Hunted

Chapter 27

Chapter 27-Amias' POV

As I left Azula in the cave, I felt my heart hardening. For just the briefest moment, I’d managed to forget all my worries – Azula had that effect on me. But now that I was no longer in her glowing presence, I felt all that worry, pain and grief slowly seep back into my heart.

                Without realising it, my feet had carried me to a group of men in the centre, all of whom bowed in acknowledgement of my presence. They were my elite team, picked especially to help me avenge Alec.

Koray was there, his face paler than normal. Alec had been his best friend for a long time, and to lose him so suddenly was wearing him down. But despite his obvious exhaustion, there was a determined glint in his eyes. He would either avenge Alec or die trying.

Towering over Koray was Malkolm. The happy aura that usually surrounded him had been extinguished, in its place a man who wanted vengeance almost as much as Koray. I guessed that Malkolm would forever blame himself for being too late to save him.

                There were also three other men, all older members of the pack. Gareth, Daniel and Kol had all volunteered to help me get my retribution. Apparently, they all had some sort of experience in pack warfare, having aided Reynolds before I’d joined the pack. Our beloved leader had sought to prove himself when he’d first become Alpha, starting wars over the pettiest of things. It was how we’d acquired our violent reputation.

                Gareth had the most experience. I didn’t even need to ask to know; his wise, tortured eyes told me everything. He was a man of few words, but when he did speak, it was always something meaningful and deep.

                Daniel was never someone I’d gotten on with until I’d become Alpha. The were worshiped strength and was fiercely loyal to those that possessed it, which was why he revered the Alpha so much. While he was intelligent and cunning, he was also aggressive and quick to jump into battle. He loved to fight, his brown eyes alight with the prospect even now.

                Then there was Kol. His platinum blond hair immediately drew the eye, a contrast to the normal brown. It fell to just above his shoulders in slight waves. The rest of him was nondescript; he wasn’t as old as the other two, but he wasn’t young by any means. With his scrawny build, there wasn’t anything about him that suggested that he was good in warfare. But looks could be deceptive. He was incredibly skilled at fighting hand to hand, having beat me in sparring practises more times than I could count.

                “We all know the plan, right?” I asked. I’d never known my voice to sound cold and stony. “Gareth and Kol distract them while Koray, Malkolm, Daniel and I sneak past their defences and punish Bowen and anyone else who thinks to stand in our way.”

                “We know the plan, Alpha,” Gareth said. He ran his hand through his shaggy brown hair, keeping his eyes focused on the ground. “I’m just not entirely convinced it’s a good one,” he muttered. I glared at him, but Daniel spoke before I could.

                “Are you questioning our Alpha?” he snarled, taking a threatening step forward. Gareth stood his ground, barely sparing Daniel a glance.

                “A good Alpha can accept guidance from his pack without getting defensive,” Gareth shot back. His eyes darted to my face, assessing me.

                “Daniel, stand down,” I barked. Daniel stepped back at my harsh tone, glancing at me in surprise. “You do not speak for me,” I told him, gentling my tone slightly. I turned to Gareth. “What about our plan displeases you?”