Troy's POV
Adrenaline pumped through my veins as I walked quickly trying to keep up with my grandfather. Justin right beside me as we left the clinic.
Everyone was outside their homes, mothers protecting their kids as their husbands either shifted into their wolves or pulled protective gear on their bodies. Guns, crossbows and all other kinds of weapons in their hands.
My father stood on top of a truck's roof, speaking to everyone gathered around. The Enforcer wolves looking ready to take on anything, looking deadlier than the men and women who were preparing to protect their families.
Our Beta was at his side as well as the Enforcers commander and the Elite team. My Grandfather took us past them to Bakers house making my stomach turn.
A hand in my own made me look over to see Justin staring dead ahead determination clear in his green gaze, which warmed my heart yet made the reality of it all more real.
As we entered the house, Mason stepping in next to my grandfather, the house was empty. Which was probably for the best. Henry was possibly between the Enforcers ready to go into combat and Vicky and the kids most likely went into town to be with her sister and her daughter to be able to keep the kids further away from whatever may transpire.
In the livingroom laid out a multitude of weapons and Mason went straight for his laid over an armchair. Which surprised me that seers were even allowed to carry a weapon as they were passive beings. Even Justin seemed startled by it.
"Mason, are you allowed to fight?" Justin spoke up as grandpa went to strip off his clothes, probably to shift into his monstrous wolf. One even I feared from time to time.
Mason's periwinkle gaze moved over to Justin as he sighed, grabbing probably his uniform from the chair. A black cloak trimmed with baby blue and white. Matching his dark flexible pants and boots. "Well, if I am going to be leading you into dangerous territory it makes no sense for me to go unarmed"
Justin seemed shocked as I walked over to the table to stare down at the scattered arrangement of daggers, and guns. Not comfortable in picking any of it up I decided to leave all the fighting to Wolfe. Who was more than ready to do what he needed to.
At least I was no defenseless animal, having had basic skill building with all the other's my age, even Baker.
And we don't know where he is.
Justin nodded his head at that before he too stripped off his clothes, shifting into his maroon and light brown pelted wolf making me take a breath, averting my eyes to try and keep a sliver of control over myself.
"What's going to happen now" I asked to mostly get my mind back on the task in front of us.
"The Elite team is going to be joining us while the rest of the Enforcers and the sorts are going to the belly of the problem to eliminate the looming threat. Jacob will be leading them. I gave him all the information I have and it seemed to have been enough for him to formulate a plan" Mason explained, looking straight at me making me stiffen staring right back at him.
I gulped and slowly nodded before pulling the shirt from my body as well as all other clothing to shift into my black wolf form. Shaking out my fur as Mason took up a long staff covered in intricate designs and an orb similar in colour to his eyes. He gazed at each of us before leading us out the back door just as the small Elite team came around the house ready to get going.
Two of them didn't shift, instead opted for their human form but heavily equipped with knives and guns. The scent of wolfbane heavily on them, making me feel an uneasiness in my stomach.
The leader of the small team wasn't shifted and looked like he got his outfit from a bondage store. Skin tight black clothing, light shoes, strapped from head to toe with weapons on every part of his body. What looked to be grenades in his belt. He looked... deadly. Like a werewolf hunter actually. Not a werewolf.
The other who didn't shift was a woman, dark skinned and dressed almost exactly like the man, though having a jacket over the outfit, either to cover up a bit modestly or to store more weapons, I was unsure.
"My name is Hunter, for obvious reasons, if you get in my way be prepared to smell a lot of wolfsbane. Stay a distance from us, preferably in front" the male spoke up, tossing what looked to be an earpiece over to Mason who caught it easily and popped it in immediately.
Paps growled at his demanding tone, stepping forward to get into the lead. So used to be the leader on missions. But it was best, as our grandfather was known for being a wrecking ball so having him in the front was a good thing.
