The Alpha’s Companion - Chapter 73

Later into the evening, Julien knew they had to leave now before daybreak. He just hoped that Lacey was up for it.

“Gggrrrooolll!!” a wolf-shifter growled outside the cave.

“Lacey!” Julien gently shook her shoulder. “Lacey! Wake up!”

She opened her eyes, sitting up abruptly and rubbed her eyes. “Julien, what is it?”

“Someone’s here,” he said, running his hand along the side of her hair as he rose to his feet. “Stay here.” Then he let the tremors run down his spine and throughout his limbs as he stood back away from Lacey, not wanting to hurt her in the process. Then he let the red haze with black edges overtake his vision and then his paws touched down onto the gray cave dust, purplish in the darkness of the cave. Julien crept through the passageway and into the main cave but saw nothing.

“Gggrroowwll!!” a shifter’s growl resonated into the cave. Then Julien recognized his voice and ran out.

“I could use a little help here,” Brogan said in the Pack Mind. He, Misty, and Victor were there, fighting off The Silver Pack wolves.

Julien threw one shifter against a tree and he pinned another to the ground by its neck and ripped off his head. It morphed immediately into a man, while Brogan rammed another, sending it flying over his shoulder, landing at Julien’s feet. It started to get up, but Julien stomped on its neck, and ripped off its head, too. This one morphed immediately into a young woman. All of a sudden, the rest scattered, heading back to The Silver Pack Compound.

“We have to go… now!” Brogan yelled mentally. “They’ll be back soon with reinforcements.”

“Stand guard,” Julien ordered. “I’ll be right back.”

“Don’t be long, Alpha,” Brogan said, keeping watch. “We’ll have company soon.”

Julien nodded once and then trotted back into the cave. Lacey was sitting up, her eyes wide. He had never seen her truly frightened before… until now. He guessed that her family aiding in her capture had brought back a lot of bad memories from her childhood, as well as instilling new trauma. Julien could kill Thorn for that, and slaughter the whole Silver Pack, as well. But he would never decimate a whole pack because of the actions of its Alpha.

Julien didn’t want to phase to talk to Lacey and take the chance of being caught by surprise, so he lay down beside her in his wolf form and gently nudged her arm with his muzzle. She got the idea and slid onto his back, gripping his fur to hold on. He knew that she was too weak to make a run for it, and he was sure she knew it, too.

Once she was securely on his back, he trotted back out of the cave. “Brogan, take the lead. Victor and Misty, you have my flank.”

“Aye!” They all said in unison.

“Let’s go!” Julien yelled and they all made a run for it, Brogan in the front and Misty and Victor on Julien’s flanks, just as he said.

A white wolf, resembling Lacey’s wolf, stood her ground, blocking their way. But Brogan rammed her with his shoulder, sending her flying over them. Julien could feel that Lacey had her head low on his back, gripping his fur as they ran through the compound, heading straight for the wall. But shifters were lined up along it, waiting.

Suddenly, shifters from the Harvest Moon Pack leapt the wall behind them, taking down several shifters of The Silver Pack in the process.

“Over here!” Brogan said headed for the east wall, but turned around, facing a wall of wolf-shifters headed straight for them. “Go!” he said, bravely planting his paws. “We’ll hold them off until you’re over!”

Just then, members of the Harvest Moon Pack attacked the shifters headed for them, buying them more time.

Thinking of Lacey, he gained speed and then jumped, clearing the wall, but didn’t stop running, wanting to get Lacey to safety. “Okay! We’re over! Come on! Everyone, let’s go!”

Just then, shifters from The Harvest Moon Pack jumped over the wall, joining them.

“My Alpha! You made it!” Koi said running by his side.

“Koi?” Julien said in the Pack Mind. “What are you doing here?”

The gray wolf stayed close, protecting his Alpha and Alpha Queen. “My Alpha Queen was in trouble! I had to come! I had to save her!”

“Okay, young warrior….” Julien smiled mentally. “Let’s get your Alpha Queen to safety.” As Julien ran at full speed with Lacey on his back and his warriors by his side, both young and experienced, Julien had never been so proud to be an Alpha in his life.. At that moment, running with his Harvest Moon Pack, Julien knew he was finally home.