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The next days seemed to trickle by slower than any I had experienced before.
The Alpha was grouchy to say the least. Sending out our best trackers to find out all they could.
It was four days before any real news came in.
News that whilst disconcerting, wasn't at all surprising.
Drake had settled at a new base in a factory that he owned.
He seemed to have a front business producing medicines. Even going as far as to procure himself a chemistry degree to keep up the charade.
The chemistry aspect wasn't the least bit shocking, considering the poison he had developed.
I shuddered at the thought of it.
What was worrying, was the size of the operation he seemed to be running.
I paused the braid I was weaving in Holly's hair to scratch my nose absently. It was nice to be feeling a bit of normality again, no matter how fleeting it was probably going to be.
Holly was smirking down at her phone, fingers flying over the screen as she typed.
She had met someone at Qualifying, and they had been 'reliving their boredom' until one of them found their mate.
I peeped over her shoulder, catching 'it's my favourite kind of popsicle 😉' before her screen went blank.
She smirked at me, raising her eyebrows slightly. "Now, I know you don't need to live vicariously through my dirty texts."
We giggled. Moments like this were becoming sweeter and sweeter.
Just as that thought entered my mind, three harsh slaps sounded on the door, followed by the sound of feet smacking against the ground in a hasty retreat.
The signal.
We had all been warned of it. Told of how the Runners would be sent out, with the intention of rallying the Pack when we were needed.
We were already moving, front door left swinging in the wind as we raced towards the Pack House.
My wolf stirred impatiently, sending a nagging desire to shift churning through me.
I had a horrible sense of de-ja-vu that was sending icy fear coursing through my body. The last time we rushed to the site of an attack, it hadn't ended well.
As we skidded into the main clearing, I was surprised at how quiet it was.
Even the birds weren't singing their usual chorus.
A cool breeze blew against my face and I glanced at Holly, seeing an equally confused expression on her face.
No one was here.
Which wouldn't be too strange... Whatever was happening could be going down somewhere else.
Except... No-one was here.
No other Pack member had crashed confusedly into the clearing alongside us.
I glanced up at the large windows to the Alpha's office, seeing only the stark white glare of the sun reflected back at me.
A whoosh to my left, pulled my attention to the café.
An older man walked out, casually munching on a slice of cheese toastie.
His soft grey hair gleamed in the afternoon sun and he smiled at us pleasantly.
He wasn't a Pack member; of that I was certain. I had never seen him before.
I caught Holly's eye, trying to gauge if she recognised this stranger, but she looked as perplexed as I felt.
It was at this moment, that his scent hit my nose.
Slightly musty, with a hint of lime. His odour lacked a certain depth that would identify him as werewolf.
He was human.
Awkwardly, I made myself relax my ready stance, managing to smile crookedly at him. "Hi. You must be... er... new around here?" I finished lamely. Wondering if maybe one of the Pack had mated with him.
He laughed, a deep and warm sound that tickled my ears in an almost familiar way. "Not at all. I know this place very well."
Immediately uneasy, I felt ice flood my body as his words fell from his lips.
I cast a quick glance around the clearing, half expecting the lean shapes of rouge wolves to be emerging from the treeline.
But everything was as still as before.
"Ah... Sorry to be rude. But I don't think we have met before?" Holly trotted forwards and stuck out her hand. Completely oblivious to my tension.
My wolf was going crazy, thrashing in my mind, but ignoring my questioning. She snarled and growled, clearly threatened in some way by this stranger.
I eyed Holly and the man shaking hands pleasantly, as I directed my thoughts to my wolf. 'Calm yourself. He's only human. What is the worst that could happen?'
My words only seemed to enrage her more and I gritted my teeth against my need to shift.
I moved closer to the pair, trying again to scoop a pleasant expression onto my face. "So, where are you staying? There are... erm... hunting drills going on at the moment. It's not safe to be out and about."
The words tasted sour in my mouth, and not because they were lies.
Something felt wrong. I couldn't explain it, but I felt it the moment we entered the clearing.
As did my wolf.
The man took a moment to glance around the clearing, eyes landing on the large doors of the Pack House. "Oh, just visiting some old friends."
He popped the last piece of food into his mouth, chewing slowly as he looked between us with glittering eyes.
Even social butterfly Holly was starting to look uncomfortable, and she moved back to my side. "Can we help you find them maybe?" She tried, unable to squash the reluctant tone from her voice.
Nodding gratefully the man smiled, his brown eyes warm and unthreatening. "That would be lovely, thank you!"
I couldn't get a handle on this guy.
One moment I felt as ease, the next even my eyelashes were spooked.
"Who are you here to see?" I muttered finally. My pleasantries just about fully dissolved.
"Hazel Row. We are old friends." He smiled wider now and I resisted the urge to grimace.
Holly nodded. "I'm sure she would be delighted to see you."
Still very aware of our call to arms, I marched quickly into the Pack House, hearing the other two scrambling to keep up.
If he was a friend of Hazel's, she would want him out of harms way, and us where we were needed as quickly as possible.
Oddly, the Pack House thrummed with its usual level of activity.
The noises of Pack members chatting dully in various rooms, scents of pot roast wafting through the halls.
I glanced back, noting Holly's eyes were narrowed as she looked around.
We turned the last corner, coming to a halt outside of a large wooden door.
Hazel's den was at the opposite end of the Pack house to the Alpha's office.
It had large doors that opened to let in the heady forest air, beanbags and bookcases littering the space.
We knocked, waiting anxiously to be free of our burden.
As the door swung open, Hazel's light perfume whooshed across our faces.
Her blonde hair was curled on top of her head in a perfect bun-braid. She looked every bit the queen that she was.
I smiled, feeling a genuine warmth for the woman before me. We had become incredibly close, incredibly quickly. "Hey Hazel, we ran into a friend of yours."
I stepped aside, smiling as I revealed the man behind me.
Hazels bright smile went slack with shock. Her eyes widening in confusion and horror.
I heard Holly scream as I turned, the deafening crack of a gun going off drowning out all sound.
My ears rang as I tried to comprehend the scene.
The man had shot Hazel.
White hot anger blazed through me and I grabbed the man's arm, easily breaking it with a sickening snap.
I tossed him ahead of me into the room, his body falling beside the pale form of Hazel.
Reacting quickly, I stomped on his throat, just light enough not to kill him, but enough to block his airway.
He struggled for a few seconds, but quickly passed out.
Holly was still standing frozen and I snarled at her as I launched myself at our Luna, desperately trying to stem the bloody eruption on her chest. "Get help for fucks sake!!"