The Huntress of Liars

Chapter 4

Wren's P.O.V.

"Bec...because they were disobedient...and weak. Slaves should..." The other Alpha was terrified but a loud growl interrupted him and then I heard a snap. I flinched and hid my face against Leo's chest. More screams and snaps. The smell of blood was strong. He killed them? Leo held me tighter as I shook against him. Why was Gabriel killing them? He didn't even seem to think about it. Suddenly I was pulled out of Leo's arms to face him. He was splattered with blood and still growling as he looked behind me. Was he growling at Leo now? The Alpha turned his gaze to me, watching me intently as his arms wrapped around my waist. Swallowing hard I pushed against his chest, I needed to get away from him before he hurt me. He wasn't lying when he said he'd never hurt me, but the look in his eyes now told a different story. Was he going to kill me now? His eyes were black and full of hatred. Tears pricked my eyes. I knew this would happen. It always ends this way. They never really want to hear the truth. His grip on my arm tightened painfully and he started dragging me behind me until we reached his tent. He flung me onto my bed and left, still growling. I should have kept my mouth shut. 

I could hear the Alpha giving orders to his Beta and Gamma outside. Garrett's head popped through the tent flaps, a cautious smile on his face, before he stepped inside and sat beside me.

"Don't worry Wren." The gamma said as he put his arm on my shoulders. I flinched but he just gripped tighter. "Hey! You know I won't hurt you." He wasn't lying. "I'm just a huge cuddly...wolf." The smile on his face was so big it was contagious and I found myself trying to fight a smile of my own. Garrett had visited the medical tent often while I was there to help Rose and he had spent a lot of time making me laugh.

"A cuddly wolf?" I asked him with one eyebrow raised. He just looked at me faking being offended.

"Wolves can be cuddly you know! We're just aggressive when we're hungry." He pouted and I laughed. I couldn't help it. Garrett just had this way of making you feel so comfortable that you forgot whatever upset you. I don't know how he did it, Rose said he'd always been this way. He was a huge guy in height and muscle. But he was nothing but kind from what I had seen and what Rose had told me. She was his Grandmother and it so made me wonder if my own Grandmother would have been so loving, had I known her. 

For the next few days Garrett and Leo took turns guarding me while I did my best to avoid the Alpha. They seemed happy to help. The longer I stayed away from him, the longer I could put off the beating. Though he seemed happy to avoid my company too. For some reason that hurt. His absence hurt and I had no idea why. Part of me just wanted to run up and hug him, to apologise every time I saw him. But the other part of me wanted him to apologise and for him come to running to me. Neither made any sense. I'd only known him a little over a week. Every night I'd see his shadow outside the tent, as though debating whether to come in or not and every night he chose somewhere else to sleep. Every morning I found Garrett sleeping in the Alpha's bed. It seems the nightmares I had were making me scream in my sleep. They weren't really nightmares though, they were memories. Memories I wanted nothing more then to forget. Memories that made the Alpha's behaviour towards me so much worse.

Leo's P.O.V.

There was no light in Wren's eyes anymore. She won't let anyone close to her now and even Garrett can't cheer her up. f*****g Gabriel. Shes's his mate and he isn't even trying to fix the mess he's made. It wasn't her fault Kane lied. Now the prick just stomps around the place picking fights with everyone. His angers out of control, he needs his mate to calm his wolf but she avoids him like the plague. Not that I blame her. He's the one who needs to fix this. But the stubborn mutt just keeps saying that Alpha's don't apologise. She was already fragile before and now her nightmares were getting worse, it took both myself and Garrett to calm her now. She needs her Mate as much as he needs her. But they're both so stubborn.

We were sat by the stream at the edge of the forest. She seems to like it here. She's fascinated by everything she see's and it's obvious it brings her peace. Somethings different today though. Wren seems on edge.

"Wren, whats wrong?" I ask as her brow furrows. She shakes her head.

"I don't know." She turns to look at me with eyes so green they almost shine. Wait, weren't her eyes hazel? "I can feel something." She looks at me confused before her head snaps to trees. I sharpen my hearing, but there's nothing moving in there. Winter is still holding firmly on. Wren stands up and walks towards the trees. "There's something in there."

