To Fight Back, To Change

Chapter 12 - Having Some Fun

*Ash’s POV*

I ran my fingers through my hair and slouched up against the white walls of the pack house.  She would be here. Ace. He’d heard a lot of stories about this chick. Most of them ranted on how crazy and dangerous she was and I wasn’t happy about having that type of person in the pack.

 But we had no choice. Since my Father was…indisposed I was left to run a broken pack. We needed any help, any protection we could get.

In the past three years things in the Jade pack has unravelled. Our 30 members dwindled to 20. Most were either killed by rogue attacks or have joined another stronger pack.

 I would never recommend for my pack to split up but the decision wasn’t mine to make. It was the Alpha’s, my Father’s and he was never going to move. Not with her still out there. I stiffened at the thought. Her, been Alexis, my lost mate. 

Our pack had searched for her for months on months and no evidence or information was found. She was presumed dead. That tore me apart. I knew she was still alive, out there somewhere. I would have felt it if she died…wouldn’t I? Maybe she would be better off dead I thought bitterly. Better than coming back to this. A tired and guilt-filled pack.

With Alexis’s death on the packs hands distrust and blame began to settle on everyone, making them paranoid and setting everyone apart and on their own. They each blamed another for her death. It pissed me off like mad. It was all their faults, I groaned, all OUR fault.

 It made me want to punch a hole in a wall and beat someone to death, which I have gotten close to often enough. Usually Simon or another one of the members would have to pull me off some poor kid that just happened to bump into me.

 Marco was almost as bad as me. He took his sisters disappearance hard, and her “death” even harder. He turned to drinking and fighting. Blaming himself entirely for everything, even though we all had parts in it. As I had told him often enough.

Her not been here, by my side, left me sleepless and chained down. Been strong for the pack was hard since I was inches away from snapping at any point in time, they all relied on me. And now I relied on this insane Ace chick to save us.

They’re here! One of the pack members called through the link. I had set a couple of us out on perimeter thanks to all the bloody rogue attacks. I yelled out to Simon  for him to wake Marco. Simon, who had been dozing off on the porch jumped up, glared at me then grumbled off.

We were all assembled by the time the kicked-up dust settled from the vehicles.  Clara clung to my arm and it felt like a bunch of wet, oily seaweed.

I hated her touch, couldn’t stand it. But the pack needed an Alpha Female and Clara had been going out with me for a long time. I kept up the pretences for the pack.

First that came was a black car, probably a Volvo from what I could see. It glided gracefully on the dirt road, parking itself neatly just in front of us and the sleek door opened. A man in his 20’s climbed out.  He wore a white shirt, a leather jacket despite the heat and long black jeans to go with it.

He leaned against the car and crossed his arms. Wasn’t he going to approach? The man looked like he was waiting for someone. Maybe he was Ace’s mate. He continued to not move an inch showing his immediate disrespect for us. My fists clenched and unclenched tightly. Don’t act out I chanted, don’t act out. We need this protection. Don’t act out.

Then the world froze. Well, not really froze but just moved in slow motion. The wind grew quiet, the sun for a second grew cold and the trees silently stopped swaying. It started with the roaring sound that greeted us and the great wave of dust that crashed into our faces. I raised my arm to block the dust from hitting my eyes and ended up elbowing Clara in the face. Who moaned and pouted her lips out. I couldn’t care less.

The worst part was when the dust slowly settled around a dark green and slick motorbike. It wasn’t the motorbike part that was bad. The bad part was the figure that slid off it.  She took her helmet off and hanged it off the motors handlebar.

 The world once against sped up into normal speed.  I let out a huge breath that I didn’t even know was been held in. But sucked it right back in as her head turned towards us and the stormy-blue hair whipped across her face obscuring her features.

 She sauntered closer to us and the dangerous aura nearly choked me. I gained control of my emotions and sniffed the air. I could smell my pack, burnt coal which was coming from the leather-jacket guy but no smell from the girl.

Sniffing again my face twisted into confusion. No scent? That’s barely heard of. I turned to Simon who whispered underneath his breath. “Probably from all the blood on her hands.”

Could killing do that to a person? I wondered why I still had a scent, because I killed my mate. My mouth gaped at Simon who was shooting daggers at our visitors. “Simon.” I whispered quietly back. “Do we have a problem here?”

He shook his head. “No man. I just don’t like murderers, that’s all. But no problem. I know we need this.”

He was right on that point. From the rumours this warrior was a cold-blooded killer. Slashing through everyone and everything in her way. I turned my head back to the two werewolves. Ace was talking to the other guy fiercely and he listened just as strongly, nodding occasionally. We were getting thoroughly impatient by the time both figures turned and carefully headed in our direction.

The girl was beautiful and terrifying at the same time. She had blue eyes, but something about them seemed wrong, as if the colour didn’t fit into her persona.

The strange eyes swooped across us blankly,  giving a long look at each of our faces and leaving a shiver down the spine for those of us that dared to actually meet her eye. When she looked at me I stood up taller.

A flash of shock swept across her fierce features but was quickly taken over by a bored expression. I probably imagined it though; it had come and gone so fast.  I took the time to examine her closer. Small scars littered her body but most were faded and healing.

A puckering wound detailed itself from her neck to her shoulder and showed clearly through the straps of her green singlet. It marred her pearly skin. Her unusual skin colour shocked me. She was a strange albino, just like Alexis. Her name sent a thorn into my heart.

Her eyes were still clawing into mine. They looked cold and bitter which matched her scowling lips. I bet she doesn’t smile often. Gonna give her some major wrinkles! Clara’s voice cut through the ice that my mind was frozen to. It was pretty pathetic to focus on wrinkles at a time like this.

The werewolves stood in front of us patiently and I waited for their next move.  The girl looked around her surroundings curiously and a small frown wrinkled her face.

“Well?” Her sweet but sharp voice cut through the tense silence. It sent waves of shock pummelling into me. I took a step-back and tried not to hyperventilate.

 My wolf was just as shocked as I was. I could feel him. He didn’t show up often, having not forgiven me for the loss of his other half. For him to actually appear expressed the hugeness of the situation.

Her voice, no matter how cold it was. Sounded like hers.

“Alexis?”