TM [Complete ✔️]

22. Rogues

Zane's P.O.V

Zion's presence slammed back into me, his ferocity to keep his pup safe leaving a mutual understanding between us. So long as our little one was in danger, all fights were forgotten and we were a United front against the enemy.

I shifted quickly just as two of the rogues pounced, jumping on top of me and pinning me to the ground. Snapping my canines, I attempted to bite at one of their faces and tear them off but they were too fast, too trained, managing to dodge and hold me down, the ten others only watching.

If two of twelve could keep me pinned to the ground, what chance did I even have?

"s**t," Ezra cursed, his presence in my mind having gone away for a moment too long.

"Ezra!" I seethed. "Goddess help you if you don't find my pup right this instant!"

I kicked out with my back legs, sending one of the rogues flying into the tree behind us, angering the other one in the process and nearly dodging my neck being chewed on.

I couldn't afford distraction when I was already at a disadvantage but f**k if I wouldn't die just to know Beyla had been found safe.

"We need to get to her!" Zion snapped at no one in particular, forcing me back up and finally managing to push the rogue away from my body.

"What's going on?" I threw back to my Gamma, once again receiving no response and fearing the worst.

Using the opportunity of being on my paws again, I slammed into the delirious rogue, whom I'd previously managed to throw into the tree, severing the head from his body before the others could react.

Bad move on my part, apparently.

Five wolves ran straight to me, cornering me against said tree with no room to move, each of them standing in such a way that if I fought one, I'd have to fight all five.

Fuck, I fought in a war less than a year ago when I was a rank below. Before, it wouldn't have taken me nearly as long to fight them off and get to my little bean, so what the hell (besides the obvious) was wrong with me?

"Where is my daughter?" I bellowed toward Ezra, snapping my teeth at the wolf in front of me and taking a chunk of fur out, which his friend reciprocated by taking a chunk out of mine, spitting it onto the floor as I did my best not to make a sound.

"Enzo, where is my daughter?" I opted to ask the other Gamma instead, his confusion flowing through our link.

"Some of my warriors and I are on our way to help you with the western border, Alpha, your pup should be taken to safety already!"

"Except she wasn't and your mate won't tell me where she is!" I seethed, doing my best to watch all five wolves around me and the other six behind them.

"Let me link him."

"Fast!" I urged, letting my vision adjust back to the rogues as I waited.

And then it hit me - the realization. The only times the rogues had actually attacked and hurt me was when I did first. Other than that, they were just standing around, waiting for something and making sure I stayed put.

And my pup...

Fear gripped my chest so tight I would've doubled over had I not been in front of the enemy.

Did they know about her abilities? Is that why they were here?

Without even considering how far away I was from the pack house and any kind of help, I ran. I ran straight past the wolves, in between the legs of the one directly in front of me, and didn't stop until too many of them to count were on top of me, once again pinning my body to the ground.

Now that I was back on the ground, I stood an even weaker chance than I did before.

There were too many of them holding me down. One had their paw, and claws, digging into my nose and pressing it along with my muzzle into the mud, four others were on each of my paws, making me unable to kick or even squirm, and another two were sat directly on top of me as the breath began to leave my lungs, and who knew where the rest were.

"Alpha!" Ezra's voice filled my mind. I could only hope I wasn't imagining it. "Sofia's got Beyla, she's safe!" No. No, she wasn't. Because Ezra didn't know what was forming between us, tying us together. Was she behind this? "I found her a few meters away from the nanny, in the forest, fighting with three wolves to keep the pup safe, so I ran over to help, which is why I was gone." He explained, my fear turning into shame.

She'd fought three wolves for my pup. Not even I was able to fight three at once anymore, let alone while protecting a baby...

Shutting the link with my Gamma off, I tapped into Sofia's head, doing my best to stay away from her thoughts and give her her privacy.

"Thank you!" I linked her, my vision blurring slowly but surely. I was doing everything I could think of - thrashing, squirming, kicking, biting, but they were futile attempts with me so weakened and so many of them.

I thought I'd been getting back to my previous shape with all the training I was doing but when push came to shove...

"When push came to shove, your Goddess given second chance saved your pup instead of you, even though you've been treating her like she was invisible." Zion finished for me, the only thing I could notice in his tone being shame.

"Are, are you okay?" I asked Sofia, knowing, but hating to admit, that my wolf was right.

Her response didn't even fully register inside my mind before the lack of air pulled me under, my vision finally going black.

Sofia's P.O.V

His question registered in my heart before it did in my head, making it flutter excitedly.

I knew, however, that it was just a reaction to finally hearing the voice of my mate directed at me, and nothing more.

I also knew he was only asking because I had his pup, otherwise, he would've done so a while ago.

The answer? No, I wasn't okay. I was trying to be, but I hadn't been in a long time. Even before him.

"Please don't ask me that," I mumbled, "you don't have to just because I have your daughter. I didn't do it for attention or because she was your pup, by the way. I want to make it clear that I would've saved any pup had they been in the danger Beyla was in. I've got her now and I'll keep her safe until her nanny can take over, don't worry." I thought about it for all of a second before I added, "And please be safe!"

