Twisted Fate Book 1: Waiting for Her Mate

ELIZA

The word “challenge” was an understatement. Within moments of meeting the patrol guard to check in, his eyes flickered, turning pitch black. He eyed me suspiciously, my arrival too closely coinciding with an attack.

“Stay here,” he said, his eyes flashing with warning when I said I was coming along. “The alpha and Luna Mother have been cut off from the pack. We don’t need you getting in the way.” Then he swiftly shifted into wolf form and darted toward the forest.

I tuned into my senses. If they were disconnected from the pack, with no one able to link to them or scent them, most likely silver was involved.

The patrol guard’s wolf, with its piercing yellow eyes, stared at me curiously as I matched his speed in human form. I didn’t often showcase my alpha blood abilities, but I needed my medical bag if we were going to run into casualties.

Brushing through the forest undergrowth, my feet light and silent, I was suddenly instinctively aware of a group of rogues ahead. My eyes widened in alarm, but there was no way to communicate what I knew without drawing attention. I hadn’t been a part of the pack for years and couldn’t link with random wolves.

Without warning, I lunged at the warrior, channeling my alpha energy to overpower him and force him to shift back into his human form. He growled, low and fierce, and rage pulsed through him as he tried to buck me off.

With one hand firmly clamped over his mouth, I signaled for silence with the other. Before he could give us away, I leaned down to whisper in his ear, “Rogues ahead.”

I cocked my head to the side, listening. “Ten, from what I can hear… And there’s a female pack member scent, perhaps the Luna Mother.”

The warrior went limp and nodded his understanding before I removed my hand. “I’m Eliza, the new pack healer—in case you were wondering about the bag. Beta Edward hired me, we know each other from Royal Pack. What’s your name?”

“You’re an alpha,” he said immediately.

I dipped my head in assent.

“Warrior Thomas. Gamma.” He sat up, his whole body tense. “I can’t sense anything.”

It was clear from the furrowed lines on his face that he was skeptical of my assessment. His ears twitched, betraying his uncertainty, prompting me to subtly change my stance and point in the direction of the northeast.

“They’ve stopped about fifty meters away. The pack wolf seems weak. Can you link for backup?”

He nodded, eyes black and eyebrows drawn together. “The main fight is across territory. No one is close by. They’ve pushed the rogues back, but the closest warrior is ten minutes away. Beta Edward is coming.”

Nodding, I motioned for him to stand and follow me. I had to get a little closer to listen while ensuring I stayed well beyond the usual range for rogues to detect me.

Their senses, hindered by the absence of a pack connection, were slightly dulled, giving Thomas and me an advantage. I found a spot at the base of a thick oak and raised my arm in a gesture to halt.

In our new position, a gamma like Thomas would be able to hear the rogues too, but we would still be hidden. “We can’t go any farther without exposing our position. Can you scent them now?”

“Yes, faintly, but it’s Luna Mother… They must be taking her for ransom or to make the alpha give over resources. But why have they stopped? We’re still five minutes from the free lands.”

His eyes glazed over, their focus shifting from the present moment as he relayed the information back to the pack. “The alpha has been found. He’s on his way with a few men.”

I surrendered my body to my wolf, her heightened abilities allowing me to reach out and almost see the group ahead—a sensation similar to our perception of how bat sonar works. The shadowy image formed, and a low growl crept out of me despite my usual control.

The rogues were circling the Luna Mother, who lay still on a mound of dirt. One male knelt between her thighs, his hand eagerly stroking himself as he unbuckled his belt. His intentions were clear and disgusting.

Returning to my human form, I briefly looked at Thomas, then proceeded to open my medical bag and quickly devise a plan. We had little to no time, and my heart raced with urgency.

“I need you to stay calm, Gamma, but they are hurting your Luna Mother. We can’t wait for backup, and we’re heavily outnumbered.”

His eyes quickly darted toward the rogues, and I could easily hear the rapid thumping of his heart.

“Hurting?”

“They’re going to rape her. We’ve no time for a plan. You take the right, and I’ll take the left. Link the alpha to let him know, but we have to go. Now.”

I didn’t bother to look back. Transforming into wolf form again, I raced through the forest, the pounding of my paws against the ground echoing in my ears as I pursued the foul stench of rogues.