"Are you sure you're ready? Are you cold?" She lays her hand on my forehead and shakes her head, "No no, this will not do! You have a fever! You can't go. You should probably stay for a while until you're fully strong. Your fiancé wouldn't want you to arrive sick. I can take care of you and get you strong and healthy again okay? So-"
"Sweetheart!" Her mate interrupted, "Noah's fine. Let the man be!"
She slowly turns to him and raises her eyebrow. Oh, he's in trouble, "Xander Nightwalker! You do NOT talk to your mate like that! I am just being a concerned friend for Noah! There is nothing wrong with that!" She exclaims.
Xander rolls his eyes and sighs, "Give me a break," He mumbles.
Her eyes widen with fire, "Give you a break? Give me a break!" Her eyes start to tear up, and her face starts to scrunch as she cries, "It's your fault that I am pregnant AGAIN! It's your fault that I am unnaturally hormonal and just want to cry all the time! And now my little boy is leaving me-"
I raised a brow" I'm older than you," I said in question.
She looks at me, "Shut up! I am trying to have a tantrum!"
"Lizzy!" I tell.
She turns to me and shouts "WHAT?!?"
"I appreciate the concern, but I have to go now or I'll be late," I politely interjected.
Her face turns from angry to sad and in an instant she throws her arms around my neck and hugs me tightly. I awkwardly pat her back. I look at Xander for help, but I see him silently chuckling with a smirk.
She lets go of me and gives me a watery smile, "Remember you have to come back for when the baby arrives! And make sure to bring your new wife!"
I inwardly cringe at the thought of having a wife I barely know, "I will."
She smiles, releasing me from her hold and stepping back.
Xander walks to me and clasps my shoulder, "Pregnancy has finally gotten to her head."
"She should be used to it by now considering this is her second kid," I say a little confused.
Xander laughs, "Oh man! You'll understand one day."
I nod my head. I had no desire to have pups, but I know that being a future alpha of her pack, having a pup is vital, it ensures the continuation of the pack's survival. It's responsibility over desire.
Xander squeezes my shoulder saying, "Good luck Noah. You're better than what I asked for in a beta. I know you'll be a good Alpha as well. I'll see you in a couple of months Brother."
I nod towards him. I don't need to say anything for him to know what I'm feeling. We've known each other since we were little pups, still trapped in Matheseus's prison of boys.
"So, we're still bringing Kieth to live with you after the wedding, right?" Lizzy asks.
I nod my head, "That's the plan."
I look at the two escorts and internally scoff. I really don't know why I need them. I am much more than capable to defend myself. But Lizzy insisted.
I have to admit, I have become quite fond of Lizzy. I haven't had many female friends. I usually stay clear of them, since most of them are solely looking for someone to have sexual relations with. But Lizzy was different, she became something like a sister to me which I found quite...nice I guess. It was definitely a change and I think...I needed it.
I look around the home that I've been brought up in. The place that had always been my home and I turn away and run into the woods where the rest of my life awaits
............
I sit around the campfire and think about what my future is going to be like. We've been running for 3 days now in our wolf form. I've had no time to think. But now that I am sitting and I am still...I realize that I am running towards what is going to be my life. The reality of the circumstances I'm in could be quite daunting for someone who is emotion-driven. But I've learned that emotions aren't what you can rely on to get jobs done. You have to choose to do things you don't want to do because it's important enough to ignore what you want. It made me think though...if I didn't have responsibility if I didn't need to go mate with a woman I barely knew, what would've been my desire?
The rustling of leaves has me instantly on my feet. The other two escorts look at me and frown.
"What's wrong?" One says irritatingly oblivious
"Get up you idiots," I growl.
I close my eyes and listen. I hear footsteps all around us. Damn it! They've surrounded us. How could that be? I should've been able to sense their presence before they even had a chance to corner us? What kind of rogues were these?
"What do you hear?" One of the escorts ask.
I close my eyes, "Everything." I whisper.
By the sound of footsteps, I count how many surround us. 20. I open my eyes to see the escorts come to stand next to me. Probably for protection since they're such pussies. Rogues slowly emerge from the trees and bushes in their wolf forms, snarling and growling. I have to admit, some of them were bigger than I thought. These were not regular rogues.
I jump and shift into my silver wolf, landing with a snarl and growl at each wolf that tries to challenge me.
I hear a loud howl and all of them lunge...and I do the same. I bare my fangs and I rip flesh from bone. Limb from body. My eyes turn red from blood as I kill everything in my path. I look to my right and see they've already killed one of my escorts. I look for the other, but he's gone.
It's just me. I continue to attack all of them without struggle. Then I felt a sharp pull on my shoulder, I look over and see a giant arrow sticking out of it. I shift back into my human form and laugh, "You think a pesky little arrow can stop me?" I snap it off and take a step forward, readying myself to lunge for another attack. However, as I stepped forward my knee gave out. My brows pulled together in confusion. I tried to get back up, but it was like my mind was disconnected from my body, refusing to obey simple actions. I snarl in frustration. It must've been poisoned with wolfsbane.
One of the smaller wolve's come at me and bite down on my calf. I yell in anger. Just the fact this annoying little wolf even got to touch me pisses me. With my free hand, I grab it by the scruff of the neck and yanked it off, throwing it against a tree. This is fucking pathetic Noah! With all my strength, I yell as I got up. My muscles were straining and shaking, but I was up and that's all that matters. Two wolves come and lunge at me, I grab both of them, knock their heads together and break both of their necks.
I laugh darkly as more of them come flooding, "Come on!" I roared. Before I could shift, someone slices through my back and punches me at the back of the head.
I collapse onto the ground and everything went black.