New Beginnings

Chapter 25

Dylan’s P.O.V.

I didn’t like the area Drake had brought us too. The need to get out of here, far away from here, is pulling at me as I drank with the rest.

“Is everyone done?” Drake asks through our mind link. However no one has time to answer before the sound of a scream echoes around us.

“Bells!” Drake shouts at us. Without stopping to think I turn and run at full pelt in her direction, my heart speeding. The sound of growling up ahead has me picking up speed, propelling myself forwards as fast as I can go,  and even though I am being ordered by Drake to slow down I fight it and keep going. The pack is keeping pace with me and when we come to face the threat I immediately look to Isabelle. She is backed up against a rock with a large grey wolf hovering over her, I try to asses her for any injuries, it’s hard from this distance but all I can distinguish is she has hurt her side as she’s holding it with a pained expression.

I go into attack mode and so do my pack, we have entered a stand off with the unknown wolf. The sound of growling, however, only gets louder within the ravine as more and more wolves emerge from their hiding spots. The uneasy feeling from before now makes sense.

A wolf perched on the rock above us lunges and collides with one of the twins and that is all the encouragement we need and we all leap into action.

My goal was to get to Isabelle and that is what I was going to do whether it killed me. All around the sounds of barking, growling and howling that indicate pain echoed, making impossible to tell from what side it came from. Shouts fill my head, the members of my pack plotting attacks and calling for backup. I ignored it all, dipping, dodging and jumping over the opposition, trying not to get caught in a fight and my mind set on getting to my target. The Alpha of this other pack was stood keeping her where she was and watching over his wolves casually sat down, not even getting involved in the fight.

A grey wolf noticed the interrupted path I was taking, I was heading straight for his Alpha, and pounced in an attempt to take me down. I lunged at him and we collided with a painful thud, however I’m bigger so he got the worst of it as he crumbles to the ground unconscious. A scream pierces the air as a heavy weight lands on my back and forces me to the floor, pain erupting from the back of my neck and the sound of snapping from a bone in my chest. I flip onto my side in an attempt to shake off the wolf but he clings on, his jaws tightening their grip on the scruff of my neck.

“Drake help him!” comes a muffled shout and also a cry of pain. She’s in pain. My eyesight is failing and darkness is creeping in.

Must fight this.

The weight is torn from my back and I can’t stop the howl that escapes me as the fur he was clinging too is also ripped away.

“Get up Dylan.” It was an Alpha order and under the compulsion my shaky legs begin to hoist me up. “I will take the guy in charge, you get her out of here, go to the next camping ground we’ll meet you there.” All I can do is nod weakly. The pain is extreme and the blood is spilling from my neck, from what I can tell I have a broken rib and there is a hole in the scruff of my neck.

I take a moment to admire Drake, I didn’t think he had what it took to be Alpha, I had him down as a spoilt teen but right now I am seeing a different more mature side of him. He has already fought himself through two other wolves and is at a stand off with the Alpha and I have yet to move. I test my muscles and limbs and the pain hit’s instantly, but giving into to it isn’t an option.

As soon as Drake makes the first attacking move I set off, he is luring the Alpha away from Isabelle. I look to her plotting our escape root but what I see only instead makes me loose the plot, there is a deep scratch mark along her left cheek and the blood is trickling down her face and staining her clothes.

“No Dylan get her out of here!” Drake shouts into my head, reading my projected thoughts and the plan that I was hatching, but it is too late as my full wolf is released and I let my mind go blank and let him take over.

“Is he coming round?”

“Give him space.”

“Don’t tell me what to do Drake.”

“I’m your Alpha it’s my job.”

“What’s the damage?” Voices begin to penetrate the grogginess that is my mind but I can’t put a face or identity to any of them.

“Couple of small scratches, broken rib, nasty gash on the back of the neck and a few nastier scratch marks here and there.” The sound of gentle crying makes me want to sit up and wrap my arms around the source but my body refuses to cooperate.

“He was amazing.”

“He was reckless and stupid and went directly against Alpha orders.”

“Screw your orders Drake, what he did was incredible and I wont let you take that away from him.” That voice is the sweetest sound and I fight against my body to open my eyes to see where the hell it is coming from. The first thing I see is a mass of red hair.

“Look his eyes are open!” Relief laces her words and the worry in her voice has me throwing my arms around her and pulling her down on top of me. She’s mine. There is a slight pain in my chest and I wince a little.

“Dylan!” She laughs. “You’ll hurt yourself!”

“I don’t care Isabelle, I just need to know your safe. For a minuet can you just roll with it?”

“Sure.” We lie on the hard ground and I hold her close to me ignoring the protests of my sore body.

“Come on guys lets go get water and start setting up camp. We move out first thing in the morning.” I am grateful that Drake is letting us have this moment.

“What happened to your face?” I ask tentatively.

“The alpha of the other pack gave me the equivalent of a wolf bitch slap when I shouted at Drake to help you.” She sighs and I growl low in my chest. “Don’t worry Dylan you already sorted it all out, it’s just a scratch.” Se runs her hand up my arm in a reassuring motion and we just lie on the ground in silence for a good five minuets, it isn’t awkward it’s just nice.

“So have I been upgraded?” I whisper into her ear she looks up at me her confusion obvious.

“What?”

“You said back at Alpha Coopers’ that if I did something manly and heroic you’d upgrade me from cute. So Isabelle, have I been upgraded?” I say nonchalantly whilst playing with a strand of her hair, a mischievous twinkle enters her eyes.

“Ah, I remember. Based on what you just did sweetie you are definitely no longer just cute you are damn sexy.” She says with a laugh. “And Dylan, please call me Bella.” My whole body rejoices in the moment. The luxury that was taken away from me the first day we met has been reinstated the grin I can feel on my face wont be going anywhere anytime soon.

“Sure thing Bella.” I say acting cool.

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Thanks for your patients. I had the best weekend ;) The song on the side has no releveance but was a band i saw over the weekend (remember Bella's ringtone for Dylan?). Thanks for all the comments and votes and fanning, i wont put a target on this one but i hope you vote and comment anyway. Due to my absence New Beginnings is way down in the charts... what can you do eh :). Hope this was worth waiting for.