The Wanted Alpha

Chapter 31 - Wiccans

Ethan

The training had gone somewhat smoothly, even though I was heavily distracted. I hadn't been able to check my phone for three hours while I was leading the class, but by now they should have arrived or be very near at least. 

I was hoping the wiccans wouldn't be too busy to take time to talk to my mate. They hadn't returned our calls for the last week which wasn't like them, but with it being the holidays they may be buried in work. That's why Jude was going up to pick up our order from them directly and to check that they didn't need any help from us. My father, and then myself, had been trying to get them to join our pack since they arrived in the area three years ago. They were used to living in a communal setting like we wolves did, only much smaller and in what they called a Family instead of a pack. Because they were complete pacifists, they had no way to protect themselves, their powers had no offensive capabilities per se. We could protect them better in our borders and their help would be a great benefit to the pack, but my dad figured their Elder, Jethro, was worried we would take advantage of that. So we had offered White Tree's aid when it was needed by them to help foster some trust between us. 

Now that my class was over and I had finally gotten past the throng of pack members wanting to ask about their Luna, I could check my messages. I had missed Jude's text by a few minutes and what it said set my heart rate soaring with alarm.

Jude | No wonder we never heard back. The whole place is gone and burned down. We're looking around the remains to figure out what happened

I wasted no time in dialing his number. He should be getting my mate the fuck out of there, not dragging her around a possible death trap!

He picked up on the 2nd ring "Jude! I don't give a shit what you're doing or what you've found. Get April home now!" I roared down the phone.

"This was our Luna's idea. We found graves, Ethan. Barely 2 weeks old and the number roughly matches how many wiccans were supposed to be here."

"All the more reason to get my mate the fuck out! And if you had a mate of your own you would realise how fucking idiotic you were being right now!" I didn't want to throw it in his face, but because he had never felt the bond he had no idea how incensed with dread I was currently or how close I was to shifting and taking my entire army of warriors with me to retrieve April.

There was silence for a second before he responded, sounding dejected and dispirited "ok, Alpha, we're on our way back."

Fuck, I had sounded like such an asshole and I knew I hit a very raw nerve for Jude. He had wanted his mate for years now; he was 26 and hadn't felt the slightest hint of a bond with anyone. And I had just aggressively slapped the fact he had no-one, in his face. I would worry about his hurt feelings later, when the safety of my April was not on the line.

I stormed back to my private study in my suite, brushing past pack members trying to get my attention. I didn't give a fuck right now if I was being rude or dismissive, I needed to track the pack vehicle to make sure they were on their way back and moving in the right direction. Before I could reach the stairs to my floor a voice called out sounding breathless and a little urgent.

"Alpha! Alpha, hang on a second!"

I turned, seeing Julia, still in her training attire from the class earlier. My wolf released an irritated growl at being halted while on a mission. She recoiled slightly at my aggression, taken aback by my sudden hostility. It was rare for me to act in such a manner with my pack, but both myself and my wolf were a little on edge right now.

I pinched the bridge of my nose, sighing "sorry Julia, I'm just tense. What's the matter?" I had tried to sound more congenial but it still came out rather curt.

"Sorry to disturb you but I just wanted to bring you this, it's your mates personal files. I'm just a bit nervous keeping them in my office given things walking right now" she said, handing me a file.

Damnit, she was just trying to be mindful and I had snapped at her. Guess I was 'Alpha Asshole' to everyone today.

I reached out for the file and noticed the pretty jewelry on her wrist, wolf and flower links in rose gold.

"Nice bracelet" I said a little awkwardly, trying to redeem my earlier outburst.

"Oh, thanks. It's my birthday present from my brother, he even surprised me at work with it. He never surprises me at the hospital, so it was really sweet of him" she smiled.

A sick feeling began to settle in my stomach. Julia's birthday had been just over a week ago, while I was away...when the wolfsbane samples were stolen.

A rage and fear I had never felt burned in both mine and Ezra's skin...had I just sent my mate off with the person that had betrayed the pack? At the same time a faint anxiety and panic flickered in the back of my mind, emotions that were not my own. These were my mate's. Had she sensed my emotions and was now worrying about me or was something happening to make her feel this way?

