The Hidden Luna

Chapter 28: Behind Enemy Lines

The damp, cool air flew through the fur along my back as I ran quickly, deep into the forest. I push myself harder to run faster, just a while longer. I pant and circulate as much cold air into my lungs as possible as I swiftly weave between the tall pine trees and the needles shift under my paws as I run for my life. Howls echo from behind me and the adrenaline pumping through my veins fuels my tired legs onward and away from the wolves behind me. Their snarls bounce off the ground and the trees around me and I try to crane my head back to see how many of them there are.

Five wolves snarl at me, chasing behind me with their jaws open wide to attack once I've been caught. How did they find me? I thought I had been so careful, never telling anyone where I was heading next. My lungs burn in my chest as I push on hoping to find a pack near by or some sort of human residence I could sneak into and hide. If they catch me I won't survive to morning and I have to at least try to fight for my life. I release a cry for help, hoping any wolves near by will come to my rescue and I will my weak body to charge on.

One of the wolves surges forward to my side and soon another follows suit and I am tackled to the ground by a third, the needles on the forest floor mixing into my coat of fur. I whine in pain as the brown wolf laying on top of me bite my neck sharply and pain spreads though my throat as his jaw tightens. I yelp in pain as the other wolves begin to circle my captured body, growling viciously and snarling at my every movement. Depression begins to spread like dark ink inside my heart as I realize I've been caught, and my life will soon meet its end.

The wolf that stands over my small body growls and motions with its head for me to stand, and I slowly comply. They'll take me to him and he will end my existence on this earth, it's just what he does. I look down at the ground as the wolves surround me and begin to walk in a new direction, the pine needles long fallen from their source of nutrition biting at my paws as if looking for some sort of sustenance in this cool winter. I follow the brown wolf and his friends through the forest for some time before a busy camp comes into view ahead of us.

My eyes widen as I take in the scene in front of me: tents set aglow around a large campfire, men, mostly, sitting around the fire laughing and eating from cans, while others had shifted into their wolves and were training behind the camp. There have to be at least ten tents and just as many or more men in the large camp site, and suddenly all the men around the fire look up at me and the camp goes quieter for a few minutes before cheers echo out around the camp.

"Alpha is going to reward me handsomely for your capture, Casey. He'll reward us all for bringing you in alive and afraid." A man says, laughing deeply, as he stands from the fire; he must be the camp leader.

I glare at him as he tosses the empty can into the woods beside us and he walks closer to me and my captors. The closer he gets the less his features glow from the light of the fire, but I know who this rogue is. Jameson is the beta of the monster formerly known as my mate, I knew him when Darious attacked my pack as Darious's "special friend." He turned out to be the rogue that led the attackers into our pack to murder my friends and family. Anger swells up inside my chest and I growl loudly at the disgusting man in front of me.

Jameson laughs, his brown eyes glint evilly, and he turns so his side is facing me and his smile can be seen by the entire camp, who had stopped their activities to watch the entertainment, the crescent shaped scar on his right temple aglow in the firelight "brothers, it seems our mission has been successful. Who wishes to go ahead of the group to inform our alpha of our success?"

His deep voices echoes through the woods as men begin to stand, volunteering themselves to go, and he turns back to me with a crooked smile "you'll be coming with us. We leave in ten minutes, men, be ready to start the travel back to the pack house." He lowers his voice for only me to hear, "don't worry Casey, I remember you. You're quite beautiful, and I'm sure alpha wouldn't mind if I had a little fun with you. I've been waiting years to finally get payback for the scar you gave me."

Memories flood through my mind and I try to push away the pain in my chest as Jameson points to the wolf that had tackled me earlier and says, "you. You caught the woman, you can give Alpha the good news. When you get there let him know we will all be returning by sunrise with his mate."

The brown wolf nods before running off into the night, leaving me with the camp of hungry rogues. The men have already begun pulling apart their tents and packing their bags to leave the campground, and Jameson grabs me by the fur on the back of my neck, causing me to whine in pain, as he drags me into a forest green tent with only a sleeping bag and backpack inside. He throws me inside and zips the tent closed before pulling out a knife from the pocket of his army pants. I whine, my neck and ribs aching in pain, as Jameson approaches my small body.

"Shift." He grunts lowly.

Oh no, what is he going to do to me? I simply lay still and close my eyes, remaining in my wolf form as Jameson kneels down in front of me. He raises his voice, telling me to shift again, but I just lay still and try to form a plan. I won't allow this evil man to take my dignity from me in the most intimate place possible. I refuse to allow him to hurt me in a way every woman fears.

"Fucking shift Casey, let's get this over with quickly. I'm sure my alpha wouldn't mind if I sampled the dessert before he got to it." Jameson grits as I feel a cold, sharp, blade scrape against my jaw, his disgusting breath fanning my face.

I whimper quietly, refusing to shift, and Jameson slowly applies pressure with the blade to my neck and warm blood oozes out and into my fur. I grit my teeth to keep quiet as he applies a little more pressure to the wound, but I remain in my wolf form as the blood trails down my neck and onto the floor of the green tent. I pray for the pain to end, and my wishes are answered when the front of the tent zips open and a smaller man with blond hair pokes his head into the tent.

"We're ready to go, only a few men still need to finish packing."

Jameson growls lowly before flicking his knife closed and sliding it into his pocket, "don't ever interrupt me again. Have everyone get into position and shift. I'll be ready in a moment."

The blonde man looks over at me and something flashes across his eyes before he returns his gaze to the beta, "sir, we need to leave now. Alpha said to go straight home once we got her."

Jameson growls again and the man disappears from the tent before Jameson could reply with more orders, "fine. But don't think I won't be given what I want when we get back to base."

Jameson steps out of the tent and I gather my breath before exiting as well before Jameson begins to pull apart the tent and wrap up the orange sleeping bag inside. The camp had disappeared in only a few moments, where before stood a line of tents and men, now only stood a smoldering pile of ashes and a few empty cans. I wait for Jameson to finish gathering his things before he instructed me to follow him to the front of the group of wolves.

Each dirty beast carries a backpack in its mouth and the group had gathered into an organized assembly, waiting for their leader to head the group. As Jameson walked to the front of the group he stood proudly in front of us all, a black backpack in his hand. The wolves around me all stared attentively at him, awaiting their orders.

"Alright men, let's head back to the alpha. We have our bounty. Keep a close eye on miss Casey the entire trek, I don't want to have to kill a few men and explain to the alpha we were to arrogant to bring him what he wants. Let's go."

The wolves around me howl in unison and I feel what's left of my weary heart break. I hope Annabel isn't hurt too badly in one of Darious's cells, wondering where her mother is and why I never told her about all of this. Jameson shifts into a larger, grey wolf before grabbing his bag in his mouth and running ahead of the group, the rest of us following. Maybe I can get Annabel and we can escape from this nightmare once again, only this time no one will ever find us.