Stranded- Discontinued/Incomplete

Chapter 24

Knock knock knock
What do those idiots want now? "Come in!" The door opens and Rider strides in looking like he's won the lottery. I lean back in my chair and wait.
"It's time, sir. The girl is strong and shows great power in her ability to both fight and lead. Though the beta may prove to be a problem.." He trails off, looking weary as I sit forward.
"How much of a problem?"
"He never leaves her side and is always watching her. Our spy has infiltrated her pack and remains unnoticed, but she surrounds herself with a close-knit inner circle."
I drum my fingers on my desk, thinking over this new information. "So he has access to the mind-link?" Rider nods. "Then that pathetic mutt isn't completely useless. Gather the pack, we move tonight."
Rider turns on his heel and marches out, barking orders to the others.
I stand and walk to the window, looking out over the trees.

Soon, my dear, soon you will be mine.

~~~~~~~~~~
"Sarah!"
I groan and roll over, burying my head in my pillows. The door creaks open behind me and little footsteps tiptoe across my floor. I pretend I don't hear Jamie sneaking up on me, or the little suppressed giggle he gives at his little trick.
The mattress dips as he climbs up and crouches beside me. Mentally I count down,
3...
2...
1...
Jamie cries out and launches himself at me. I roll out of the way, wrap my arms around his squirming body, and curl around him like a teddy bear and pretend to go to sleep again.
"Sarah, no fair! You have super hearing!" He crosses his arms and pouts.
"Well then you shouldn't sneak up on a sleeping werewolf, kid."
I chuckle as he sighs and curls his fingers in my hair. "I was bored, you're always busy with your friends." He twines his fingers in my locks, staring at it.
"I know, I'm sorry. Tell you what, I'm supposed to go meet Kyle today to talk about boring pack stuff, but what do you say you and I go for a run instead?" He peaks up at me. "I know this beautiful place not far from here, it has a lake and a swing set and we can hang out all day. Just the two of us. What do you say?"
He's grinning by now and struggling to push out of my arms. "Let me go, I have to get my swimsuit!"
With a laugh, I release the little bugger and watch him streak from the room like the flash.
Grinning, I climb out of bed and head downstairs in my pajamas. No need to get dressed, I'll be shifting in a moment anyway.
~~~~~~~~
Jamie had a blast at the lake, constantly ducking down under the water looking for treasures. There was an old tire swing tied to a large oak tree next to the lake that we used to launch us across the lake. I climbed out a little while ago, and now lay stretched across one of the nearby boulders, suntanning.
"Sarah, look what I found!" Jamie scrambles out of the water and stands over me, water dripping down his body. He holds out a small hermit crab shell, grinning from ear to ear.
I open my mouth to reply when the sound of leaves crunching catches my attention. I'm up in a second, pushing Jamie behind me. My eyes remain glued to the tree line, searching for a hint at what caused the sound.
The wind picks up a bit and a scent washes over me that sends me immediately into the defensive. I crouch down and shift while I still have the chance. Jamie whimpers next to me and I push him down onto his knees and step over him so he is safely under me.
4 rogues step from the trees, snarling and snapping at each other as they surround me.
'Kyle?' I send out an alert through the mind link and wait.
'What's wrong?' I give him a brief rundown of the situation, eyeing the rogues beginning to circle. I could probably take down 2, if I wasn't protecting Jamie. For now, I'll have to stick to snapping and threatening them back, only risking leaving Jamie for a second before returning to my place overtop of him.
Jamie runs his fingers through the fur on my stomach, and I can feel him shaking in fear.
I'm so sorry, Jamie.
'Sarah!' I jump a little, so focused on the situation I'd forgotten about Kyle.
'I'm here.' I snap at a rogue that darts forward. 'For now.'
'We're coming, just hang in there.' I roll my eyes, growling at another rogue who's begun eyeing Jamie beneath me. I can feel about seven wolves racing our way, but how far they are I don't know.
'I'll try my best, but I can't do much with Jamie here.'
I back up a few steps as the rogues get closer, nudging the kid back with my paw so he follows.
One rogue finally gets bold enough to attack, launching himself at my back. I duck and catch its throat in my jaws, slamming it to the ground in front of me and don't move until it stops twitching. I leave the body there, blocking Jamie from the hungry eyes of the remaining three rogues. One licks his chops while another snarls at the death of their companion.
They spread out, two flanking either side of me while the third, presumably the leader, watches, eyeing me up and down. Foam forms along the corners of their mouths, any humanity that once was there, long consumed by their own madness. Their fur is matted with blood and dirt, sticking up every which way. The leader has a piece missing from one ear and a thin scar going down over one eye, adding a certain menacing quality to it
Jamie whimpers underneath me, fingers tightening in my fur. I snap at the rogue on my right when he gets a little too close. The left one, now behind me, bites me in the hind leg while I'm distracted and clamps down. I whip around, try to catch my jaws around its neck but it ducks away and my teeth smash together hard enough to jar my brain for a moment.
They back off when I return to my position over Jamie and continue circling me, waiting for their next chance.
C'mon, where are they?
My wolf hushes me and comforts my frazzled mind.
The lake is at my back now and they all start slowly closing in around me. One goes for my flank but I swat it back and snap at another from my right, but not before its claws rake down my side.
A growl of pain streaks past my teeth and I feel my legs begin to shake, blood dripping slowly down my side.
The leader seems to get a satisfied gleam in his eye at my obvious weakening.

My eyes flash to the treeline, first looking for any sign that the guys are almost here, then for escape routes. The lake is out- Jamie is an alright swimmer in the shallows, but open water is a big no unless I carried him, but that would mean I wouldn't be able to defend him if the rogues persisted.
I could distract the rogues and tell Jamie to bolt, but he wouldn't; and for all I know there are more waiting in the shadows.
Scenario after scenario plays through my head as the wolves close in. Jamie's muffled sobs meet my ears and my heart breaks for him, he must be so terrified right now.
When my back foot slips of the edge of the bank, I realize I'm out of time and must risk something. Anything.

I get my chance when the wolf on my right flank gets impatient and lunges at me. I duck underneath it and watch as it plies into the wolf on my right and slam into the oak tree together, knocked out cold.
I launch myself at the last- the leader- and we go tumbling into the woods. he pushes me off and lunges for my throat, enraged at the stupidity of his companions. I dodge to the side and go for his hind quarters, digging my teeth into his leg and tearing away. he takes a snap at my ear and misses by a hairsbreadth as I dance away. We circle each other, snarling and snapping, each testing each other as we take turns snapping at each other. A crunch makes him turn, and I lunge. my jaws clamp around his throat and I pin him, his legs clawing at my sides in an attempt to throw me off.
I bite down harder and twist, a clear sharp crack resounds in my ears and He stops moving.
I stand there, panting for a moment before pulling away and looking around.
I bolt back into the clearing and sigh in relief when I see Jamie curled and sobbing in Kyles arms.
I lope over and lay down beside them, licking the tears off Jamie's face as he wraps his small hands in my fur and hugs me tight.