The link between us grew quiet. Not the type of quiet when someone was listening but not replying, either, the type of quiet when one just simply wasn't... there.

"Zane?" I called, my words echoing in my head. "Zane!" I yelled louder, my chest burning.

"Sam! Sam, what's wrong with him?" I begged my wolf, knowing the pain of a hurt mate all too well.

"He is," she breathed, answering with a whimper, "he's being hurt."

No. No, it wasn't supposed to happen like this.

"Moon Goddess, if you're there, if you've ever been there, have him reject me, never speak to me again, kick me out of the pack, just keep him alive and safe, please!" I begged, shutting my eyes tightly against the flood of tears that came with the pain.

It was spreading. To my limbs, my back, my head getting lightheaded.

Holding Beyla tight, one hand to her mouth, which she was protesting about and drooling on, I made sure there were no more rogues around before I searched for the Gamma that had helped us, finding him in battle with two large black wolves.

Even still, shifted, he was just as terrifying as them and even bigger, fighting them off with ease, his gaze finding mine as he strolled over.

"What's wrong?" He linked me, c*****g his head against the paleness and fear on my face.

"Za- the Alpha!" I corrected myself quickly. "Something's wrong!"

"And how do you know that?" He asked, assessing me from head to toe.

"Because I," I stammered. What was I meant to say that Zane wouldn't hate me for afterward? "Because we were mind-linking about Beyla and then the link just severed and it's still gone."

Shaking his head, the wolf considered my words.

"I haven't been able to link him either," he hadn't meant to say those words to me, taking a step back and jerking his head in the direction of the pack house, "Go, get the pup inside the basement, the others are already there and it's equipped to keep you safe!" I nodded, no chance, or desire, to argue with his order, and took off with him hot on our heels.

When wolves attacked, he was right there to fight them off while I tucked Beyla's head under my chin, hiding the blood and gore from her and talking to her to drown out the sounds.

I cringed as Gamma Ezra killed yet another rogue, its blood splattering my entire body and making me feel nauseous.

"Almost there," our Gamma murmured apologetically, receiving a small nod from me before we continued running, the door to the pack house coming into view.

As did the six rogues blocking us from entering.

"Run!" He ordered. "I'll call for you when it's safe." I shook my head, forcing him to run after me as we were meters away from the rogues.

"What are you doing?" He hissed. Ignoring him, I set the pup down on the grass, the little girl choosing that exact moment to start sobbing as loudly as she could, tear streaks forming along her chubby cheeks within seconds.

"Shh," I cooed, "this won't take long, promise!" Locking my pinky with her tiny one, I quickly shifted into my wolf.

"I hope you know what you're doing!" Gamma Ezra warned.

That was all the warning either of us needed before we jumped into battle, Sam keeping an eye on the pup at all times. The Gamma took on two wolves at once, using one's body as a baseball bat against the other and sending them both flying into the walls of the house, unfortunately breaking a window and leaving their bodies inside it, blood staining the floors.

I flushed all sounds away from my ears as I circled the enemy, swiping at her legs until I drew blood. She, in turn, tried to bite my tail and pull me down by it but missed as I whirled around at the last second.

Angered, the she-wolf pounced, knocking her entire body against mine and making me drag back, tricking me into falling over a large rock. I fell to my ass, the rogue using the time I took to jump back up to bite down on my left hind leg, squeezing with all her might. I cried out in pain as I tried to make her let go but her jaw was strong, and soon, my howl of pain and the sound of my breaking bone filled the air.

Gamma Ezra looked toward me, sending a quiet apology my way as he took off toward Beyla, two new rogues sneaking their way to the crying pup.

With a ferocity I was yet to feel again after the need to protect my own daughter, I limped to my feet, thankful for Sam's pain resistance and quick footwork.

Pretending like I couldn't stand on my feet, I slumped back to the ground, sliding under the enemy's belly and sinking my claws into it, then racking them across her entire lower body.

Blood gushed out, splattering my eyes, my face, my body; but I paid no attention to it as I knocked her down and sunk my teeth into the biggest wound, biting chunks of skin and I didn't want to know what else until I finally finished her off, her body falling on top of me, guts spilling out.

The Gamma, now in his human form, holding Beyla, used his free arm and one of his legs to push the body away from me, then helped me onto my feet.

"She broke my leg," I linked him, "I can't shift back." Rubbing the bridge of his nose, he made sure no more rogues were coming before he helped me limp into the basement, carrying first Beyla, and then me down the stairs.

Picking the security code at the door, he handed the pup to one of the females who wasn't crying, all of them huddled against each other.

"One of you," he gestured to the few pack nurses and doctors stationed down here, "take care of her leg, it's broken, so she can't shift."

And even if I did, it would be so painful I'd more than likely pass out, and it would heal awkwardly, so it would have to broken again, was what he didn't add, but all of us knew.

Nodding, one of the female nurses came over to me to help as Beyla continued to cry her little heart out.

A/N

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