Unknown POV
This... was weird. I have no other word for it. What were they doing? Did they even know how close they came to being killed?
Why did they risk it?
"They were so close. One step and I would have gotten to bite into them" my brother whined next to me. CLEARLY disappointed that the alpha had caught up to their pack member who seemed to have gone rogue.
"You are too eager to fight... they could have needed help" I stated dryly and stepped to the edge of our territory out from the shadows.
I stared at the dent they had left within the tree, a frown coming to my lips. My gut stirring. Why did I come here this morning... what made me want to patrol today...
I shook my head and turned back towards camp leaving my brother behind which he did not appreciate at all from the curses he shouted after me.
As soon as we arrived back to our hut screams rang through the air and our blood ran cold...
Justin's POV
It hurt... a lot. My chest my legs. Everything was starting to go numb, but I couldn't stop running. He was getting away from me and he ignored every call I made after him. This wasn't right what was going on.
Troy, snap out of it.
The moment that he sprinted from the house and shifted I knew something was terribly wrong. I didn't hesitate to go after him. His growl at Mason had startled us all... well except for Mason.
He wasn't that far behind me in the pursuit. Though for some reason he absolutely refused to shift and stayed in his human form. And yes he could keep up rather well. Mind blowing. He probably would've caught Troy by now if he shifted.
Troy where are you going!
We had crossed the outermost border of our territory miles back and just barely missed our neighbors territory where Sam and two of the other who had joined the pursuit, stopped. Perhaps someone there would be able to help the situation with Baker.
We got to a large cliff with no possible way of crossing, thinking that Troy would stop there, was a mistake. Because as I sped up in hopes of catching him he didn't even falter and made the leap.
My eyes wide I faltered but too late and lost footing. He leapt clear across without missing a beat but I slipped and almost plummeted down the cliff. My attempts to stop myself made me slip and a sharp rock edge cut clean through my leg.
Jacob came from the side tackling me away from the drop and we both tumbled through dirt coming to a halt inches away from near death 'Troy god damnit!'
Jacob left me as soon as he assured I wasn't in immediate danger and went around the worst part of the cliff until he could make a safe jump over to the other side. Going full speed and power after Troy.
What's happening...
"Justin!" Mason came rushing to me and fell to my side. My leg was coated in blood and wouldn't support my weight. "Causing so much trouble... who does he think he is"
'Something isn't right..' I stressed doing my best to try and get up on my other legs, yet failed as Mason grabbed bandages out of his bag which he just happened to have grabbed.
"Where? Did you get hurt somewhere else?" He asked as he stopped my leg from bleeding and searched for where else I could be hurt.
Zeke and Austin caught up to us and stopped to examine me as well 'no, not that. Not me... Troy. Something isn't right'
"Apart from having gone completely and utterly bonkers?" Mason fumed, strange to see him so panicked and angry. He has always been so collected. He knew something...
I couldn't confirm my suspicions yet, too many ears around but I was surely going to address it later. 'We have to keep going, who knows how far he might still go'
We all agreed, and with help I was back on my legs already starting to heal slowly. As a pack we all made our ways across. Following the scent of our alpha who has stopped a few miles from where we were, extremely close to the scent of unknown land.
Before the scent could hit me. Before the sound of the forests foilage could register. My blood ran cold. Austin let out a cry making all of us jump and charge. A grey matted wolf had dug its teeth into Austin's leg and thrown him aside. Snarling like a wild beast.
Zeke dashed to it slamming it from its feet away from Austin, where Mason was rushing to. Sliding down next to him to take in his heavily wounded leg and began treating him immediately, leaving the threat to us.
The Enforcer wolves formed their defense around Austin and Mason from all sides. Me and Zeke facing the unsettled wolf who was on its feet in seconds, charging towards us in a frenzy. That's when I realized it has no scent.
Nothing, not even the dirt it had picked up from Zeke's slam. Nothing wet or foul. Usually rogues had a distinct scent, just like their crazy eyes of blood red and black. But this one was different.
It charged for me, probably sensing I was already wounded, but Zeke was too quick on his feet for the rogue and tore his teeth through its neck in a heartbeat. I didn't stand around and went for its legs, as another wolf pinned the rogue to the ground, allowing Zeke to finish it off.
As we returned to Austin where Mason was bandaging the damage, the others quickly disposed of the rogue into the river a few meters away.
