The wolf demon met a tiger demon

Chapter 3

Night passed yet again as Rose Petal sat in front of an opening of a cave. Her ears pricked at the sound of small cries. It had been months, two months to three, since she had joined the pack well more like had no choice but to. Her new Luna was in middle of giving birth. Rose Petal growled at some she-wolves who were starting to approach in curiosity. They glared at her and gave their own growls but didn't dare come closer. The leader's mate would need privacy as she birthed the pups. The alpha was out late hunting. He would make sure his mate had plenty to eat. Rose Petal's ears flattened against her head in warning. The females left her to her duties. They wouldn't dare mess with her while she herself was getting bigger. Rose Petal watched diligently even as she heard each cry. Four pups so far.  No one was welcome in the den except the alpha even though normally all helped. She had been told many times by the Luna that she'd be fine and wanted to have privacy. Her ears pricked as she turned all her animal senses to check the rest of her surroundings.  She sat on her haunches but was up at the sound of her alpha's howl. It was a warning to the pack. A bear was roaming. Rose Petal stiffened. Her pack mates got to their feet. Mostly young females like her, daughters of another litter before. A few males she saw got up and hurried to guard the territory.

"Protect the Luna." ( One barked to her.) 

Rose Petal relunctantly bared her neck in understanding. She was the lowest in the pack. To them she was merely a tiger lover, an oddity and stain to her own kind. It was surprising that they let her guard their Luna. Most likely because she was disposable in their eyes. She was meant to give her own life away for the queen of their pack. Her alpha's whimpered cry was heard as were several of her pack mates. Her Luna let out a worried whimper from the den. She wouldn't leave her newborns though. No one could feed them right now. Rose Petal sniffed the air. Her eyes watching her pack mates hurry towards their alpha's cry. A bigger male she recognized as one of the hunters and her beta headed towards her. She flattened her ears in warning.

"The bear is too close. It is a grizzly. I must protect the Luna. The alpha is hurt."

Cries of her pack mates filled the air. Her alpha hadn't made it. The young females hurried for the den. Rose Petal  snapped at them. The beta growled at her and shoved her with his head. The pack needed to keep together. Many of the wolves were returning. With the alpha dead the wolves would retreat. The females would comfort their Luna and the males would guard the den entrance and territory. Rose Petal moved to go inside their den. The beta growled and snapped at her.

"I guard our Luna as well." (Rose Petal growled.)
"Do not dare growl. You will be casted out as I am next in charge. Make yourself useful and lead the bear away."
"Lead it away. You can't be serious?"
"Oh but I am. It is your duty as a guard to our Luna. The Luna's daughters will take care of their mother. You do as you're told."
" But I'm... "
"As I said take care of your pack. Everything not pack is disposable."

Rose Petal walked past her beta. Disposable. Already he was shaping to be a very bad alpha. She had felt the alpha might warm up to her. But the beta never hid how much she disgusted him. She growled and he shoved her to the ground. She struggled up. He pinned her grabbing her by the throat.

"No." (She whimpered)
" I really will be rid of you. If you worry for your spawn so much I can do you a favor and rip them out now. "

