An Alpha without a Pack

Chapter 14

Cathy's voice rang through my mind like it had several times before. Keeping it as unnoticeable as I possibly could, I investigated the tree line. Along the tree line were wolves, many, many wolves. As soon as a ruby guard either noticed or smelled them, he went to yell a warning, but it was too late. The wolves in the tree line were already running towards the wedding. The pastor paused in his scripture as Jake grasped my forearm and began pulling me towards the alpha's house.

Refusing to go back to that awful, lonely, prison cell called a bedroom, I mustered up whatever strength the wolfsbane left me and yanked my arm free. I almost fell with sudden freedom but regained my balance. Jake went to reach for me again, but I took off into a staggering run to the wolves that were now in battle. Growls and barks and howls filled the night as teeth and claws tore into fur and flesh. I refused to look at the blood, refused to look at the fallen wolves. Instead, I ran as my tired legs could carry me. Just as I was about to break out of the rose garden, something heavy, a wolf I assumed, jumped onto my back and pushed me down onto the rocky path.

Where the hell do you think you are going?  Jake's voice filled my head.

I let out a sharp hiss of pain as the rocks cut into me. "Get off of me!" I screamed as I thrashed around. Despite my best efforts, Jake was far to heavy in his wolf form.

Sharp claws sank into my skin causing me to cry out as Jake just laughed at my futile efforts. You must be stupider than I thought if you think I would just let you go, Strawberry. My father has too much riding on this plan just for you or your bitch of a sister to ruin it twice. Jake dug his claws down my back shredding the dress in the process. I screamed as hot tears ran down my cheeks and onto the rocks. Ah, yes. Scream for me as your sister di-he cut himself off as he let out a sharp gasp and retracted his claws.

Fighting all-around had ceased as a blood-curdling cry filled the night sky. I knew that howl all too well. It was the cry of an alpha falling.

What? How is that possible?! How can he be dead!? Jake's voice rang loudly in my head as he growled audibly. Then the weight of his body seemed to increase as he whipped his head around trying to get an understanding of what was going on. This is all your fault. You and the shit pack of yours have been nothing but trouble.

Jake sank his teeth into my right shoulder causing me to cry out. Suddenly, I was lifted off the ground and was flying. I landed in a rose bush, the impact knocking the air from my lungs. Thorns tore into me and the dress ripping it even more and I whined from the cuts. A growl grabbed my attention and I looked to see Jake getting ready to pounce on me. His fur shined like liquid caramel chocolate. Wolves all-around had begun fighting again. Howls of pain ripped out through the night. Trying to crawl out the rose bush as quickly as I could, I watched as Jake lunge himself into the air ready to finish me off. Just as Jake reached his peak in his jump, a light brown wolf with markings had come out of nowhere and pushed him to the ground. The two of them rolled away in a ball of teeth and claws.

Breathing heavy and trying not to cry out from my fresh wounds, I rolled out of the rose bush just in time to see Cathy, dressed in all white, running towards me.

"Ms. Starfall!" She cried. She quickly fell to her knees when she was close enough. "You need to shift to we can get you to someplace safe far from here. You will also heal much faster."

"I can't shift," I wheezed as Cathy pulled me to my feet. A loud crash sounded as a wolf was thrown into a window of the alpha's house. "They poisoned me with wolfsbane."

"Then we need to run."

Before anything else could be said, Cathy grabbed my hand and tugged me along with her as she broke into a run towards the woods. No matter how hard I tried not to, my feet were dragging, causing me to trip over everything. My heartbeat rang loudly in my ears and it started to get hard to breathe. We just had to go a little further to reach the damn tree line. It would be a little easier to hide there, or at least I think it would.

Sophie! A voice screamed in my head.

Still running for it, I looked over my shoulder to see the same brown wolf that had kept Jake from leaping on me just moments ago chasing after us. Green eyes stared at me, forcing me to slow to a stop. Two heartbeats later Rick had caught up to Cathy and me, his large wolf form making me feel small and useless. Happiness exploded from within my chest. I threw my arms around his thick, furry neck and locked him in a hug. Rick gently laid his large head on my uninjured shoulder, hugging me back in the best way he could.

Cathy stood beside us breathing hard from running. "We need to get going," She said between breaths. "Rick, you need to let Ms. Starfall ride on your back. Drake forced Wolfsbane into her system and now she can not shift."

"How do you two know each other?" I asked pulling from Rick.

We'll explain later, Rick said lowing himself so I could crawl onto his back. Right now, we need to get you to the safe spot and lose the Ruby pack.

It took me a moment to be able to get settled onto Rick, the dress making it very difficult. I ended up ripping a slit once I was on and comfortable. Once I had a good grip on the scruff of Rick's neck, Cathy shifted into a black wolf that was a little bit smaller than Rick. Riding a wolf was not very difficult, I just and to remember to keep my head down as to avoid the low hanging tree branches. Soon, other wolves of all colors were joining us in the run. We never stopped running until we were out of Rubie's territory. We broke through the trees into a large farm field. Several wolves broke from us and ran in different directions to confuse any ruby wolves that might be following us.

We continued to run, only stopping for a few minutes to catch out breaths. After about an hour or so of more running, a small shack in the middle of nowhere appeared in the distance. Several large wagons were lined up along the shack, each hooked to two larges horses of various colors. Rick, not slowing down nor stopping, leaped into the back of the third wagon. Cathy and two others followed suit. Someone for each wagon had shifted into their human forms, put some old farmer clothes on, and waited for everyone else to board. As soon as everyone was on, we speed off onto the old dirt road.

The night was dark and full of stars. Except for the drivers, no one had shifted into their human forms making the wagons a little cramp. A wet nose touched my cheek and I reached out for Rick, burying my face in his fur.

You have no idea how much I've missed you, I whispered into his mind.

I think I might, he whispered back with what sounded like laughter.

I do not know how long we stayed like that, nor do I know how long the ride was. I just knew that I was safer than I have been the past few nights and I fell asleep at some point.