Hiding the Alpha Son

The Dead Lands

My agonizing scream tore through the destroyed bedroom. The sound scraped against my dry throat and echoed against the high walls. Julian held me tightly against his broad chest. His strong arms trembled with suppressed rage. I buried my face into his muddy skin. Tears poured from my eyes like heavy rain. My beautiful boy was gone. The rogues had taken my sweet son into the dark night. My mind played terrible images of Lucas crying for me. He was just a small child. He was five years old. He did not belong in a violent war between wolves. He belonged in a warm bed with his favorite toys.

Julian stroked my hair gently. He smelled of pine needles, wet earth, and fresh blood. He was the most powerful Alpha in the entire region, but right now, he was just a broken father. We knelt together on the cold floorboards. The broken glass from the window sparkled in the dim light of the bedroom. The cold wind blew into the room through the shattered frame. It chilled my skin, but the cold inside my heart was much worse. I felt a piece of my soul tear away.

Victoria stood silently by the broken door. Her sharp eyes watched us carefully. She did not say a single word of warm comfort. She was calculating the next important move. She knew the pack was in grave danger. If the rogues killed the Alpha heir, the Shadow Creek Pack would look weak to all their rivals. Other enemies would surely attack them. She smoothed her expensive dress and cleared her throat loudly.

"We cannot stay here," Julian suddenly whispered. His deep voice rumbled against my ear and sent a shiver down my spine. He pulled back slightly and looked directly into my eyes. His piercing blue eyes were bloodshot. The deep sorrow in his gaze was slowly turning back into burning anger. The wild beast inside him was waking up again. "I will not let them keep him, Clara. I will tear the dead lands apart with my bare hands. I will find our son."

He stood up slowly. He reached down and pulled me gently to my feet. My legs felt very weak, but I forced myself to stand tall. I wiped the salty tears from my face with the back of my hand. Crying would not bring my son back to me. I needed to be completely strong for Lucas. I needed to focus.

"I am going with you," I stated firmly. My voice shook with fear, but my maternal resolve was clear.

Julian shook his head immediately. "No. It is too dangerous. The dead lands are full of violent rogues and dark magic. You are a fragile human. You will stay here where it is safe."

"Safe?" I yelled loudly. I pointed a shaking finger at the broken window and the dead rogue lying on the floor. "They broke into this room and snatched him right in front of me. There is no safe place left in this world. He is my son, Julian. I protected him for five years on my own. I will not sit in a fancy bedroom and wait while he is out there terrified. I am his mother."

Victoria stepped forward again. Her expensive dress swished against the ruined floor. "The human is right, Julian. She is his mother. The boy might be terrified of you in your wolf form. He does not know you yet. He needs a familiar face when you find him. If you want the boy to trust you, take the human with you."

Julian glared at his mother. He hated when anyone questioned his direct orders. But he looked back at me and saw the fierce determination burning in my eyes. He knew he could not stop me easily. If he locked me in a room, I would break out. My maternal instincts were screaming at me to find my precious child. I would fight anyone who tried to stop me.

"Fine," Julian growled low in his throat. "But you will stay right by my side. You will not take a single step away from me. If I tell you to hide, you hide immediately. If I tell you to run, you run without looking back. Do you understand my rules?"

"I understand," I replied quickly.

Julian turned to the strong enforcers standing in the hallway. "Gather the elite warriors right now. We leave in exactly ten minutes. Anyone who cannot run fast will stay behind to guard the main estate. We are going to war tonight."

The loyal enforcers bowed their heads respectfully and ran down the stairs. Julian grabbed my hand and led me out of the destroyed bedroom. We walked down the grand staircase together. The main floor of the large mansion was a complete disaster area. Broken wooden furniture and shattered vases covered the expensive carpets. Several injured pack members sat against the walls. Pack healers rushed around frantically to bandage their deep wounds.

Julian led me into a large armory room at the back of the big house. The stone walls were lined with sharp weapons and thick leather armor. He tossed me a heavy dark coat to replace my thin perfumery clothes. I put it on quickly. The thick fabric smelled just like cedarwood. He handed me a sharp hunting knife with a wrapped leather grip.

