The Alpha Female

TWENTY-FOUR: HOME

"What kind of sick joke is this?" Lucas asked, raising his voice. Sauri shrunk back in his cage ever so slightly, baring his teeth. Curly shook his head, turning to face Sauri.

"I-how'd you...I'm so confused," Curly muttered, watching the gray skinned man. "Where's Alan?"

Sauri let out a spine chilling laugh, causing the hair on the back of Lucas' neck to rise.

"Alan is me," he gestured to his frail form before laughing again, his entire body shaking from the force of it. "And your Mason," he pointed towards Lucas. "He's with my Suka. I warned her." He laughed again. "Kids don't listen, wolves don't listen."

"Wait," Curly held up a hand. "Are you trying to tell me that you're a-"

"A wolf?" Sauri laughed again, nodding his head and bouncing up and down. "He gets it!"

"Where's my son." Lucas's voice was deadly quiet.

"You're son? The hunter boy is probably dead," Sauri began laughing, but Lucas wouldn't have it. He charged forward, shoving Curly out of the way before grabbing a hold of the chain link cage and shaking it.

Sauri squealed, cowering back in his cage.

"Where's my son?" Lucas seethed. "Tell me."

"I sa-said," Sauir wiped at his glowing yellow eyes, "I said he was dead."

"No."

"Or..."

"Or?" Lucas asked.

"Or...or the alpha wishes to see him...then he is dead." Lucas gritted his teeth, shaking his head. "But."

"But?" Curly piped up, coming to stand beside Lucas now, pulling at the cuffs of his shirt sleeve anxiously.

"But, the alpha is days away by foot."

"Take me to him." Lucas barked. Sauri smiled, taking in the other man as he rose as tall as his confines would allow.

"You'd like that, wouldn't you." Lucas glared in return as Sauri cackled. "Okay, okay. How about we make up a deal."

"How about this deal." Lucas cut him off. "I let you out, you lead me to my son, and I don't kill you. How does that sound?" Sauri shrunk back a bit. Lucas's eyebrow rose in question.

"Gr-great." Lucas smiled.

"That's what I thought."

I could hear it, the water from the river. It sounded incredibly sharp and fast. It was probably busy lapping at the ice floes that spanned over the western half of the river, catching branches and drowning small animals.

Mason was doing a bit better ever since the other day. He was still coughing and giving dead eyed stares off into space, but he wasn't shaking as much, the wolves were actually touching him now too. Of course, I wasn't allowed to help him when he fell down, but he was no longer just stared at as Taima or Ahote would help him to his feet and brush him off a bit before we would start on our journey once again.

I tried to make eye contact whenever I could, but it was typically an effort made in vain. Blyn would keep him too far away or make a point to stand between us. He was afraid that Mason would hurt me, Taima was getting the exact opposite impression. He seemed to be catching on that I liked Mason, but he didn't dare say anything. He wasn't like Ahote. Taima wouldn't hold it over my head, but nor would he even pry in the first place. The louder the river grew, the more anxious I was about seeing my father. Not only would he be trying Mason, but I would also have to tell him that my position was going to Ahote. If Ahote outed me...

I shook my head, trying to get over it. If Ahote outed me Mason would be flayed, plain and simple, dad would be challenged, I would be challenged. No one would follow orders from one who went frolicking on the wrong side of the field. Frolicking and living it up with the enemy who broke into homes and killed pups in cold blood.

Mason didn't do that.

Mason wouldn't do that.

My family didn't know that.

I sighed as we crested the river bank, revealing the snowy white ice that ran on to my left, and the churning brown waters that flowed to my right. Up and to the right was the place that I had crossed the river originally, the rock outcrop looking large and frosted from the distance.

"We're almost home," Taima gave me a smile, nudging me in the shoulder.

"Yeah," I breathed. "Home." My eyes drifted to Mason's back and I feared that I would never see home the same again. That fear was solidified as I saw a small gray wolf on the other bank as we started out across the ice. It watched us for a moment, scenting the air and seeing if there was any danger before turning tail and heading back to the den. Mason had seen it too, I could smell the fear growing on him.