Chapter 76 - The Alpha’s Goddess

~CALLIE'S P.O.V~

The rogue stopped in his tracks, realizing he was outnumbered. He then pulled a whistle from his pocket before blowing it, which echoed the sound across the empty land. I assume the whistle is what they were supposed to do to alert the other rogues of a breach.

"Why didn't you sound the whistle, you dumbass!?" The rogue screamed from a distance away. The man in my hands was now trembling with fear.

"I.I.I couldn't!" He nearly screamed out.

"You let a damn girl put you in a hold, you deserve to fucking die." He said, making the other man gulp.

Suddenly, more rogue wolves began to appear out of the shadows. No more than 9 men total, including the one already in my hands. I definitely could handle these men by myself, but why take all the glory for myself?

I held onto the man in my hand, his free arm dangling like a rag doll.

"What are y'all doing on this land?" Gunner asked in his Alpha tone, although with rogues an Alpha command doesn't have the same effect on them due to them not submitting to a leader. I may be the only one that could command anything out of them if we needed it.

"That is none of your concern." The same rogue spoke out, the others not saying a word.

"It is when it affects the pack members," Gunner replied.

"These are Alpha Jax's members, so they are therefore none of your concern."

Gunner looked at me about how we should approach this next. They weren't attacking, but they also weren't cooperating.

"Jax is no longer Alpha, therefore it is every bit of our concern as to why rogue wolves are invading the homes of the Riverbound Pack," Gunner said.

"We were brought here."

"And the man who brought you here is no longer alive, therefore you are all dismissed to leave unless you seek a fight."

'These men have been raping women, they cannot be dismissed.' I reminded him in mind-link.

"Well, if the Alpha is dead, I don't see why we have to leave, we can reside here and rule the pack ourselves." The man tried saying confidently while the other men were nodding in agreement.

"No, you may not. You have one of two options here. Leave or die." Gunner said back, completely ignoring me.

"Well, there are 10 of us and 6 of you. I think we will take our chances." The rogue smarted off.

10? If there were 10, where was the missing man? Only 9 are here.

"Where is the tenth man?" Blaine asked as if he could read my mind.

"That's none of your concern mutt." The man said back hatefully. Making Blaine's eyes switch between black and brown, indicating his wolf wanted control.

'I need to go find the missing man; he could be up to something.' Blaine mind-linked us all.

'We have this under control, go and locate him.' I responded, never letting go of my hostage nor breaking my eyesight on the other 8 men in front of us. Blaine then parted ways to go locate the other missing rogue.

"HEY MUTT, WHERE DO YOU THINK YOU'RE GOING!?" The man yelled out as he shifted into his wolf, the other men ahead of us following suit, aside from the one whose arm I held tightly behind his back.

Gunner still had yet to transform as he was feeling them out in their wolf form. None moved while Blaine was still walking away ignoring the man. As the rogue ran towards him, Jake shifted, grabbing him midair, slamming his body down so hard we heard a crack followed by a win. He pinned him to the ground, allowing him the chance to submit. When the rogue continued to snap at him, he pushed down on the man's throat one more time, giving him time to allow the wolf to change his mind, but he only kept bucking. When Jake sensed there was no way this man would submit, he latched on to his throat, ripping it straight out, blood squirting out as the wolf went limp as death overtook him. Just then, the man I was holding used his other arm to punch me in the face when I had least expected, which in turn loosened my grip enough for him to break free from my hold. He shifted immediately, challenging me as if I hadn't just had him in a hold, him crying out in pain just a moment prior. If he wanted a challenge, I would give him the challenge of his life. I looked around as the others were occupied battling a wolf that had charged them. I pushed Emery forward to take charge and shift but when I pushed, she nudged back.

'Emery shift!' I said as the wolf charged me. Having to twist out of the way to dodge his attack.

'No.' She simply replied as if we weren't under attack.

'EMERY, WE NEED TO SHIFT!' I yelled at her.

'No thanks, I shall protect us.'

'How are you going to protect us if he attacks in his wolf form!' I roared, having to grab a hold of the wolf's snout when he opened it up, trying to bite at my face.

'You can handle this wolf. I must protect us in here. No shift.'

'What the hell are you talking about!?' I screamed as another wolf joined in knocking me off my feet as I fell backwards.

'EMERY, WE ARE UNDER ATTACK. SHIFT DAMNIT!'

'We will not shift, use your goddess powers, no more wolf form.'

