"Why does my father have such faith in you to get my mom out?" Her curiosity was mixed with suspicion, side eyeing me as we walked. I ended up taking the sorcerer's, Patrick's, trench coat to cover up. He walked a good ways back keeping an eye on his daughter and their surroundings to ensure no sneak attack would be made. I duck beneath a branch, turning my head to spare her an amused look.
"To be honest kidâ" I was immediately cut off.
"My name isn't kid. It's Hailey." Her chin lifted and chest puffed out almost like how a male would try and make himself look bigger. I shook my head, hiding a grin.
"My apologies, Hailey. But as I was saying, I don't know why your father chose to try his luck with me. I don't know why he chose to risk me hunting you guys down and possibly killing you. But sorcerers are never an easy person to read." I saw how she parked at the mention of me killing them but chose to not ease her worries.
"I chose to because I know the warrior within her wolf is the Moon's Assassin. And his duty is not only to wolves, but of all supernatural kind." His words were loud so that they carried over to the two of us. "Therefore your duty is to all shadow species just as his was." His words were a slap in the face, I froze before spinning on my heel to face him in a mix of shock and horror.
"You know the legend of Leto?" I couldn't fathom that he could know, as Grace ensured her library was the only one to hold the legend.
"Aye. I know why he was created, and I know who his original target was. That target was the only one he failed to kill." Patrick's dark gaze flickered across my face before settling on my forehead where he was still looking but not directly challenging me. "I could tell you a lot about Leto if you'd like."
"I will take you up on that offer soon but first we must deal with the pack." I turned back to facing the direction the pack was, the only clue to it being there were the lights of the houses. As we neared I spoke clearly and precisely to ensure they understood what they were about to walk into. "They will not trust you, their wolves are fired up and out of control because their alpha was attacked so they are battling protectiveness of the alpha or challenging the alpha to take his place." I stop walking and looked between the father and daughter. "It will not be a kind welcome. I will handle them, I will control them, but no matter what I need you to trust me to handle it. If you are to do anything with your curses or charms, you'll have an entire pack trying to rip your throats out. Understood?"
Hailey was pale again but held steady, her father gave the tiniest of nods which was the only confirmation I needed as we continued on.
//\\//\\//\\
The three of us exit the tree line into the backyard of the Seghar's pack house. The amount of wolves that seemed to come from the shadows was shocking. The first wave of wolves were Ryker's pack, snarling and snapping at the strangers flanking me on their territory. Coming up behind them were my own pack members, including Zander who stood with his arms crossed over his chest studying what was about to go down.
Shouted questions all along the lines of "why are they here" and "why are they alive" were the only thing anyone was capable of hearing for a few moments. I waited silently keeping my body in between the packs and the two I had at my back, until finally people started to quiet down, nostrils flaring being the only other sign of their anger and annoyance. My lips parted, a deep breath filled my lungs for my explanation when shouts of disgruntled annoyance and shock fill the air and through the crowd Tyler came plowing through with Leah in tow.
Leah looked scared as she gripped Tyler's hand, eyes flicking back and forth. Seeing Hailey, Leah stiffened but nodded just oh so subtly, but that nod confirmed what we all knew. These two were the ones responsible for Ryker's behavior.
"You let them live? With not a scratch on them?" Tyler all but roared, pacing in front of myself, his eyes glued to the figures behind me. He was dangerously close to challenging me, his posture was stiff and rigid like he was trying to restrain himself, but his eyes held unbridled rage for the two who were responsible for his mate's pain. A wolf who needed to protect their mate was a dangerous one.
"I did what I deemed beneficial to our cause." I responded cooly, keeping my body between his and our new found allies'. My response nearly triggered a shift from Tyler, I saw how his muscles rippled and strained with the effort of both fighting the shift yet willing it.
"So a Charmer and a," His nostrils flair as the wind shifts bringing Patrick's scent to him. A snarl found it's way to his face, his voice was guttural as he finished. "Dark Sorcerer." The two words were filled with venom and disgust. "And you brought them here?" As he asked this last question he firmly pushed Leah to the wall of pack members, a look telling her to stay when she shifted to come back to him.
"As I said, it benefits us." Again apparently that was the wrong thing to say as Tyler had positioned himself at an angle to my side directly in line of Hailey, he launched himself shifting mid-leap. The wall of wolves behind him roared with approval, the atmosphere tense and raw, it reminded me of the Challenges I competed in to gain the title of Alpha, how everyone craved spilled blood.
