In Love Through War - Book 3

Part 118(2)

***

'I smell cats,' Edrik informs Alain.

'Isn't that a good thing? Jena has cats in her pack.'

'Which will perceive you as a threat. You are no longer a pack member.'

'What? Why?'

'Remember the new body, double-sided soul shard part?'

'Oh. So I guess I'm a completely different person now.'

'Yeah. A two days old new adult.'

'So you think the cats will catch us? I mean before we pass the first sentry?'

'I'm not really sure how fast we are compared to your previous bear form.'

'Oh, that's easy! Incredibly more so!'

'Speak of the furballs! Check our six!'

'There are, coincidently, six cats on our six o'clock.'

'A bit large for a patrol.'

'Unless that's two patrols'

'Yeah, most likely. They are gaining fast. Should we stop?'

'If we stop, we delay seeing Jena.'

'I'm guessing you'd rather not do that.'

'I've no doubt they'd take us to see her eventually.'

'But you don't like the eventually part. I still find it odd that you are trying so hard to get to her when you made quite an effort to keep your distance before.'

'What can I say? Old me was an idiot! New me is much wiser! I'm surprised you don't feel the same!'

'You forget you are running back to see her, while I, as I am now, this new me as your animal side is anticipating meeting our mate for the first time.'

'Yes. I get it. I'm acting like I know what I've been missing, which is true.'

'So faster?'

'As much as we can. We are about to meet our mate after all!'

'Oh look, the cats are getting left behind!'

'Not for long though. They are gaining again.'

'We can sustain this. The cats are sprinting, going all out. They won't be able to keep burning like that.'

'Never thought I'd see cats chasing a dog.'

'I'm not a dog! I'm a werewolf!'

'It was a joke!'

'Stop distracting me from running!'

'We are losing the cats. I guess they ran out of juice. They really need better training.'

'Sentry wolves ahead. Three of the coming to intercept. Going around.'

'If there was at least a cat in the sentry group, they would have caught us.'

'I can smell the settlement.'

'Uh-oh! That's quite the welcoming committee. 12 cats on intercept.'

'Wind changed. The scent of almost as many wolves from behind them has just reached me. Going around at this point would just delay us.'

'Fine! Slow down then.'

***

"Alpha Jena! We have a problem at the Western border," Nazih says, short of breath.

"By the Moons, what now? We just got here! Give me a break, for Calla's sake!"

"It's a wolf, large and fast!"

"Just one? I assume it's not a rad-wolf then since you said large and fast? Maybe it's a messenger."

"Definitely a pure water user. And he didn't stop when my cats followed him."

"What do you mean, followed? I thought we established only cats are patrolling since they are faster. They should have seen him long before he got passed them. Where is he now?"

"Almost at the second sentry line."

"Excuse me? The cats should have caught him almost immediately. Did he fight them off? Is he one of Sorin's war-forms?"

"Two patrols were chasing him..."

"He fought off six war-form capable cats? I doubt that was possible..."

"No, he just ran."

"You're not making sense, Nazih. Tell me everything while we head that way."

"He somehow passed right between two patrols.

The one coming second got his scent and alerted the first one.

Both groups gave chase and were gaining, going just a bit faster than cruise speed.

But when the wolf spotted them, he accelerated and started moving away quickly – Jena raises an eyebrow – so the cats went full out.

They were catching up but barely closing the distance.

He was too far out to catch before they couldn't sustain the sprint anymore."

"A wolf outran and outlasted my patrol cats?"

"Experienced cats at that. Fought by my side against the warhogs."

"That means he must be an Alpha. Tell me you covered the patrol routes with other rested cats. An attack could be imminent."

"Of course! Update: we have intercepted the wolf with 12 more cats heading out from the settlement. 10 wolves will reach them soon. From behind we have six cats and another 3 wolves coming. He seems to have acknowledged that. He is slowing down."

"Shit! He is probably getting ready to fight. Shift so we can go faster!"

"This is Alpha Jena, don't engage and don't provoke him but defend yourselves if needed using your war-forms."