Forbidden Territory

Alexina

I closed my eyes and relaxed as I let my body absorb the heat from the midday sun.

The sounds of the wind rustling the leaves in the forest, birds chirping happily, and children off playing in the distance distracted me from my worries as I allowed my body to relax.

The feel of the soft beach towel under my skin, just added to my comfort level.

“Hey sis,” Nico said from beside me making me jump; I can’t believe I was too distracted to hear him approach.

I opened my eyes to see Nico standing over me with a wide grin on his face. He had his shirt off showing off his perfect abs; his blonde hair was a mess, yet somehow still looked sexy.

I watched as his blue eyes darted from me, to the pool, then back at me again. Oh shit, what did he have planed?

“Please Nico don’t!” I screamed as he scooped me up in his arms. I held onto his neck for dear life; I knew I was going in the pool, but if I was going to get wet so was he.

I held my breath as Nico jumped with me in his arms off the cement and straight into the water. My body went rigid against Nicos at the feeling of the temperate change.

The cold crisp water bit into my overheated skin like needles; it was almost to the point of painful, yet somehow still refreshing.

“Damn you Nico!” I yelled as I pushed my way out of his grip when we came back to the surface.

“Oh come on Lex don’t be mad. Besides you looked like you needed a bath.” He teased as he quickly swam to the other side of the pool with me in pursuit.

“You better hope I don’t catch you.” I growled as he easily snaked his way out of the pool and took off running.

“Love ya Lex.” He called back as I finally made it to the side of the pool.

I let out of huff of air in defeat; I could chase him and catch him but I just wasn’t feeling up to it right now. I came out here to get a little tan and relax but Nico had to put a halt on that plan.

I got out of the pool, dried myself off with my towel and went inside to change.

I was pissed at Nico for interrupting my alone time but I knew I would forgive him as soon as I saw him again; well maybe after a punch or two to the arm.

My parents had adopted Nico when he was only two; I was still in my mom’s belly.

Nicos parents were killed by rogues and because Nicos father was our Beta it was only right for our family to take in Nico.

We had to have someone step in as Beta until Nico was able to take over his father’s position, but Nico took over five years ago when he turned eighteen.

My father is the Alpha of our pack so, I, being the only child am next in line to take that position. I’m in no hurry to take over the pack but when my time comes I will be ready.

I have been trained since I was a pup on how to be an alpha; my blood line carried a lot of power and I needed to be able to show that I had that power and knew how to control it.

My father had me on strict training schedules since I was ten and other than him and Nico I was the best fighter in the pack.

It’s kind of crazy when you look at me to think that I would be such a great fighter; I’m only 5’4 tall, not what you would expect for a future Alpha.

My wolf is an average size for a female but being smaller was actually an advantage in a fight; it was easier for me to dodge blows and it makes me a smaller target.

I changed my clothes and took a few minutes to blow dry my long brown hair; I couldn’t stand to just leave it wet. I was at the top of the stairs when I heard the howl coming from outside.

I ran down the stairs and met my father who just ran out of the office with a worried look on his face.

“ATTACK…. ATTACK…. THERE’S AN ATTACK!” I heard frantic calls coming from other wolves through our mind-link.

By this time people were swarming into the pack house like bees; everyone looking to my father for orders.

My father was yelling out random orders to people as they dashed back and forth around the house. I was just frozen in the same place that I was when I heard the words ‘Attack’.

It was as if the whole world was just spinning around me; every person that passed by me was just a blur, the walls faded into the background; the only thing I could see was my father barking out orders.

The worst part was I could see fear on my father’s face; I have never seen fear on his face, he didn’t fear anything.

I tried to contemplate what was happening, why were we being attacked; who was attacking us?

I vaguely noticed as the room started clearing out around me; the hundreds of bodies that were here minutes ago, now dwindled down to maybe twenty.

My mother walked up behind me placing her hand on my shoulder pulling me back to reality. I looked up to find my mother smiling down at me; her worried eyes were red and puffy, no doubt from crying.

