Onyx Everclaw and Artemis

Chapter Two

Glancing this way and that, I keep an eye out for the rogue while the others converse.

'I mean, maybe it only got into the creek here, maybe it a young one who's scent was only developing, just travelling through.' Octavia suggests.

I snort. Octavia lets out a small upset whine and she scowls at me. Like hell a rogue would dare enter our territory and travel through, we were the second most ruthless pack in the area, under Alpha Anton of course. And besides we didn't smell it before the creek. But maybe it was a young one, who was lost and hurt, that would make more sense, if they didn't know where they were. And the territory border was only a few hundred metres away from the creek, across from our position. I snapped my fingers as I decided on that conclusion.

'No Octavia, you may be right, maybe it's a young one, who first shifted here, and they were hurt. Geez, alone and injured and first shift on strange territory, that'd be awful. But that's probably why we only just caught their fading scent. Can't catch a scent of a wolf who hasn't shifted yet. Good thinking Octavia.'

I give her a great, big smile. She reciprocates it and blushes as she notices Mace smiling at her too. I mind-link Mace and my eyes glaze over.

'Try it on with her, and you'll only get your ass handed to you by Finn, Mace.'

I unlink with him and he looks at me smugly, before his eyes glaze over just as mine did.

'Don't get me wrong, I totally get what you're saying... I just don't care.' I hear, echoing in my mind.

I giggle and see Finn and Octavia's eye's glazed, guess Finn was giving her the same lecture.

The thundering of paws snaps us out of our mind-links. The border patrol was on their way. The cracking of twigs and branches, as well as the crunching of leaves under heavy paw pads becomes louder, and a small patrol of wolves leap out of the treeline, and advances toward us. Even though I am supposed to take over Beta position if something should happen to our father, Mace steps up and begins explaining what we had come up with to the still shifted patrol.

'We were on our way to the lake houses under order of Alpha and we came across a rogue's scent...'

Mace didn't get time to even finish his recount of events and theories, the patrol's hackles were up and they were now on high alert. I stepped up to Mace's side and they calmed a little knowing a future Beta was present, I was given a curt nod by the head of the patrol who I believed to be Logan, head of the sentinels.

'We think it may be a first shifter, possibly, no, most-likely hostile, hurt, and afraid. The scent was only revealed at the very edge of the creek, so we believe it may be travelling in the creek, and bleeding out. We needed to let you know. If you can alert our parents that would be lovely. So they can tell Alpha Steele.'

He looked around us and saw Finn and Octavia, gave them a blink in hello, then let out a sharp bark, and the group of sentinels split up and began sniffing the area.

'Let's shift, our race to the lake is still on, I won't take a head start this time.'

I smirk and say with confidence, before going behind a tree to shift, the others doing the same. I'm nimbler than Finn and Mace when shifted, and faster than Octavia. Built like a true Beta. My wolf loves to swim, as do I, so I know I'm definitely bounding off the wharf into the lake despite it being autumn. Finn loves water too so I decide to challenge him.

Once shifted, I take my clothes in my jaws, and pad over to Logan, nudging him with my shoulder blade, letting him know we are off to go do orders. He blinks, and I take that as an okay and quickly step over to the creek, waiting for the others.

Mind-linking the others, I give them all a challenge. 'I'm thinking, creek race for Finn and I, you know, give the younger ones the advantage of being on land?'

Octavia comes up behind me, growling lowly, giving me a warning that she was not happy. Her beautiful, thin, pristine white wolf giving me evil eyes.

'As much as I hate you for that comment Arti, I'm okay with that challenge.' She responds.

'You're on, Artemis.' The boys respond in unison.

Mace's large timber-coloured wolf form comes into view beside Octavia. Along with Finn's ashen wolf form on the other side of me. I glanced at him and his eyes darkened a little, showing his wolf was attracted to mine. My wolf gave him a once over, and my eyes probably did the same as his. His wolf was toned, and beautiful...

'GO!' Mace shouted through the mind link.

My wolf let out a frustrated howl and leapt into the creek, splashing the water about. Finn splashed past me. His long, ash coloured fur whipped back and forth behind him as he flung himself over sharp rocks and heavy tree trunks that lay in the creek. I growled at him and pushed myself harder. Begging for chase, my wolf input some effort too and I flew through the water. I watched alongside me, white and light brown flashed through the treeline, intertwining paths. I saw Finn slow as he was about to leap over a reasonably large tree trunk and I took it as my chance to get ahead. I raced forward and jumped off of his back, over the tree trunk and bounded toward the wharf. A whip of wind and a white and brown ball of fur flew through the air beside me, knocking me off course, and sending me tumbling into a lake house.

Dazed, I look up to see Finn's wolf watching me, whining, and Octavia and Mason playing on the shoreline. I try to get up and wince in pain. I let out a small whine. Finn takes the scruff of my neck in his mouth lightly and drags me carefully to a tree.

'Shift Arti, you can't let that heal in wolf form, it'll be screwed when you shift again otherwise.' Finn tells me through a link.

He wanders away, and picks up my clothing carefully, bringing it back to me.

He drops it beside me, nuzzles my side, urging me to shift, and then staunchly walks away to the others, deeply growling in anger at Octavia and Mason.

I hear Mason growl back and Octavia cry. Then Mason whimpers as Finn howls. I shift whilst on the ground and cry out in pain as the shift is complete. I slip my clothes back on and see my twisted ankle. Cleaning with this isn't going to be fun...

[Authors note: Thank you for reading!! This is honestly a lot of fun to write, so hopefully you enjoy reading it as much as I do creating it, that's all from me! Thank you again! - G ]

Word Count: 1175 Words