Outcast

Chapter 13

---Lane's POV---

The leaves bristled against my fur as I pushed slowly through the forest, ears pinned back and tail flicking with agitation. Ahead, yelps and pitiful whimpers sounded along with canine growls and the sound of a struggle.

Well within our territory.

It had been a few weeks since the Alpha had given an offer to Jethro, an offer that was more of a barely veiled insult. As I rose my head to take in the scents of the forest, the smell of wolves and blood clung thickly to the air.

I grumbled but stifled the sound, not wanting to alert the intruders before I got a good look of them. When I made it through the bushes, I glanced at our border and curled my lip in distaste.

Pack wolves were standing near the border, some already crossed over it as they pinned down a struggling woman who was trying to defend her child. The little thing was shaking, huddled against the tree a few paces away from me, eyes focused on the wolf stalking its way.

"The Alpha already warned you Leah. " One of the wolves growled out when he was punched in the side before managing to snag the woman's hands again. "He gave you a fair warning when he found his mate and told you to get rid of it."

Leah snarled and kicked him in the groin, managing to stumble on her feet and into our territory before she was caught again as she screamed at the wolf approaching the child. "Leave him be! He's my son! My only son, you can't-"

The wolf approaching the child sneered, his accomplice shaking his head. "It's a bastard child, Leah. The Luna is already suspecting something, so we might as well get rid of it for you and claim it was a rogue attack."

"No, please-" Leah gasped, breath catching in her throat as the wolf on top of her frowned in confusion when she stopped struggling before looking up.

My tail flicked back and forth, growing damp as it gently brushed over the child's tear stained cheeks. The wolf in front of me was cowering back as I eyed it with murderous intent. It lost its menacing aura completely, now trembling and whimpering as if it was a newborn pup.

I sneered at it, a low growl rumbling through my chest as I glanced back at the sniveling child. The child, a boy barely older than three was bloodied and scraped up. No doubt the wolf had been toying with it, judging from several bite marks on the boy's arms and legs.

Trying to intimidate the mother into submission...

My ears flicked back as the wolf seemed to have found its courage once more, baring its teeth at me in a snarl. No doubt it was due to the presence of his back behind him, pack members whom were all shifting and slowly approaching with rabid barks and snarls.

I scoffed, tail flicking lowly and unintentionally tickling the child, judging from its tearful laughter. Still, his wounds needed to be checked soon and judging from the torn clothes and scraped on the mother, she too needed minor medical attention.

"Master, wolves trespassed and are attempting to kill a child. Seems like it's the bastard offspring of their Alpha, the mother is trying to defend it..."

Jethro's growl resounded through my mind along with his anger at the thought. To stoop so lowly to kill your own offspring, merely because you couldn't remain faithful to your fated...

"Deal with the wolves in any way you deem fit. Bring the mother and pup; no doubt they'll be cast out if word comes back to their Alpha."

I huffed, glancing at the wolves that were slowly surrounding me. I had no interest in prolonging the fight or taking them on one by one and neither did they. Judging from the frantic snarls and bared teeth but tucked tails, they were all hoping I'd flee the scene and leave them be.