The sounds that came next had me grabbing onto my mother’s waist holding her as tight as she now held me; her hand came up to cup the side of my face and she pushed my head to her chest.

I know she was trying to muffle the sounds but it was to no avail; I could still hear each cry and howl plain as day.

“Back yard now!” My father yelled at my mother and me; we immediately did as he said following him into the back yard.

“Shift.” He ordered again before his clothing fell into pieces around a huge while wolf; my mother and I followed suit.

“They will be here in a few minutes I need you to listen to me carefully.” My father spoke softly through mind link. I nodded my head in response.

“We cannot win this fight Zena and if you stay they will kill you.” He said in a low voice.

“What do you mean if I stay?” I asked. There was no way in hell I was leaving. This was my family; I don’t care if I’m going to die if I stay, I’m not leaving them.

“You have to go. I will not watch my daughter die. I love you Zena but you need to leave now.

“You need to run south and not stop until you cannot run anymore.” My father tried to keep his voice calm but I could hear how anxious he was.

“No! I will not leave you!” I stated firmly as I positioned my body toward the sound of the approaching wolves; prepared for the fight that was about to happen.

“Alexina Torelli as your Alpha I order you to leave these lands and never return. You will run until you are not able to run anymore. That is an order!” My father growled through gritted teeth.

My jaw dropped to the ground, my father had never given me a direct order before.

My wolf started to back up pulling me towards the back of the property following the order she was given; I fought back with everything I had, I couldn’t leave my family, I just couldn’t.

“Please daddy don’t do this.” I pleaded with him as my wolf dragged me further and further away; I could see the enemy wolves approaching in the distance.

“I love you Zena.” My father whispered as he turned around to face the approaching wolves. I heard my mother’s wolf let out a cry before she whispered that she loved me too.

“I love you both.” I cried as my wolf kept dragging me into the woods.

“I love you Lex.” Nico said in a strained voice; I could tell that he was in the middle of fighting another wolf.

“I love you too brother. I will come back for you.” I said as I lost the final bits of fight I had left in me before my wolf took over.

We took off south through the woods only to hear fast approaching footsteps behind us; I turned to see a black and brown wolf running towards us, I was sure he wasn’t from my pack.

Once he was close enough he sprung for me hoping to tackle me to the ground but I was too quick. I easily jumped out of the way and he went tumbling to the forest floor.

I wanted to stay there and rip his heart out but my wolf was still under alpha orders and took off running again.

It only took seconds for another wolf to catch me and once again he tried to jump on my back but I avoided him.

My wolf must have decided she had enough of the guy because she stopped and let me fight him.

I circled him a few times while he regained his balance; it wouldn’t be fair to just rip his throat out while he was on the ground, I like to fight fair.

As soon as he had his footing he ran straight at me teeth barred ready to bite anything he could get a hold of.

He wasn’t a very well trained fighter - that was apparent by his attack methods. I easily stepped out of the way of his attack and caught him on his side ripping it open with my claws.

He turned and snapped at me missing my face by inches but giving me the perfect shot at his throat.

I latched onto his neck and violently tossed my head side to side; I whipped my head back and forth as my teeth tore through the flesh and muscles in his neck.

He cried out in pain until I heard his neck break and his body fell limp in my jaws.

I dropped his body onto the forest floor and my wolf immediately took off running again; I wish she would have at least given me time to admire my first kill.

I had been in plenty of practice fights in the pack but this was my first real fight; that was the first wolf that I have ever killed.

The more I thought about the fight I had with that wolf the more it brought me back to the reality of why I got in the fight in the first place.

That wolf was after my pack, after my family; that wolf was after everyone that I left behind. How was I ever supposed to forgive myself for abandoning my family like that?

What was my father thinking making me run away like that? What would the pack think of me when I went back? Would there even be anyone left in the pack?

I had just left my pack and my family behind to die; I had just abandoned them. What type of future alpha can just abandon their pack?

I know that my father placed an Alpha order on me but I wish that I would have been strong enough to fight it.