'CALLIE, WHAT ARE YOU DOING!? THERE ARE TWO ATTACKING YOU. DON'T PLAY A BADASS HERE, SHIFT!' Gunner screamed in mind-link.

"I can't, Emery won't let me!" I screamed out loud, making Leo look over as he snapped the neck of another wolf with his bare hands. He ran towards me, ripping one of the rogue wolves off of me just as the other had bitten down on my leg, causing me to scream out in pain.

'Protect us stupid!' Emery roared.

'That is what I was trying to do, but you won't shift!'

'Because I am protecting us in here!'

'DAMNIT EMERY YOU AREN'T DOING ANYTHING!' I screamed at my agitating wolf.

'But I am. You need to protect all of us out there. I will protect all of us inside of here.'

What the hell does that even mean? It's not like there is any magic occurring. I don't see the witch anywhere in sight that was working with Jax, nor do I feel her aura. I pushed her foolishness aside as I reached up, pulling the wolf's snout in separate directions as his jaw broke in half, ripping it straight off of his skull. He fell to the ground and he bled out. I looked up to see only 2 wolves were remaining alive that were from the original 9. They were both circling around Gunner, trying to attack at once. As they leaped forward, I lifted my hands, freezing them in mid-air. Gunner then looked up at me.

'What do we want to do with them?' He asked in mind-link since he was still in his wolf form.

"They have to die." I simply said aloud. "Fast and easy, get it over with so we can go home." I finished saying before snapping the necks of the remaining 2, their bodies instantly going limp in the air. I let the power fade, their bodies falling to the ground with a thud. So many deaths in such little time. There was just no other way. They were attacking us, and they had done heinous acts to so many innocent pack members. They weren't in a pack, so essentially a trial was unneeded, and with being attacked, its life or death. Once all 9 were dead, our men shifted back, these rogues having left only a bite mark on a few of us, not powerful enough to harm us majorly. Gunner then walked over to me.

"What was going on? Why wouldn't Emery take control?"

"I am not sure. She wanted to protect us by not coming out. I have no clue what that even means."

"Well, at least these wolves were weak. I couldn't imagine if they were powerful wolves, and you couldn't shift."

"Well, luckily, I have powerful magic. I was just taken off guard by her refusal. She normally jumps for joy at shifting and fighting, so her behavior is beyond me."

"Well, when we return home, I want the pack doctor to look you over. Make sure she is okay. Alright?"

"I don't see why I would do that; she is simply just bull-headed."

'Maybe you should listen to mate.' Emery piped in as Gunner's face got serious. He stared at me like I was a child receiving the look that only parents can give.

"Fine, fine, stop looking at me like that, I'll go when we return home. I will have the pack doctor check us over."

"Thank you, if anyone is bull-headed, it's you. Plus, with you being a goddess, we can't be too safe that something could be wrong internally."

"Fine, I said I would go. However, right now we need to go find Blaine and that wolf that was separated from his post." I spoke.

We started walking around looking for any sign of where Blaine may have gone. But all we heard was silence. Nothing but silence. Something very odd for a pack full of wolves. As we walked along the pathway that led to the wolves' homes, I suddenly could hear someone yell in the distance.

"GET YOUR DAMN HANDS OFF OF MY MATE!"

"Oh no," I said as we all took off at a sprint towards the yelling. When we got closer, a man was thrown into the street by his hair, Blaine's wolf taking control as the fur began to sprout out. He was half-shifted between his human form and his wolf form at this point, maintaining his stature, which only a true Alpha could do. He was like a beast of a man, almost what you would expect a Lycan to look like, even though they have remained unseen for centuries now.

"WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE? FORCING AN INNOCENT WOMAN TO LAY IN BED!" He roared with so much power it made the wolf on the ground shake with terror.

"She. She asked for it! No, she begged for it!" The man pleaded as if that would make it better, knowing damn well it would only infuriate the beast even more.

Blaine made effortless strides towards the rogue who was lying in human form butt naked on the ground. When Blaine was inches away, he bent down with the most terrifying look in his eyes. His hand shot downwards while grabbing the man's penis in his bare hand.

"Just like you're asking, no excuse for me, begging for me to do this," Blaine said, his voice laced with venom as he yanked hard, pulling the man's penis right off of his body. The rogue screamed out in agony as blood began to pour out from where his penis should be attached. The other men with us made sounds as if they could physically feel his pain. The rogue was screaming as he slowly started to bleed out.

"We should end his agony." I tried saying, Blaine looking up from his place to me.

