Chasing his Mate

Chapter Thirteen

She took in the mans dark brown hair and eyes before her attention turned. Her nose immediately dropped to the ground as she tried to once again sort through the many scents. She barely spared them a second glance before she thought she found the one she was looking for.

She followed Xena's scent, but was annoyed the scent was old. Denali didn't wait for them. As soon as she found Xena's door, she jumped on it with all her strength. The door groaned before it gave out and she heard a soft Male chuckle behind her.

Inside Xena's room, another scent called to her. It was intoxicating to her wolf and Denali imagined it had a similar affect to catnip and cats.

Denali followed it to its source and snorted when she recognized the bottle. She picked up her perfume bottle in her mouth and carried to Rhetta. She then pushed it into her hand before she moved on.

"What is that? The scents making my wolf feel drugged." Diago immediately asked, but Rhetta just pulled it closer in response with a mischievous look in her eyes.

"Its nothing." Rhetta answered before her attention went back to Denali.

"Takota ordered you to protect her should something happen to him. Now find him and keep her safe." Rhetta ordered before she walked out with a strange scent following her in her wake. Denali's wolf recognized it as lust.

At the sound of his name, her head came up and Diago continued to watch her as she watched him.

"We will find him. I promise." He said to her as his face hardened.

A sudden movement outside turned her attention and her hackles rose as she picked out the other wolf trying to camaflauge itself in the forest brush. He was watching them.

Denali didn't waste another second. She charged the window, knowing she wouldn't have enough time to go around. She heard Diago call out something, but she was focused. Her wolf was focused.

She didn't care about the glass as it burned her pelt with pain. She saw only rage as the wolf ran from them, likely realizing he had been seen.

That wolf likely know were Xena was. Perhaps even what had happened to her mate. He had likely been taken and her prey might give her answers.

Denali was faster then this wolf. This much was clear. She immediately began to shorten the distance between them when she hit the ground outside the window.

When she was only a few paces behind him, she heard a howl behind her and somehow knew it was Diago, likely calling his other men.

When she pounced on him, he turned with a snarl. She answered back with her own as she bit and clawed every part of him she could reach. Seconds later, he was ripped away from her as another wolf grabbed her pray.

She immediately recognized its scent as Diagos. The two began to fight, but Denali refused to stay aside. She watched their movements and charged the other wolf as soon as she saw an opening. The two then managed to pin the other wolf as reinforcements arrived.

Four new male wolves raced up and took in the scene. Their eyes hesitated on her, but a small warning growl from Diago snapped them out of it.

They surrounded the wolf and he immediately realized he had lost as he began to change back.

"She lied to us." He immediately snapped out.

"If I tell you who hired me and where he is, I want your promise you will let me go unharmed." He said as he looked at her, somehow deciding she was the leader. She immediately looked at Diago who had already started changing back.

"Out with it then. All that matters to me is bringing Takota back and finding the one responsible." Diago answered in a rough voice.

"Roland Lennon hired my pack to kidnap your boss. He said another female was trying to take his daughters mate from her and it seemed like easy money." He told them as Diago considered what he was hearing.

She knew Xena would be involved. She always was and wouldn't have it any other way.

"We were supposed to watch you and stall long enough for her to convince her mate to stay with her." He added as he shook his head.

"He had no interest though and cursed at her every chance he got. We soon put things together, but what could we do at that point?" He asked as he made a helpless gesture with his arms.

"You could have let him go." Diago said, refusing to feel sorry for him.

"We almost did, but then she promised us more." He said as he eyed her.

"She shifted in front of us and told us she could give us the key to our she-wolves shifting." Denlai had suspected as much. Mother had truly found a way and she had left that secret with her daughter unknowingly.

"She said that she alone had the key and was willing to share it if we played along. Obviously she lied." He added as he continued to eye her. She had some, but she only had the two bottles and had stolen and she had used some of them to try to deceive Takota.

"Where does she have Takota." Diago immediately asked. Likely coming up with a plan.

"Last I knew, he was being held at our packhouse. Though she was planning on moving him again soon. Likely to somewhere her father had secured." He explained as he finally looked away from her.

"Fighting an entire pack will not be easy." Diago commented.

A small worried whine escaped Denali at his comment and she immediately went to him. Seeking comfort. She had just found her mate and he had been kind and cared for her. She wanted more of those feelings. Diago felt like her last link to him.

"We will find him and get him back. I promise." Diago immediately soothed her at her action.

"She is his real mate. Isnt she?" The stranger wolf asked.

" She is and she is also the one that holds the real key for our she-wolves. Xena stole a few bottles from her, but she knows the real recipe." He informed him and she knew what Diago was doing.

They were going to let the other go and Diago hoped to stur up trouble there with the knowledge. Hopefully they would realize they were backing the wrong side and chose what was right. Time would tell when they decided to act.