Chapter 8 CHAPTER EIGHT
MAEVA
The carcasses showed up on our boundaries again. They didn't attack, they watched and in the small sliver of time where there was no one watching, they dropped two deers and a lot of rabbits. The guards came for their shift change and saw them going back into the forest and thankfully didn't follow.
We're going into the forest to scope the forest and find out how many they are so we can plan accordingly. We can't let them scare us.
"What are you thinking about?" Taron asks through the mind link.
"Nothing, I'm keeping my head clear for what is to come."
The air shifts and I pick up a familiar scent. It can't be. Why would he be here?
"Hold!" I tell everyone and they stop.
I look around the field, not seeing Caius but I can smell him. Caius emerges from behind a tree in front of us, walking slowly toward us. He’s dressed casually today, but his face screams business. There's no smile on his face but somehow I know that he's not angry.
“Take a walk. I'll call when we're done here.” I tell Taron and he takes the men with him.
"Alpha Maeva," Caius greets, his eyes dancing with amusement.
“You're trespassing.” I tell him.
“Am i? We’re mates, what belongs to you…” He trails off and I frown.
“What do you want? How did you get here without being spotted?”
He comes forward, about ten feet away, close enough for his scent to send shivers down my body.
“That reaction is why I came. How long will you continue to deny yourself?”
"As long as it takes for you to leave me alone. Leave, you're not welcome here."
He smiles and moves forward. Once again, I fight the urge to step back. He's fierce, big and imposing plus the damned bond but I'm not running scared.
"You know I'm known for my mean countenance but I've smiled more since I met you than I have in two years."
"I don't give a fuck what you do."
"I don't think that's true. Your breath is measured and I can feel your wolf purring. You give a fuck, many fucks."
"I don't want this bond. I don't want to be your mate. Leave."
He comes closer, and bends so his forehead is touching mine. I hold my breath, scared to make a move in case I jump his bones or he jumps mine. He grunts and exhales and my body tightens.
"That's where we have a problem. I'm very happy you're my mate and I'm not letting you go."
He moves away, putting distance between us. He folds his fingers in a fist and looks above my head. I take pride in knowing I'm not the only one affected.
"I came to see you," he says suddenly. "But I perceived the stink of rogues and decided to come take a look."
"I don't need your help. We have it handled."
"I know. I wanted to see out of curiosity."
Something ruffles in the Black forest and we both turn towards the noise.
"You might want to call your Beta. We have guests."
I mind link Taron to come back then glare at Alpha Caius.
"Don't tell me what to do."
The trees in the forest ruffles again and three rogues, faster than anything I've ever seen, explode out of the thick forest. They are unnaturally large and they're moving with terrifying coordination. Taron and the rest are running as fast as they can but the rogues will get here first.
I pull out the gun and ignore Caius's surprised look. I aim at the first Rogue and I fire. The bullet hits the rogue and it stops. The other two rogues stop with it, watching it. It half shifts and digs the bullet out of his chest.
I stumble back, my eyes wide in surprise. Rogues cannot shift, they are forever trapped in wolf form. After the shock clears, another realisation sets in. Silver bullets do not work. I had to wear gloves to put the bullets in and this rogue just dug it out of his body. He shifts back to wolf form and they resume their attack.
"What the fuck just happened?" Taron asks from behind me.
Caius shifts and starts running towards them without a word to me. I shift too and so do the rest of my pack and we go after the rogues.
Caius attacks the first Rogue and I focus on the rogue coming for me. It swipes at me and I move away. I snap at its exposed throat. My teeth makes contact with flesh and I pull. The rogue cries out and swipes at me. He makes contact and I cry out.
My teeth clamps on his neck once again and I don't let go untill its dirty blood bathes me and it slumps, dead.
I look around and see that the other two are dead as well. My head spins and I fall back. I hear bone shifting and Caius's loud voice a second later
"Find your healer and tell her to give you wolfsbane and oak ash. Mix it with water and come back immediately." He barks at Taron who takes off running.
I try to stand up but I can't. My body feels heavy, like I have a huge boulder on me. I try to shift to human form but I also can't do that.
"Fuck, Maeva, you don't drink rogues blood didn't you know that?"
I do know that, I just forgot. I go in and out of consciousness and the next time I know what is happening around me, Taron is back and Caius is dressed and forcing me to drink the mixture. The taste is horrible but I swallow anyway.
A few seconds after swallowing the mixture, I violently vomit the mixture and the blood of the rogue. After I vomit everything, I feel my strength coming back.
The rest of the pack members are gone, just Taron, Caius and I. I shift and the transformation is painful. It has not been this painful since the first time I shifted. Taron hands me clothes immediately and I turn to Caius but he's not looking at me. His back is turned and he's looking at the dead rogues, unexpected. I put on the clothes and join him.
"What the fuck happened?" I ask.
"Shifting is going to be painful for a while." He says softly, looking at me.
"I know that," I snap. "I want to know why a silver bullet didn't work on this rogue."
"I told your Beta to ask the healer to add oak ash to the mixture for a reason. These rogues are using dark magic."
"What? Why would witches want war with werewolves again?"
"They don't. We think someone is forcing a witch to do this."
This is proving to be more dangerous than I thought. Silver not working on a werewolf is unheard of, no matter the wolf.
"I have to speak to the werewolf council about this new development."
My eyes widen and my palms start to sweat.
"Don't worry, I'll keep you out of it."
He looks from me to Taron and puts everything in his Alpha voice when he asks him to leave. Taron turns immediately, enters the car he must have come back with and leaves.
"What was that for? He's my Beta, not yours."
I'm fuming and my chest is rising in anger. His eyes drop to my chest before he slowly looks up.
"I hope you're not still fucking him." He says.
"It's not your fucking business. I don't want you."
He nods once and smiles. "I will kill him if you let him touch you again Maeva."
"In the meantime, you need people here, constantly. It won't take them much of anything to attack your pack." He says.
"We have it handled. It's non of your concern."
"I love how hard you're trying to convince yourself of that." He says, winking at me.
Before I can say anything, he shifts and starts running home.