"No Luna, as this pack's new Alpha. This is how he will die." He said with no remorse whatsoever. I nodded my head in understanding. Well, I guess he made his decision.

"We should get all of the pack members back to their normal selves," Leo said, interrupting all of our thoughts. A sad look crossed Blaine's face at the realization that once they are awoken, so many will have trauma they didn't deserve. I could sense his distress.

"Blaine, I couldn't imagine a better Alpha for this pack. You will have a deep understanding of what some if not all have been through. Not having control over their own lives, living in the back of their minds. Doing and seeing things that will haunt them. You can be there for them. Guide them. Teach them to overcome this pain inside. You can protect them as their Alpha, but not only that, but you can also be there for them on a personal and a deep understanding level."

"Thank you, Luna. This is going to be hard on them all."

"And if you ever need us, we are a snap away. But I have more faith in you than I have in anyone." I told the truth.

I did have the utmost faith in him. He was already a great man, but he would be an amazing Alpha.

"He was raping my mate." He said with tears, threatening to fall.

"So, when she learns of what has happened, you will be there for her. Wait for her. And I love her. It may take time, as it did for you. Her circumstances are different, but you still understand that traumatic events take time to heal from. She wouldn't be mated to you if she wasn't equally as strong as you are."

What I was saying was the truth.

"Thank you, Luna Callie, I needed that."

"You're welcome, Blaine."

Although I feel bad for my friend and her crush on Blaine, at least nothing happened romantically before he met his mate. Plus, I feel in my soul he found her when they needed each other the most. He needed someone who understood his pain. This pairing was not an accident by any means. They were created to heal one another, to make the other stronger in ways we couldn't imagine, they were made to complete one another's souls.

As Blaine waited for the rogue to die, Leo and I made our way around the pack reversing the weak spell that was cast on them. Some immediately came out of the daze and instantly began crying. Those are the ones you could tell had been harmed in ways we wished would never have ever happened. While others were asking what had happened. Once everyone was back to their normal selves, we gathered them all to introduce their new Alpha as well as explain what had happened to them and their previous leaders. Many were skeptical of Blaine, but he reassured them he would do everything in his power to keep them all safe. He made sure to make the point that nothing like this would ever happen again while he was their Alpha, which persuaded many to get on board with the new changes. While Blaine was addressing his new pack, an Elder of the pack helped him to take his oath. He sliced the palm of his hand to complete the Alpha tradition, officially taking on his new role. I could feel the shift of energy when he came into his power, linking him to his new pack and role as Alpha.

"We need to find Lisa's body," Gunner said next to me.

"I will do a locator spell. Did we manage to grab anything of hers?" I asked.

"I went to her sister while you were taking a shower last night after we found out the truth. I wanted to speak with her and break the news as well as ask about the money to understand better. She burst into tears at the news. She admitted to taking money because a lady had reached out to her for a ransom, and she had no money but instantly felt bad and returned the money. I explained what happened and told her we would bring her sister's body home. She thanked me and gave me her sister's toothbrush. Is that enough?"

"Yes, that is plenty enough, but you didn't have to do that alone, you know?" I said, reaching out to touch his arm.

"I did, Callie." He responded with his eyes on the ground. "It was my duty to keep her safe and I failed, so as her Alpha I had to be the one to speak to her family. And it was something that I needed to do alone."

"What female do you think reached out to her?" I asked curiously, while also rubbing his arm for comfort. I understood how he felt and as much as I wished I could have been there for him; I accepted his decision.

"I am thinking maybe the witch that was working for Jax. She was the one who found her body and informed Jax of what happened, so she is my guess, but I'm not sure."

"I understand. I feel bad for her family and what they are going through. Was Lisa's dad there?" I asked next, while he shook his head yes in response.

"What did he say?"

"He was upset and told me I was a worthless Alpha. His daughter told him to shut up. He was drunk. She said he drinks heavily now. But I can't blame him. Nor was what he said wrong."

"He is wrong, he was so wrong, Gunner, don't you dare believe that!"

"Here is her toothbrush. Let's just find her body so we can bring her home to her family." He said, avoiding talking about how he felt in a public area. I shook my head in understanding, grabbed the toothbrush, pulled out the necessary items to do the spell, and began. Within minutes, the spell began to work. I walked in the direction the little wooden stick in the bowl was pointing. After a few minutes, the stick stopped moving and sank to the bottom of the bowl, indicating it was done, and it had found what it was looking for. I looked up to Gunner and Leo.

"It says she is right here," I said as I came to a stop.