I was weak, weak and pathetic; I don’t even deserve to live, he should have just let me stay and die with honor.

We had been running nonstop for hours; I’m sure that we had covered at least four hundred miles.

My paws were starting to rub raw, my throat was dry, my breathing was heavy, and my heart was beating out of my chest; my wolf came to a stop and collapsed on the ground.

I just lied there with my eyes closed; waiting for death to take me.

Nico

Today seemed like it was dragging on; it was just half past noon but it felt like it should be almost five.

I was usually good at keeping myself busy so that I wouldn’t be bored but today I just could seem to find anything to do.

My patrol shifts started at one so I figured I would just head out and start them early.

I walked out the back of the pack house to see Lex sunbathing by the in-ground pool; it had been a while since I messed with her so now seemed like the perfect time.

I couldn’t stop the grin that spread over my face; this was going to be fun.

“Hey sis,” I said from beside her making her jump; I wonder what she was thinking about to be so distracted she didn’t hear me approach.

I watched her study me for a few seconds trying to figure out what I had planned as I looked from her to the water and back to her again.

“Please Nico don’t!” She screamed as I scooped her up in my arms.

She got a tight grip on my neck not allowing me to throw her in like my original plan; It didn’t matter, she was getting wet even if that meant I was too

I launched off the cement sending us both flying into the cool crisp water; I felt her body constrict against mine as the cold water bit into our skin.

Once we surfaced she pushed me out of her grip to yell at me.

“Damn you Nico!” She growled.

“Oh come on Lex don’t be mad.

“Besides you looked like you needed a bath.” I teased quickly making my way to the other side of the pool so she couldn’t try to drown me; I wouldn’t put it past her to really try it, she was pretty pissed.

“You better hope I don’t catch you.” She growled again swimming towards me now.

“Love ya Lex.” I called back as I made it to the side of the pool.

I placed my hands on the cement and catapulted my body out of the water and took off for the woods.

I was expecting to hear her running after me but once I was well into the woods I looked back to see her hastily drying herself off with a beach towel.

I couldn’t help but let out a little laugh; she was so mad at me, I was in for it when I got home that night.

I slipped off my now soaking wet shorts and hung them on a nearby tree; they would be freezing cold by the time my shift ended and I shuttered at the thought of putting them back on.

I contemplated going back to the house and getting dry ones; after thinking about it wearing the wet shorts was a whole lot better than risking going into the house and running into an infuriated Lex.

I shifted into my wolf and took off into a run heading for my patrol path. I made it to the path within minutes and started my normal routine patrol.

I was only about ten minutes into my patrol when I heard the howl and the alert was sounded.

“ATTACK…. ATTACK…. THERE’S AN ATTACK!” I heard frantic calls coming from other wolves through our mind-link.

As soon as the words came through the link I heard the sounds of wolves fighting coming from the forest. I immediately took off in the direction of the closest sounding fight.

My eyes got wide as I took in the scene in front of me as I got closer. I could see maybe only ten of my own pack members going against twenty or so wolves from a different pack.

I pushed my wolf to run faster as I heard the yelp and cries coming from my pack members and the other wolves as the fighting got more intense.

I was just a few feet away when something hard hit me from the side knocking me to the ground. I got back to my feet and came face to face with a brown and black wolf.

My lips pulled back in a snarl barring my teeth before I lunged at his throat; he didn’t have time to react before I caught his throat, biting down hard before I ripped out a chunk of skin.

The wolf collapsed to the forest floor gasping for breath; the hole in his neck making it impossible for him to breathe properly.

I left the wolf there to die as I took off toward my other pack members; I jumped on the back on the back of one of the wolves that had my buddy Terri pinned to the ground.

After getting him off Terri I took back off toward the fight as I went to help someone else out.

I was going toe to toe with another big brown wolf when I heard the alpha command radiate from Alpha Ryne telling Lex to run.