Hunter snorted at that but said nothing else to it. Justin and I fell in behind our grandfather as he leads us into the woods, Mason taking the leading position next to him. "We'll be leading then, keep up and stay alert. Our foe is not to be underestimated, though pray we will not be getting into contact with him today. Also don't solely rely on your sense of smell, because then you'll never see them coming"
I glanced over my shoulder to see the Elite team, a small Team of eight wolves. Their eyes flashing at the information yet their aura changed, eyes looking everywhere yet nowhere. They were serious and terrifying at the same time. Good thing they were on our side.
The woman saw me looking, her brown eyes catching my gaze making me look back in front of me quickly 'don't worry, Troy. They're the best at what they do. I've seen them in action a lot over the two years I was away' I looked up over at Justin as he spoke to me inside our connection.
Giving a small understanding nod I returned my head to the task at hand. Even though I was a little lost on the plan, I knew that that's fine. Because grandpa knew it, and Mason. And they won't let anything go wrong.
'Justin, Troy. This is solely a rescue. Try to avoid as much combat as you can. Leave the fighting to the Elite team, they're the best at that. As soon as we see Baker, you two have to make sure he's okay and get him back to the pack as quickly and efficiently as possible. Understood?' My grandfather spoke, not even sparing a glance back at us but he didn't need to.
It was a few miles through the woods before Mason and paps picked up the speed, and one by one we all followed suit keeping on their tail. Paps bulldozing through the foliage as Mason expertly dodged and jumped over it.
Running together it became clear how different they were. Paps being brute strength with decades of experience while Mason was agile and evasive while being a young seër. Probably overstepping a lot of rules with being so involved in all of this.
Seër's weren't typically allowed to get involved. They were passive advisors and that was it. But Mason either did not get the memo on that, or he was emotionally involved.
True he did grow up in this pack and possibly considered us family, I don't know what we would have done without him though.
Hold on, Baker. I'm on my way. Please be okay...
Baker's POV
The room around me was ice cold.
The surface beneath me damp and hard.
And my body was in flames.
Pain was engulfing my every sense, taking over every inch of my body. I swore even my soul was crying out in heart wrenching pain.
It was all I could feel. Everything else was, gone. Practically non existent, and that was terrifying.
Yet nothing had me more scared than the sound of those heels, those nails tapping against the nearest surface that usually happened to be wood. The sound of that tutting as if I was a misbehaving injured animal.
Which, at this moment, I felt like.
The cold shivers that brought more pain into my bones. The twitching of fear as their hand found any part of my skin.
I felt naked, broken and destroyed. Not only on the outside anymore either.
My wolf was cowering, barely able to stand, far back in the pits of darkness that was rather quickly starting to engulf every aspect of my life.
Slowly turning me into something... I never wanted to be.
This was literal torture, I never in a million years thought it could be a near possibility that something like this would ever happen to me... and not to sound full of myself but. Honestly. I had been surrounded with so much love my whole life, that this...
Broke me.
"I pity you... really I do. I mean you never asked for this yet, it had to be you. You would have never been here if it could just have been Troy" that voice was like nails on a chalkboard. It sent so much pain into my soul my wolf whimpering at every syllable.
I couldn't even open my eyes to see where she was, I couldn't even sense her presence though I knew she was there. She loved to taunt with her voice and every now and then she'd go in a rage. Scream in my already ringing ears as a blade cuts through my flesh.
"Why you?! What did I ever do to get such a weak ass mate?! You're not even a second or third commanding wolf, you're one of those characters in the background no one ever sees!" She screeched, and I gasped as another wave of pain coursed up my back.
The heel of her shoes digging into a wound that never got time to heal even a little bit. I couldn't even drift off into unconsciousness, as soon as I thought I would rest she would pour fire into my veins.
"Useless, honestly. The goddess we are supposed to pray to and look up to and who gives us our love. She's utter bull crap. Who gives her the right to tell me who I have to love for the rest of my life?!"
An actual sound left my throat as I cried in pain as a kick landed on my thigh, it hurt so bad it didn't feel like I had legs anymore. My arms still twisted in such a way my shoulders were probably blue by now.
