The Alpha Shifter

Chapter 17 - Ari

I stared after Will's tiny form running further and further away. My mind went blank for just a moment, before coming back to reality. I couldn't think of this now, I pushed my racing thoughts to the back of my mind and turned my attention back to Will. His tiny form had shifted into that of a cougar cub. I had thought he was making a run for the pack house, but instead his tiny cub form went around it and was heading to the forrest. My heart was pounding in my chest, the forrest wasn't a safe place for a cub. And if wolves were lurking nearby... "No no no," I stripped my clothes as I ran in his direction and shifted into my jaguar form. I began to panic as I entered the forrest, I couldn't see him anywhere. My jaguar eyes began to dart all over the forest, searching for a small form. But I found none. But what I did find were paw prints, and I made haste as I followed them gaining in on the small cub. My chest was constricting painfully with worry for the little cub as I ventured deeper into the forrest. Will was still nowhere in sight, and for a moment I had lost his trail. For such a small thing, he could run pretty fast.

I paused for a moment, perking my ears up, listening to any sound I might find. My body was on full alert. We were in neutral territory now, with wolves and rogues bound to be around.

Up ahead I knew there was a road of some sorts, and I knew if Will had even ventured out there, he'd be in open ground, easily spottable. We were shifters, and most wolves thought themselves above us. We were nothing but scum to them.

Suddenly I heard the engine of a car and the screeching of tyres up ahead, and I feared the worst. I felt as if time were slowing down around me. I could hear my own heartbeat thudding in my ears, pounding faster and faster the nearer I drew. Without a moment's hesitation I leapt into the clearing, and what I saw before me shattered my heart. I felt as if I couldn't breathe, my eyes only for the fallen cub. He was laying there, completely limp... He wasn't moving at all. Every breath I took felt as if my heart had been pierced.

I moved closer towards his small body and almost cried out in relief when I saw the barely visible, rise and fall of his chest. I almost broke down in relief and nuzzled him gently. His almost inaudible whimpers pierced my ears. I needed to get him back to the pack house and get Luke and Donovan to treat him quickly. He needed medical attention ASAP. I had been so focused on Will that I had completely forgotten what had him like his in the first place.

I heard the crunching of gravel beneath booted feet and realised we weren't alone. It was man, sneering, as if the sight of us disgusted him.

"Well well well, what do we have here?" He was slightly slouching, the sneer on his face growing more menacing by the second. He knew what we were... So I came to the conclusion that he himself, was a mutt.

My protectiveness over Will had flared and grown into a blinding rage. Guttural growls had left my throat as I took a protective stance in front of Will. My teeth were bared and my claws extended. I was crouched low, tailing twitching, ready to pounce if need be.

The man took a step forward, and in the back of my mind I could feel someone trying to contact me through the mind link, but I couldn't answer right now. I refused to look away from the wolf.

"You're all abominations that need to be wiped out." His sneer had taken the form of disgust as he took another step forward. I leapt, claws extended and tackled him to the ground, rage blinding my judgement. He was shifting mid-fight, taking on the form of a shaggy, brown patched wolf. I was right.

We were clawing at each other trying to get the upper hand, when the mutt buried his jaws into my shoulder. I growled, refusing to acknowledge the new pain that had surged up from my shoulder. My paw, with its extended claws made contact with the mutts face and raked across his eye all the way down to his cheek. The mutt whined in pain and was momentarily distracted. I used my paws and changed our positions, so that the mutt was beneath me, but he had rolled over to protect his vulnerable neck and scooted out from under me. I bared my teeth menacingly. This mutt had thought I'd be an easy kill. Oh, how wrong he was.