The Hunter's Pack

The Substitute

I was met with a multitude of hands, reaching out to me and carefully, and a bit chaotically, laying me down on the black couch. I groaned, finally able to concentrate on my wounds. Taking a moment to look around my surroundings, I noticed the spell brought me back to the living room of our pack house. Elliot was frowning deeply, while Anastasia had a harsh scowl on her face. Many pack members around me looked either shocked, concerned, or absolutely angry. They knew what was going to happen to us now.

"Bring a needle and a thread, as well as scissors. Don't forget the potion!" El shouted out and some pack members scrambled around immediately to follow his orders. 

"What the fuck! How could that bitch do that? It was her mate!" Annie kicked the wooden table near the couch, effectively destroying it as it hit the wall and fell apart. Pieces of enchanted glass lay around the wood as well, which used to form a crystal ball that relayed everything my camera saw to my pack members. But that also broke when my small camera shattered into pieces. 

"Anastasia, calm down please." I calmly urged. 

"Calm do- Calm down?! Alex, do you know what this means? Do you know what this all means for us as a pack?!" She raised her arms wildly and continued. "We are ruined! Our pack will be completely annihilated by the other packs, as well as the rest of the supernatural fucking world!" The ginger girl was shouting, frustrated tears starting to pool in her eyes. 

"You know the other supernaturals won't attack. They don't stick their noses in other clans' business." I replied curtly, grinding my teeth as Elliot started digging around in my wounds, looking for the bullets.

"Ok, sure. But how does that make anything better? We're still dead, Alex!" Annie replied, pulling her hair and full-out sobbing now. "Our pack will be gone..."  

There was a tense silence, with only the occasional muffled cries of some pack members. Elliot had a grim expression on his face as he masterfully stitched my wounds closed and silently applied the potion in his hand, quickly increasing my recovery speed. 

"It's alright. I have a plan." My voice was quiet, but the whole pack heard it. I waited a bit more before speaking, promptly taking the scissors out of Elliot's hands and cutting the threads on my already-healed wounds. 

I smiled a bit when Everette let out a small groan of annoyance, eager to hear my idea. 

"Please don't mess with us right now, Alex. This is a critical time." El crossed his arms while chastising me. 

"Haha, sorry. Just wanted to mess with you guys one more time before I go." 

At the word 'go' the pack members immediately started murmuring to each other, confusion etched all over their faces. 

"What do you mean, 'go'?" Annie voiced everyone's question out loud. 

"Exactly what it sounds like." I walked up to the wall, the wolves parting to let me through, and I carefully picked up the loaded machine gun off the wall. "You guys will pretend like you never knew I was going to kill the royals." 

"But you weren't going to do that in the first place! I don't understand?" Amber spoke up this time, a concerned frown marring her features. 

"Yea, it wasn't part of the plan, but the part where I get framed for murder wasn't either. Things change." I turned towards Elliot, who had followed me with arms spread, mouth open to speak. I interrupted him, of course. "Elliot, from now on you will be my substitute, of sorts. You are now the alpha of the Cross pack...well, according to pack rituals that is what you are to these wolves anyways." I headed towards the door, grabbing all the cases of silver bullets I could see lying around on cabinets, chairs, and tables. 

"Wait wait, what do you mean?" Elliot rushed up and grabbed my shoulder while Annie quickly took hold of my coat sleeve and didn't let go. 

"I will be known as a traitor to the werewolf species and, as Anastasia said earlier, all of the packs will be heading to attack us. If you all explain that I acted alone, then you will be spared, able to keep the land. Of course, you will have to convince the royals' son, Connor, that this is true. It's actually really convenient that he's your mate, Annie. You all will have to deal with a lot once I'm gone, but because I'll be gone, I know you guys will pull through." I answered matter-of-factly. 

"But what about you?" My blonde delta said, sorrowful tears streaming down her face. 

"When will you be back?" The dark-haired beta crossed his arms, wearing a stubborn expression. He was holding himself back from crying as well, acting all macho in front of the pack. I chuckled a bit, my gaze setting itself upon the two. 

"I'll be making a visit to Tarragon. If I can restore the camera, then I think everything can be fixed. You guys will first have to sort things out here though - how could we even convince Connor to see the events that transpired if he thinks we're all murderers of the royal family? And if I die...well, I'm sure we'll see each other again somehow." 

There was a pause of silence until the crowd parted to let Jane through. She was holding a dark green duffel bag, already prepared for a trip. 

"Stay safe, please." The she-wolf gave me the bag and I gratefully accepted it with a smile. 

"Then, I'll see you later, everyone." I stepped outside, slowly walking away from the house and into the woods. A small tear slipped past my right eye but I quickly wiped it away. After a few minutes, I heard a twig snap. Jerking my head to the right, I was met with a certain blonde alpha leaning against a tree. I quickly took a pistol out of my belt and pointed it at him in warning, but he simply raised his hands in an innocent manner. 

"I heard everything." He looked up at me smirking, but his eyes flashed with a certain emotion I could not pinpoint. "I'm coming with you." 

~*~

Sorry for the late update. October has just been such a busy month, and November will only be busier. 

On a different note, I will now be including the P.O.V.s of the left-behind Cross pack (Elliot, Annie, the rest of all those people) as Alex makes her separate journey. Just a question, but should I also include Grayson's P.O.V.? Please comment your opinions. 

Again, thanks for the support :-)