Chapter 110

Shawna POV

My stomach was in knots as I stood quietly, listening to Alpha Gabe. I couldn't shake this uncomfortable feeling that Alpha James was involved in all of that stuff that had happened to me. Maybe not the part that directly involved me, but it seemed quite obvious that he was extremely uncomfortable about what had been discovered. I know that Michael isn't allowed to tell me or Natalie anything about his work. He's sworn to secrecy and if he breaks his oath, it could result in his death. But what if it's more than just keeping secrets about details of things discussed in council meetings? What if the depth of Alpha James darkness is far worse than any of us could imagine? I want so badly to question Michael, but I don't want to compromise his career in any way. I would also never do anything to put his life in jeopardy.

"Everyone must be faithful to their hearts and their wolves," Alpha Gabe was saying. "It's against the Goddesses' wishes to try and take another's mate, if their mate is in fact here. That law does not preclude you from taking a chosen mate, in the event you do not find your fated mate here tonight. Again, that is an individual choice. I know many who have taken chosen mates, and many who have been fortunate to find their fated mates. It can be a beautiful relationship on either account. Please be safe in the woods. Do not stray beyond the walls of the pack lands. There are still hunters in the mountains and humans cannot know the truth about our existence. Not to say they don't, only that there are werewolf hunters still, and we do not want to give them a reason to come after us. Our pack lands are vast and there is no reason to leave them tonight."

There were a few quiet murmurs but almost everyone was quiet as the Alpha finished up his speech and called forth the Priestess to say a prayer to the Goddess on our behalf. I glanced up to see a lovely woman, who was easily in her sixties. Her long silvery hair hung down the back of her white gown, practically glowing in the moonlight. Her eyes were the brightest blue I'd ever seen. When her eyes fell on me, I literally felt like she could see into my soul. She gave me a soft smile and then turned her eyes to a spot in the sky. The priestess closed her eyes and raised her arms to the sky as she began her quiet prayer over us all. I felt the surrounding air become warm and my palms turned slightly sweaty. I felt as if someone had thrown their arms tightly around me, as if to pull me into a deep embrace. I shrugged it off, but there remained this weight around me. When the priestess finished her prayer, she lowered her arms and opened her eyes. Her eyes glowed this time, literally glowed, lighting up the night all around us.

"Do you see that?" I whispered to Natalie.

"Yeah, its crazy. I've never seen anything like it," she replied in awe.

The Alpha said a few more words and then ordered the female she-wolves to prepare to run into the woods. Natalie and I had agreed to stay in human form to start, and just take a slow jog. We were still going to rely on our wolves senses, but we wanted to be able to control everything around us until we were ready to shift. We also had planned to leave towards the back of the group, so that others were ahead of us. After what those women had been talking about, I didn't want them behind me if I could avoid it. We had a plan, and that plan was to make sure we found our mates without interference. The Alpha had given his speech about going against the moon goddess, but I somehow didn't think those women had enough morals to make them see that what he said was true. They probably felt they were untouchable.

As soon as the Alpha gave the command, about seventy female wolves darted into the woods. We watched as most of them shifted and disappeared up the mountainside. Natalie and I maintained a slow jog, sticking close to the path that Ashlynn had shown us earlier in the day. When we reached the second marker, Natalie slowed and ducked behind a large pine tree. She pulled me next to her and held her finger to her lips, indicating that I should not speak. She then pointed into the woods and mouthed to me that there was someone hiding in the bushes. "How do you know?" I mouthed back.

"I smelled them," she hissed. "Who wears heavy perfume when they are trying to find their mate? It covers up the mate's scent." My eyes went wide. We stood quietly just listening to the sounds of the forest. A branch snapped loudly in the eerily quiet night and then we heard a voice curse. Natalie rolled her eyes and stepped from behind the tree. I watched as she marched towards the bushes, dove into them and came out dragging a women by the hair.

"What the hell are you doing?" the woman screeched.

"I'm finding out why you are hiding in those bushes watching us and wearing so much damn perfume. Now tell me what you're up to?" she demanded and she dropped her in the dirt and stood back a couple of feet. Her arms were crossed over her chest and her toned biceps flexed with tension. Natalie was a force to be reckoned with and I think this woman was seeing just how much so.

The woman jumped to her feet and took a fighting stance. Natalie merely raised one eyebrow and waited. "I'm here to claim my mate," the woman hissed out. "The mate you think you can steal from me."

I choked on my laugh and Natalie smirked. "What mate is that?"

"Carl and you know that, so don't play dumb," she growled out.

"Well last I heard, he wasn't your mate and, in fact, he no longer wanted anything to do with you. If you were really wanting to find your own mate, you wouldn't bathe yourself in that god awful perfume that is stinking up the forest. No, you should let your natural mating pheromones out so your true mate could find you," Natalie told her. Natalie was still standing with her arms crossed over her chest, a smirk on her face. "That's not your goal though, is it?"

"I don't want my fated mate. I want Carl."

"Interesting. Why is that?" Natalie asked. "Do you already know who your mate is and you don't like him? Or is there more to your game?"

"Of course I don't know. Carl is the highest ranking warrior here and since I can't have the Alpha heir, he's the next best thing," she retorted.

"How do you know the Alpha's son isn't your mate?" Natalie asked curiously. "Isn't he in this run tonight too?"

"What does that have to do with anything?" she asked.

"Just seems like he could be your mate, just as easily as anyone else could be," Natalie shrugged.

The woman looked at Natalie with a bewildered look on her face, then dropped her hands to her sides. She then turned and looked at me and surprise dawned on her face. "Oh you. I suppose you think you're going to win that protector over, huh?" she laughed. "Fat chance."

Natalie growled so loudly, I was sure it echoed in the trees. "That's my brother you're talking about," Natalie said. Her gaze went to my face, "And she's my best friend. I suggest you head back to the pack house right now, or I will rip your head right off your body." Natalie no longer had her arms crossed over her chest, her fists clenching at her sides. Her eyes had taken on a deadly look, one I knew very well from watching her fight.

The woman threw herself forward, towards Natalie, her claws extended. Natalie stepped out of the way with very little effort. Just as she turned around, the woman pounced again. She never made contact though. A flash of gray fur flew past Natalie and slammed into the woman, her body hurtling through the air. We heard it land with a thud, out of our sight. The blue of gray fur followed. "What on earth," I muttered as Natalie turned to look at me with a confused face.

"Who was that?" she asked before stalking towards the direction the two had disappeared in.

"I don't know, but I have a gut feeling."