After shifting back to get the hunter's attention, Mason and Jaden had run into 4 more of them. Initially, they had planned on leading them away. But after seeing them refuse to leave the woods they decided to hold them off instead. Especially when it seemed like they wanted to leave to meet the other hunters.
'Watch out' Mason called to Jaden, who dodged an arrow that had been heading for him.
The hunters were not going easy tonight, it looked like they meant to knock them out. He realized this when grenades were set off filling the woods with their poison. They were trying to trap them in place. The gas made them weaker and dizzy, but it wasn't going to stop them for long.
Mason ran towards the hunter with the arrows, but she jumped to the left rolling to avoid him. For humans, they seemed fast and if it wasn't for being shot, and the noxious gas they could've easily outmatched them. Turning Mason barreled on towards the hunter who quickly shot another arrow at him. Curving to the left he circled a tree coming up behind the hunter but stopped when another dropped down from the tree above. The new hunter's dagger was inches away from Mason's nose before he moved.
The hunter was taunting them and had been all night. Whenever they got one alone, the others would appear forcing them to back up and go on the defensive. Backing away from the new hunter, now throwing daggers, Mason ran a few feet into the trees and heard Jaden following him.
'They're not going to stop' he told Jaden as they stopped for the moment, listening.
'I know but I think they're just toying with us until we're too weak to fight back' Mason said huffing.
They heard the hunters communicate with each other about where they went and their new plan on following the wolves. They only had to hold them off a little longer, just so that Roland and Yasmin could get out of town.
'What if they didn't make it? We need to think worst case scenario.' Jaden said hazel eyes piercing his friends.
'If they caught them then we're going to get them back' Mason replied steely.
'That's not what I meant by worst-,' Jaden started but growled turning around.
Mason followed seeing the blonde hunter from before notch three arrows in her bow and release them. Once they flew, Jaden ran the opposite direction, while Mason jumped dodging. He ran towards the hunter who didn't back away as fast this time. Trapping her leg underneath his paw he saw the hunter glare at him, sliding a blade him a holster on her thigh.
He pulled back to avoid the blade, then saw the other two hunters appear equipped with their own weapons. Jaden knocked one hunter down but the other hunter with a shotgun took his place. His bullet grazed Mason's shoulder hissing when it touched his skin. He roared advancing on the hunter who turned and ran attempting to escape him.
"Everyone fallback, they've caught them" one of the hunters called to the others.
The hunter running from Mason jumped sliding into the bushes where he couldn't fit in this form. But hearing their words were what took precedent in his mind.
'They caught them. It couldn't be'
'Mason are we going after them?' Jaden asked trying to back a hunter into a corner while one trailed him.
Mason shook his head thinking. They couldn't have caught them, Yasmin was there and Roland. Maybe if he went now he could save them.
'Forget them, I'm going after Roland and Yasmin,' he told his friend, taking off in the direction of Roland's place.
Behind him, he heard Jaden growl then follow his friend through the woods running. Once they reached Roland's place Mason walked around the perimeter of his house, listening for any signs he could still be there.
'The scents old they're not here' he growled frustration rising.
Looking towards Jaden his friend nodded, and they took off following the trail he and Yasmin had left when they entered Roland's old hummer. Mason was used to the smell of Roland's engine oil, so it wasn't too hard to follow through the town. They avoided running anywhere too public, even though their dark coats blended into the darkness, and they ran too fast for anyone to see them.
'Mason they're probably being guarded by hunters it's not going to be easy getting them back' Jaden told his friend as they ran in the woods alongside the road.
'Maybe they got away but we can still find them in time ' he said knowing his own words were a lie, but Jaden didn't call him out on it.
Further down the road, Mason could tell two other cars had shown up. The tire marks and bullet casing told him Yasmin and Roland didn't just drive away from town.
'Over there' Jaden called, gesturing to a vehicle flipped upside down 20 feet from the road.
Breaking away from the trees into a stretch of open land Mason cleared his mind of any feelings. He focused on finding them, or some sign of where they were. As he approached he smelled a lot more people amongst Roland, Yasmin, and the rogues. They remained cautious as they approached the car and took note of the blood and bullet casings littering the ground.
Jaden knew it wasn't good, hunters had definitely gotten here before them and by the trail, they left they had gone 30 minutes ago. They'd missed them by 30 minutes. As Mason approached the flipped car Jaden looked around spotting two bodies lying on the grass a few feet away. by the smell of it, he didn't need to see. He could already tell they were dead, but he moved closer anyways. The hunters had covered their bodies with a black tarp and nudging the fabric aside Jaden saw the bullet holes.