“I love you Lex.” I said trying to keep my voice even; not only was I in the middle of a fight with this wolf but the thought of never seeing Lex again had my heart breaking in a million pieces.

“I love you too brother. I will come back for you.” I heard her say as she shut off her mind link and disappeared.

The fighting continued for another good hour before I felt the bonds between Alpha Ryne and I break; moments later a new voice came into my head.

“I Alpha Garrett of the Knight Pack have killed Alpha Ryne; the Shadow Pack is now under my command.” He spoke in a cool even voice as if the graphic scene around him didn’t bother him one bit.

He called out an order to seize all fighting and any wolves remaining alive from the Shadow Pack were to report to the pack house immediately.

I could feel the new bonds starting to form between my wolf and Alpha Garrett as I made my way to the house; my wolf growled in agitation that there was no way to stop the bonds from forming.

I didn’t want to be tied to this new Alpha; I would never serve him. I would rather die than to join a pack like his.

The Knight Pack was known to be a ruthless, heartless pack with no morals at all; there was no way I was going to let my name be associated with that pack.

I made it to the clearing behind the pack house to see a lot of my pack members already gathered there; most of them look terrified or sad from the loss of loved ones.

“Good now that you are all here we may begin.” Alpha Garrett said standing on the back porch of the pack house. “All members of the Shadow Pack have two options.

“Option one is that you leave this land right now and never return; you will leave only with what you have with you.

“Option two is that you stay and continue your normal lives now as part of the Knight Pack. These are the only two options you have and you must make a decision right now.

“Your decision will be final and anyone who is still left standing here in five minutes will be killed.” Garrett finished as he waved his hand in the air indicating that our time started now.

I turned on my heels and headed for the back of the property; I didn’t care if I had to leave with nothing, it was better than staying here.

I studied the faces of my pack members as they made their way back to their houses; most of them looked ashamed that they had made the choice to stay.

I really couldn’t blame them though, most of them had families that they had to look out for; they could just up and take off with no food, money, or clothes.

“Not you Nico!” Garrett’s voice echoed off the trees in front of me causing me to turn and look at him.

He was still standing on the deck and motioned for me to come to him; all I wanted to do was wipe that stupid grin off his face.

I slowly made my way back up to the pack house and stood in front of the deck waiting to see what Garrett had to say to me. He had already gave us the option to leave, why had he called me back?

“Where is Alpha Ryne’s daughter?” He asked seemingly calm, but I could feel the anger right under the surface.

“How the fuck would I know?” I spit out; even if I knew where Lex was I would die before I told him.

“Find her!” He ordered his men; the anger that was just under the surface starting to boil over.

“I know that if she is still alive she will come back for you.” Garrett said now smiling down at me; all the anger pushed back under the surface.

“That’s great because I won’t be here.” I said going to turn around to walk away again. Did he really just call me up there to ask me a question he knew he wouldn’t get the answer too?

“You do not have permission to leave Nico, I can still use you.” He said taking a seat on one of the chairs on the deck.

“I will never serve under you.” I said in a low voice, my wolf let out a growl to reinforce my words.

“You will either stay and serve under me or I will give the order to slaughter every single living member left in this pack.” He said standing from his chair.

“What’s your choice now?” He said with a smile.

I wanted to just rip his heart out right there on the deck; rip it out and stomp on it until it was nothing but a pile of mush.

How could this man be so insensitive, so emotionless, and unaffected by the death that surrounded him?

My pack is full of innocent people, now mostly women and children; I could not walk away and watch all them die for no reason, I knew I had to stay.

“Fine.” I finally said feeling defeated.

“Good to hear, I knew you would come around.” Garrett said before he turned and walked into the pack house.

I couldn’t believe what I had just agreed to but really I didn’t have any other choice; If I wouldn’t have joined Garrett’s pack then he would have killed every single member of mine.

I tried to block out the decision I had just made out of my mind and think of something else.

My thoughts moved to Lex and I wondered if she had made it out alive; I could only hope that she did and was able to find somewhere to stay safe, my only hope is that one day I would see my sister again.