Shadow of the Eclipse

Chapter 3

The idea of kitchen duty for the rest of her life made Van cringe, but it might be worth the risk to finally put Jax in his place. She weighed her options as they followed the scent. Moss and cedar with the faintest hint of...coconut? Van wanted to gag. She absolutely hated coconut. The scent tortured her nose as they stealthily pressed on.

Jax was in front of her, as always trying to prove his dominance. His pace was fast but calculating. He paused every so often to scan the area and listen close for any unusual noises. He put his hand in the air, signaling her to stop. Van thought if she rolled her eyes any harder, they'd probably get stuck in the back of her head.

She shouldered past him and crouched low.

"Something isn't right. " She said in a hushed tone. Van tilted her head, motioning for Jax to come see what she was looking at. He knelt beside her, and his brow furrowed. Tracks and footprints of various sizes, belonging to at least 5 or more beings, covered the ground. Jax inhaled, searching the air for a whiff of a scent belonging to one of the tracks. None. Just moss, cedar, and coconut. It didn't make sense. Even identical twins had their own unique scents.

Van watched him for a moment. He was stumped. Which she had to admit was no small feat as Jax was the top tracker. She closed her eyes and listened closely to the warm wind rustling the leaves. The branches creaked as they gently swayed. But no creature moved. No birds chirped. No squirrels zoomed around. Then she felt it. Her skin prickled, and her spine tingled as she felt the gaze of their enemies barring down on them.

She mind linked Jax. But he wouldn't let her in. The stubborn asshat! This was not the time! She knew if her enemy could see them, they could be heard as well. They needed a plan. But she didn't want to speak it out loud. She tried the mind link again, this time more persistent. All while pretending to analyze tracks so as not to blow her cover. Finally, Jax responded.

What? he snapped.

We don't have time for your ego, Jax. It's a trap. An ambush. We have to alert Silas and Alpha Tobias! Now! Van told him in a commanding tone. They were too far out of reach to mind link either of their superiors. Jax contemplated for a moment.

Go! he growled, I'll hold them off.

That's insane! You don't know how many there are! Van challenged.

Do you have a better idea? he arched a brow at her. She grunted in annoyance. You don't have to worry about me, little cat. I can handle myself. He smirked at her. She wanted so badly to punch his smug stupid face. But there was no time.

She flipped him the bird and, with that, tore off through the woods in the direction of the packhouse.

Van glanced back just as Jax transformed into a huge brown wolf. Rafe was strong. Van had to admit, but she still didn't like the idea of leaving a packmate to fend for himself. Even if that packmate was Jax. She heard snarls of at least 3 other wolves and a few other calls that did not belong to wolves. Foxes, maybe? Since when did rogue wolves and foxes team up?

He will be fine. Kita assured her.

Too bad. Van huffed.

Her heart pounded faster as she sped towards home. This was bad. So bad. She had to protect her people. She would not let it happen again. Ever. A vision of that night flashed before her eyes. Chaos. People screaming. Bodies strewn all over the ground. Fire blazing as their homes were torched.

No! she scolded herself. This wouldn't happen again and she didn't have time to dwell on the past.

She heard footsteps charging her way and braced herself for a fight when she collided with River.

"Hey! Hey! What happened? Are you ok?" He looked over her, searching for wounds, then looked around. " Where's Jax?"

Silas and Rei approached them. Van sucked in air, trying to catch her breath.

"Clearing. That way. Ambush." was all she could get out. Silas' eyes glowed with anger. He mind linked his warriors and sent them in the direction of the enemy. He also sent his Alpha the update.

"Are you ok?" Silas asked Van, concern showing plainly on his face.

"I'm fine. We have to get back. Something wasn't right. We couldn't get their scents. We don't know how many there were." Van pivoted and did not wait for a reply. In an instant, she transformed into a beautiful, sleek black panther and took off in the direction she had just come from. The others followed suit.

Kita was fast. Her feline dexterity helped her maneuver through the trees at lightning speed. And Van could sense she was itching for a fight.

I hope we're not too late. Van thought to herself. Somewhat surprised that she actually gave a crap about that brute.

I hope we didn't miss the fun. Kita laughed and let out a loud roar.