Page 16

Firstly, it all starts with a loud gasp of surprise. Then, whatever other reaction follows.

That's what Ismena observed as she walked with the wolf beside her out of the tower. Okay, she didn't think well before doing this. Certainly didn't think about getting this kind of attention.

Every living person in the tower came out to watch her and the white wolf as they passed—both servants and sentinels. The shock on their faces was unmistakable then for the servants, it was mostly followed by terror, but for the sentinels, it varies between concern and wariness.

They got out of their way as they walked through, towards the gate. The sentinel in charge of the gate hesitated before throwing it open.

Ismena walked out with her wolf companion, her palm sweaty from nerves, she wiped it again on her dress before looking around frantically for the route to take.

She can certainly do with avoiding people right now, so, all this doesn't get out of hand.

At the same time, she needed where people are—at least, a few people who can save her when she's getting devoured if her wolf companion got bored of her company.

She was still contemplating when the wolf moved ahead of her. It was walking towards the third route which leads to the forest and the beautiful lake she'd promised to show her.

Ismena hesitated. If they ever had the option of running into Wild Ones tonight, it will be in this forest.

Well a promise is a promise. Inhaling deeply to get enough breath on her nervous system, she followed the wolf. But not before she noticed the small crowd of people that has already gathered to watch her and the wolf.

So much for being subtle. She really didn't think this through at all.

Wolfaraine will be so mad at her. A shiver worked down her body just thinking about it.

The rites have been performed. The poor, little boy has been laid to rest.

The rat Alpha was seated with his head Sentinel's family. It was their only son who was ruthlessly killed by their serial killer. The mother was in so much pain, that she has been sobbing all night while her husband consoled her repeatedly.

Marta is a beautiful woman in her early forties, Wolfaraine remembered seeing her a time or two in the past. The woman was always wearing a smile on her face. A smile that seems nonexistent since the death of her child.

Wolfaraine tried to suppress his rage about this killer who took the life of a little boy, and yet he is still out there. Roaming freely. Uncaught .

Anyone can see the pain of the loss reflected in the eyes of the Rat Head Sentinel, Tarden, but the older man was trying so hard to be the strong one for his wife who was already in the misery of grief.

Wolfaraine was with Alphose, standing above the grave of the boy, watching the family with sadness. Finally, he moved away from the grave and headed toward them.

The few mourners that were allowed to attend the rites moved out of his way as he passed until he was able to reach the grieving family. They stood up when they saw him coming. The grieving mother wiped the tears from her eyes, hurriedly.

"Alpha King," she whispered, bowing her head respectfully. Her action were mirrored by every other person standing there except the Alphas.

"Marta. Once again, I want to say that I am sorry for your loss." He groaned.

"Thank you so much, Alpha King." The woman bowed again, tears slipping from her eyes.

"I know that words would never be enough. They will not bring your beloved son back. But I still want to say them to you, Marta. We will do everything we can to catch this killer and deliver justice for your son."

The woman nodded vigorously, "I would love that, Alpha King. Thank you so much...for coming to send my baby, Horade, to the land of rest. I really appr—" her voice broke, "—eciate it. Thank you so much."

The woman's grief was so great that it awoke his mountain lion. Wolfaraine felt that part of him stir inside him.

He gave in to the need to console the woman in the best way he can. Turning to Alphose, he handed him the bag he had with him all along. He reached into his back pocket and pulled out the sparkling, gold ring .

Gasps of awe at seeing The Ring filled the air, mostly from the people who were in close proximity. Wolfaraine slipped the ring to his middle finger before he glanced at the Head Sentinel for the rat clan.

He might be their Alpha King, but even he knows that you do not purposefully touch a mated female without the consent of her mate.

Her mate nodded at the silent request, gratitude written all over his face. Tarden has always looked good for a male in his early fifties, but since the death of his son, the male looked like he'd aged five more years.

