Prologue
Prologue
I look down and my copper paws are leaving tracks in the snow, I head towards some trees for more cover. I feel myself tiring but I push forward, I sniff the air and try and figure out where exactly I am and I realise I am on the Northern end of our Territory, they have been herding me further away from my pack. I trip over my own feet and push myself back up, but I have lost seconds. I can hear them running through the trees behind me, I dash to the side and tumble down a steep incline, hitting rocks and trees on my way down, whimpering from the pain. I get up and push myself forward, I hear them coming down the hill, seeing some thick bushes in front of me, deciding to hide there. Once they pass, I could make my way back to my pack.
Opening the links to my pack that are in range, I can feel them fighting. Kade is angry and I can feel it in waves down the bond, my chest vibrates with a growl in response before I can stop it, his searching for me. Mason is annoyed I took off. Fuck why did I take off!? We were supposed to stick together while checking the borders, but Mase and I got into an argument…. again. No different than any other day, you would think because we shared a womb, we would be so alike, but we are anything but. Mason is the over achiever; he is training to take over Beta for our father one day. I am more of a free spirit, like my mum…...was.
Some leaves rustle close by, I stop breathing and listen. One is somewhere to my right and the other two are a few steps to my left. I hesitate, do attack them, or hope they pass by me.
“I saw the bitch head this way; she can’t have gone too far!” I struggle not to growl…I hate that word!
“Should have shot her when we first noticed her!” one grumbles
My anger runs down the bond replaying his words before I can stop it. I do not want to distract the boys from their fight. But from my end it feels like it has finished on theirs, and they all survived. I feel a tug on the bond, I know its Kade, I can sense him pushing through my walls. His low and feral growl vibrates down our bond.
“I am coming Ember if they take you, I will find you!” Kade’s smooth voice whispers through the link. His voice calms me, I know in my heart that even if they do take me, that Kade will find me. He is one of the best trackers in the pack. I hear someone so close to where I am hiding, I can hear their laboured breathing and it takes me from my thoughts.
“We just need the female, right?”
“Yea Alister said to grab any girls that we come across, the younger the better.” I let their words get sent down the bond so my brother, Kade, Hunter and Tyler hear it. They were the four I was checking the boarders with.
“It’s around here somewhere, I can see blood, so it is definitely hurt.” The boys growl when they hear that, male shifters love to bleed each other but hate when their females’ bleed. I try not to roll my eyes at that…
Staying down I listen and try and figure out where they are. In the distance I hear the river but not just the river. I also hear others talking, sounds like some of the pack decided to go for a late-night dip. “There are others near the river. They need to be moved but I can’t link them.” I panic.
“Fuck!” Kade growls.
“Don’t worry, I will keep going ahead when we get closer to Ember and move them…hopefully they move before we get there though.” Hunter murmurs…typical Gamma always the Logical one.
I cannot stay hidden here, I need to try and fight, taking even one out will help. I know the boys are tracking us, I hear them, but they are too far away.
“Stay hidden Emmy, we are coming fast.” Tyler must have figured out what I was thinking.
“Don’t you dare fucking move Ember; do you hear me?!” Mason growls.
“We are close Ember, just stay down and stay quiet.” Hunter says.
“You know that if I stay hidden, they could find the others.”
“You are hurt and outnumbered and hurt! Stay hidden Ember, I mean it!” growls Kade.
He still has not realized I do not take orders well.
“I can’t.” I whisper and block them.
“For fucks sake Em, don’t move. Please stay hidden, please!” Kade begs.
My eyes fill with tears, I feel my heart shattering. An Alpha never begs, but Kade is showing me a side that he does not show anyone, I can fell his anger, but I can also fell his fear. He is scared of what may happen to me.
“I’m sorry.” I choke out, holding back my tears. I close the bond before he can answer.
I can see the feet of the two on my left, one crouches down looks me dead in the eye, before he can give me away, I hurl myself at him and latch my jaws around his throat, ripping it out before he falls to the ground. Without taking a second to breath, I attack the other one by latching onto his leg, he falls to the ground screaming. Crawling up his body, my teeth close in around his throat. He tries to kick me off, hitting me in my ribs, and then my head but I have so much adrenaline racing through me I barely feel it. Latching down I tear his throat out.
I turn around looking for the last one but feel a sting in my side, I look down and see a dart. suddenly feeling dizzy and fall to the ground with a hard thud. I try and link the boys, but I cannot.
“Well, you have some spirit bitch. Alister will really enjoy breaking it!” the last one murmurs.
I turn my head to the side and look up at him but all I see is a boot coming towards my head. I feel a sharp pain and then nothing….
