The Mate That is Just Out of Reach

4

*Ali POV*

The briefing took almost five hours, so by the time it was over, it was dark. I was so confused. My father told me this mission was just a trash-and-dash, we go to the pack's territory and wreck some of their land and leave. The werewolves do it as a warning so they know that we don't mess around. I don't know if my father knows the actual meaning of trash-and-dash.

After we were dismissed, I left the meeting room and went to find Alec. I found him standing by the fireplace with Arthur, his best friend and soon-to-be Beta. I walked over to them, "Alec, what is going on? I thought this mission was supposed to be a trash-and-dash," I said to him.

He looked around the room, I assume, to see if anyone was listening. He grabbed my arm and dragged me outside. After we got outside, he looked around again, "Ali, I need you to listen to me," he began, "You need to do everything father says. It doesn't matter how bad it is. If you get in his way, you will be in danger." I looked up at him in confusion.

"What are you talking about," I responded, "Dad wouldn't do anything to purposefully hurt me."

"Ali, please. Just do as I say. Don't try to stop dad's mission. Now go get some sleep. We are leaving early."

I nodded at him and turned on my heel and walked back inside. I went left to the stairs and went up them to my room. I entered my room and shut the door. I walked to my closet and changed into black pyjama shorts and a grey spaghetti-strapped tank-top. When I was done changing, I picked up my dirty clothes and went to the bathroom to put them into the hamper.

I left my bathroom and went to my queen-sized bed and laid down, pulling the covers over my body. I lay there looking at the ceiling, thinking. I suddenly heard my wolf, Ali, I don't know what's going to happen tomorrow. I still don't think we should go. I turned to my side and shut my eyes. We don't have a choice, Juniper. Father wants us there. And if he would really cause us harm, we shouldn't make him suspicious. We just need to do as Alec says and follow father's orders. She sighs and retreats to the back of my mind.

For two hours, I was tossing and turning, trying to fall asleep. I had so many questions running through my mind. Questions I couldn't answer. At about 2 a.m., my eyelids finally grew heavy and I became tired. Sleep took over moments later.

*Dream*

I stood frozen in the middle of the room as I watched a girl being dragged away. She was kicking and screaming, trying to break the hold that the two large men had on each of her arms. She broke free and ran to me, kneeling in front of me and cupping my face with her cold hands. "I will be back for you, Ali. I will not leave you here with him." She said to me quickly before getting dragged away again. I reached an arm out to her. A small arm. I'm young. I looked around and saw a young Alec looking towards the girl with tears streaming down his face. He looks down at me and hugs me, turning my face away from the girl.

*End Dream*

I woke up breathing heavily. That dream felt so real. Who was the girl? Why were Alec and I so young? I wiped my forehead that had sweat dripping down it and looked at the time, 5:45 a.m. There is sunlight leaking through my curtains. I pushed the covers off my body and sat up on the side of my bed.

Still thinking about the dream I had, I stood up and walked to my bathroom. I turned on the shower and let the water warm up. I undressed and stepped in. I quickly washed my hair and body. I turned the water off, and grabbed the towel from the towel rack. I wrapped the towel around my body and left the bathroom. I stood in my room, just looking at the window. I felt uneasy and I could tell Juniper did too.

When I was done staring, I walked to my closet and grabbed a plain black v-neck t-shirt and a pair of gray spandex shorts. I grabbed underwear and a sports bra from my dresser and put them on. I then put on the shorts and t-shirt. I peaked out of my closet to look at the digital clock sitting on my nightstand, 6:05 a.m.

I grabbed a pair of socks and my tennis shoes, put them on, and left my closet. Alec mind-linked me, Time to go, Ali. We're meeting at the front of the pack house. I left my room and trotted down the stairs.

I opened the front door, and not even a foot in front of it, was a wall of large men. I walked to the right to get around them and walked to the front of the group where my father was and stood next to Alec. Alec and I were on his right, Beta Ansel and his son Arthur were on his left.

My father began to speak to the group of people, "Today, my friends, we are going to show that imbecile and his pack what true pain is." I looked up at Alec and he looked down at me. I could tell he didn't want to do this. We looked back towards the group as my father continued his speech.

"Many years ago, Alpha Grayson, of the Brightmoon Pack, took something of mine that was very dear to me. Today, I will finally get to take something very dear to him. He will finally know the meaning of pain. We have a long journey ahead of us. We should be arriving at the territory close to 7pm." A group of almost 30 omegas started walking to the group, lining up with every fourth person in the row. One of them stood in front of me as well. "You may begin stripping your clothes for shifting. Pass the clothes to your right until it reaches an Omega," my father instructed.

Everyone began to take their clothes off and passed them down as he said. We did the same. Once each piece of clothing reached all of the Omegas, the Omegas walked off, in order, back into the pack house. "Let's shift," my father said with a smirk. With that, everyone shifted into their wolves, us as well.

There were six rows of 10 wolves standing before us. 60 wolves all together. My father was bringing 60 wolves for what I still want to believe is just a trash-and-dash.

Juniper looked over to Alec's wolf, Shaz. Shaz was looking forward, to all of the wolves in front of us. He had a worried look on his face. Shaz was four inches taller than Juniper, standing at 5'6" on all fours. He was huge, to say the least. Shaz was a black wolf with ginger highlights, like Juniper, and pale blue eyes. He was a proud wolf and was always there to protect every member of his pack.

