Chapter 86- End of a Chapter pt. 1
Salara’s POV
Leigh is going crazy inside of my mind. Two wolves had run up and tag teamed the old Alpha when he was trying to protect us from a sneak attack of our own. Despite how strong and mighty the Mountain pack Alpha is known for, his old age had slowed down his reflexes enough to hinder him in this battle, costing him his life.
Leigh is feeling guilty because we had left his side to save Derrick from being attacked, but I can’t help but feel grateful that it was the old wolf that passed away, and not my Alpha. The saddest part was the smile that was spread across his face as he expelled the last breaths from his body and went still.
In the end, the old Alpha was happy that he got the chance to protect his mate once more before his time was up. Leigh has told me the history between the two of them, but I feel like now is not the time to ask when we are covered in the blood of many wolves and howling up to the night sky in victory.
To my surprise, the rest of the pack joins us in our howls, showing their loyalty to their new Luna. Leigh returns back to the old man who lies naked on the ground and nudges her nose against his neck gently while she whimpers in pain.
‘He was the first mate to ever be kind to me.’ Her whispered words in my mind breaks my heart, leaving me feeling uncomfortable in my own skin. Leigh gives one last mournful look in the old man’s direction, before disappearing to the back of my mind and leaving me alone to sort everything out.
I can sense Hunter’s presence behind me, his hesitancy in approaching making me feel guilty for the way Leigh behaved over another. Shifting back to my human self, I wrap my arms around Hunter’s neck, digging my fingers into his soft fur. He breathes a sigh of relief, nuzzling his snout in the crook of my neck.
‘Mine!’ Hunter growls through our newly formed mind link, causing a chuckle to escape past my lips. Lifting my head from the sanctuary that his wolf provides me, I stare deeply into his eyes. “Yours.” To my dismay, Hunter reacts by licking my face like a dog, causing another fit of giggles to erupt from me while I try to fend him off.
Derrick suddenly changes back into his human form and pulls me in close to his side, nuzzle into my neck in much the same way that Hunter had before. Before he can say anything, rushing feet moves in our direction, causing Derrick to pull me behind him to hide my nakedness from the incoming wolf.
The wolf stops about fifty feet away with his head turned away from where we both stand. I can hear the sounds of shifting bones, indicating that the wolf has shifted back into his human form. “Alpha. Luna.” I can tell he is a young boy by the sound of his voice, and his hesitancy to speak reveals his nervousness. “All of the remaining wolves have been gathered up, we just need orders on what to do with them.”
I snuggle in closer to Derrick’s back, soaking up the heat that his body provides to my exposed skin. The nights are much cooler at this time of year and I can’t help the shiver that moves through my body when the night breeze brushes against my skin.
“Take them all to the compound to be looked over and treated, ensure there are plenty of guards around in case any of them get any bright ideas to try and continue the fight.” The sound of air moving hits my ears, indicating that the poor boy is nodding his head furiously in confirmation.
“And what about our wounded Alpha?” There was a slight hitch in his voice that caught both mine and Derrick’s attention. There is something that the boy doesn’t want to say to him, but I have no idea what that could be.
“Spit it out Mason!” Derrick’s patience runs thin, causing him to snap at the poor, nervous boy.
“Y..y..yes Alpha!” And yet the boy still hesitates to reveal whatever it is that is happening. After a moment of silence where I could hear him shifting his feet, he finally responds. “Luna Evelyn was hurt during the battle and is in critical condition.”
I moved to pop away from Derrick’s back as the words left his mouth, but Derrick’s firm grip on my arm prevented me from coming around too far from the protection of his body. I caught enough to see the blush creep up the young boy's face before he turned his head to look at anything that wasn’t me.
“We should go to her immediately.” I tell Derrick, once again trying to move my body from behind him so I can go to the woman who has been like a mother to me in the previous weeks.
“LEAVE!” He growls out to the poor, frightened kid, and I hear him running off down the path quicker than when he appeared. Derrick turns around to face me, his eyes roaming over my nakedness and causing a shiver of a different kind to move through me. “You need to go get dressed before you can go see mom.”
His words send irritation through my system because he is just as naked as I am. “So it is okay for you to show your nakedness to all of the female wolves, but I have to stay hidden?” Anger burns in my eyes and I rip myself away from him, stomping away back towards the pack house as I grumble under my breath.
‘I have an extra pair of shorts on the stage, my love.’ I hear Derrick’s amused voice float through my head as I make my way through the backdoor of the pack house. My hand pauses on the door handle and I turn around to see him holding up a pair of shorts and a tank top to me before moving to put them both on.
My cheeks flush pink in embarrassment so I quickly rush up to our suite to avoid causing more of a scene. I quickly throw on a floor length dress, not bothering to put on a bra or underwear in my rush to get back to where Derrick is waiting for me with his mother. I slip on some sandals and rush back down the stairs and back out through the kitchen door.
The moment that I stepped foot outside of the door, my nostrils caught the most tantalizing scent that reminds me of fresh grass and the rain after a storm. Leigh perks up in my mind, coming back to the surface for the first time after she witnessed her previous mate dying right before her eyes.
‘Mate is here.’ She whispers out in excitement.