"Keep this hidden in your deep pocket," Julian instructed quietly. "Only use it if a rogue gets too close to you. Aim for the soft spot under their chin or directly in the bright eye."

I took the heavy knife. The cold metal felt very strange in my hand, but it gave me a small sense of security. I was a simple botanical perfumer. I spent my quiet days mixing sweet smelling oils and dried herbs. I never thought I would hold a lethal weapon and prepare for a violent battle.

We walked out to the front yard. Thirty large wolves stood waiting in the heavy rain. They were the finest elite warriors of the Shadow Creek Pack. Their thick fur colors ranged from light brown to pure black. Their yellow eyes glowed brightly in the dark night. They looked fierce and completely ready to kill the enemy.

Julian did not bother shifting into his wolf form yet. He needed to guide me safely through the dense forest. We started running toward the dark tree line. The cold rain soaked my hair and dripped down my pale face. The muddy ground sucked at my heavy boots, making every single step difficult. My lungs burned from the intense physical effort, but I refused to slow down. I pictured Lucas crying out for me. That terrible image fueled my tired muscles and kept me moving forward.

We ran through the dark woods for almost an hour. The tall pine trees blocked out the moonlight entirely. Julian held my hand tightly and pulled me along the hidden paths. The elite warriors ran silently on all four paws around us. They formed a tight protective circle to keep us safe.

We finally reached the edge of the pack territory. A wide river flowed violently through the deep valley. The dark water rushed over large sharp rocks. The loud sound of the rushing water echoed loudly in my ears. The heavy rain made the river swell dangerously high.

"This is where I lost their scent," Julian yelled loudly over the noise of the water. He pointed across the wide river. "The dead lands are on the other side. It is a lawless and cruel territory. The rogues hide in the deep dark caves over there."

"How do we get across safely?" I asked loudly.

Julian pointed to a narrow fallen tree that stretched entirely across the violent water. It looked very slippery and highly dangerous. But we had no other choice. Time was running out fast.

"Step carefully," Julian warned me. He went first. He walked across the wet bark with perfect animal balance. I followed right behind him. I kept my eyes focused firmly on his broad back. I refused to look down at the dark swirling water below my boots. The harsh wind pushed against my body, threatening to throw me into the dangerous river. I held my breath and placed one foot in front of the other very slowly.

When we finally reached the other side, the atmosphere changed completely. The air felt heavy and foul. The trees here were completely dead. They had no leaves at all. Their twisted dry branches looked like skeletal hands reaching toward the dark sky. The ground was covered in sharp rocks and rotting wood.

The elite wolves crossed the river closely behind us and fanned out slowly. They sniffed the cold dead air, searching for any small trace of the enemy.

I walked slowly along the muddy riverbank. I looked desperately for any sign of my son. My eyes caught a flash of bright yellow color caught on a sharp thorny bush. I ran over to it quickly. My heart dropped deep into my stomach.

It was a small piece of torn fabric. It was bright yellow cotton with a small green dinosaur printed on it. It was a torn piece of Lucas's pajamas.

"Julian," I called out softly. I reached out a shaking hand to grab the torn cloth.

Before my fingers could touch the yellow fabric, the ground beneath my feet suddenly gave way. A large hidden net made of thick vines shot up from the wet dirt. It wrapped tightly around my legs and yanked me forcefully into the air. I screamed loudly as I swung completely upside down from a dead tree branch.

Julian roared with pure rage and ran toward me.

But out of the dark terrifying shadows, twenty large rogue wolves stepped forward. They surrounded Julian completely. A tall muscular man with a heavily scarred face walked out slowly from behind a dead tree. He held my crying son tightly by the back of his shirt. The scarred man held a long, sharp blade directly against my sweet boy's fragile throat.

"Welcome to the dead lands, Alpha," the scarred man sneered cruelly. His foul voice carried over the sound of the falling rain. "You have crossed a border you never should have crossed. Now, tell your pathetic warriors to stand down immediately, or the child dies right here."