Running from the Alpha's Son

The Rogue

Alpha's second in command, Carter and Cook went to check on the children. Alpha and Luna circled the rogue as the lone wolf stood his ground. He didn't make any sudden moves. He watched the two circling him warily. Alpha linked Luna "This is unusual behavior for a rogue." In return, Luna said, "I agree." The rogue just stood there, watching them. Finally, he lay down, placing his head on top of his large paws. He wasn't submitting, exactly, but his behavior suggested he was interested in talking. Alpha and Luna stopped their pacing and looked at the white wolf. Suddenly, Carter linked up with Alpha and said, "We have a situation at the pack house." Luna looked at Alpha in alarm. The white rogue chose that moment to make his move. He wasn't fast enough, however. Luna sidestepped gracefully, and then lunged at his hindquarters. Her sharp teeth sank into the flesh of the wolf, incapacitating him. The wolf rolled onto his back in submission, baring his underbelly and neck to Luna. "We have no time for this," she growled. Alpha chuffed his agreement. Luna clamped down on the rogue's exposed throat and ripped it out. Blood dripped from her snout, but she didn't care. 

They headed back to the pack house. They could see their pack warriors fighting rogues as they passed. Their warriors were beating them back, and so Alpha continued following Luna.They thought that Cook and Carter must be inside the house, as they hadn't seen them along the way.  They finally made it back to the house, and stopped in surprise. There was c*****e everywhere. The bodies of two rogues lay in the doorway. Alpha and Luna jumped over the bodies and surveyed the room. Three more lifeless rogues lay in the hallway that led to the kitchen. They could see the legs of Cook sticking out from underneath. He had shifted back to human. 

Alpha grabbed the foot of one of the rogues with his massive jaws, and pulled. Cook gasped for air, and rolled to his side. He had an angry gash down his side, but otherwise seemed unharmed. Luna rushed past the duo, and went into the kitchen. The kitchen table had been demolished, and the trap door was open. A dead rogue lay halfway in. They pulled him out of the way and rushed downstairs. Carter wasn't there. The children were huddled in the corner of the bunker, holding onto one another. Luna shifted back to human, and rushed to them. She checked them both for injuries, and then held them close. 

Alpha had also shifted back into human. "Son, have you seen Carter?" He asked. James shook his head. "He was down here for a minute, and then he ran back upstairs." Alpha went back up stairs and checked the rest of the house. Everything looked secure. Carter must be out fighting with the rest of the warriors. Luna walked up behind him as he was finishing his walk through. She said, "I will stay with the children, if you want to go back out." He hugged her close, kissed her, and then went outside. She watched through the great glass window that faced the little road out in front of the house as he shifted back into his wolf. Her heart was torn between staying here, and running by his side. She knew the children needed her protection, since they couldn't shift until they were 16. She brought them upstairs to the master bedroom, and the trio crawled in bed. Ember had been quiet since her and Alpha came back to the pack house, and Luna wondered at that. 

Ember and James had been playing a game, and even laughing together when the rogue burst through the trap door that led down to the little bunker. Ember was too stunned to scream, and James quickly grabbed her and placed himself in front of her. At that moment, he was a true Alpha's son. He was really scared, but he knew better than to show it. He had grabbed a chair from the little game table, and used it as a barrier of sorts between him and the rogue. Just then, Carter came down the steps and started fighting the rogue. James turned to Ember and said, "It's going to be okay." She looked at him with her big brown eyes. Her little face was pinched and she looked as though she might start to cry. She pulled herself up, took a deep breath and pushed it down before the tears could come. James smiled to himself. In that moment, the respect he had for her deepened - as much as it could for a 7 year old boy. 

Carter and the rogue continued to fight, and then the rogue lost his footing. He slipped sideways, and that's when Carter found his mark. He clamped his jaws around the throat of the rogue and shook as hard as he could until the rogue's neck snapped. It wasn't as loud as it was in the movies. Carter dropped the lifeless body and went back upstairs. Ember and James remained where they were. They could still hear some shuffling upstairs. It felt like hours passed before it got quiet. 

They looked at each other, in silent agreement. That's when Alpha and Luna found them. Now, Ember lay next to Luna, and the tears threatened to come again. She looked over Luna at James, and he smiled at her. Luna had pulled out a story to read to them to calm their minds. It was one of Ember's favorites. Luna started to read the first chapter titled, "They Boy who Lived." Before she got past the first paragraph, Ember and James were fast asleep. She looked down at both of them and tried to decide how to extract herself without waking them. The looked so innocent. James slept with his mouth slightly open, and a little snore escaped. She sighed, and decided to continue reading quietly, to herself. She also needed a distraction, although she would never let the children see her worry. She continued to read, until she was also sleeping softly in between them. 

Alpha found Carter fighting with the rest of the pack warriors. In no time, there were more dead rogues, and a few prisoners. Alpha was exhausted, but they needed to put these captives in the dungeons. Cook had healed nicely by then, and so he left the prisoner's in the care of Cook and Carter. He gathered a few of the warriors and they started cleanup of the dead. He counted only 3 casualties on his side, and for that, he was grateful to The Goddess. He looked up at the moon and offered a prayer of thanks. After the last body was disposed of, he headed back to the pack house with the warriors. They were all hungry by this time, and so after a quick bite to eat, they headed to their beds. 

Alpha took a quick shower, and then gazed upon the sleeping trio. There was just enough room for him next to James, and so he crawled into bed and fell fast asleep.