He released her as she went still. He growled and she got to her feet and ran. Rose Petal slinked through the grass as she left the middle of their territory.  The beta snarled as he gave chase. She kept running.  She had never even wanted to be there. She'd be fine. Maybe she could track her tiger. As she reached a hunting clearing her hair rose. The grizzly was feasting on a kill. Her alpha's and three other hunter's bodies were discarded to the side. Most of them gutted. Her alpha had been torn apart though. Her stomach twisted. Where had the bear come from? Grizzlies normally didn't come to this area. Her mind flipped to the dam she had been trapped in. Were the weird colored two legs back? Was Night with them? If she led the bear for the cabin would she make it? Not that she had a choice. The beta was hidden but he was watching her. One of the two was going to get her. Which would be safer? The bear stood in two legs. She ducked downwind. She had to get pass him not allow him to charge her. The beta was slowly approaching her making noises purposely. His teeth gleaned in the moonlight. She needed to run maybe the bear wouldn't care. This was reckless but... Rose Petal quickly shot out of her hiding. She didn't want him to follow her so she hurried as quickly as she could. The bear snarled at the sight of her. He didn't hesitate to charge her. He was clearly a murderous type and killed all that came. Even if she had done nothing. She ran as fast as she could listening as the giant huffed behind her. She panted as she squeezed through openings, using the land to her advantage. She passed her den from all those months ago only to take notice the bear had been here. Had he been using her old home? She jumped away as the bear nearly swiped her. Man the guy was fast. Not that she was as fast as she once had been. She hurried on using a thorn patch she had once played in to escape. Her body doing as her mind remembered the way out but she heard angry roars from the bear. He swiped away the bushes. Maybe she hadn't made a wise choice. She hurried and headed for the river and the path she hoped led to the beaver like dam. The two legs might slow him down for her. She stopped. He wasn't following her. Could be have figured what she was doing? No he couldn't. At least she was rid of him. Rose Petal sniffed the air, her body stiffened. A new scent of smoke filled her nose. She moved quickly dodging a flying bullet just in time. The bang was loud. She hurried for the river. Something was pursuing her. She let out a cry as something grazed her shoulder. She crashed to the ground. What was that? Her body stiffened at an angry roar. She let out a pained howl as something clawed into her stomach, lifted her up, and she went flying into the bushes. Her brown eyes took in the bear. It was charging something else, and she heard several bangs.  She lay there bleeding from a gash and her shoulder burning. Crunching sounds assaulted her senses. It was coming her way.  She scrambled further underneath the bush despite her pain. She lay there hiding. Whatever it was she had never scented them although the scent was similar to the two legs. But it wasn't the same two legs.

"Jerry get over here and help me get this bastard. Call Dominic to bring the truck closer."
" Yeah I'm a coming. I thought for sure I got the wolf but I don't see 'em. "
"You're whining about a wolf. We got us a grizzly." 

Rose Petal watched them leave. Good she couldn't move. She laid her head down. She was bleeding bad. Her stomach cramped from the pain. She was probably going to die here. Not that her pack would care about her.  The beta made it clear her state had been nothing he cared for. Night didn't know. He had left her to die with the knowledge. She closed her eyes. 

She awoke to the sun shining. Somehow she had made it through the night. She felt pain in her stomach like nothing she had ever felt still. She could still die. She curled up and closed her eyes. She whimpered a little. She had moments when she wanted to cry for help. But she would call unwelcomed company with her luck. She lay there full of sadness. Why had she done this? No way her younglings survived this. She never should of run. The bear and the two legs had been too much. Her heart hurt, her pups had been all she had. Her eyes closed again as the pain overwhelmed her.

She awoke again mid afternoon. She managed to get up and moved. Her eyes zeroed in on the blood she had been laying in. She whimpered at the loss. She crawled out of the bushes. The pack must already see her as dead. She could run now. She had done her duty. But which way? Could she find him? It had been so long. Defeated she found herself headed for pack lands. She stopped at the river and bathed herself. Surprised when she felt no pain from the bears attacks. As she cleaned up she felt eyes on her. Her packs 6 hunters, new and a few old, slowly appeared. They looked her over.

"We figured you hadn't made it."
"Lucky she-wolf. Although at a cost young one."

She dipped her head sadly. They didn't seem to care for her sadness. If she had been impregnated by a wolf she may of got a mourning howl from them. But the hunters were grateful she had lost her litter. 

"Come let's go home she-wolf. The alpha will be interested to see you alive."

Yeah the once Beta would be. He had sent her to die. She wanted to fight him for the loss of her babies. He had chased her right for that bear. The hunters bared their teeth and nosed her ahead. They weren't taking no for an answer. Rose Petal walked ahead heading for the den. She has not gone that far when the Beta now Alpha approached her. He gave her once over.

"Ah Rose Petal you made it. And you have rid yourself of your spawn."

Rose Petal growled only to be cut off as one of the hunters shoved her.

"That's our alpha she-wolf."

Like she needed to be told. The hunters growled at her. Warning feeling the air. She held her ground. She didn't want to be submissive. Bad choice, her body was knocked over and she felt the power of the alpha male that pinned her. He clamped his jaw over her throat. Was he going to kill her? He could if he wanted. She had no reason to live. He released her throat.

"I'd kill you if I was sure the tiger would never return. But our previous alpha made sure I was aware of that possibility. Your abominations were a small sacrifice to the safety of our pack. Even you know that. You are young, next mating season look for a wolf to care for you. Just know no one in this pack would ever take you as a mate."

Rose Petal watched as he got off her. He walked away. Not concerned she could attack him from behind. Next heat her new alpha would look for his Luna. But right now he would tend to his dead alpha's luna.