The Art Of Sneezing

Chapter 27

Not really a fan of this chapter, but you guys tell me what you think :) Groot <3 Here's chapter 27!

            I pull Zach and Tom with me as I chase after Alpha Stone. We have plans for attacks. Certain people stay behind to guard as the Alpha party attends to the rogues. I lead this group now.

            We run up to the northern border and enter a slight clearing in the forest. Our party stops a little ways from the rogue group ahead.

            "They want to talk - negotiate, maybe." Dad informs.

            Everyone looks at me and I nod. Zach and Tom stand beside me as Stone steps ahead and the others stay back. I rock on my toes and pop my fingers in nervousness. This will be my first act as leader of the pack. Do I deserve this?

            The beefiest rogue smirks at me and crooks his finger in a beckoning motion. I take a deep breath and prepare myself to step forward.

            "Remember," Zach says. "If you can't blow them away with your brilliance, baffle them with your bullshit."

            I turn and slap his shoulder. "Not the time for joking," I hiss.

            "You're Crescent Moon's Alpha?" Beef snarls.

            "You're the rogue leader?"

            He smirks, "No, our leader is busy right now. He sent me instead."

            "So you're the decoy." I lift my chin. "Like the other ones."

            Laughing he replies. "Yes, and we'll only get stronger. In case you haven’t noticed, each challenge has gotten harder and closer between." It's true, last week we had three challenges that I had to fight - while in heat, might I add. Each new leader is stronger than the last and I fear the strength of the real leader.

            "What do you want with Cindy?"

            He winces, "We were sent here to get the Luna of the Crescent Pack. Obviously, we got the wrong Luna."

            "Give her back." Two rogues pull a rough looking woman into the clearing.

            "Cindy." Dad calls happily.

            "Where are her guards?" I question.

            "Gone, gone, gone." He chuckles. "Now how about an exchange? One Luna for another."

            Stone growls.

            'Mouse, we can take them. Fake a switch and we'll attack when Luna Stone reaches us.' Daniel tells me through the mind link.

            I clear my throat. "Okay."    

            The rogue gives a nasty side grin. He stalks over and roughly grabs my arm, yanking me to their side.

            "No, Mouse!"

            "Riley!"

            "Luna!"

            The party shouts in protest and, in turn, Beefy dude flies a fist to my stomach. I cry out, but his grip on my throat stops me from doubling over. He grips my chin and tilts my face to his. With a growl, he presses wet, chapped lips to mine as he scrunches my face painfully between his hands.

            He twists away and I whimper in fear. "Send the other one back; I've got what I want."

            Out of my peripheral vision, I notice Cindy being thrown into Dad's arms.

            'Mouse, if we attack now, he'll have plenty of time to kill you or possibly get away. You're stuck.' Daniel mind links me with a pained voice.

            I release my breath in defeat when a howl erupts beside us. The black and white wolf jumps over all the rogues, catching the leader's neck in his powerful jaws. The force brings the three of us down and my pack uses the attack to their advantage. They jump forward at the enemy wolves.

            The one holding me shifts, but instead of going after Alexander, he begins to claw and bite at me. I cry as he catches my side with his teeth. He's pulled off of me. However, I fear the damage has already been done.

            Black clouds my vision of the red grass. Every breath I take bubbles in my chest, making me give a wet, bloody cough. I'm drowning in the liquid in my throat that I can't seem to expel it quick enough.

            I  feel a tear roll down my cheek at the thought of never helping my pack and never seeing Alexander again. Yes, he's a jerk, but he's still my mate. You can't live without your mate.

            "Riley, don't leave me!" The voice calls through the black and red. "No, you can't! You CAN'T! I'm sorry. I'm so sorry! I was scared, Riley! So scared. I didn't want you to reject me, then you had a boyfriend and I didn’t want you feel like it had to be me. Then I got drunk on a special wolf drug I've never taken before. It's no excuse, but it took away my thought process and Melissa took advantage of that. In the morning, I didn't realize it wasn't you. When I did, I tried to push her away, but you ran in before I could."

            His voice has dimmed to a sob. I struggle to focus and hold on to his voice. My hand inches up to touch his wet cheek. He cries louder and buries his nose in my hair.

            "Take my strength, Riley. Take it all. Heal yourself and come back to me, my Luna. I don’t care if you hate me for the rest of your life, just please be alive!"

            Alexander kisses my mark and I feel a rush of power and strength run through my blood. I cough out more red liquid as he repeats two words even after I pass out. "Alive, please. Alive. Alive. Please. Please. Please. Alive."