An Unlikely Pair (ManxMan) SAMPLE

Chapter 2: Final Warning

^ Stryker ^

Stryker

"Meow." I rolled onto my stomach and covered my head with the pillow, there was no way I was getting up already. I felt the bed dip as Nine jumped up, before curling up on my back. She streched her legs out, then started to lightly scratch at my back. "Alright I'm up!" I hissed.

Nine got off my back as I sat up, rubbing the sleep from my eyes. She had a victorious, smug look on her face, making me glare at her. "I don't know why I even feed you." I grumbled, getting out of bed. When my bare feet meet the cold floor a chill sweeps down my spine. One of the downsides of living in a cave.

Yeah, you heard right. Me and my pack live in a cave. It's not as bad as it sounds, we aren't uncivilized neanderthals living in a large hole in the side of a mountain. We basically hollowed out the mountain, and carved all sorts of rooms into it. We even have working plumbing and electricity, which was not easy.

It took my grandparents nearly their whole lifetime to make the packhouse what it is now. You can hardly tell it's a cave looking at it from the inside because most of the packmembers painted their walls so they resemble actual rooms, I kept the natural stone look. It's more calming. I don't really get why they want to deminish the natural beauty by painting it, but whatever, it's there room.

I stumble, half asleep over to the dresser, nearly tripping over my own feet. "Damn cat." I mumble under my breath as I rip the top drawer open and grab the glass container of dry cat food. We don't go shopping often so it's homemade, made with smoked fish and other dried meats, not that I would feed Nine that crappy store bought kibble anyway.

I poured her some breakfast before putting the rest away and slamming the drawer shut. None of my mood swing disturbing Nine as she starts to munch on her food, after all we go through this everyday, because she insists on waking me up earlier every damn day just because she wants her breakfast.

It really ticks me off that she made it a habit, but what can I say, Nine has had me wrapped around her little paw since I found her a few years ago. The air was cold and fridged, this had to be the worst winter in years. The snow blanketed nearly everything in it's path, and made it almost impossible to get anywhere without snowshoes.

I was searching for game, even though the chances of finding food in this hellish winter landscape would be a pretty close to nothing. Then I heard growling nearby, and the metallic scent of blood attacked my senses. I ran, as best as I could with snowshoes, and found a badger tearing away at some small animal, it's blood staining the white snow crimson.

"Oy!" I shouted, getting the badger's attention, it turned its beady little eyes to me. "Yeah you, piss off." I growled, taking a threatening step towards it. With a snarl it retreated off into the woods. With the badger gone I went to check on the animal. It was a small grey and black kitten, a huge gash in its side bled heavily.

The kitten raised its head weakly, turning it's pain filled turquoise eyes to me before meowing softly, as if pleading for me to help her. So I gently picked her up, sheilding her from the cold with my coat as I ran back to the packhouse. I didn't think she's survive, but she did. They say cat's have nine lives, packmembers joke that she must have spent eight of them to survive what she did, and that she was on her ninth life.

She had nine stitches total to completely stitch the wound shut. Which is how her name came to be Nine. Ninth live, and nine stitches. She's grown into a healthy tabby cat, and ever since that fateful winter day Nine has been by my side, not as a pet but a loyal companion and dear friend. She's like family, and seeing as my fokes are dead she's the only family I got left.

"Stryker, some wolves have entered are territory." My beta, Cain says.

"How many?"

"At least a dozen." I hum.

"I want half of the warriors to meet me out in front of the cave, the rest grab some of the rifles from the armory and wait for further instruction." I order.

"Yes sir." He replies.

Wolves in my territory? Do they think that just because they're bigger that they can come onto my land? Well, they're about to get a wake up call, and I'm all to happy to give it. I shift and leave my room and see some of the pack warriors in their coyote form, heading to the front entrance.

I didn't follow, instead I crossed the hall and slinked up the carved staircase that lead out to a cliff that overlooked the forest. A howl rings through the air, and is replied by at least a dozen others. I watch from my spot on the cliff as my warriors take their place at the front of the cave and mountain side.

Soon the wolf's friends show up, each tense as they watched more and more of my warriors come out from the cave. When they were all in position they looked up at me, waiting for my orders. "Stand your ground." I told them, then linked the other warriors that were waiting in the armory.

"There are a dozen wolves trespassing, cautiously go out back and come around front. I want you to stay hidden and box them in, have your rifles ready." I ordered.

Receiving a "Yes alpha." from each of them. I came out and stood on the edge of the cliff, staring down at those who dared to set foot in my land. Each of them shared the same perplexed look, well in a second I was going to clear up any confusion. I shifted, my eyes narrowing on the wolves that looked at me in shock.

Did they really think they were the only weres in the world? Self centered assholes.

One of the wolves stood out. He was a big fucker, a little less than a foot taller than the rest, with a grey coat mixed with whites and blacks complete with bright green eyes.

He was obviously the leader of this little crusade. My eyes locked on him as they narrowed further. "This is my territory and you all are trespassing." I warned, glaring down at each and every one of them, before returning my attention back to the leader. He shifted, his cronies following his lead.

He looked up at me with intense brown eyes, "And who claims this land?" He asked, his voice masculine and husky, making a shiver run through me. "I do. Alpha Stryker Conland of the Clawstone pack. Now get off my territory." I proclaimed.

"You're a pack of coyotes, and we are wolves incase you hadn't noticed, what's to stop us from wiping you out and claiming this land as are own?" One of the wolves scoffed. I growled, this dumbass didn't know who he was taking to.

I am the alpha of the largest coyote pack in the U.S. Whenever there was a problem needing to be solved or a battle needing to be waged me and my pack always came out victoriously. A smirk tugged on to my lips as I chuckled humorlessly, "Oh my sweet ignorant wolf, do you have any idea who you're fucking with?" He didn't answer. I continued.

"I am the alpha of the Clawstone pack, and I am an alpha you don't want to screw with." I growled, then raised my fingers to my mouth and whistled. My warriors stepped out from their hiding places, their rifles aimed at the wolves' heads.

"Now, this is your last warning. Get the hell off of my land." Then I noticed this strange smell in the air, an intoxicating scent of the woods after a rain storm. My eyes locked onto the leader's brown ones once more. "He's mine." My coyote, Talen exclaimed. You have got to be kidding me.