The Rejected Mate's Children

Chapter 4

EMMA

We all felt it when Mom fell unconscious, and I nearly stopped. But I knew that Mom would have wanted us to keep going and not go back for her body. Instead, I used the grief to fuel a quick shift into my wolf. I ran in front of Ethan and Jackson to force them to follow my lead. They always felt responsible for me as I was the only sister and would listen to Mom once they realized that there was no other choice. We had to go on. The Hunters would come after us again and our human identities might have been discovered. I didn't feel like personally being hunted by them, no thanks. 

I focused on speeding up even more as I saw pack land coming near. I let out a howl of warning. Recent laws in the Supernatural world have announced that if a supernatural creature is being hunted by Hunters, they can run onto pack land even if they are rogues. It also applied for travelling pack members. It had been a very controversial law, but it was still passed by the majority of the Alphas. Right now, that was about to come in handy.

There was an answering howl, signaling that these pack wolves had heard us and were ready to fight off the Hunters that might follow us. Their group right now represented security, something that we needed, if we wanted to regroup to find our fathers. Running even faster, I made it unto the claimed territory first with Ethan and Jackson close behind. I didn't shift back because I would have been naked. The other wolves who had answered my howl nodded at us and led us to their home.

The troupe walked in silence until we arrived at their pack house. A female pack member nudged me and led me somewhere where I can change in private. The males had no problems shifting in the open. However, it was too 'scandalous' for a she-wolf to be naked and an insult to her future mate. I had no problem about nudity in groups, but I will respect what these pack wolves wanted.

I quickly shifted into my human form and hurried back to my brothers. The human side and their wolves were extremely protective of me, and being a stranger in unknown territory while not knowing where I was would be bad for their tempers. It didn't help that Ethan and Jackson had kept pent-up Alpha energy inside them because there was no proper Alpha to train them. Everyone could feel their status which might put us in an awkward situation. 

Ethan and Jackson were shifted and dressed when I arrived. That wasn't too bad. The problem was they were pointedly disrespecting our hosts and ignoring their questions. All eyes turned to me when I entered. I went immediately to Jackson and Ethan's side to calm them down. Since they hadn't found their mates yet, I was the only one besides mom who could. Their wolves saw me as kin and they were technically by several minutes, my older brothers as they love to point out.

When I was sure they had their tempers and their wolves under control, I turned to face our hosts and plaster a fake smile on my face before saying, "What do you need?" Little did they know, I was planning our escape and potentially their murders. It's what I do. 

The apparent leader of the group stepped forwards and asked, "Why were you running from Hunters?" What do you think, idiot? That I was going to not run from Hunters and be killed, not today!

I didn't say all that though and pretended to be a lost young girl who is very nice and willing to answer questions. "That's an easy one. We were going to spend a day in the forest with our mother and they were suddenly there," I answered with a smile on my face which I turned to a sad pout as if I was disappointed. Internally, I grinned as most of them dismissed me as weak.

"Then where is your mother, girl?" questioned the man.

I felt Ethan and Jackson stiffen at his words and his tone. In fact, I didn't appreciate his tone either, but I didn't lose my cool. I let my eyes tear up, "I-I don't k-know. We l-lost her and now you all are being s-scary and I-I don't know. . ." I turned to the female werewolf who had helped me earlier and I saw was sympathetic to my act.