Winter Wolves

Chapter 4

The moment the she-wolf fangs touched Colton's neck, along with the pain, he felt a surge of tingles. The smell of sunshine was intoxicating. In that moment Colton knew this she-wolf was his mate. He couldn't let her kill him, but he didn't want to hurt her either. He bit her ear in hope that the sensible, but not vital, part was painful enough for her to let go and realize who she was attacking.

-DON'T KILL HER!- The alpha command was undeniable.

All his packmates were in a frenzy. His alpha was being attacked, but he had forbidden them of killing the rogue. They were biting and tearing her hind legs and flanks, trying to make her let go of Colton. But the she-wolf was vicious, she just bit harder into his alphas neck with each bite she received.

Blood was oozing from Colton's neck. In that moment a pack warrior named Jackson changed form and jumped onto the she-wolfs back. He tied his arms and legs around her neck and rib cage, and he began applying as much pressure as he could.

Everybody heard the wheezing noises along with rabid snarls coming out of the she-wolf's snout. A couple of minutes after Jackson begun his wrench, the she-wolf collapsed, falling unconscious on the forest floor.

The next moment, Colton also changed into his human form and began pressing a hand to his neck, holding the bleeding.

-Alpha, are you okay? - The concern in Jackson voice was obvious.

-What have you done to her? – Colton's voice was ragged, bleeding already decreasing.

-She's not dead, I only applied the necessary pressure to make her pass out...-

-She's my mate. – With that statement, all the wolves change into their human forms and turned to Colton.

-Are you sure, Alpha? – Asked Eric. Colton just glared back at him, he was no idiot.

-Alpha, he's not doubting your ability to recognize your own mate, he's doubting hers...-John stepped up to help Eric.

-Yes Colton, if it wasn't for Jackson you would be laying dead on the floor- Said Emmet.

Colton let out a deep growl. But they were right, he had no doubt the she-wolf was his mate, and still she had first gone straight for his neck. She was a strong wolf. She was lean but well built, she was well fed. Colton gave a snort at that, obviously, she had been killing and eating in his territory.

He crouched close to her and took a deep breath: beside the sunshine and blood, there wasn't any smell proper of the she-wolf. And he could pick out the sunshine because it was a cloudy day, had the sun been out, he could easily say the she-wolf didn't had a smell of her own besides the ones from the forest stuck to her. He saw the soft white fur covered in blood, some being Colton's and some her own.

He felt his insides knot at the sight of the gashes on the beautiful she-wolf. The one where he tore at her ear had already begun healing, leaving small peaks of pink scar tissue. He couldn't get mad with his pack members for hurting her, they didn't know she was her mate and they had just done what their instincts commanded.

Colton let himself fall on the forest floor and gave a deep sight.

-I want to take her back with me- He said.

-Then do it...- Answered Emmet.

-It's not that easy, what if she doesn't want to come with me when she wakes up? I don't think she'll take kindly to me taking her to the pack house against her will- Colton's voice was heavy.

Nobody knew what to answer, Colton was the alpha, whatever he said was law once the words got out of his mouth. He could take the she-wolf against her will back to the pack house, because after all, she had crossed their borders without permission.

As if everybody was getting the same thought, John said:

-I say we take her back with us, to see what she has to say in her favor. She did kill elks in our territory without asking for shelter-

-I agree with John, but what will we do if she wakes up and tries to scape again? –Asked a hunter.

-What if she attacks someone again? – Said another.

Once Colton embraced the idea of his mate's death, he never stopped to think what he would've done if, by some miracle, he ever found her. And know he didn't know what to do. She was a rogue, she had trespassed his borders, she had killed elks in his territory, and she had tried to kill him. She did have caught him by surprise, but a scared wolf would just had thrown a bite or two and tried to run. She had gone full force against him. Had she been a bigger and stronger wolf she would have taken his throat out. She never held her strength, she never noticed she was trying to kill her mate.

Mate or not his pack came first, he couldn't allow them to be harmed. Dragging her without consent to the pack house was not the best impression to give his mate. But like Gavin had said, what if she attacked someone else? Because he was the alpha, he was the largest and strongest wolf in the pack, only Michael was close to his size, a smaller wolf could easily perish by the force of his mate's jaws. He had no other choice.

-Isaiah, did you pack some of your medicines with you? -  Isaiah was the pack's healer, it was always useful to bring one when hunting and he was also a good hunter.

-Yes alpha, what do you want me to do with them? –

-Do you have any sedatives with you? –

-I have some Udumbar with me, it's supposed to work as an analgesic cataplasm, but if I make her swallow some, it should be strong enough to keep her unconscious until we get back home- Said the healer.

Colton gritted his teeth: he was drugging her and taking her back to his pack, against her will. This was not like him, he never forced females to do anything. He prided himself in leading a pack that didn't mistreat females.

William, his gamma, approached him and placed a hand on his shoulder as a sign of comfort -However you look at it, it has to be done, you know the moment she open's her eyes, if she has the chance, she will run again-

Colton closed his eyes and said to Isaiah -Do it.-