"Do you have a way to sense a body under the ground?" Leo then asked.

I looked at the ground thinking if that was something I could do. But I doubted that seriously. However, the stick abruptly stopped, so I had a feeling I wouldn't need any other senses. I had to be standing on her grave.

"I am not sure, I don't think so, but I think she is right below me."

"What makes you think that?" Gunner asked next.

"Because the spell stopped abruptly right here. My gut is telling me that her body is below me."

"Okay, well let's dig," Gunner said as he shifted into Timber and started digging.

Emery still wouldn't come out, so I couldn't help him. I felt bad he was digging alone, but to my surprise, she was not buried deep at all. He made it not even a foot into the earth's ground before his paws hit something hard. At least they had the decency to put her body in a box. It was a small box but at least she was in something rather than her remains just buried in the ground. Gunner shifted once the box was uncovered completely. Leo then helped him remove the box from the shallow grave. After they removed the box and Gunner got out, he used his foot to push the dirt back into the hole, filling it back up.

"Should I open it?" Gunner asked.

"Probably not. We wouldn't be able to identify her by bones. We are not anthropologists. Plus, she may have an awful smell if her body hasn't completely decayed. Let's just take her back in the box and then offer a casket before we bury her in our cemetery tonight so she can be at rest, peacefully."

"Okay, that sounds fair."

Once we were done, we made our way back to where Blaine was talking to his new pack members, getting to know them.

"Hey Blaine, we are going to head out. Our work here is done." Gunner said as Blaine finished his conversation with his pack member.

"Is that her?" He asked, looking at the box.

"It is." He said sorrowfully. Blaine only nodded in response.

"Alpha, I cannot thank you enough for this opportunity. I won't let you down." Blaine then said with pride.

"I know you won't bud. If you ever need anything, just holler."

"Of course." He said before we parted ways. After gathering up our members, we teleported home.

We made it back in time for dinner. Gunner decides to make a pit stop at Lisa's family's home, letting them know we have found her body. After dinner, we would hold a small intimate ceremony before her body is laid to rest. I asked a few of our guards who had already eaten dinner to take Lisa's body to the infirmary so she could be put into a casket for her burial. We kept caskets in our infirmary basement for incidents like this.

When dinner was done, most of the pack decided to attend the funeral in support of their fellow pack members. Lisa's body was placed in the casket while everyone was at dinner so that she was ready for her ceremony. The ceremony was short, sweet, and very sad. Her family was crying, which broke me in half. But I understood that pain more than anyone.

At the end of the service, Gunner releases her soul to the moon goddess, even though she had been dead for a while, it was a tradition of our kind. Once the ceremony was over and the pack members said their goodbyes, we had her body buried in our cemetery. When that was finally done, I was worn out and ready for bed. I made my way inside. As I hit the elevator button to go to our floor, Gunner grabbed my arm.

"Nope, you have to go to the pack doctor. You said you'd go."

"Gunner, I am tired. Can't this wait for tomorrow?"

"Nope, allow them to draw some blood to run some basic tests to see what could be wrong with your wolf so that tomorrow the results will be in."

"Fine. If that makes you leave me alone, I'll go, even though I am exhausted and have had a very long day and just want to go to sleep!"

"Bull-headed, you and Emery are one and the same," I growled at his response before turning around and storming to the infirmary on the ground level of the pack house.

"Hey, Luna. What can I do for you?" Doctor Sara said as I entered the hospital.

"My wolf is acting weird, won't shift and Gunner insists we get some tests run to make sure nothing, with the Goddess in me, is affecting her or me."

"Hmm, interesting, she won't let you shift?"

"Nope. Even while battling, which is strange because that is one thing she loves to do."

"Alright, I will draw some blood and run the panel to see if anything is out of the ordinary, even for you, sound good?"

"It does, thank you."

Doctor Sara drew my blood, placing it in multiple tubes before instructing the nurse to go run labs.

"Okay dear, it looks like we are all done. I will have the results from the blood tests no later than tomorrow morning. You go get some rest and be back first thing tomorrow morning."

"Yes, doctor," I responded before parting ways and going straight to my floor. Once I was home, I quickly showered and by the end of showering I was beyond ready for sleep. I was so exhausted from today. Gunner and Leo were not home yet, they had some last-minute stuff to attend to in the office with Laken. So that meant I had the entire bed to myself for a while and I was not going to waste the opportunity. I collapsed onto the bed, spread out like I owned the entire thing and within minutes everything was black as sleep overtook easily.