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“Do it!” I order, infusing my power into my tone as I rush outside, jogging towards the trees.
“Where are you going?” Toby yells after me.
“It’s already been half a day. I’ll run the edge of our territory since I’m the fastest. Tell them I’ll be back!” I call as I use a fallen log to throw myself into the air, changing mid-jump. As soon as my paws hit the dirt, I sprint off, using familiar paths through the forest. My nose is in the air, trying to scent her trail or blood.
She could be hurt. A broken leg would force her to change back, and I’ve warned her and the other runners to stop going out alone, but they don’t always listen. Let’s hope that’s all it is. The trees blur around me. I leave the closest areas to the trackers and other enforcers, since I’m the fastest, but my ears swivel for any sounds of distress or howls.
I stop every so often and drop my nose until I finally find a trail deep in the woods. It’s old, at least six or seven hours, and almost faded, but it’s hers. Snarling, I sprint through the trees as I follow the trail as quickly as I can, doubling back when she does. It’s clear she was just running and hunting for fun.
Something has definitely gone wrong. Toby was right, and a bad feeling starts to well inside me.
My instincts have never steered me wrong, and I slow, careful of my steps. I manoeuvre through the trees as nothingbut a shadow. I’m almost at the border that leads to the national park near the local town, deep out of our pack’s reach and away from anyone who could help.
I need to be smart. I can’t save Sarah if I rush in and get myself hurt as well.
The trail leads back and forth before shooting straight ahead, as if something caught her attention. It’s not long before I find a dead rabbit. The kill is left, however, and her tracks continue on. When I sniff the ground, I realise why—fresh blood.
It leads to a trail right at the tree line. As I retreat and pace, I hear whines.
Tilting my head, I move swiftly through the trees as silently as possible. Even the other animals are silent here, and when I stop, I see her.
Sarah cowers within a black steel cage at the base of a tree. It’s almost too small for her, her nose sticking out. Her back legs are at an odd angle and bleeding.
Lifting my nose, I scent the air and nearly snarl before I swallow it back.
Hunters.
Despite their clear attempts to conceal themselves, the scent of their sweat fills the air. Sarah shakes her head at me, clearly seeing me even if they don’t. It’s a warning. They are watching. She whines, glancing to the top lever which clearly dropped the cage door.
Slinking through the trees, I create a circle as I search for the human hunters. There are three distinct scents. I can kill three humans without even trying. The trails are old, only an hour or two, but I can still smell them. Is it from the stuff they left behind, or are they here?
I don’t know, but I sit back and watch. Sarah whines again. Her back leg is bleeding badly, soaking the leaves below the cage, and it’s clearly broken. She needs to turn to heal it. Ifshe’s trapped for too long like that, she will have to live with a deformed, broken leg, which would be the end of a wolf.
I cannot wait for the pack’s help, since they are too far away. It could take a day for them to get here, and I cannot leave her to go back and get them. They could kill her while I’m not here.
No, I’m a beta, and it’s my job to protect them and Sarah.
I eye the clearing once more, coming to a decision. It’s impulsive, but it’s all I have. I let out a low call, and she lifts her head, nodding in understanding. When nothing moves after my sound, I slink to the edge of the trees, once more scanning the area before deciding it’s now or never.
Leaping onto the top of the cage with a snarl, I bite through the rope. The cage door springs open, and Sarah rushes out, fleeing into the woods, but I need to watch our backs, especially since three humans drop into the clearing from the trees.
Fuck, I didn’t look up.
They are big, armed, and clearly experienced.
They used her as bait. They didn’t want her; they wanted me, recognising I’m clearly more important. My mind spins with scenarios as I back away, dropping from the cage and heading back to the trees. If I can get in there, then I’m safe. I can outrun them and warn the pack they were right. Hunters are here, right on our doorstep.
“Do you know how long it took us to trap her? That was rude,” the one in the middle comments. He stinks of blood and anger.
He’s big for a human, with huge muscles that rival even a wolf’s, and they are clearly well used. His face is angular, with bright green eyes, and his hair sticks up on the top of his head, his right ear partially missing. Scars litter his exposed skin, but it’s his cruel smile that makes me hesitate.
This one wants to make it hurt.
The one to the left is bigger than the other two, with more muscles than I’ve ever seen on a human. He’s dressed in all black and holding a gun in his hand like he knows how to use it. There is ink on his skin, with writing crawling across his neck. Stubble covers his cheeks and chin, dark black just like his short, styled hair. There’s a wicked glint in his brown eyes.
The last one watches me carefully. He’s smaller than the other two but still big for a human. His hands are empty and out to the sides. His skin is a sun-kissed gold, and he looks vaguely like the big one but with sharper features, no hair on his chin, and a shaved head. A steel cross hangs from his shirt, swaying as he walks.
“Easy there,” the shaved one murmurs, clearly in charge. “We aren’t going to hurt you.”
