An Alpha's Claim

Carry

Unsurprisingly, J's new sense of strength didn't last long. They now had too many people to fit in the car and so most of them had opted to walk. J, in what she now recognised to be a terrible miscalculation of her ability, had decided to forgo the car and instead walk back.

The last few miles back towards Rootbridge had been long and painful. Most of the others had charged off ahead, Liam especially keen to get back home. Soon it was only Lorna, Rayna and J left trudging through the forest. Black Oath had dissolved into the forest, moving as one, swift unit. J was glad. Glad they couldn't see her struggling.

Every step was filled with pain, like a knife being shoved into her joints. Nausea washed over her, and J reached out to grab hold of a tree as dizziness made her vision swim. She groaned and retched, but nothing came out.

Rayna appeared behind her, rubbing her hand on her back in soothing circles, "you ok? I could carry you?"

J gave her a startled look and shrugged her arm off, "I'm fine," she lied. "I'm just tired. Go on ahead, I'll be OK."

Rayna wasn't going to listen, J knew that, so she did the only thing she could think to do, "I'm your Alpha and I said go." Her voice, carrying the power of an Alpha's order, faded out into the forest.

All was silent for a second, as Rayna fought to deny the Alpha's order, but even she couldn't manage that. Angrier than J had ever seen her, Rayna stalked off, Lorna by her side.

As soon as she was alone, J sunk to the floor and put her back against the tree. Putting her head in her hands she took a few deep breaths as her eyes slid shut. The dizziness began to ease but her stomach still ached and rolled.

J tipped her head back and looked up through the canopy of leaves at the sky stretching overhead. It would be dark soon, it was already getting colder, but J couldn't quite bring herself to move yet. Her eyes creased, pain settling across her head. The packlink has weighing heavily on her. It was strange, being so far away from the rest of her pack. It had been days since she'd spoken to any of them - it was the longest she'd ever been parted from them. She could tell it was taking its toll on Rayna, on Lee. J though, didn't care. She didn't miss them or their stares, didn't miss the pitying looks as she got weaker by the day. But, whilst she didn't care, the packlink did. It needed the closeness to her pack, needed the power of her wolf.

When J heard a soft whining sound, she realised that she wasn't, and hadn't ever been, alone. "Come out, Callie," she called weakly, sighing as she turned her head towards the sound.

A small, brown wolf with flecks of lighter blonde slinked out of the shadows. She kept her nose tilted down, her ears flat back – she was trying to let J know that she posed no threat. J held out her hand as she reached her, and ran her fingers through Callie's coarse fur. The wolf plopped onto her side and rolled onto her back, allowing J to rub her belly.

J chuckled as Callie stretched and her tongue lolled out of her mouth; she was smiling, even in her wolf form. "You ignored an Alpha's order," J realised, "how they thought you were weak, I have no idea." All she got was an answering yip from Callie, who rolled away and jumped to her feet.

The wolf inclined her head in the direction of Rootbridge, before looking back at J and whining. Sadness tinged J's mind, if she'd had her wolf still she'd be able to communicate with Callie in this form, instead J had to read her body language.

"I know, I know. I need to get up." J started with a sigh.

Slowly, painfully, J pushed herself to her knees and then carefully stood up, Callie nudging her leg to help her. J smiled down at the wolf, but paused when Callie bounded off. Thinking she'd run off ahead, J shrugged and started to trudge forwards.

From the left, Callie came bounding forwards, a large, long stick in her teeth. Before J could warn her, Callie ran between two trees that were slightly too close together. The stick slammed into the bark and Callie rolled over the top and landed in a heap.

J's heart constricted and she darted forwards to help, but Callie bounced back up again and gave what could only be called a chuckle – which sounded weird through the voice of her wolf. J laughed softly and bent over to grab the stick. It was long and sturdy, and J could use it to help her walk. "Thank you," she whispered to Callie, as she ruffled her ears.

Preparing herself for the pain, J took a step forward and used the stick to hold herself up. It was going to be a long walk.

*

Rayna was pissed. Really, really pissed.

She stood on the edge of the Rootbridge packlands with Leah by her side, no doubt ready to heal J.

J rolled her eyes and squared her shoulders. She gave Callie a quick glance and a nod and then walked across the small clearing towards them.

Rayna had her arms folded over her chest, Lee stood quaking behind her, no doubt he'd taken the brunt of her anger. Her left foot was tapping against the ground, the closer J got, the quicker the tapping became.

J wondered if Rayna realised how much of an Alpha it made her seem? If she too, noticed that at some point the power dynamic between the two of them had shifted. J was becoming weaker by the day, and Rayna now outranked her. If the woman noticed, she didn't mention it.

J knew that it was time for her to step down as alpha of the Wild Mountains pack. It was time to give Rayna the reigns. Maybe she'd always been looking for someone powerful enough to hand them over to. J had never thought in the long term, mainly because by the time it occurred to her to do so, she didn't have long-term. That type of lifespan was a luxury.

Maybe Rayna was supposed to be the wolf to take over. Maybe she always had been. These days, J had come to believe that the world could work in mysterious but intentional ways.

As she neared the pack perimeter, she looked down to Callie, "go find the others, they'll get you some clothes and some food. I'll be there soon." Callie looked torn, caught between wanting to do as she was told and wanting to protect her alpha from Rayna's wrath, but J gave her an encouraging smile, "go on, I'll be fine."

With a glare in Rayna's direction, Callie raced off into the packlands. J stopped in front of Rayna and held up her hands in resignation. "Ok, that was my bad. I shouldn't have done that, I'm sorry."

Anger flared brighter in Rayna's eyes.

"I know, an Alpha's order was cruel, I just- I just needed some space."

Something that looked a lot like hurt flashed in Rayna's eyes. "Heal her Leah." Was all she said, before she span around and stalked off.

Leah's eyes were sympathetic as J stopped at her side and watched Rayna go. "She was so worried about you," the she-wolf offered as she reached out a hand to hover over J's arm. J didn't look at Leah as her skin began to glow and Leah's face tightened. "Jesus, J. The pain you're in. Have you used the medication I gave you?"

J, feeling slightly better, slightly less tired than she was a minute ago, shrugged Leah's hand off, "no. I'm OK, Leah." She ignored her as she moved forwards, wanting to track down Rayna and apologise.

"You're getting worse quickly J. You're dying. I can feel it."

J paused. That wasn't new information, but it still sucked to hear it from someone else's lips. "I know Le'. Like we agreed yesterday, we'll track down the rogue and then...we'll see what happens next. I've got information on the rogues, I need to find the others. Are they at Cassidy's?"

"No, they're at the diner. There was more room there and Cassidy didn't want so many strangers around Uma." Leah walked up to her side, "they aren't too happy that you've brought back extra pack members. The relationship between them and the Blazer pack wasn't strong anyway, but you've just taken two of their members. One of which was the beta's mate-" J flinched at the judgment in Leah's tone.

"I didn't take anyone. They wanted to leave, Le'. Who was I to say no?" Leah met J's gaze and held it for a moment.

"I get it," Leah offered, reading more in J's look than she'd intended, "we all get it. Doesn't mean they won't bitch at you about it though."

J shrugged one shoulder and started walking again, "what else is new?"