The kitten claims her mate (complete)

The wolf pup

She was really tired of hearing about her wonderful. That was an adjective that did not apply to Jax!

" You used to think Koga was wonderful."

"Go to sleep!"

She had been manipulated into thinking Koga was just a dog. She couldn't forgive Jax for making her love a stupid dog who didn't even really exist.

She hadn't realized just how lonely her life had been until she had something better to compare it to. It had been nice having companionship after work. Now that was over and she had to get used to being by herself again. She may have moped a bit the rest of the day, but she wouldn't have admitted it to anyone.

***

In the woods, about twenty miles from Betty's home, there was a fresh hole in the ground. At the bottom of the dark hole was a small broken body of wolf pup. The last time his parents had seen his face was two nights before when they lovingly tucked him in to bed. The memory would forever be engraved in their hearts.

Jax surveyed the scene and ran his hand through his hair. They had a small pack that was family oriented. They were at peace with the larger packs around them. Who would do this to a little pup?

His best trackers had been searching the woods since the moment he left Betty's house. It took that entire time of searching for them to find his broken body.

Jason was in wolf form, snarling as he paced back and forth. He was tired and frustrated, like everyone here. There was very little that Jason couldn't track, his failure was weighing on his typical sunny disposition. There was nothing to lead them to the murderer. The site was clean. Luke, James and the other elites were with him- eager to catch the guy who did this.

This was more than a simple kidnapping. The boy had been taken from his bedroom. His dad was a strong wolf and should have smelled an intruder. After the boy was taken, all scent trails disappeared. Too much thought went into this for it to be random.

Jax was tired and pissed off that they hadn't found the boy in time. He'd been awake for two nights straight and it was beginning to take its toll. He paced away from the hole and growled. He would not let this happen again. He had to protect his pack before caring for his own needs.

"Luke, tighten our defenses. Alert all pack that they are to follow our safety plan 1.B. No one goes off alone, women and children need to be moved to the bunkers and everyone else go to their assigned safe house. I want regular updates until everyone is in position."

"Yes, Alpha," Luke nodded respectfully and hurried to do as he was told. During an emergency a lot of their informality dropped away. They weren't just friends and families. They were fellow soldiers and above all they were pack.

Their biggest weakness was that they were so spread out. Safety Plan 1.B helped to lessen that flaw. Any that were two weak to fight were brought to one of five underground bunkers throughout the city. There were enough emergency supplies and weapons there for two weeks at maximum occupancy. Each bunker was assigned two fighters to help defend them in case of a breach. It wasn't much, but it was all they could spare.

Next, pack brothers that were not fighters would group together in teams of five to ten in base homes around town. Each house had a stash of weapons and supplies. The homes were selected for their location and their ability to be fortified. No one went off by themselves. Everyone stuck together and provided regular updates up the chain of command.

Fighters patrolled their sections, some were stationary and others could be pulled away if needed. The elite fighters were split between the Alpha and the Beta. They had performed many drills over the years, but this was the first time that it had been necessary.

He ordered Jason and James to continue searching for clues, with two more wolves for back up. Next, he carefully picked up the cold, lifeless body. It had already started to stiffen up. He set his mouth and carried the boy to the waiting SUV. His body would be inspected for clues and scents and then it would be quietly buried. Later, they would hold a service for the boy's family. But first, they had to catch the sadistic prick who had done this.

He found himself thinking of Betty on the silent drive home. He had two Elite fighters with him, but no one was in the mood for conversation. It felt like forever since he last saw her. He missed her, but was relieved she wasn't a part of this mess. Still, he would have two fighters patrol her house just to be safe.

He wouldn't be able to forgive himself if anything happened to her. Hell, he couldn't forgive himself for anyone getting hurt on his watch. He shouldn't have been playing with the little cat while shirking his Alpha duties. If he'd done his damn job the wolf pup would still be alive. That knowledge tore himself up inside.