For most, it happened faster than they could see, but time seemed to still. I had always been good in a fight but this, this right here was something that had never happened before. I blinked once, twice, and watched Tyler slowly soar through the air, fur rippling slowly, saliva spilling from his bared mouth. The startled start of a terrified scream rumbles out of Hailey as she watches the massive wolf move towards her father. And her father, Patrick looking at me with eyes that screamed "you promised"; and that I did. I did promise to protect them.
Patrick slowly turned away from me, putting his back to Tyler as he embraces Hailey pulling both of them down to a crouch. I move then, but while everyone else was slow I moved as I normally would. When I reached where Tyler intended to land, I blinked and everything sped up. I reacted instantly, fist flying up and uppercutting the large wolf head. We could all hear the snap of his jaws from the force of the hit as he flies up and back. Landing into a clumsy side roll, he stumbles up, shaking his head before growling incredulously at me. He's so lost to his wolf he didn't acknowledge the speed I had moved to intercept him, didn't acknowledge how I essentially moved from one spot to another, and therefore wouldn't notice how outmatched he was.
The shouts for revenge dwindled to quiet shock, even Zander looked stunned, arms slowly unfolding to hang loose at his sides.
"You will obey me Tyler. Stand. Down." My words were law, my words were alpha, and he would listen to me. I watched as he struggled to disobey, watched as his body lowered, but it trembled with the effort of fighting an alpha command. As he fights his teeth bare in a snarl where he begins to snap in my direction. His need to protect his mate was overpowering his need to obey his alpha and I watched as if he snapped ropes tying him down, he rises up on shaky limbs. The crowd was lost, eyes widening from the wolf disobeying an alphas order. It's not impossible but it is incredibly hard and extremely rare. Seeing this I tilted my head then stepped aside, sending Patrick a look that spoke of trust. He nodded once still cradling his daughter. "Fine. If you insist then do it, Tyler. Do it, kill them."
Tyler's wolf looked suspicious for a moment and a moment only before he launches and just like that world slows again. He launches, I'm there; he bites, I'm there; He scratches and I'm there. This goes on for a while until finally I grow tired of it, this time when he jumps I let him go far enough that saliva flings onto Patrick's face. I reach out and grab his tail, then time catches up and I yank him back hard. He flies over the wall of wolves, and hits a tree so hard I thought I heard a crack, I just couldn't tell if it was the tree or him.
Tyler pants at the base of the tree, his own blood from multiple wounds open up spilling crimson. The broken wolf struggles to stand up, surely his ribs are broken and his jaw needing to be set. Leah struggles away from the crowd to comfort him. She cradled his giant wolf head, her eyes freely spilling tears.
"Stop this. Let it go, Tyler. I'm fine, I'm alive." Leah hummed softly to calm him down. A few more minutes of humming and he shifted back to his human form, his skin marred with bruises slowly healing.
"But he-" Tyler tries, voice cracking from the amount of time I had gripped his neck to toss him away.
"Is an enemy of our enemy. A man who is willing to help us, in exchange for us to help bring his wife home." After my words registered, I saw the anger leave his gaze, the fight flee his body, and the regret sink heavy on his soul. I walk towards him and Leah, the crowd parting for me. "I could've killed you, you disobeyed me, and that is punishable by death yet I did not. This is my mercy." My gaze leaves Tyler's whimpering hide, and turn towards the rest of the pack. "I am charged with protecting you and all of supernatural kind. My duty is to them as much as to you all. So you will respect my decisions. Questions are fine, but acts of betrayal, attacking me? Will not be tolerated." I stepped away from the pair to face the crowd head on. "Should you like to challenge me you declare it here and now."
We waited for what seemed like forever before I bowed my head. "Then the matter is settled. I want Patrick and his daughter taken to Alpha Seghar so that they met reverse the affects of the charm. Then bring them to the alpha's office so that we may discuss what is to come." Before anyone moved I spoke. "Anyone touches a hair on either of their heads and you will deal with me. Understood?" Nods of acknowledgment we're given, I looked toward Patrick and waved him towards two of my pack members that stepped forward to take them where they needed to be.
I on the other hand, silently stalked towards the pack house, Zander on my heels.