Gently, Wolfaraine reached for Marta and lifted her off her feet to his arms. Her arms instantly went around his neck, she clung to him. The woman seemed to let herself go then, sobs after sobs racked her throat as she let go of her sorrow.

The Alpha King held her and consoled her in the ways of Naturiah that were as old as time. He rocked her gently like a mother would rock a crying child, pressing several soothing kisses in the hollow of her neck.

He said consoling words to her in the ancient tongue of Naturiah, his arms shielding her from the harshness of reality in those precious moments. As he calmed her down, the ring was draining most of her sorrow into him.

His chest grew heavy at the depth of the woman's grief, but he didn't stop. The ring drained out her crippling anguish until it started glowing which indicated that its job was done at the moment.

When Wolfaraine finally put the woman down and slipped the ring off of his finger back to his pocket, Marta was limp with exhaustion and her eyes grew heavy, probably from all the sleep the female couldn't get because she was knee-deep in mourning.

"Take your woman inside, Tarden. She needs to rest." His hands shook slightly as he handed the woman back to her mate. A fierce battle wedged inside him to control and suppress the overwhelming sadness he'd drawn from the female. The mountain lion, the wolf, and the man were fighting it.

"Thank you so much," The gratitude on Tarden's face was visible for all to see. The male had tears in his eyes as he lifted his wife, cradling the sleepy woman in his arms, "Thank you so much, Alpha King."

"You needn't thank me, Tarden. It's not as if I took her pain with me forever. The sorrow of her loss will always be with her, I just took the edge from her."

"A very big portion of it." The male insisted, "Please, don't undermine what you just did for us, Alpha King, because we all know the magnitude of your sacrifice. I am most grateful for it."

The male sniffled, "I was starting to get scared that my poor mate would never recover from this heavy loss of ours.

She barely eats or sleeps, every night she soaks our pillow with her tears, I was starting to be scared that I might lose her too.

It would be the end of our family because I cannot live without my mate.

" Tarden shook his head, "Thank you so much, Alpha King. "

Wolfariaine nodded, accepting his gratitude. He patted the older male in the back, "You and your mate will be fine, Tarden. It is not easy, but it will be alright."

The older man nodded vigorously before he turned and taking his wife inside their home.

Ignoring the chaos racking up his insides, Wolfaraine turned and began walking away. The Alphas and Head Sentinels fell in step behind him. Their destination is the Rat Alpha's home where they will stay the night until morning.

"Thank you so much for what you did for my Head Sentinel and his family, Alpha King. Taking Marta's pain away like that...into yourself. It mustn't have been easy. Thank you." Ratinus said .

Wolfaraine glanced at him as he continued walking. For the first time ever, the Rat Alpha was not bubbling with his usual humor and troublesome babbles. The male looked mentally and physically tired.

"I am only glad that you are holding your own, Rat Alpha. I know how hard it is for you." He responded truthfully. It is not easy for a leader to deal with being unable to protect his clan and his people.

"It's not easy at all." Onaries, the Elephant Alpha stated, his eyes reflecting pain. The kill before the last one had happened in his clan. "Be strong, Ratinus."

"Thank you, Onaries."

Finally, when they arrived at the Alpha's home, he turned and addressed them all. "We have all had a long day. I have the rooms ready for you all. If you feel hungry, please feel free to call the kitchen servants."

Wolfaraine watched everyone go inside the home. Everyone except his friend Alphose, who stood quietly beside him.

"You should go in with them, Alphose. I need to go for a run."

"I can feel the restlessness of your cougar. Are you going to be alright?"

"The pain a mother feels losing her only child is never a little one, Alphose. But I will be fine. First I need to go for a run, then I'll think of sleeping it off."

Suddenly, Wolfaraine's head snapped towards the bush. A second later, a wolf ran out of it but instantly shifted forms. It was Garni, one of the sentinel guards at the Tower.

