Something wasn't right. Emily was asleep when she felt her wolf pulled her out of dreamland. The beast inside of her was demanding to be let out. It was dark outside, indicating that the night was still reigning those hours. Emily remained quiet and immobile for some moments, trying to catch some noise or smell that could indicate that there was danger near. Everything was as usual, not indicating an imminent attack.
Confused, Emily got up and put the first clothes that she found on her wardrobe. She opened the door to the hall and the silence of the house greeted her ears. She knew that she was disobeying Kyle's orders if she set a step outside the mansion and even more if she adventure through the forest, but she couldn't deny the impulse to go to the line of trees and searched the source of her discomfort.
She hurried to strip off her clothes and shifted to her wolf. Her paws hit the cold ground. It was late October and the first snow flakes were falling from the sky. She lifted her nose and tried to capture some scent. There was none, but she found herself moving forward, as if the wolf in her knew where to go. She gave into her beast instincts, passing trees, owls and some rabbits that were too, exploring their surroundings. Her legs were prompting her forward, moving fast but at the same time carefully to not make a sound and alert possible predators. Suddenly, the strong scent of rogues filled her nose and she stopped immediately. She was still on the territory of her pack, so this could only mean one thing. They were attacking again.
It had been a bad idea to come to the woods alone. She was about to turn in the direction of the mansion when she heard them howl, a sign that they had capture too her scent. Panic made her start a desperate run. She knew that it wasn't just one wolf there with her, probably five or even more were running now to catch her.
She mind-linked Kyle. She had to, if she wanted to come out alive. She knew how to fight, but she wasn't stupid enough to fight against so many enemies.
"Kyle wake up!! KYLE!!"
"What? What's wrong?" His voice sounded sleepy and giving the time of the night, he was in bed.
"Rogues are attacking!"
"I don't sense rogues at the mansion... Where are you?" His voice was now a mix of anger and concern.
"I'm in the forest, running in the direction of the mansion. I think they are around five or six wolves, I'm not sure."
"Run as fast as you can Emily! Don't stop to fight with them! We are on your way."
Kyle jumped out of bed completely naked, since he used to sleep without clothes, and mind-linked Marc and Luke, while opening his window. He didn't wait for them to answer. He jumped from the first floor of the house, not caring if someone saw him. Not that it would happen, since most of his pack was sleeping or patrolling the forest. He shifted mid-air and ran in the direction of Emily's scent. He could smell it in the air, inciting him to go faster.
He pushed his body to the limit till his legs started burning from the effort. His mind was focus on Emily and he prayed that he could get there on time, to save her from a fatal fate. He knew his friends were behind him, running to helping the fight.
Emily could hear their paws hitting the ground behind her, she could hear the growls and she knew that they would catch her. Despite of that, she continued running, hoping to see Kyle appear through the trees. His scent was the first to hit her nose, before she registered his presence. She didn't have time to look for him because, in that moment, one of the wolves collided with her, sending her to the ground. The hit, took all the air from her lungs. Despite that, she got up and bit her attacker, who was ready to jump at her. Fear created a rush of adrenaline, making her bite the wolf on his neck. Blood spread over her white fur. At that sight, the other wolves jumped at her. One bit her tail and another jumped on her back, making her legs buckled. She saw a black wolf running in her direction and she knew it was Kyle. She felt relieved to see him there, but worried about what those rogues could do to him. He attacked the one that was on top of her and she heard the wolf whined, before he fell to the ground. She saw Kyle fight with one grey wolf. Their teeth bared and dropping saliva in a way of showing aggression.
Emily was trying to get up, and help Kyle, when one rogue sent her against a tree. She hit her head hard, making her numb. She tried to get up, but the world was spinning. Blackness took her in seconds.
Marc and Luke could hear the sound of a fight. They were both ready to jump into the action. When they saw Emily lying down unconscious and a furious Kyle beside her, growling to the intruders, they jumped at the unwelcome wolves that were still alive. The killing took less than five minutes.
Kyle shifted back to human form and ran to Emily. She was still in wolf form and still unconscious.
"I will take her to the clinic. Can you check if there was more of them?" Kyle asked, picking Emily carefully.
"Ok. See you at the mansion." Luke said, looking around. Something was telling his instincts that there was one more wolf and he was still alive.
"Marc, I think one escaped." He said after Kyle disappeared.
"Let's find out." Marc's face was submerged in shadows and Luke knew the reason for that.
The two of them ran side by side, ears picked and nose lift, to detect in which direction the wolf had ran off. It didn't take too long to see a brown wolf running desperately from them. He was smaller than the other rogues and he seemed younger too. When they got closer, Luke couldn't control a loud and furious growl from pass his jaws. The rogue stumbled and fell. He was trembling with fear, his eyes meting Luke's and Marc's.
Marc took a step forward, ready to end his life, but Luke got in front of him. His friend looked at him confused.
"We have to keep him alive, he can give us the information that we need." Luke explained.
"You are right."
Before Luke could mind-link the wolf and order him to go with them to the compound, Marc went to the creature and knocked him out cold.
Luke growled at the action.
"Was that even necessary?" He asked pissed.
"He is the enemy. Now, stop being the compassionate person and help me take him to the prison." Marc growled annoyed.
"Ok. I would take him there, you clean up the bodies." Luke said, picking the rogue up.
Marc nodded and they went in different directions.
Kyle entered the clinic with Emily still unconscious. Misty ran to them with Laura trailing behind.
"Oh God! What happened?" Laura asked in panic.
"We were attacked. She was in the woods and she hit her head hard in a trunk of a tree."
They hurried to lay Emily on one of the vacant beds. Laura began to cry hysterically.
"Stop that, Laura. We have a patient and we need to be efficient and for that we need to be focus." Misty reprimanded her.
Laura's cries became low sobs immediately.
After a quick examination of Emily's state, Misty turned to Kyle.
"She will be fine. She just needs to rest and these next days, she cannot go to the kindergarten. I will keep her here tonight to make sure she don't get worse, OK?"
Kyle thanked the doctor and went to Emily's side. He knew she had disobeyed him, but he couldn't be mad at her now, while she was lying unconscious in a bed. He sat on a chair behind her and took her hand on his.
Misty gave Laura a signal to leave them alone and she reluctantly followed the older doctor through the door.
Kyle mind-linked Marc and Luke to confirm that they were uninjured. They told him about the wolf they had capture and was now on one of the cells at the compound that held the prisons sector. Kyle wanted to go there and kill the bastard for participating on the attack, but he needed to see for himself that Emily was fine.
He waited beside her, caressing her hand with his.
The first thing Emily sensed, was that someone was touching her with an unusual gentleness. She didn't need to open her eyes to know that it was Kyle. The goosebumps that were starting to appear on her skin and the electric shocks that ran up her arm, were enough to know that it was her mate that was beside her. Slowly, she opened her eyes, turning to him. His face was troubled and his blond hair disheveled as if he had pass his fingers multiple times through it. The moment he saw her looking at him he smiled.
"You are awake. How do you feel? Do you need me to call Misty?" He asked, searching for some signal that could indicate that she was in pain.
She smiled at him and he relaxed.
"I'm fine Kyle. Are you injured?" She asked worried, seeing the blood on his clothes.
"No. I'm good. You need to rest, now. Stay here the night. Tomorrow you will go home with me." He said before getting up.
"Are you leaving?" Emily didn't want for Kyle to go. She needed him by her side.
"I have to take a shower and talk with Marc and Luke. After that, I will come back. Now rest. You need it."
He placed a kiss on her forehead and left, leaving Emily with her mouth open in shock by that simple action.