He'd seen plenty of fallen wolves before, but he's never seen children treated like this by other wolves. In addition to the killing wounds, Jaden saw the hunters symbol of a knife with markings stuck in Lily's stomach above a note tainted in blood. Something dark filled Jaden's mind at seeing the note, and Mason finally came from the car.
'I didn't find anyone in there, but they had definitely been here. Yasmin's blood is everywhere, and so is Roland's. If they hurt them...' Mason trailed off seeing the rogues' bodies in front of Jaden who hung his head.
They didn't need to speak to acknowledge the fact of what had happened here. Mason could gather as much as Jaden had just by looking at their bodies. Once Mason got over looking at the rogues he saw the note they had put on Lily.
'Get us the Alpha, or there will be two more like them, then we will find the pack'
Mason looked from the note to the two rogues remembering how they never wanted to fight. Lily and Troy wanted to be safe and join a pack, they had only been 12 and 14. For once Mason had wanted someone to not be hurt, and yet by trying to do what he thought would've saved them the hunters killed them. There was no nice approach for them, not anymore.
'How can you stand ignoring them and what they do when they do this? I don't understand' Jaden said but Mason didn't reply, and only continued looking at the two rogues.
'Zane showed up earlier, he offered me a place back in the pack. I think I'm going to go if they're going after the pack...I can't stand to sit here watching people die when I know I can do something about it. The only condition was that I bring you back with me' Jaden explained, and Mason looked up meeting his eyes.
Why was he telling him this? What did it matter right now?
'I want to deal with the hunters once and for all Mason, and I don't want to hold back anymore because its right. Right and wrong aren't here right now. This...This right here is what's happening. No matter what they think of us' Jaden explained taking a step closer.
Mason looked away from Jaden back at the rogues, he didn't disagree with his friend. He was just as angry as him at the hunters, maybe even more since he was angry at himself. All this time he wasted, all this time not wanting to confront the hunters and now wolves were dying because of him. Roland, a human and his family was gone because of him.
'Mason what will you do?' Jaden asked him since his friend hadn't spoken.
Mason moved to grab the tarp in his teeth and pull it back over the rogues. They deserved a better burial than what the hunters left them in.
'When they threatened me, I couldn't have cared less. Then they started attacking the pack when I left. When I thought staying gone would've helped them. Then they killed the rogues we tried helping, that didn't have anywhere else to go, then they took Yasmin and Roland. He's a human and yet they still took him'
'They wanted a reaction out of us-,'
'If they want a reaction then they've got it. I'm tired of trying to stay out of it or stay on the sidelines and be good. I'm tired of trying to keep everyone alive when obviously that's not going to happen. If they wanted my attention, then they've got it. They want a fight then they've got it, and if they want to face an alpha so bad then I hope they're ready for it.' Mason growled growing louder and Jaden watched him wide-eyed.
Cautiously Jaden didn't know what Mason was going on about, so he tried staying careful.
'What do you plan on doing about the hunters then?'
Mason met his friend eyes and began walking back in the direction they came. 'I'm going to handle them once and for all'
Jaden moved to block Masons way forcing his friend to stop.
'I know we haven't agreed on things lately, but I want you to know, no matter what I'm here for you, even when it looked like you turned your back on helping wolves I wasn't going to give up on you" Jaden said but Mason shook his head.
'You don't always have to follow me around Jaden, I started this mess and I'll fix it on my own. You can go back to the pack"
'Exactly, I don't have to. I'm choosing to follow my best friend wherever he goes and makes sure he doesn't get himself killed because sometimes he puts himself in danger. Sometimes he rather ignore the dangers right in front of him. Someone has to watch his back,' Jaden said determined to get the point across to Mason.
'Careful or I'll almost think you only want to be my friend to win points' Mason said dryly.
'I'm serious, but if it wins me position of being beta I'm not complaining' Jaden said nodding.
Mason nodded in return brushing past Jaden's shoulder as a show of support and kept walking.
Jaden looked after his friend thoughtfully. He's never heard him accept alpha before and speak with this much conviction in his voice. Was he actually going to step up to the hunters and were they for the right reasons?
Masons mind remained blank only focusing on what was necessary. in order to deal with the hunters he'd need support and even though he knew he may not get it from the pack he knew they needed him. It may have taken him a while but he knew this time was different. Too much had happened and now he was going to finally protect them, despite knowing an alpha being in place provided more danger than what they were already in. But before all of that, there was one more thing he needed to handle.