Blood and Bonds II - Salvation's Prey

5. First Idea. Bad Idea.

"You sure this is a good idea?" Davina asks nervously as they walk slowly through the thickets and bushes.

Isabella apprehensively squeezes her hand. "It's an idea. What happens next will determine if it's a good idea or not." Cartia whimpers nervous with heightened senses as Isabella surveys the strange woods around them.

"How will we know when we find them? No one has ever found them!" Kaino utters, his eyes darting a round the forest at the slightest sound. Leo and Valerio flank him nervously, keeping the girls in front of them.

Maddox paws Davina to his side and clutches her to him. "This may have been your first bad decision as Alpha. Let's hope it's not your last."

Andreas and Jagger lead through the thick undergrowth as the forest blends into the rocky ravines and gorges of the mountain ranges. Bronson growls standing protectively in front of Isabella. "What you fail to realise is that we are not alone right now. They already know we're here. The further we walk, the more of them that are aware of our presence."

"Why is this necessary?" Scarlett asks linked securely around Jaggers arm. "I know we've been over it, but just one more time."

"It would not be so bad if a creature we knew of had gone into these forests and lived." Andreas mutters scanning the rocks and trees. "They'd be so well camouflaged in here. I can't make out a rock from a tree!" He snarls. The undergrowth is thick and the moss of the ground covers the trees and rocks a like. Beautiful arrays of greens, browns, oranges, whites and yellows blend together, covering the terrain, making it difficult to discern one thing from another.

"Suppose this is what happens when only Rogue Nation passes through here." Leo growls kicking a dried skull and bones covered in moss.

Bronson sours and stands flush next to Isabella. "Don't be naive Leo. You give credit to the wrong person." Isabella links under his arm and settles closely and safely next to him. Bronson looks down at her and watches her nervously look into the tundra. "We wait here. It's the best clearing we've come across and-"

Suddenly, snarls and hisses ring through the tree tops and the Alpha Elite are instantly ready for battle. They bark and snarl into the leafy abyss, unable to pinpoint where the hisses and snarls are coming from. BOOM! A loud small explosion pops over their heads. Andreas growls and circles back to Isabella. A cloud of yellow fills the tops of the trees. BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! More explosion go off and the air above them becomes thick with yellow powder.

"RUN!" Bronson roars.

They all turn and try to shift but are shot with a series of darts. Kaino, Valerio and Leo wince in pain as they protect the others. "Are you ok?!" Isabella shouts, clawing at Kaino to look at her.

"Yes..." He says worriedly. "Wait," Isabella watches as Kaino's eyes begin to droop. "No." Kaino wearily says as he drops heavily to the floor, followed by Valerio and Leo. Maddox and Jagger shift into their wolves as Bronson and Andreas rally around Davina, Scarlett and Isabella standing protectively over their 3 fallen comrades.

"We're trapped Isa." Andreas growls, still unable to make out their attackers.

The yellow cloud settles around them and Isabella can taste the sweet honeysuckle nectar on the air. The wolves cough and bark in the yellow haze. "Isa..." Davina says turning to her, "This was a bad idea." Davina collapses sleepily on her. One by one, Scarlett and Andreas as struggling to the ground, defying the sleepiness that is taking them.

Bronson holds Isabella tightly in his arms. "Don't let go. Whatever you do, don't let go." He growls as he wraps his shirt over her face. "Don't take this off." He growls loudly and Isabella can feel Bronson's full weight press down on her as he begins to lose consciousness.