is I'm not sure if this is safe, but saying that won't help the situation.

Ayoke scrunches her eyes shut and when she opens them again they glow bright white. Her markings also start to glow. She stands for a few minutes eyebrows wrinkling and hands shaking over Carl's head and heart. Her mouth drops open and she gasps. Another minute passes and she scrunches her eyes in pain.

"No!" She cries before collapsing to the floor.