"I need to go" I rushed out, turning to hurtle up the steps three at a time, not waiting for a response from Julia.

I rushed through to my study, throwing the file in my hand down and booted up my computer from sleep mode, opening the tracking software our pack vehicles could be monitored on. Looking up the SUV my mate would be in, their entire journey was highlighted on the map. They had gotten to their destination in just under three hours, stopped for 20 minutes and had started to head back. Just mere seconds ago, their journey had abruptly halted. The yellow line showed they had taken some unnecessary turns but within the speed limit, like they were seeing if someone was following. Incensed, I tried Jude's number getting no response other than a beeping to signal it was no longer in service. Phone calls to the others were met with the same response.

Every protective instinct I had for my mate were triggered simultaneously as I jumped into action, sending the location on the screen to Carrick's number.

'Get trackers and warriors to this location, NOW! I'm going ahead of them.'

'On it' his reply was simple and swift. He didn't need explanation, he knew the only scenario that would have me this frantic.

I tore out of the pack house, shifting midair, with only my phone in a pouch held in my wolf's mouth so I could be sure I was heading in the right direction. They were almost three hours outside the territory by car, I could cut through the landscape in my wolf form and with my speed I could be there in just under two. 

I wish now I had just been a colossal, possessive dick and forbidden my mate from going. She would have been upset with me, angry even, but she would have been here.

And if this was an attack, if Greer had anything to do with it...I would kill him in ways he didn't know existed.

April

I knew my mate would be worried but I couldn't help but feel excited that I would be meeting real wiccans! 

And earth wiccans at that. 

While driving, Jude had been telling me about them, with Greer chipping in too from the front passenger seat. Wiccans had the ability to manipulate and influence the primal energies around them. Earth wiccans were the most widespread and could grow plants full of life around them at will. Some could communicate with animals and draw them in, almost taming them, some could heal wounds or see the auras of those around them. Some could feel and alter the emotions of others and it was said there were those that could even see visions of the future. They were truly a remarkable people, though they might think the same of us being able to shift to a wolf.

"So their origins" Jude continued "are that they were humans, blessed by the moon goddess to protect her earth and its primordial spirit, gaia. And that's how they're supposed to be connected, like how we're connected to the moon goddess through our wolf spirit" he concluded.

"This is just making me more anxious to meet them. Do they all grow plants in this Family?" I asked eagerly. 

"I think a couple of them could read aura's? They don't really tell us much, I think they're a little wary of pack still" Greer answered.

"We're not far off now, another 30 minutes and you should start seeing the place get a little greener. And just a heads up, these guys are really spiritual. Like, think hardcore hippies" Jude chuckled from the driver's seat.

After a few minutes, the snow looked as though it was receding but it didn't look how I was imagining.

"Beta Jude? This isn't looking much greener. The plants here look like they're dying?" Jaime, Janine's twin brother, spoke up.

"Yeah...this is weird" he replied.

He continued on down the off-road track at a faster speed. We arrived at a clearing and were met with piles of ash and burned out remains of what looked like would've been homes.

"Jude, maybe we should have a look around, see what happened here?" I suggested.

"Ok, let me just send Ethan a message. He might want to send a team up here to investigate properly."

We all got out and wandered around the ruins. Judging by the snow fall on the ground, this probably happened no less than two weeks ago; the others agreed. We couldn't pick up any scents, Jude said that the wiccans would smell and feel like humans, whoever had been here were long gone.

"Elder Jethro!...anyone?!" Jude shouted out, but received no reply.

"Yo, guys look at this!" Janine shouted out.

We gathered around, looking out at where she was pointing towards a series of mounds. Each had a rock placed on top with a curious symbol painted on top.

Jaime, Janine and I looked confused, while Greer and Jude looked disturbed.

"...they're graves, wiccan graves. This must be virtually the whole Family" Jude uttered.

"How could they all have just died?" Janine asked.

