Chapter 36: Trapped

Roxanne’s POV

Mina was tugging on my arm relentlessly, screaming at me to get me to move but I was frozen solid. The only manoeuvres that my body attempted were the slight head spins that allowed me, in turn, to measure the seriousness of our situation. There were at least a dozen rogues surrounding us, if not more. Faster than I had anticipated, they had completely cut us off from the car which was our only way out.

“What are we going to do?” Mina asked over and over again.

I could feel how distressed and scared she was but my body still wouldn’t budge. My wolf kept barking as she demanded control but unfortunately, my mind had left me as well. Both head and body seemed to have betrayed me in this worst of times. Rendered powerless by my mental blockage, my wolf couldn’t do anything but howl and bark to try and get through to me.

I had never been one to cower or run away from danger before, but today, everything was different. When it was only me, rogues had never scared me. But I wasn’t alone anymore. Now, there was another person with me that I needed to think about before anyone else.

The rogues had encircled us and were slowly closing in. They were threatening us with loud snarls and barks prompting Mina to grab my hand and squeeze it until it turned as white as a sheet.

“Now would be a good time to shift, Roxy!” She yelled in my ear unable to comprehend my immobility.

I knew that I had to shift. I knew that it was the only way we stood a chance if we wanted to survive. I had to protect myself, my friend and my future. Still, my arms and my legs remained as stiff as statues and my mind went blank. I shouldn’t have been here. I knew that it was a trap and still, I came. My carelessness had put the most important person in my life in danger and I could never forgive myself for it.

The rogues kept approaching but had yet to lunge at us. It seemed as though they were waiting for something before attacking us. One of the bigger wolf snapped his jaw at us suddenly and drool leaked from his muzzle. Mina and I jumped back in fear and I placed my hands on my stomach instinctively. Images of my mate poured in my head and my wolf let out a long desperate howl begging me to make contact.

***Ryan!*** I screeched for my mate through a mind-link.

It took a fraction of a second for him to get back to me and sense how terrified I was.

***Roxy! What’s going on?*** He wailed back and I could tell that he had already launched himself to my rescue.

***Rogues everywhere! Help!*** They were the only three words that could come out from me.

Before long, Mina and I heard a loud howl rise up into the air which motivated the largest wolf to pounce on my best friend. I watched in horror as he closed his jaw on the arm that she had put up to protect herself. She cried out in pain as his teeth claimed her skin and blood poured out of her arm like a waterfall. Using his hold on her, the wolf threw her into the air. I stood entirely helpless as Mina’s body flew above the rogues before landing, stomach first, on the trunk of a tree. Almost all of them turned away from me to focus on her but the vicious rogue that had attacked Mina stayed behind. He growled showing me his sharp and bloodied canines as he moved towards me. I stumbled backwards, sobbing and begging for my life. The rogue couldn’t care less and almost seemed to revel in my fear. He sprung towards me and sank his teeth into my leg to fling me around. I landed face first in the dirt and when I spun myself around, the killer rogue leaped towards me a second time.

I shut my eyes expecting my end to come brutally but the wolf never made it to me. When I opened them back up, all I could notice was a huge light-grey wolf snapping my attacker’s neck in two. My mate was here and he had just saved my life. His wolf came up to me whimpering and rubbed his face on my cheeks.

“I’m fine, August. Help Mina, please.” I said to him in a small voice.

Ryan’s ashy coloured wolf took off in the direction of the rogues. I realized that he wasn’t fighting alone when I recognized four more werewolves from our pack already shredding into the rogues’s formation. Mina was visibly hurt but alive as she stood with her back glued to the tree. Like me, she watched the ongoing fight powerlessly.

Our pack was better trained and it didn’t take long for them to force the rogues into retreat. Seven of them were killed in the battle and their lifeless forms laid all over the wooded area that we were in. When it seemed like we were all out of danger, our five saviours shifted back into their human forms. They left to borrow clothes from the communal baskets in the cabins and reappeared fully dressed in front of us.

Mina had made her way to me and sat on the floor besides me. Both of us were still strongly shaken but were slowly coming down from the panic.

Sheila, Jason, Casey and young trainee John went around the entire camp like thieves casing a joint in order to make sure that all the rogues had indeed left. As for him, Ryan stood furiously in front of Mina and I. If looks could kill, we’d both be six feet underground.

“I cannot believe that you put yourself in such danger when you’re fully aware of your condition!” Ryan snapped at me.

I had never seen him so angry but he was right. My fear had crippled me in the face of danger so I could very well understand that his own had turned into fuel for rage.

“I’m sorry.” I whispered completely guilt-ridden.

“You’re sorry? Roxy, you could have gotten yourself and our baby killed!”

Mina jerked her head towards me as she heard those last words. Her eyes went round and her jaw dropped for a millisecond before her lips formed the biggest smile I have ever seen on her.

“A baby?” She asked me excitedly.

“Yes, a baby! She’s pregnant!” Ryan was still shouting. “Mina, I know that you’re Benji’s mate and our future Luna, but if you ever put my family in danger again you won’t like who I become!” He threatened my friend for the first time.

“Ease up, babe! She didn’t know!” I yelled back at him.

“No, he’s right, Roxy. I’ve put you and your family in danger. I’ll never do it again.” She spoke to me, teary-eyed.

“No, it’s my fault. I should’ve told you that I was pregnant. Besides, I completely froze and let you down today.” I cried into her arms.

“No! I’m the one that let you down! I can’t believe that you’re going to have a baby! I’m so happy for you!” She said as she hugged me back and sobbed uncontrollably.

“What the…? What about…?" Ryan threw his hands up in defeat at the scene that was unfolding in front of his eyes. "Argh! Unbelievable. Goddess, give me strength!”

“Coast is all clear!” Jason said as him and the others walked back towards us. “Woah, Mina! You might want to bandage that up!” He pointed to her bleeding arm.

It was only at that moment that she discerned the amount of pain and stress her body was holding in and she let out a series of cuss words that would make even the most seasoned werewolf blush. Jason and John broke into a fit of laughter while the rest of us stared at her, absolutely shocked. She muttered some sort of apology holding up her arm towards me.

“How’s your leg?” Mina asked me as I helped her wrap her arm up.

“It already started to heal. But we're going to stop by the hospital for you.”

“I hate not being a werewolf.” She muttered under her breath.

When I finished wrapping her arm, she followed all of the others into Benjamin’s truck. I looked around and I realized that everyone but Mina and I had arrived on foot.

“You guys were close enough to get here without cars?” I asked Ryan as we walked towards the others.

“Luckily, yes. We heard that the patrol guards were in pursuit of rogues a little west of here. That’s where we were when I heard your call.”

I nodded my head at my mate as he helped me get into the front seat. *‘I was right, he set this whole thing up. Even got rid of our men.’* I thought to myself while Ryan went around the truck to climb into the driver's seat.

Ryan and I shared our baby news with the rest of the group and everyone congratulated us. I was finally breathing better and getting ready to put this trying day behind me when, suddenly, Anderson’s car swerved out in front of us just as ours had merged onto the main road. Ryan was forced to hit the brakes and quickly get onto the emergency lane.

When both vehicles came into full stops, we were surprised to see Benjamin alone climb out of the grey coupe and pace towards us. He swung open the right backdoor of his truck and took a step forward.

“Get out of the car, Mina.” He ordered in a stern voice, livid beyond words.