"Wren, there's nothing in the forest. The animals are still asleep or have fled." But she's not listening to me. 

We walk for a while, following whatever is pulling her further into the trees. I should stop her, it wasn't safe, but it had been so long since I had seen that spark in her eyes. Suddenly she stopped, turning to me wide eyed with a huge grin on her face.

"Deer" She says excited before moving again. Had she lost her mind. We had searched the forest already and found nothing. A sudden gust of wind stopped me in my tracks. The scent of deer hit me strong. How? How did Wren know and we wolves didn't? It didn't matter right now though. We sorely needed food. I mind-linked the Alpha.

"Deer. East of the stream. Follow Wren's scent."

"Why would I follow Wren's scent?" Grumpy as ever. "Leo! Where is Wren?"

"She's with me. Follow her scent because she found them."

"WHAT IS SHE DOING IN THE FOREST? f**k SAKE LEO! IT ISN'T SAFE!" Even in my head his voice was deafening.

"Oh so you care about her now? Just get to the hunt." I wasn't in the mood to deal him right now. I was excited about having meat at last and curious about how Wren knew the deer were here when I couldn't sense them. I followed until she stopped before a meadow. We crouched behind a bush watching a herd of deer grazing. She looked at me, her eyes still a bright green, with a grin from ear to ear despite shivering from the cold. I couldn't help but return it and slung my arm around her shoulders while we waited. She leaned into my body heat, her shivering slowly subsiding, her gaze transfixed again by the deer.

"We're close, take Wren back so we can shift." I heard Garrett's excited voice in my head. I Tugged on her elbow and led her back out of the forest. Only to find an angry Gabriel standing arms crossed, waiting for us. Great. Now the d**k cares. I tried to pull Wren behind me but she pulled out of my grip and walked straight up to him.

"What were you thinking going in there? It's dangerous!" He scolded her. She flinched and stepped back. Then I watched wide eyed as she looked up at him, with a look of pure disappointment and shook her head before walking passed him, towards camp. That's my Luna. Whatever had happened to her today seemed to have given her courage. Shock passed over Gabriel's features before the guilt kicked in as he watched his little Mate. About time. He was definitely going to have his work cut out for him now as I had no doubt that she wouldn't make it easy for him.

Wren's P.O.V.

I had no idea what happened today. Leo and I were just sitting by the stream when I felt like there was something in the forest. Something pulling me towards the tree's, no towards something hiding in the tree's. It was as though something took over me, my feet moved on their own and when we were near I somehow knew I leading Leo to a herd of deer. And Gabriel, Ugh. I don't know what happened there either. But when he raised his voice something inside me snapped. How dare he scold me when I just found the food his people so desperately needed. And how dare he act like he cares about me. Don't get me wrong I was terrified he'd kick me out or beat me, but part of me was done letting him get to me. I didn't need him and I wasn't going to let his behaviour bother me from now on. 

That night there was a feast. The atmosphere was electric and everyone kept thanking me. It was awkward. I had never seen so many people, so many men, and it made me nervous. I stayed close to Rose as we watched them prepare a sacrifice for Artemis, something else I had never seen.

"Who's Artemis?" I asked Rose. I knew nothing of gods or how to worship them. I had heard a few names. Ares was always praised when the monsters won a battle. Aphrodite was always thanked when they saw a beautiful woman. I never knew what it meant though. No one would explain it me. 

"Artemis is the Goddess of the hunt and the forest, Little One. Do you not know the god's?" She asked. Shaking my head I watched as one of the men brought a live deer through the crowd. "I will teach you later. For now all you need to know is that when we have a good hunt, we make a sacrifice in Artemis' honour. To thank her for the food and for letting us pass through the forests safely." I watched as the deer was taken to the stage, where the Alpha held a knife against it's neck. I didn't like the look of this. The poor deer. But then Gabriel said a prayer to Artemis as he slit the deer's throat and it was like a wave of power crashed into me as everyone cheered. Everyone was laughing and taking part in preparing and cooking the meat. I smiled at Rose, enjoying the atmosphere, but she gasped when she looked at me. Was something with me? Suddenly she cupped my face in her hands and smiled brightly at me. "Your so beautiful when you smile like that." I could feel my cheeks getting redder.