Chapter 45

Alpha Kelvin’s POV

“Fuck!” I growled as I pushed my way through the rogue men in front of me, making sure to have whoever chose to stand in my way blocked off completely.

I charged towards the spot I’d seen him fall off to and then I searched through the woods, hoping to find him.

Near the quarter-mile Mark, I felt uneasy. I carried on running, but I just couldn't shrug off the feeling that he was probably hurt.

Deciding it wasn't my anxiety after an internal battle with myself, I slowed down. My Wolf was on edge too, and that only made my heart beat faster.

“Charles!” I whispered in my head, trying to mindlink him but unfortunately, I got nothing.

I scanned the arena, goosebumps rising on my arms as the feeling of uncertainty washed over me. I strained my ear, for a sound. Alongside my vision as I looked around. My instincts had me looking at a particular spot and in a second I hurried toward that exact spot.

“K—Kev” I heard whispers.

My breath hitched, unrecognising the odd sound.

The whispering voice suddenly came from underneath a hill shelter in front of me. It was so faint that I wasn't sure if I’d heard correctly.

Instantly I sensed something quite off, which made my wolf’s hackle raise in defense.

Large hands grabbed me from behind as I turned almost instantly blocking off whomever it was behind me. But just as I did, I found no one.

In anger, I stood staring into the dark. None blinking at a gap between the trees. Just then, I caught sight of a shadow ahead. But this time at a much shorter and faster speed.

I frowned in confusion, following the darkness and trying to get to the exact spot he’d gone. Before I could proceed with my steps, it moved suddenly. The shadow had darted forward and I was taking more steps backward.

But in seconds, a figure pushed me from behind and I crashed into the tree in front of me. I crashed so hard that the leaves and splinters of the tree fell on me.

I turned in seconds, ready to fight off whomever it was. Just as I did, I found a figure dressed in all black fully masked standing right behind me. And before I could process what was happening, he struck first causing me to fall off to the floor.

He charged towards me, but then as much strength I could muster I took him by the hand and then shoved my dagger into his thigh.

When he fell, I got my first look at him very briefly as he balanced on a rock whimpering. With increased anger, I ran towards him making sure to have him stabbed in the shoulder and kicking him off from behind until I could face him directly.

I willed around with my sword ready again. He scowled and charged at me. I dodged it but he continued running towards me for another attack. He screeched again, but this time he sounded more like fear than pain.

I attacked him from behind but he grabbed me and threw me sideways into the floor of the woods. And then, stabbed downward slicing my arm. I felt the sting of the injury, but then something worse came with it. Like vinegar was seeping through my wounds.

“Kelvin!” Charles who I’d thought had passed out, darted from the trees and shot the man who had stabbed me.

But my attention was on the fact that he was alive and not dead like I had presumed. I reached up with my wounded arm and shot my dagger right through him as well. Causing a loud yell from his lips as he fell onto his sides and in seconds blacked out.

The voices of more soldiers weren’t far off, we needed to go. I perked up to my feet, ready to move but then a loud thud from behind me paused me in my tracks.

I turned to find Charles who had helped fight off the gentleman from earlier now lying cold on the floor of the woods. Lifeless.

“Charles!” I yelled running towards him.

We had passed a steam a short distance back, and I knew he was definitely in need of water. I pulled him up with one hand wrapped over his shoulder and the other, wrapped around his waist as I helped him up to his feet.

In less than a minute, we’d gotten up to the stream. I knelt beside it and dipped my hand into the water. Charles gasped when I helped him up, pouring a few drops into his mouth as he had his eyes opened gasping for air.

“Remember you are not allowed to die first!” I growled with a frown at him. But then he let out a soft laugh, holding on tight to my arm, his sides covered fully in blood. Making it obvious that he was indeed bruised badly.

“We’d see about that,” He teased.

The cries of the rogue men echoed from afar followed by the loud thudding of footsteps from a distance. One that I could tell was probably as a result of the rogue retreating.

“How can you tell?” Charles asked.

“I can feel it!” I responded.

Just as expected, the rogue men from earlier all ran off, leaving behind the weak and stray men at the hands of my men.

“We have to get you back to the mansion,” I said and then perked up to my feet as I pulled him up. We both trudged through the morning dew and headed back to the mansion, with my hands wrapped tightly around my Beta Charles who was badly wounded.

“You’re heavier than you look, you know that right?” Charles said, grinning as he leaped beside me.

“For someone who can barely lift his foot?” I teased.

“Still doesn’t change the fact that I can feel your weight from just standing right next to you though,” He responded.

“Okay, I agree, maybe a little. But I mean, it’s not every day I get to carry you around like a princess,” I said.

“Whatever, what’s for breakfast man, I’m starving?” He asked.

“Seriously Charles, you’re badly wounded and all you can think about right now is breakfast?” I questioned, trying to hold back my laughter.

“Hey someone’s got to keep the meat industry in business, you know?” He said and just when he did, our laughter erupted in the air alerting the guards around that we had gotten close.

“Alpha,” A guard called out, followed by other guards who hurried towards taking Charles off my arm as they had us taken into the mansion.

“At least I didn’t die first last night,” Charles called out from the stretcher where they had him placed. At that moment, hearing him say that, I just bobbed my head smiling to myself as I walked away. Knowing I was this close to losing my Beta and best friend over some silly attack.

Memories of the gentleman who had attacked me earlier resurfaced in my mind as I tried to remember how he looked exactly. For some reason, he looked like one I’d seen before.

Most especially, one of the Gamma warriors from Gavin’s pack…