The War of the Alphas: Book 1 of the Wolf Rising Saga

13| Lycan Pack

Lycan Pack: Alpha Parker

Shay's POV

That one message has dread flowing through my body. If he doesn't know now, he'll figure it out soon.

I don't respond.

"Did you forget about dinner?" His voice comes out more worried and confused.

Minutes later, after I pick up my speed, he comes through my head again, this time urgent and angry.

"Shay, where are you? Tell me!"

I block him, as well as everyone else out after that. There's no need to tell him if I'll see him soon anyways. Besides I need time to think before he starts yelling at me.

I'm distracted by the constant presence of Parker and Ash in my mind and my distress of watching Piper leave to even notice that I've walked into a clearing. I turn around to see that the trail leads to an empty clearing about the size of a baseball field.

Why would there be a trail that is broken up by an empty field?

I become worried when I realize there are three different trails to choose from on the opposite end of the grass. After a few minutes of people trying to get into my head, more and more frequently, I decide I don't have time to lose. Figuring it's the most logical choice I choose the middle path that is almost directly opposite of the one I just came off of. It's smaller than the others, while the others can fit two maybe three people across this one can only fit one across, just like the one I walked on. This has to be the right one.

I shift into my wolf, shredding the clothes I was wearing. My paws hit the forest floor one after another creating a soothing rhythm. I soon get lost in the world around me, the bright colors of summer, the smell of flowers from everywhere nearby. I'm finally able to ignore the attempts to break down my walls. For the past couple days I've become a pro at blocking Parker and Ash out without having to try very hard, mostly Parker.

I haven't been able to let my wolf out on its own ever since Ash found me hiding behind the log. But I like it being alone with my wolf now; it's more relaxing than being constantly watched. I even stop for a few minutes to chase squirrels up trees and bunnies into bushes. My wolf has always been energetic and playful, more so than others according to my parents. My Mom said it's because even as a human I can't sit still, I always have to be doing something.

The pressure gets to a point in my head when I decide I better book it back home. I can't feel Parker's feeling as my own, since we haven't mated yet but I know he's anxious and worried. But most likely angry.

I keep ignoring him as I run through the trees as fast as I can until everything turns to a blur around me, since I know if I let him in, just to hear what he's saying I won't be able to block him back out again.

It takes another five minutes of running at super human speed to realize that the path I chose was the wrong one. Irritated I shift back into my human form. I sniff the air around me trying to get any smell I recognize. None. I should have paid more attention while I was running.

I spin on my heel and throw my hand down through the air in frustration.

At that moment there's loud snap from overhead. I only have a second to throw my hands over my head before it lands on my skull.

Except it doesn't fall straight down. I look around after I hear a thump and see the large broken branch, which would surely have knocked me out, lying on the forest floor fifteen feet behind me. The dust settles around it, falling back to earth, making it clearly visible to me. The break at the end is cut at an odd angle, but I can tell from here that it's a strong healthy tree. What confuses me more is how it landed fifteen feet away from its designated landing spot which would have been my head.