An Alpha's Claim

Hurt

God, J was tired. Everything hurt. Her little finger hurt – why did her little finger hurt?

She forced a tight smile for the wolf who walked past them, just like the six before him, he blanched when he saw J. They recognised her, she realised. They knew she'd been the wolf to kill Caine.

As if to confirm her thoughts, Rayna growled at the wolf as he lingered a little too long, a little too near.

He ducked his head and ran, and J gave Rayna a thankful smile. From the outside, it may have looked like J and Rayna were just old friends, linking arms. In actual fact, Rayna was having to practically carry J. She would not pass out again.

They were heading for the Alpha's house to discuss the rogue's attack, but the devastation they walked through was enough to tell J that something awful had happened here. Fire still smouldered in some of the buildings and blood streaked the path. The bodies had been moved, but even J could still scent death hanging heavily in the air. It had been a blood bath.

They passed the centre of the pack's lands, a burning fire offering a blast of heat. Groups of wolves hung around the heat chatting, but fell into silence as the three of them walked past. Eyes pinned them, judgement in their gaze. These were the other packs, J realised, the ones that Jake had mentioned had gathered here to asses the damage and work out the next target.

J looked away from them, eager not to start anything with them. She just had to keep her head down and make it to the alpha and then-

"You. She-bitch." One of the pack alphas, spat, as he blocked the path, his pack flanking him.

J sighed irritably and slowly looked up. Summoning what was left of her failing strength and falling into a routine she'd perfected for years, she remained silent but cocked her head to the side, giving him a stare that she knew would unnerve him.

He growled and looked to his pack for support, before focusing back on her, "this is your fault. You killed Caine and all these wolves came out of the woodwork. This is on you."

To J's surprise, Rayna's growl was silenced by Liam's scoff, "oh please, Dexter, it's been two years. There's no way that's possible."

The alpha, or Dexter, snarled at Liam and took half a step towards him, earning him another growl from Rayna. "Don't think this isn't your fault too. That Rootbridge pack. You've all done this. You've got too many near-alphas. There's too much power in one place. It's like a bloody beacon. You should share, let the other packs have some of your members. I'd take her," he motioned towards Rayna and J's chest tightened. "I'd even take old scar face, here," that time, he meant J.

J saw red, literal red, as though blood flowed across her eyes, but she needn't have bothered. In a maneuver only perfected over time, Rayna swept her leg out and knocked the alpha to the floor. She stood over him and placed a booted foot against his neck, pushing down for emphasis. She held up a hand at his pack who looked ready to pounce and they knew the threat she was implying – come any closer and she'd crush their alpha's wind pipe.

"If you really think that you could handle either of us, then go ahead and try. It's been a couple of days since I killed anyone. I'm kinda missing it." The alpha paled beneath her foot and, happy that he wasn't going to try anything, Rayna stepped back and gave J a small smile and a nod.

J's eyes sparkled in response, she wanted to laugh but knew it would only escalate the situation. Liam watched in silence, cold, calculating silence and J, not for the first time, wondered how annoyed Kelsey would be if she killed him.

"I see you're making friends," another alpha wolf called from the distance.

Liam's face instantly warmed, "always!" He stepped forwards to embrace the man, leaving Rayna and J to trail behind him.

-

"So, we think it began here, or maybe ended here. My trackers are trying to piece it all together still." Liam nodded as the alpha continued with his story, but J was too distracted to listen.

They stood near the edge of the perimeter and it was clear there'd been a fight here. Claws had gouged chunks from the trees and blood littered the floor. The rogue had disappeared and no one alive claimed to have attacked it. They didn't get a chance.

J studied the disturbed undergrowth, counting claw marks and trying to work out how there had been a fight here – who had been in the fight. No bodies were found near by, in fact it was almost as though someone, or thing, had attacked the rogue wolf as it left, without warning, before fleeing itself.

J sighed in frustration as her years of tracking failed her. It was harder without her wolf's eyesight to help her. She needed Saf, Saf would be able to take one look at this place and know exactly what had happened. Sadness echoed through J's chest, she missed her friend. She'd pushed Cassidy on where she was, but even Cassidy didn't know. She just claimed that she was off finding something, but no one knew what.

J took in a deep breath, but froze as a familiar scent caught her attention. It was like her body shut down, her heart slamming to a stop in her chest. Tears sprang to her eyes and hope, sorrow and agony tore through her middle.

As quickly as she'd caught Logan's scent, it was gone, and with heartbreaking clarity, J realised she'd never smelt it at all. It was just the air of the forest mixed with a memory. She hung her head and drew in a sharp, crisp breath. This was agony.

About to turn to face the others, she caught sight of two pairs of claw marks – one on top of the other, tearing through the undergrowth. One set decidedly bigger than the other. There had been two wolves.

"I think there were two of them. I don't know if both were rogue, but there were two wolves here."

It wasn't the alpha who answered her, but the beta, George, "there can't have been. None of our wolves were here and no one's dead or injured."

"But, George...didn't Callie say-" the woman stood beside George was clearly his mate and she hadn't spoken since she'd arrived. J watched as George's face tensed and he glared at his mate. She shrunk beneath the look and anger flared like a candle flickering in a storm in the pit of J's stomach. His mate feared him.

"No. Callie doesn't know what she saw." George snapped, catching the attention of both the alpha and Liam. Rayna remained at a distance, having watched the whole exchange in silent, seething anger. She, like J, knew what it was to fear a person. She knew the look of regret on George's mate's face. "And when we get hom-"

"Who's Callie?" J interrupted, aware that if George finished that sentence, wolf or no wolf, J would kill him, and Rayna wouldn't be far behind.

Seething, George tore his gaze from his mate and locked onto J and Rayna, as the she-wolf moved to stand beside J. His eyes narrowed and J knew he had no intention of telling her, so she slid her gaze to his mate. "Your people died today. We're trying to stop the rogue. If there's two of them, that will change everything. We need your help."

She blinked under J's stare, sparing George a panicked look. J saw it, the moment that she decided to help them, the moment she decided to make a stand, "come with me. I'll introduce you to Callie."

Leaving George to splutter and throw angry threats at their retreating forms, J and his mate headed off into the dense forest towards some of the houses that hadn't burnt down. In the distance, she was sure she heard the dull thud of a fist connecting with a face.

As Rayna jogged to join them, a wicked smile on her face, J knew she'd heard correctly.