Secrets & Lies

Chapter Seventeen

(Alexis' POV)

I race down the corridor after Alpha Kent, my heart racing. The sounds of snarls, barks and howls of pain fill our ears as we come closer to the back patio door.

I'm not prepared for the sight I'm greeted with.

Pack members are strewn across the back yard fighting against the throngs of rogues.

Immediately Alpha Kent leaps into a fight between three rogues and our Beta. He lunges at a large black rogue and clamps his teeth down on his neck. The rogue's strangled howl fills the air as his air supply is quickly cut off.

A child's scream of terror has my head whipping to the right. Huddled in front of their home, are three small children. Their older brother is desperately trying to protect his younger siblings from the feral looking wolf that is quickly approaching them.

Something inside me snaps and I race towards the four children. I shift in mid-air and land in front of the eight-year-old boy, just as the rogue leaps at his young target. My teeth latch onto his shoulder and I crunch down, satisfied when I hear his bone shattering and his cry of pain.

He lashes out at me, grabbing on to me by the scruff of my neck but I shake him off. Out of the corner of my eye, I can see the older brother doing his best to comfort his baby brothers and sister.

I growl threateningly at the wolf as he steps towards me once more. He makes a sound like a soft chuckle before attacking once more. I catch him off guard when I throw myself at him. I crash into his chest and he tumbles backwards. Before he has a chance to move, I strike, ripping out his jugular and killing him instantly.

I turn back to the four children who have tears streaming down their faces. Their eyes are wide with fear and they whimper softly as I approach them. I nudge the older boy gently with my nose, indicating that they need to move as our pack continues to fight behind me. They grab each other's hands and stumble along beside me as I lead them to safety.

When we reach the safe house where all the other children and mother's have been led to, the children's mother throws herself towards her four babies.

She sobs loudly as she clutches them to her chest. Her eyes find mine and she chokes out a "thank you". I nod my head in reply before racing back to the fight.

The need in me to fight and protect my pack is something I've never felt before. The responsibility to look after as many as I can and fight alongside them is almost overwhelming.

I run, faster than I've ever run before, back towards the scene of the fight. I quickly see Dad and run to help him.

'Alexis, what are you doing?' He practically roars in my mind, just as he tears the wolf he's fighting to shreds. 'It's too dangerous here. Go back to the safe house'

'Not a hope,' I tell him, sidestepping a wolf as he lunges at me. 'I'm future Alpha of this pack. I will not hide while my pack fights, Dad.'

Before he can reply, a loud howl echoes through the forest. The rogues all freeze before howling in response. Not a second later, they all turn on their heels and race towards the forest, leaving our pack completely stunned.

What just happened?

***

"They were after something," Alpha Kent growls as he paces his office.

"What do you mean, Dad?" Coby asks.

"I mean, that attack was just a distraction for something."

"Kent's right," Dad says. "We've fought rogues before and what happened here today is well out of the ordinary."

"Well what could they want?" Coby pipes up.

I sit in silence and watch the three men conversing. I agree with Dad that their actions were strange, but I can't think of anything they could be after.

"I don't know, son. That's the problem."

"Excuse me, Alpha."

The four of us turn to the door and see a young man standing in the doorway. I notice a woman standing behind him and I instantly recognize her as the children's mother.

"Tom, what can I do for you?"

"My mate would like to speak to Alexis, if that's okay?" He glances in my direction before quickly looking back at his Alpha, waiting for approval.

"Certainly, you don't need to ask."

The young couple step further into the room and the young mother all but kneels before me.

"Thank you," she cries. "Thank you so much for saving my children."

"It's no problem," I tell her, turning to the four children who are still huddled in the doorway. Only know that their parents have moved can they be seen.

I slowly make my over to them before crouching down beside them.

"Hey," I smile. "How are you all doing?"

"Good," they reply, the younger three shyly nodding their heads.

I turn to the older boy, only noticing now the deep gash on his cheek, which unfortunately, will probably leave scar. His younger siblings are thankfully unharmed.

"You were so brave out there, do you know that?"

"Like Superman?" He asks innocently.

"Even better than Superman!" I tell him with a smile.

He grins back at me, as if I have just told him Christmas has arrived early.

I hear his mother sob loudly behind me before his father clears his throat.

"Thank you, Alexis," he chokes out. "Clare told me what you done for our children and I will be forever in debt to you. I don't know what we would have done if you hadn't of found them on time."

I turn around and face him before smiling warmly at him. "There's no need to thank me. I was just looking out for my pack members."

Suddenly a sickening feeling washes over me and a sharp pain strikes me in my chest.

I cry out in pain and Dad and Alpha Kent are instantly beside me.

"Sweetie, what is it? What's wrong?"

"I don't know!" I tell him truthfully.

The pain increases and my heart races as fear takes over. My whole body trembles as realization finally sets in.

Images of the horrific day my mother was killed fill my mind. I vaguely remember a fight earlier on that day, a strange fight, like the one we had today. A distraction.

I scream in pure terror before three words slip through my lips; three words I never thought I'd speak, three words that mean my worst nightmare has come true.

"He's got Leo!"

**********

Short, sweet and to the point! Hope you enjoyed it :)

Please let me know what you think.

Di xx