"Can you honestly believe someone like me could ever even want to have pups with someone like you?! Please! That's so ridiculous! Look at you!"
My head lifted from the floor as her claws grabbed roughly at my hair, pulling my head at an angle that made me choke on the blood filled in my mouth. I didn't even try to open my eyes anymore, as if there was nothing behind my lids anymore.
"You're so disgusting and so weak! You barely fought and your hair is such an ugly blonde. Don't get me on your eyes! You are revolting!"
At this point it was all on repeat. Everything she said, every hit, every stab, it started to numb out. And I welcomed the darkness, the numb nothing that awaited me. Even my wolf was begging for it all to end.
Giving up hope that anyone would ever find me, or find me soon enough, was fading away so fast it was scary. I'm not angry or upset. No, I just hope everyone is okay. Troy and Justin, my mom and dad, Drew, Haley, Hailey and Bailey, Nicky and Jessie. Austin and all the other Jupiters. That guy who serves me the best milkshakes at Wendy's.
"Soon those dogs will figure it out and run straight into the trap" her laugh pulled me from my haze and I opened one eye so slowly it felt like I was falling unconscious between blinks. Surely my heart rate skipped a few beats because she cackled harder "oh how sweet, seconds from death and still you're worried about your pack. Don't worry, you won't live long enough to know their fate. As soon as someone from that disgusting pack runs to get help because their pack is in ruins the Jupiters will spring into action and send all their troops. And walk right into a trap of hundreds of rogues that they can't even smell coming. Its brilliant!"
My vision was blurry and swirling around but I could see her blood covered stilettos dancing in circles before she sat down laughing and they left the floor. I gulped down the steel wool in my throat, along with the blood still there.
My body twitched to move, to go to the door and run, at least just to warn them of the trap. But the slightest movement, the smallest twitch of anything made me moan in pain and try to get rid of it by laying down still once more. My efforts only brought more laughs from her.
"Serena!" A foreign voice shouted from outside before a door burst open, slamming into the wall. The sudden bang made my heart bolt and a shriek to come from her.
"Fucking hell, what the hell do you want? Can't you see I'm busy!" She shrieked at the man who barged inside, his heavy footsteps landing hard on the concrete floors.
"Well ex-fucking-cuse me Miss Pissy, there's a small pack of wolves aproaching our location, grab your mutt and get your ass in gear"
"What?! That was not part of the plan!" Once more her heels came into sight as she jumped up screeching.
"Thanks captain obvious!" The unknown man spat before his shoes rushed to the side grabbing up a bag of sorts.
"Where are all the rogues?" Serena demanded stomping her foot and coming over to me.
"They're all on their way to the pack houses, I think there's five left in the area but you know very well they're only here for your father"
A sound of frustration came from her and a whimper of pain left my lips as she grabbed me by my hair again, this time dragging me along the floor.
Pain screamed inside me, every inch of my body burning as my wounds were being dragged across the concrete floor. Most likely leaving a trail of blood behind me.
I could no longer keep my eyes open as the tears of pain leaked from them once more. A whimper all I could muster in hopes she would let me down and just fade into darkness.
All I wanted was everything to end. But speaking was so difficult. My tongue filled my entire mouth along with the blood I had coughed up a few times.
"Stop your whining! As soon as Troy gets here and sees you, I'll have him exactly where I want him. You're already dead Baker, accept it." Serena sneered and a door slammed open before I was tossed in a colder room against the floor.
My head hit the concrete so hard my vision was painted in colours and I swore I blacked out for a moment from the pain all over because once I opened my eyes the slightest, Troy was infront of me.
My first thought was, I'm saved but the thought didn't last long as he was on his stomach howling in pain. Serena above him with a smoking gun. Her eyes were wild, her body shaking and a new kind of rage painting her lips.
"T...Troy...no"
"If I... cannot... have you, no one will"
"Troy!"
A loud howl filling the air was the last thing I heard before my eyes rolled back and darkness consumed me.