Imogen is her pack's runt. She was a surprise to her family, and a disgrace. Her father is the gamma of her pack so her existence as the runt is a disappointment and disgusting.
Her family wait for the moment when she can find her mate, leave the pa...
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I watch from above my body as Tobias pushes me backwards into the water. The shock courses through me and Tobias shifts before I am submerged in the water.
Over my head, a huge black wolf leaps above me and the agony in my chest tells me this is Blake. Watching in horror, Blake tears into Tobias' wolf and I cry out in terror.
Tobias throws a look at me for a second and snarls in warning. I understand what he's telling me to do, I have to get as far away from this fight as possible.
Taking huge breaths, I paw at the water as the snarling and snapping of jaws fills the glade. Coughing and spluttering, I desperately pull my body from the water and up onto the bank.
I claw upwards on the grass as my nails dig into the dirt. Just when I feel my feet leaving the water, a booted foot slams my hand.
Crying out in pain, I look up and see the she wolf who was to become the Luna in my place, she looks down at me and shakes her head. Again, from a place that is not my body, I watch as I am thrown back into the water.
Before I know what's happening, I'm choking on the water as some great force pushes me away from the air. I thrash around and kick out, all I can see is a blurry face above the water and blonde hair.
I feel my body begin to spasm as the need for air becomes unbearable. Desperation burns through my body as images of Tobias and our potentially existing pup fill my mind.
All I can think is no, is that I won't let this happen to me. I can't be powerless anymore, I have to protect those I love and right now I am a useless runt.
Screaming under the water, I gather all the strength I have had in my body. I gather all the pain of being called a runt, of being rejected by a mate, the threat of loosing Tobias makes me strong.
I rip up from the water with a feral snarl, claws bared I slash and slice through the air as I search for my attacker. With streaming eyes and a burning cough, I finally lay eyes on Amy and I let out another snarl.
Amy looks so stunned that I fought her off that she stumbles and trips over a root. I advance towards her with my claws and fangs bared, I raise my hand and bring my talons across her throat. Before Amy even had the chance to register what a runt has done to her, she's dead.
Her body slumps onto the floor and I gag in surprise and horror of what I have done but there is no time to mourn my innocence. I'm catching my breath and running towards Tobias before my consciousness can tell me it's a bad idea.
The two wolves are locked in a savage brawl. They have moved from the water onto the land, as I run closer my stomach churns when I see the blood staining the water.
From where I am standing, Blake is winning this fight. I watch in dread as Blake rips a chunk out of Tobias' side causing him to howl in pain and me in horror.
"Tobias!" I scream as he hits the floor for a second with Blake's teeth closing in around my mate's neck.
Blake's eyes dart up to me as I make the sound and they glint in delight. He shifts before my eyes and stands to his full height, I stumble backwards in fear as Blake advances towards me.
"You didn't think I would just let you go, did you runt? You're mine. Mine to fuck. Mine to breed. Mine to own. You are my mate! Not his, mine!"
My eyes fall on Tobias who has shifted but appears to be unconscious. The blood is pouring from his side and all I want to do is run over to him. But I can't, between my mate and myself is an enraged and advancing alpha with blood in his heart and on his claws.
"Runt," Blake is less that a meter away from me and I squeeze my eyes shut as I hear his savage breathing, "you even fucking smell of him. You're a disgusting little whore and I will make you pay for this, I will make you bleed for this!"
His claws elongate before my eyes and I clutch at my throat in a feeble attempt to protect myself.
Blake smirks as he steps ever nearer to my trembling form, he's so close to me he is blocking Tobias' body from my vision.
"Oh runt, I'm not going to do anything as obvious as killing you. I still need you for my heirs. You are my true fucking mate after all."
"No I'm not!" I scream back at him, "I'm not your mate, I'm Tobias' mate now and forever!"
"You think that pathetic mark on your neck is enough to protect you? I'll rip it from you and start again."
"And the pup in my womb?" I challenge, boldly staring down my torturer as rest my hand over my stomach to really drive the point home.
"You-you can't have! You're mine!" Blake is so close now and I scramble backwards on my hands as I try to escape the ever threat of his claws.
"I'll rip that bastard from you and start again! Nothing can stop me from taking you back, you belong to me! You're—"
Blood splatters over my face and I see claws appearing from within Blake's chest. I scream as Blake's body is thrown to the side with blood still spurting from his open mouth.
Standing above me is Tobias.
"Imogen." Tobias exclaims as he drops down to his knees in front of me. "Are you ok? Did he touch you? Did he hurt you?"
It doesn't matter to him that he has a chunk of his side missing, or that he is covered in claw marks, all that matters is that I remain safe.
I nod quickly, still unable to speak as Blake's body lies bloodless feet away from me.
"He didn't- he didn't touch me." I stand up on uneasy feet and Tobias follows.
"You-you killed him." I gasp out as Tobias holds me against his chest. "How did you kill him, he's an alpha."
"Well," Tobias weakly puffs out his chest with pride, "he threatened my mate."
I don't reply for a moment, all I can think about now is the coating of blood on my own claws. Holding out my blood drenched hands as proof to Tobias, I let out a juddered sob.
"I-I killed Amy. I slit her throat. I'm a murderer. I killed her!"
"Baby, baby, it's ok." Tobias tightly grips my wrists as my claws scratch at my skin. "You're not a murderer, it was self defence. She would have killed you."
Shakily, I let my eyes drift all over Tobias' bartered body.
"You're hurt, you need help."
"I'll be ok, I'll heal. Let's get you home."
We leave both bodies laying by the lake as we walk away. Tobias bends down to pick up our discarded clothes before we limp back through the woodland and home towards the cabin.
Neither of us speak until the relief of the cabin comes into view, then once again I let out a juddering, pain sob.
Tobias pulls me against his chest again and let's me sob out against his chest. When I've cried all the tears I have to spare, I pull back and look over at Tobias. I jump in surprise when I see that the wound on Tobias' side has already scabbed over and is nearly healed.
"How have you healed so fast?" I exclaim as we continue to hobble up the porch steps and home to sanctity.
"Well, betas heal faster anyway but I'm an alpha now so I guess I heal even faster."
"An alpha now?" I wonder as realisation dawns on me, Tobias killed an alpha, his alpha meaning he inherits his place.
"I'm alpha of the Redwood Pack and you are it's luna, just like the moon goddess intended."
