FINDING HER

FINDING HER

Drake's pov

"What happened again," I asked my beta Justin as soon as he entered my office. He and I have been best friends before I became the Alpha of the Blackwood pack following the death of my parents. 

I made Justin my beta not just because he was a close confidant of mine but also because he was intelligent and as strong as I was. With him by my side, I knew my time as an alpha would be great.

"Why do you ask, must there be a problem before I can come into your office," Justin remarked.

I shook my head and chuckled. "I know you too well. Your face gives it away every time something is wrong. So, what's going on now?"

Justin sighed. "Well, since you asked. We caught another rogue wolf last night. It's the fifth one we've caught in the past two days. It's starting to feel like there's an outbreak or something."

I frowned. "This isn't good. We need to find out what's going on and fast. I want  the rogue tortured and drilled for answers, something might be going on that we are not aware of."

"That is not possible, he was aggressive and hurt some of our men. We had him killed immediately."

I let out a deep sigh, feeling a sense of resignation wash over me. "We need to hold an emergency meeting with the heads of the security team," I said firmly. "This situation can't be ignored. Make it happen, no matter the hour."

"I understand, but they may not be available at this time. They may have already gone home to be with their families," my beta replied.

"That doesn't matter," I replied, my voice laced with frustration. "This is an emergency. Find a way to get them here, now."

Justin nodded before leaving my office to do as he was instructed. He knew that it would be futile to try and change my mind by arguing. Despite my understanding that my men had families and deserved personal time, as the alpha, it was my duty to ensure the safety of my pack and its territory. This was especially important after we had lost several young pups to rogue attacks.

I couldn't blame my father for his more lenient approach towards rogues when he was alive. Some wolves became rogues due to circumstances beyond their control, such as running away from their pack to find peace or pursue their own goals. However, some other rogues caused chaos by invading other packs and causing terror.

As I took on the role of leader of the pack, I made it clear that I would not be as lenient as my father had been with rogues. His compassion had ultimately led to his and my mother's demise and the entire pack had suffered as a result. I made it my mission to stamp out any rogue presence within our territory. Anyone who dared to cross into our land was either imprisoned or if they proved to be particularly problematic, eliminated.

Despite our pack being relatively small, we were strong and our territory well-defended. Over time, we were able to greatly reduce the number of rogues who dared to enter our land. However, in recent times, there has been a resurgence of these outsiders attempting to encroach on our territory. It is a threat that I am determined to extinguish once and for all.

*********************

AN HOUR LATER

From today henceforth any rogue caught is to be executed immediately. No questions asked."

There were murmurs of discontent among the pack members. My beta spoke up again.

"Alpha Drake, are you sure this is the right decision? We have always allowed for the possibility of redemption for those who have strayed from the pack. Is it not worth at least hearing their side of the story before taking such a drastic measure?"

I slammed my fist on the table, my anger rising. "I will not tolerate any disobedience in my pack. Those who go against my rules will face the consequences. My word is final."

Silence fell over the room as the pack members looked at each other nervously.

"Who is on border patrol today?" I asked again, my voice cold and commanding.

"Erm...I don't know," Mark, my second beta, responded uncertainly.

I had insisted on having a sub-beta because I believed it was necessary, and Mark possessed the qualities that I needed in a beta. Additionally, I needed reliable help to run the pack while I was away.

"No problem," I said. "Justin and Mark, you'll be joining me on border patrol at dawn." I stood up and walked out of the meeting, my mind already set on enjoying the first snowfall of winter by crushing the bones of any unfortunate rogue that crossed our path.

**************

At midnight, Justine, Mark, and I headed into the woods. Our pack may not have been the largest in the area, but we were far from the weakest. In fact, we commanded the same level of respect as the other strong packs nearby. While we may have been smaller in numbers, our werewolves were skilled and powerful, and even our she-wolves were formidable.

We took up positions in the open space within the woods. It was a popular spot for rogues to pass through, and occasionally wolves who were lost in the dense forest ended up there. The tall trees and bushes made it easy for them to become disoriented. Dangerous creatures also lurked in these parts, but it was rare for them to appear.

In order to better stand guard, we shifted into our wolf forms. Our beastly sides made for more efficient guards than our human selves. We had been on duty for several hours when we heard movement approaching.

"Showtime." I thought to myself, whatever it was, was about to have its life leave its body now.

As the wolf got closer, I could feel the energy in the air shift. My body was on high alert and all my senses were heightened. The wolf's scent was intoxicating, a mix of chocolate, vanilla, and daisies. It was a scent that called to me, and I knew that I wanted it.

I stepped closer to the wolf and found myself face to face with a small creature with brown fur and sad, gray eyes. As I drew near, I could see the wolf recoil in fear. I could hear its heart racing with terror.

At that moment, a realization dawned on me. "Mate," the thought whispered through my mind. I knew that I wanted to protect and care for this wolf, to keep it safe and make it my own.

"What are you doing?" My beta, Justin, spoke through our mind link.

"I need to comfort her," I said to my beta through the mind link.

"But shouldn't we just kill intruders?" he asked in response

"I know what I'm doing," I said, blocking him from sending any more messages through the mind link.

I transformed into my human form and approached my mate, who looked terrified. I knelt beside her and began to calm her down by gently petting her fur.

"I am Alpha Drake," I told her. "And you are currently in my territory. Please don't be afraid. I promise I won't hurt you. I just want you to transform into your human form."

She shook her head, clearly distressed. I tried to reassure her that she had nothing to fear from me. "I won't hurt you," I repeated. "I just want to see you in your human form, that's all. I don't want to harm you in any way."

Despite my reassurances, she remained hesitant. But eventually, she shifted and lay on the ground before me. When I saw her, I was taken aback by how emaciated and haggard she looked, almost like a skeleton. My blood boiled with anger, but I managed to keep my emotions in check.

Without a word, I picked her up and carried her back to the pack. As we walked, I noticed Justin and Mark looking at me as if I had lost my mind. But I couldn't explain to them yet why it was so important for me to bring this small wolf with me.

"What's your name, little one?" I whispered to the woman in my arms.

She looked at me disoriented before passing out.

I raced back to my pack, worried that she was dead. When I arrived, I summoned the maid to fetch the pack's doctor, Rachel. Rachel had been the pack's doctor for the past 12 years, taking over for her father who had semi-retired.

As soon as Rachel arrived, she ran some tests on my mate and informed me that if I hadn't found her when I did, she likely would have died.

"She's severely malnourished and underweight, and I noticed some old and new bruises on her body. If you hadn't found her when you did, she would have died," Rachel told me.

"Thank you, Rachel," I replied, grateful for her help.

I brushed the sweat-soaked hair off her forehead trying to soothe her as she slept. She had dark circles under her eyes and her skin looked pale and sickly. I knew she needed good food and rest if she was going to recover.

 I made a silent vow to myself to protect my mate at all cost and to deal with whosoever had done this to her.