"I don't know…"

"What does it mean?" I asked, indicating the orangey-yellow symbol of a circle with crescent moons either side.

"It's the symbol for gaia. They paint it in ochre, especially to mark a grave. They don't cremate like we do, they bury their dead directly into the ground so that their spirit becomes one with the earth again" Greer answered beside me.

There were almost 40 stones in total. How could such a mass death have occurred? Who or what could have done this?

Jude's phone rang out and he picked up instantly, moving away from the others. But I could hear the voice from where I was stood, Ethan...and he sounded enraged.

"This was our Luna's idea. We found graves, Ethan. Barely 2 weeks old and the number roughly matches how many wiccans were supposed to be here."

'Wow, traitor' I mind-linked the Beta jokingly.

Ethan's response...was brutal. Jude muttered a reply, looking hurt before hanging up.

"Let's go" he said harshly.

"Shouldn't we look around more first? We could fin…" but Greer's words were cut off by Jude's irritated voice.

"I said go, that means now!"

He threw the keys to Greer, indicating for him to drive and called me over to the back seat. I sat in the middle as I had before, this time with Jude and Janine at either side.

Greer had set off without another word and the entire car fell into a heavy silence.

'You ok?' I asked Jude silently.

'I'm fine...he was right, I was being stupid not getting you out of here.'

'Hey, no. He shouldn't have said that to you and once we get back I'm giving him a piece of my mind!' I would make sure Ethan apologised for what he'd said. He might've been worried, but what he said to Jude was uncalled for.

'Seriously, it's ok. I just want to get back and go spend some time with Kevin.'

'Ok...how's it going with him? Does he make you happy?' I asked, hesitantly.

'Yeah? We've been seeing each other casually for the last year and half, well, we've been fooling around for nearly 3 years honestly...not every wolf finds their fated mate and he has asked about us being chosen mates, but he knows how much I wanted my fated. I guess I just don't know what to do right now.'

My heart broke for him, he was such a caring and warm man. I just couldn't believe that someone like him wouldn't have someone out there. I thought for a second before replying.

'What does your wolf say?'

'Jace? He wants to wait for our mate, he doesn't mind Kevin though. But my wolf's been a little on edge lately, so I don't really know what to think.'

'Maybe it's because he knows your mate is out there, maybe he can feel him? And Kevin's mate might be out there too. Trust me, listen to your wolf, they won't guide you wrong.'

'Awww, love you too human' my wolf cooed, despite the fact she was still antsy about being away from our mate.

'You're a really pure soul, you know that April?' he gave me a soft smile, looking me right in the eye.

"Guys?" Greer piped up, breaking us out of our private mind-link "I think we're being followed, the black truck way back there. It's been behind us since we left the dirt road."

We all instinctively turned to look. Jude's face instantly becoming serious.

"Take a few random turns, we'll see if they keep following. Be prepared to floor it. Janine, Jaime, arm yourselves. Luna, whatever happens, stay down and run if you have to, no arguments" he spoke with authority, his aura pulsating vigorously with strength.

While Greer kept driving resolutely, the others armed themselves with firearms from under the seats. 

"Fuck, this truck's still on us. Hang on" Greer floored the gas, as Jude took his phone out.

"I'm calling Ethan...SHIT, LUNA GET DOWN!" Jude bellowed, throwing himself on top of me as something slammed into us from the side.

My ears were ringing. A high pitched whine, piercing my hearing.

I could feel myself being dragged, as the scent of smoke, blood and gas filled the air. The world was a blurry mess of sound and colour, whirling around me. I tried to sit, I think, but was met with excruciating pain in my head. I could hear snarling, tearing, firearms going off and what sounded like a blade slicing through the air. I felt like I could barely breathe and my vision was starting to give out. Both my wolf and I were fighting to stay conscious but the darkness was beginning to win. I couldn't fight back as I felt arms gently lift me, holding me close to a solid body that possessed a strange aura I had never felt before.

"Ethan" I whispered out, as the black abyss finally won.

Chapter 32 - The Wanted Alpha