Juniper looked past Shaz and saw our father's wolf, Conan. An inch taller than Shaz. Plain dark gray fur with black eyes. Juniper got her full color from him, and the ginger highlights were from our mother's wolf. She looked past father, to Beta Ansel's wolf, Pluto. Smaller than Shaz, his wolf was 5'5". Light gray with green eyes. Finally, she looked at Arthur's wolf, Grant. 5'4", light gray, light brown eyes.

Let's go! My father yelled through mind-link. Conan turned with a low growl and began to run. We followed behind him and the rest followed behind us. Juniper stayed right next to Shaz the whole time. Grant left Pluto's side and came to ours. Juniper looked at him and he gave a gentle nod.

Arthur has been like another older brother to me for my whole life. I'm glad Alec gets to have him as his Beta. He had always been there for Alec and I when our father got in one of his moods. Arthur would stay to comfort me and help me get my mind off of it, while Alec would go try to help calm father down. Ever since I gained my wolf, Grant and Shaz were there to help get Juniper used to not being dormant. She loves Alec, Arthur, Grant, and Shaz just as much as I do and she would do anything to help them.

After two hours of running, my father mind-linked everyone. We are going to take a five-minute break to let our wolves get a drink. As he said that, Conan slowed down and stopped near a river. All of us slowed down as well and did the same. Juniper began to drink from the river. When she finished drinking, she walked away from the river and sat by a tree.

The five minutes ended and Conan let out a loud bark so everyone could hear, signaling that it was time to continue moving. We began to run again. Everyone was in the same order as when we left the territory.

We continued on our way to the Brightmoon Pack. Stopping for five-minutes, every hour and a half to two hours. Juniper could tell we were getting close when she felt Conan's anger rising. We both became nervous. We need to stop this. It's not right. She said to me. If father takes it too far, we will stop him. I responded. I agree with you. This isn't right.

Just like father said, we arrived on the outskirts of their territory at 7pm. We could hear people speaking through a microphone. There was sadness and anger surrounding the air around us. They must have been having some kind of celebration or funeral for the wolf I killed. Guilt hit me in the gut when I remembered what I did yesterday.

Juniper looked over to Conan. He looked furious. His snout was scrunched up in a snarl. She could hear him growling to himself. Ali, please. We have to stop him now before he does anything. She said again. I ignored her. She looked around at all the other wolves. They were slightly crouched, waiting for Conan's orders. She looked over to where Shaz was. He was gone, and so was Grant.

She put her ears back and crouched down like the rest. Conan growled loudly and everyone entered Brightmoon territory. No longer keeping their formation, they were running at full speed towards the sounds.

When we reached what looked like the backyard of the pack house, one of the wolves jumped at a man sitting at one of the tables. When she saw what that wolf did, Juniper stopped running and looked around to find Conan. She spotted him tearing at a young woman's body. We couldn't take it, this needed to stop. She quickly ran in his direction, shoving him off of the now dead girl. What are you doing, Alison!? I heard my father's voice yelling in my head. Father, we can't do this! It's wrong!

Conan looks down at us with pure rage in his eyes. He howls and before we know it, there is a man that had shifted back, chaining Juniper's front paws. I shifted back and began yelling, "What the hell are you doing!? Dad, why is he chaining me up!?"

This is for your own good, he said. Conan nodded his head towards where we came from and ran off. The man started to drag me away. I began kicking and screaming, telling him to unchain me. He didn't budge. When we reached the edge of the territory, he chained me to a tree. He then shifted back into his wolf and ran back to the fight.

What the hell just happened?? Why would my own father have me chained up and dragged away? Alec was right. I should've just followed orders. My heart began to race and my breathing became heavy. I became scared. What was he going to do to me when this was over? Where the hell were Alec and Arthur? Why did they run off?

I could hear growling, snarling, and screaming in the distance. 30 minutes had passed and I finally saw wolves emerging from the trees ahead. 10 of them ran past me, I turned my head to see where they were going. After they left my view, I looked back and saw my father, now human, walking towards me. I looked at the ground when I saw the betrayal he had in his eyes when he looked at me. He stopped walking towards me and turned around.

The wolves that had run past me returned in human form, with clothes on. Did they bring those here? How long has this mission been planned? They went around to everyone remaining, which was less than 30, holding duffel bags. They gave everyone a t-shirt and a pair of shorts. One of them handed my father his clothes, then he told him to give me some. "Make sure you watch her while she puts them on, make sure she doesn't try to run off," he said.

He walked over to me, unchained me, and handed me the clothes. I put them on and he rechained my wrists. I stood there, looking at my father's turned back. "Dad, please. You don't-" he turned around and smacked me before I could finish my sentence. I fell to the ground, holding my cheek. Tears began to fall as I sat there. I heard footsteps and looked up. My father squatted down in front of me.

"Dad-" he held his hand up. "Don't call me dad, you are no longer my daughter. You are now a traitor to this pack and will be held prisoner for the rest of your days." As he said that, I began to cry even harder. He stood up and walked away.

Two of the men came towards me and stood me up. I felt too weak to stand and began to fall back to the ground. They both caught me, one holding each arm. They started walking, with my feet dragging behind. I closed my eyes and began to fall asleep. I felt one of them grab my legs and carry me bridal style. My head fell back over his arm.

Then I couldn't feel anything, I had fully fallen asleep.