Queen of Midnight

Chapter Two.

The next day, I took it upon myself to get up early and go for a run in the forest. I didn't get to sleep at all through the night; I could feel the King through our unclaimed mate bond in the pack house, and my body would not let me get to sleep. So, I was up and at the edge of the forest before dawn, ready to spend my whole day away from the pack to avoid the King, who was my new mate.

I shifted into my wolf and let Arya stretch her legs. She was grateful for it, I think, considering we had just found our second mate and it was becoming increasingly obvious that he didn't want us either. There was only so much heartbreak we could take.

She ran through the forest and I felt the gentle breeze fly swiftly through her soft white fur. The day was perfect for us; the sun was not as harsh as the day before but still sent streams of light through the leaves of the forest's canopy, providing just enough wind to refresh but not to make it unbearable.

Suddenly, Arya skidded to a halt, and I felt her bare her teeth quickly. I was instantly on guard; if it was other wolves, I would be smarter to stay in wolf form and fight them with the extra strength Arya gave me, but if it were humans... I would have to run quickly. I didn't want to have to kill anybody.

Arya let out a low growl as she turned slowly, flicking her head this way and that. We couldn't tell where the danger was coming from; it seemed like it was all around, which could only mean there was more than one. We were getting surrounded.

A wolf jumped out of the cover of the bushes to Arya's right and snapped its jaw down on her right leg. She howled in pain and twisted to get a grip on the wolf's flesh, but another jumped out from the bushes behind her and she had to jump out the way quickly to avoid getting hurt.

Run! I tried to scream at her, but she was more stubborn than I gave her credit for. She planted her paws in the dirt and flung the first wolf off her right leg, turning to face not two, but five wolves, all dark in fur and deadly in stance. I knew I could defend myself well enough, but against five strange wolves? There was no way we stood a chance. But I knew Arya would rather go down fighting, so I braced myself for the attack as she let out another angry growl.

They all jumped at once; I barely had time to react or warn her before three had sank their teeth into her fur and were shaking their heads violently. I felt her cry in pain, but couldn't do anything to stop it. It felt hot, like lava scorching the areas where the wolves had their teeth. Arya bit down into one and ripped them off of her, but another jumped into their place, finding another soft spot to wound her. I knew she couldn't hold out for much longer, but she wouldn't let me back out until she knew we were either safe or defeated.

One of the wolves jumped on top and pinned her down, trying to stay upright as she wriggled beneath it, the other wolves still jabbing and pulling on her flesh. One got into her neck, and that was it. I felt her body start to shift and morph back into mine, and her cries soon became my own. I was still screaming as the transformation ended, my body writhing on the ground and contorting in pain as the wolves loosened their pressure, sensing my change in physical form.

"Rhea!"

I couldn't even react to the voice I heard cry out my name; I wasn't even sure if I had imagined it or not. All I could feel was the complete agony of my wounds as I felt myself slowly losing energy, and the will to fight back. I could only blink rapidly at the wolves above me as I cried, seeing them all stand above me with that blood thirsty look in their eyes as they savored the moment before them.

And just as the first wolf snarled and went in for the kill, I let out an awful scream, and a sudden burst of light and energy erupted from nowhere, slamming into everything around me within a small radius and sending all the wolves flying backward, slamming into trees and thudding on the ground. I gasped, cutting off the scream as I tried my best to sit myself up on my elbows to see what had happened. But I couldn't explain it. It was almost as if my body had sensed I was about to die, and something protected me. But what? And where did it come from? A guardian? Me?

"Rhea!"

I could barely lift my head as I flopped back down on the ground, sensing footsteps thudding in to a halt around me. My head and shoulders were suddenly lifted from the ground and I was leaning back on something warm and soft and familiar. The scent of sandalwood and cinnamon drifted down to my nose, almost taking the pain away for a moment. But it returned just as it left, leaving me shuddering and shaking.

The people around me were talking, but I couldn't make out the words. All I could see was the five bodies of the wolves that had attacked me, all lying on the ground. Their fur was sizzling. And they were not moving.

"Did I- did I kill them?" I choked out suddenly, the horror of my words slamming into me without warning.

I watched as someone I didn't recognize walked into my line of sight over to one of the wolves, leaning down with his arm outstretched as if he were checking for a pulse or something. After a moment, he nodded at the person behind me.

"They aren't dead," the man behind me murmured, and I didn't need to turn around to know it was my mate, the King of the Alphas. What he was doing out here, I had no idea, but I was very grateful.

"James," the man in front of me said, and I blinked dazedly, still unable to turn my head.

"James," I murmured, testing the name on my tongue. That was the last thing I remembered before another wave of dizziness overtook me, and I found myself succumbing to the darkness.