The Pack Girl's Retribution (Sequel to The Pack's Girl)

Chaos Swarming

Headed back in the direction we were coming from, was a nearly invisible creature. Her small hands trailing over the tree bark as she moved furtively. Like a wood sprite, made of the earth and wood itself.

Like something ethereal.

She glanced over her shoulder, long brown hair whipping as she evaded the number of wolves that had caught her scent. She knew she was crossing dangerous ground.

Wolves that had picked up the smell of a she-wolf in these woods were cutting the distance to her heels. Huffing as they moved downwind to follow her.

The night of the Mating Moon was coming, and they were lusting for the feel of a female. But it wasn't the first time I had evaded males under a Mating Moon, and no one knew that better than my mate.

He trusts me to make it back to the Asara Camp.

And ever since my mate had marked me, and shortly thereafter, I him we had built a trust deep enough that it meant I would not let him down.

Not under any circumstances.

I had feared belonging to a male and being controlled. Which was something, despite Magus' possessive animal nature, he'd never done.

He let me run.

And he was letting me run now.

A snarling wolf slid into my path. Trying to threaten me to a stop. As fast as I turned my brown hair went as invisible as the rest of me.

The wolf was staring at the spot where I ran toward him in confusion. He could hear me. He could smell me. But he could not see me.

I leapt up, dropping a hand in the center of the beast's back as I rotated in a cartwheel over him. Continuing my trek while he spun around in confusion.

One rushed from my right, and I glanced in that direction. Reaching out to touch his snout just as he caught up to me. White lightning currents buzzed from my fingers and zinged into his sensitive black nose.

Making him yip in pain and crouch low.

My bare feet tossed up the leaves behind me. My leather skirt flying over my legs as I moved.

Unstoppable.

***

To the West was the invisible hut shrouded by the moat and magic, nearly impenetrable. With Hawk wounded and bleeding inside. Using his waning power to collar the creature across the clearing.

Breathing raggedly, he stared at the ceiling. Refusing to go unconscious, because doing so would mean that the she-wolf collared to the tree, would be unleashed.

And he was well-aware the first thing she would do would be to kill him.

Before going to find her mate.

That old she-wolf was tugging violently at the magical collar. Restless as she fought violently against the restraint. Her ragged clothes and cloak slapping around her. The long sleeves sweeping around her.

She could hear the rustling of other wolves coming.

Having scented a lone female, they were coming from all directions, lured from their smaller camps by the needs of the Mating Moon.

Marta was looking in every direction. Knowing they would not care if she was mated, without her male here to protect her. They wouldn't care that her lover was the leader of the largest NightHunter pack. But they would smell, with their heightened senses that she was disloyal to her mate.

A crime punishable by the worst kinds of death.

And these ravenous animals would not care what shape she was in by morning, when they killed her.

Only that she smelled of female and had the ability to quench their lust.

She was whining desperately and smelling them getting so close their musk filled the air, she knew she was almost out of time. Tipping up her head and straining against the collar she gave a desperate howl for her lover, her true mate.

In dire need of his help. And not caring that every wolf between she and him would hear her.

***

Miles across the woods coming from the North was a huge party. Banging through the brush and causing chaos. Dislodging small animals and sending other creatures scattering.

The King was less than a mile behind them. Gathering his army to pursue the party which had been delayed overnight, meant he was catching up to them.

There were mages touching their fingertips along the brush, which made it blacken and wither.

There were others which whistled to small birds in the trees, keeping them flying close.

There was the tall blonde giant surrounded by fluttering red sentinels.

The small dark-haired she-wolf strode next to the leader who kept her close to him. His vibrant blue eyes cutting across an impossible distance to sense everything that came at them from a long way away. His dark waving hair moved around his shoulders. Seeming nearly alive as black smoke trailed from it and his shoulders to leave a trail behind them. Coating everywhere above them in dark shadows.

The huge redhead loomed near his back scanning the treeline as he waited for attacking wolves.

"We're getting closer to the general packs." Rampage warned.

"I can tell." Killian confirmed. "We're heading into a hailstorm of chaos shortly."

"We're going to need to confront what's behind us before we can move forward."

"I'maware." Killian agreed. "We find ground to stand then we hold it until there'snothing left of them."