Blood and Bonds II - Salvation's Prey

4. Resurrection

The high midnight moon, partially smothered by deep grey clouds, cloaks the woods in strange shadows as the trees stand in eerily silence. The slight breeze moves ghostly through the foliage, but nothing in the woods rustles. The darkness camouflages the land's anguish, with only sparse moonlight betraying its secrets. Isabella pads stealthily into the Silver Lakes Pack territory for the first time in 6 years. She stays low to the ground, keenly sniffing the air for scents of patrols and Rogues; anyone that needs to be kept unawares of her presence.

Hours running at full speed with Bronson and Andreas, only stopping for water, she bounds with anxious motivation across the land. It changes under her paws from baron waste lands to desolate forests, with razor rocky ravines dividing the plains like deep claw gashes through flesh. She reaches the lower mountain forests; the same forests that Princess Charlotte belongs to, and descends into the valley where the battle-worn obtruding fortress like walls mark the Alpha's territory. "Charlotte's parents couldn't have been too happy about this." Cartia growls as she sniffs the dilapidated wall.
Barron growls lowly, with his deep velvet voice disrupting Isabella's shock at her Father's bloodied defences. "Don't misunderstand this wall. It was built to keep everyone in more than it was to keep the unwanted wolves out." His words as though saturated with venom sting Isabella's heart as her fears from long ago become terrifyingly real all over again. Bronson and the rest of the Alpha Elite have made life saving efforts in her absence. But the sickening reality smashing her heart is that isn't hasn't been enough.
Cartia rumbles with growing tenacity. "It hasn't been enough, until now." Isabella's heart warms once more, shrugging off the shackles of dread and sorrow. "Let's go. If this wall is anything to go by, we have our work cut out for us."

Easily they slip inside the walls, finding an opening in the ramshackled excuse of a barrier. The fearless trio press on towards the forest's edge bordering the high mountains. It doesn't take long before their descension from the mountain forests before the landscape changes again, leading into lush, peaceful and tranquil woodland. The air is light and still. The forest is calm with the night life filling the tree tops with soothing melodious lullabies. It's unmistakable. These are the lands protected by the Alpha Elite and those of Alpha Tristan, Landon and Keith. This is the land where their packs join forces. "If this is the land, it only gives me hope for what the packs are like." Cartia gasps. She can't believe the difference the land shows. Isabella's heart sores with hope.

"We're close Cartia. I can smell them all." Isabella nervously mumbles with an excited smile as she shifts into her human form.
"Talk about back from the dead, huh." Cartia chuckles nervously.
"This is going to be intense. Be prepared for any and all reaction." Bronson cautions over their nexus. "They lost you. Now to have you again, with the revelation that you not only live but that we knew about it-"
"It's alright Bron." Isabella confronts, nodding understanding. "I'm ready." With a proud hand on the shoulder, Bronson turns with Andreas and heads through the shrubbery.Isabella waits by thick spruces as she listens to the men's footsteps approach an unsuspecting group of wolves. 'Here we go.' Isabella nervously sighs. The wait is finally over.

"Do you have ANY idea what it takes to get ready in the morning?" Davina growls as she shifts and sulks into the glade, lolloping down over Maddox. "Seriously? I have to protect that stupid old mutt now because his last mistress got jealous of his new mistress. I still haven't scrubbed hard enough to get the filth from their disgusting paws off of me!" She spits glaring at Bronson.

"I know, Davina. However, you're hardly a victim. Your behaviour is beyond indefensible at times. If you weren't such a skilled warrior Charles would've made YOU a mistress by now." Bronson remarks haphazardly, knowing none of the men, even the Alpha, weren't arrogant or foolish enough to lay hand on Davina.