Austin was out cold, still breathing but resting as if Mason had knocked him out to rid him of the pain from his wound, or the healing to just go faster. 'Is he okay?' Zeke was the first to ask as he settled next to him, still tense but letting Austin rest on him.
"I cannot determine if he got poisoned yet as I don't have the equipment. But for now its the best I can do, he seems stable" Mason curtly replied, sounding frustrated with the whole situation. And I did not blame him. Austin was a pain in his butt, though there was something there. For both of them.
'Jacob has stopped a ways away, seems to be moving back to us so we'll just rest here for now. It would be safer as there is another territory nearby' I claimed as I laid down to rest my leg and examine the clearing. Mason getting up to tend to the other's wounds and exhaustion.
We did run full speed through five towns and had a rogue to deal with. It's safe to say we're exhausted.
It took a few minutes but as soon as my eyes saw that beautiful fur, I was on my feet running to him. He rushed forward to catch me just as my leg gave in beneath me and the exhaustion took its toll.
He's okay. He's safe. We're together...
My wolf was done, he was content that our mate was back, happy that he was fine and now he was done. Right as Troy went down, I was out. My eyes closed and my body shut off. Too tired to further support myself.
"You were extremely reckless, you almost got three people killed today, are you aware of that?" I flinched at the anger in Mason's voice and opened my eyes back up.
'Mason! Shut up' I barked softly against the fur of my mate, glaring weakly over at Mason who stood fuming.
'I don't know what happened... I'm really sorry. I didn't mean to cause anyone harm' my brows turned inwards as my eyes moved to my mate who lowered his ears in shame, avoiding eye contact with anyone.
"Sorry won't fix anything" Mason seemed off now, not as hostile, yet those periwinkle eyes glowed as he glared at Troy.
My wolf, as exhausted as we were, felt warmer and shifted closer to our mate. Half under, half over him in a possessive cuddle of sorts. Feeling at home against my mate my eyes drifted shut once more.
'We'll rest up for a few hours before heading back home, at least not all bad things came of this' Jacob sighed as he too took a spot to rest.
"At least...? Jacob you cannot let this go without consequence!" Mason fumed, making me grit my teeth ready to snap at him once more. But thankfully Jacob beat me to it.
'I'm not! Do not question my ways, Mason. We may not be within my land but I will not hesitate to defend my standing, back down' and that seemed to be the end of that.
'I'll keep watch for a while, get some rest brother you must be exhausted' Zeke spoke up, moving to take up position for the watch.
'Get some rest Troy, how you haven't passed out yet is astonishing..' I could feel him laying his head down, moving my own to nuzzle into his nape. Not giving a single damn about how it may have looked to anyone else. I was with my mate and my dad would rip them a new one if they had anything to say about it.
Besides we were only cuddling. Nothing wrong with cuddling your crazy nephew who just almost got you killed... right?
We only rested for about an hour before the smell of smoke woke me up. As soon as I got to my feet, everyone else did too.
'Trouble... heading this way' Zeke confirmed, taking a defensive stand on top a boulder in the direction the smoke came from. The direction Troy had ran in.
'None of us are in any shape for conflict, I suggest we retreat. Sam is currently at a neighboring pack, we can recover there.' Jacob spoke, and none of us questioned him.
But as I turned to follow everyone away, Troy didn't move. Staring in the direction they had come from, seemingly dazed or thinking too much 'but... what if this is the reason I ran...'
I tensed up, though it made sense, I wouldn't be able to protect him here. Not with a part of my hind leg split in two. But before I could speak, Mason snarled "have you learned nothing?"
'Mason! He has a point..' Austin spoke stepping between Mason and Troy 'it could be what he ran towards, but also...' he turned to Troy with pleading eyes 'we are in no shape... let's retreat, we can always come back once we're well and investigate. Maybe it's just a small forrest fire. There are packs around here to take care of it. Please Troy'
I stared at Austin and agreed stepping beside Troy making him look up at me. With sincere eyes I nudged him around and we all started our way back. Which took much longer, or felt like it did as there wasn't such an urgent rush even though we were heading for safety from whatever that could have been.
It was noon when we arrived at the border of the neighboring pack where Sam and his tails were waiting along with the pack's alpha.
I couldn't shake the unease, I don't think anyone could. Even Mason was worked up. The calmest and most collected person I know, was wigging out.
Something was going to happen, something big and we need to find Baker. Running around like headless chickens weren't going to help us find him either. But where do we begin?