Chapter Eight--The Good, The Bad and The Ugly
Unknown POV
I growled at the display of affection that son-of-a-bitch Alpha showed towards the pretty little Kat. She was mine and I would make her my alpha female once I got rid of Archer.
And then there was another little nuisance. Conveniently dubbed as the beta of the pack. I grimaced and licked my chops. I would sink my jaws into his puny beta behind before he even saw it coming.
There were not going to get away this easily.
I would be alpha, they would be dead, and the scrumptious Kitten would be my mate.
The bushes rustled behind me and I turned away from the crumbling lighthouse. Another wolf, one more feral and almost lost to his sense of humanity appeared behind me. He bowed his head slightly, aware that I was in charge here.
His eyes betrayed his sense of loyalty and I bristled before masking it with a howl. I sent a silent promise to Kat that I would return and she would be mine before the full moon had come.
I wouldn't surrender her to either of those insignificant creatures. She would be mine.
My howl turned into a laugh as I mocked their little pack. They should've killed me when they had the chance.
Now they would pay the price.
Kat
A couple days later, I went to visit Seth. He was in the training room doing target practise because according to him, even if you're a wolf, you should still learn how to use a gun.
I sat in the corner of the dark room and watched him shoot. His muscles rippled and the kick back of the gun didn't faze him. He shot every bullet with a precise intention that each shot went straight to the heart of the target.
"Why do you use a gun when you have a perfectly working wolf?" Okay so maybe that wasn't the smoothest question, but I didn't know how else to put it.
I saw his shoulders lift in a shrug before he took another shot. "I was bitten rather than born a wolf. Used to be a police officer, protecting is my job. I didn't really want to give it up."
I nodded at him and asked, "How did you become beta, then?"
Two more shots were fired before the bullet chamber clicked on empty. He turned and set his gun down, coming to sit with me. "I don't know, I was friends with Archer while I was still serving the law and he would often come to me for favours. I knew what he was before I became one and I often worked alongside him. When I came to the pack it just kind of made sense, I guess. Especially since the beta had been killed in action the week before."
Hmm. "So how do you feel about the whole..." I gestured to him and me, my finger twirling in a circle. "Situation?"
He shrugged, "Honestly, I try not to think about it. I can't decide whether I'd rather you choose or let the moon decide."
"Archer said the same thing."
Seth nodded and looked away in thought, scratching his jaw. I took a moment to study the features that he had schooled into a closed expression. In that moment, I saw his inner struggle between anger and acceptance, and the fine line between the two.
I was honestly terrified for what was to come. There was less than twenty-five days left, and I had to keep reminding myself that I was losing time. As Seth was quiet, I thought about my life before I met Archer and Seth.
I was lonely if I'm being honest. I was with so many guys that I can't say there was much of me left to give. There wasn't much left of myself either. Just a small ball of self-loathing and despair over everything. My father. The fact that everyone around me was mated. The fact that I wasn't. The fact that my mother never talked to me anymore because I reminded her too much of my father.
But now, everything was different.
Though I rarely got to see Jack or Tess for more than a brief greeting in the halls, I was happier. Well, not happier exactly, but more calm, relaxed.
Okay, none of this was being worded right. I was stressed over the upcoming decision but in general I was more relaxed and just less in general. Less uptight, less worked up about everything, less terrified about Alpha - sorry, outcast - Vaughn... Less of everything, but more of me.
I don't know. Was I even making sense anymore?
"Well, we should be getting around to the pack house; it's almost dinner so-"
A scream interrupted Seth's thought, and we both looked at each other, eyes wide.
Seth bolted from the room, and I followed, running as fast as I could.
"Help!" Someone's call, very feminine sounding, cut through the air. We ran towards the sound of the voice and I bristled when I discovered the owner of the voice.
Tasha.
That little-
"Please, please! Someone help!" Her voice was frantic and I managed to get past the fact that she was my enemy and look at the offending threat.
Somehow, a wolf that was no longer human had retreated from their exile far in the woods and crept onto our turf. I saw Archer run out of the pack house and lock eyes with Seth from across the length of the field we stood on.
His eyes searched with mine briefly to make sure I was okay before he turned to the danger. Both he and Seth morphed and attacked the feral wolf with a great intensity. They had to get the wolf off our property - or kill him - before it attacked anyone else.
I - reluctantly - went to save Tasha from where she was cowering in the corner, like a little baby, might I add, and pulled her to the safety of the pack house. I handed her of to Jack who was talking to his mate's sister in the kitchen with instructions to, "Take care of her," and ran back outside.
It looked, for the most part, as if my mates were winning. Archer had taken a gash to the side of his leg and was bleeding profusely. Though I couldn't tell if all that had been spilled on the ground was his or if some was also the feral wolves.
I was terrified and I tried to be confident when yet another wolf joined the fight. And this one wasn't of our pack; it was another humanity-less wolf.
Of course they would win. They were stronger and had more knowledge and brains and... I couldn't prove any of that. Just because they were human didn't mean that they were smarter. Animals are pretty smart too.
Oh who am I kidding?
I ran back into the house and almost ran smack dab into Jack's mate whose eyes were frantic. "Aidan, Aidan, you have to help, I don't know-"
He rolled his sleeves up and donned a grim face. "Already on my way."
I watched him from the stoop of the porch as he morphed gracefully and ripped into the fight. Aidan had his usual don't-mess-with-me demeanor and it showed in the way he helped Seth and Archer with the wolves.
I watched as the wolves kept coming and suddenly I was running. Running for life. Running for the alarm bell. Running. Running. Running.
I was running when my dad died.
I was running when I couldn't sleep.
I was running when I was being chased.
I was running when Vaughn was after me.
Running. Running. Running.
Finally, I made it to the bell and hung onto it for all I was worth, calling out all the pack to fight this dirty battle. It sounded throughout the whole compound, dull with disuse, yet still strong with a fervor that matched the force of which the men fought.
And then I was running back to help. And then I wasn't.
And then I was on the ground, crawling, crawling, crawling.
I looked into those black eyes and then I knew what this whole thing was for. And it terrified the living daylights out of me.
"Hello little Kat." Vaughn said, in his mocking drawl. "Fancy meeting you here."
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STAHP! Do you have two seconds to spare? You do now! If you like this story, check out my new one called 'Immune,' its one chappie so far, but I like it better than this one. Please take two seconds to check it out. It'd mean a lot. :)
Who is this woman who has updated her story, you ask? Sorry about the wait, I had a lot on my plate. I'm not entirely happy about how this worked out, but it's a chapter and it's up so... yay! Vote and comment and fan and stuff! I may be doing dedications for really nice comments. :)
Until next time, live and let live. XxEmmy.