"What are you doing here, Garni? Is everything alright in my home?" Wolfaraine asked, his brows furrowed .

The male was breathing hard which indicates how far he'd run,and how fast.

"It's the Rahinna, Alpha King. She—"

"Ismena?" He was instantly on high alert, "What happened?"

"She left the tower with... She left the tower with..."

"With who?" He commanded.

"With your sister!" After the first admission of the utterly unbelievable situation, it was easy for Garni to rush through his tale, "The madame came out of the tower with the white wolf beside her, I have no idea what happened or how it was even possible, but she was with the white wolf!

An almost-feral, angry wolf whose deep hatred for humans could not be measured was with your mate, Alpha King. I have no idea what is going on—"

Wolfaraine took off in a dead run towards the same bush Garni had come out from. He was barely aware of the footsteps that hurriedly followed his.

It was like five nights ago all over again. Just like that day, his mate was in danger again. This time around, it wasn't the Crave Shock but his feral sister.

The sorrow he'd absorbed, coupled with the fear of the situation was an adrenaline rush that had him making a half-shift and running like a male whose pants were on fire. His situation caused him to fear even more than the last one.

Because it is not only his mate involved here but his sister. Would he have to kill his sister to save his mate? Was he too late already?

How did this happen! ?

The question rang through his head over again and over and over again as he jumped grasses and potholes in his haste to get to his mate.

He tuned in to Ismena. He heard nothing, smelled nothing.

But he knows that it was probably because he was so far away. The Rat Clan is very far from the Heart of Naturiah.

By the time he entered the boundaries of the Heart Of Naturiah, his heart was pounding loudly in his ears. He was well aware that hours have passed. He knew that more than two changelings followed him on this journey, but he has not stopped enough to make out how many they were and who they are.

Wolfaraine didn't bother tuning in on Ismena again, instead he closed his eyes, dragged in a very big breath, and allowed her scent to fill his nose.

He followed her scent. When he realized that her scent was leading him to the forest of Azx, a tortured growl tore from his throat and his fingers fisted tightly.

The forest of Azx might be very beautiful, but it was also dangerous, especially at night. Years back, they'd discovered and destroyed a cave of Wild Ones in that forest, and there's every possibility that there are more of their hideouts there that haven't been found.

In the forest, he finally slowed down and stopped running, knowing that that was the only way he could thoroughly search this forest.

Her name was at the tip of his tongue, he wanted to shout it so loud it would travel from this forest to the mountain of Apes. But he refrained, knowing that it would scare whatever dangerous predator might be here tonight. He wanted a good fight. He wanted to kill.

Most especially, he would not want to spook Nalaila with that bellow because it might make her lash out .

Then he smelled it. His legs froze.

The scent of blood. The scent of fresh blood.

A roar build in his throat and he opened his mouth to let it out, when all of a sudden a strong hand clasped around his mouth.

"Don't. The blood does not belong to your mate, Alpha King. Look around." The hushed whisper came from Adanel, which means the hand belonged to the male too.

Wolfaraine forced himself not to make any move. Do not take any action until you understand what is going on here.

Saying those words firmly in his head helped him suppress his instincts—which ran from tearing Adanel apart for daring to cover his mouth, down to letting out the very loud roar that had built up in his throat.

Feeling a little bit calm, he did what the male said. He looked around.

There were shredded bodies of Wild Ones around them. He counted four dead bodies; a tiger, a Jaguar, a rat, and a werewolf. There were more, but they were too shredded to make out.

But these dead bodies weren't what caught his attention.

Far ahead of them were two figures. A human figure and an animal. They were running around the trees. Playing around.

The animal chased the human. The human ran round the trees—running from one tree to another. The human's laughter was loud enough for them to hear. The animal's happy growls were loud enough too .

The animal caught the human and tackled her to the ground. The human was laughing uncontrollably as she rolled over with the wolf. They rolled over and over again.

Then the human got up and ran away again, starting the process of the play all over again.