My Monster and I

Chapter nine

Grants POV~~

His heart beat sped up. She seemed so vulnerable, looking up at him right now. Slowly he leaned in, giving her time to say no, though he would have died if she rejected him. Then before his lips met hers, Kyle burst in. "Alpha," he panted. Then his eyes widen comically as we jumped apart and looked at him. He was beet red, but continued.

"Alpha, its O'Connell. He's been wounded in a skirmish with the Blue Moons pack and the Salt Marshes pack. The other wolves attacked first, near our east border, and the patrol thinks they were a scouting party. Our wolves captured one of the scouts but the other three escaped." Grant nodded. Getting up quickly he replied "Have the pack doctor examine him if he hasn't started already, and have patrols scout the border at all times. Use the partner system. Alert the pack, the Blue Moons and Salt Marshes packs are strong and will attack soon, we need to be ready."

"Yes Alpha."

"Oh before you go, take the children and those who are injured or older to the safe house and take Serena with you. Tell the older ones they are needed to ensure the children's safety."

Kyle nodded gravely and headed out the door quickly. I thought hurriedly. with the children out of the way we would need to prepare for an attack. No one was to go any where alone and sentries would have to be posted and a watch drawn up. My mind filled with battle plans, and I hurried out the door to my office.

Serena's POV ~~

I could tell time was of the essence so I followed hurriedly so he wouldn't leave me behind. Room to room we went collecting children, elderly pack members and those unwilling to fight. Alerting the pack took a precious hour of our scarce time.

Only a few able bodies pack members refused to fight, and it was alarming how few seemed surprised when told the Blue Moon pack was among their attackers.

I was surprised at the number of children there were. At least sixty children ages a year to twelve followed us to the woods.

Soon everyone had a little one or two in their arms. The walk was a few miles and I could see the effort of carrying the small children was getting to be too much for one twelve year old girl.

"Want to switch?" I asked as I drew nearer to her. She was carrying a six year old and I had a toddler of about two years.

"You would really be doing me a favor." I added when she remained silent. I could tell she was trying to outlast her failing arms in an effort to impress someone. Who though I couldn't quite tell.

"Alright," she said slowly. "If you really want to."

"Yes I do." we switched children and after about another half hour of walking we reached a small clearing before a cliff. The only way up was a thin rope ladder. Kyle set down the children he was carrying and said "You all know the drill. Everyone up the rope ladder with a child in your harness." he fetched a box of child harnesses from behind a tree. I offered to go first, but a middle aged man cut in front of me. "Sorry Luna, but a pack member will go first to make sure the rope is safe." I conceded to him, not wanting to make a scene. He scaled the ladder quickly and a few minutes after he reached the top he called out, "All clear!" I had put in a harness and was going to step on the ladder when yet another pack member got in front of me.

"Sorry Luna but at least two pack members must be guarding you at all times." I conceded once again. After she went up I climbed the ladder quickly. Setting my child down carefully, I paused to admired the view. The top of the cliff had a marvelous view of the surrounding land and a beautiful log cabin stood thirty feet away. The sound of the wind whistling through the trees below mingling with bird calls and the suns warmth on my face had me smiling reflexively.

"Come on Luna we must set up the cabin." the she-wolf said quietly. I followed her noticing the tension on her shoulders. A low growl sounded as I was just about to follow her.

"You won't be going any where." The male pack member who had gone first stepped out of the darkness to my right, and grabbing my arm he threw me over his shoulder.

"Garret, what do you think you are doing?" the woman asked sounding scandalized.

"What I have to do to keep the pack strong Regina. This "Luna", and I could hear the scorn in his voice, "is a human. She can never lead the pack. humans are too weak to deal with werewolves. She will never be respected."

Regina snorted "You think that with Kyle and the others in the way up you will get away with it?"

"I won't get away." He replied simply, and stepped off the cliff.

Falling a scream lodged in my throat, heart and stomach back atop the cliff, I couldn't breathe. Garret was dragging me down, a hot and heavy weight below me. My arms waved uselessly in the wind searching some place to hold, but there was nothing to grab.

I had never really thought about how I was going to die but falling seemed like a painful way to go. I had always imagined growing old with someone, maybe even having children, just getting to experience life in general. Now it seemed I would never do any of those things. NO! I thought. I would not go out with a whimper. I snapped my eyes open, and they teared immediately a product of the cold rushing wind. Garret had let go of me and was extending his arms and legs angling himself into a dive. It looked like he planned to hit the pond at the right side of the clearing. It was amazing what you could see from up here. But I had to focus, some of us couldn't recover from falls like this.

I searched desperately for something to hold, spotting after what seemed an eternity a sizable rock jutting out of the smooth cliff face. I seized hold of it eagerly, and slammed against the cliff face. Pins and needles spread all over the points of impact and I could almost feel the bruises I was going to have. Phew, safe at last. Except the rock was crumbling beneath my fingertips, and it wouldn't hold much longer.

Garret had thrown us off the cliff while I was still close to the rope ladder! If I could find it now I might be able to reach it, and climb back up. There it was directly to my left a few feet away. I reached for it stretching desperately. Two fingers latched a hold, almost three and crack! The rock supporting most of my weight fell and I could feel my hold on the rope ladder following suit. My right hand zipped up quickly. Now I was dangling from the rope ladder with one sweaty hand. I wiped my left hand in my shorts and reached up, then my right foot, and my left foot and then I wiped my right hand on my shorts as well and climbed up the ladder.