Xavier's POV
'Celeste, go to my office.' The woods are filled with growls. I could be going faster, getting to the action quicker. Instead, I'm focused on Celeste who is apparently wandering the pack house. Her lack of response brings another twinge of agitation. Goddess, I love this girl but sometimes she doesn't think about non immediate factors. Factors like I'm going to get myself killed by putting too much of my focus onto her if she doesn't get to safety sooner. Yes, I'm sure the packhouse will be fine, but if it's not, then my office within it is the best bet outside the bunkers. I should've taken her to the bunkers myself. 'Please, Celeste,' I practically beg her.
'Xavier, I need to find her.' I sigh. I already told her that I had people looking for Delian yet she feels the need to do it herself.
'You need to stay safe,' I argue back. 'I won't be able to focus if I'm worrying about where you are and if you're okay.' She doesn't respond. Again. 'Please, little one.'
Only a moment passes before, 'Fine.' I let out a breath of relief. I can see Jacob not far ahead of me now. I hold up a finger to him, telling him to give me a minute. 'I'm in your office. Stay safe.' Thank Goddess.
I want to tell her I love her. I want to tell her that I'm already waiting to return to her. Instead, 'Remember: lock the door first then press the button under my desk. Close the blinds.' Instead, I pray to the Goddess that she'll listen to me and stay safe in my office until I can return.
'Okay.' Her words, short and simple, have a tone of annoyed defeat. A reluctance.
"Alpha!" I nod, jogging my way over to Jacob. He turns and we keep a steady pace towards the action. "There's at least fourty of them. They stemmed from the south and the west and overwhelmed our patrols."
"Anyone hurt?"
"Not so far, no."
"Good, let's keep it that way."
Without further delay, I shift. Wolves on both sides dodge between trees. The rogues all look wrong, like the previous batch. Some have fur shorter than I've ever seen. Some with blisters or seemingly scarred skin show beneath the lack of fur. Odd greys and blues make up some of their furs. Despite their sickly appearances, their teeth gnash and claws rip more ruthlessly than I've seen in any of the fights I've seen. Thoughts of Basil strike my head. I shake it off.
Jacob jumps into the action, sinking his teeth into the shoulder blade of one of the rogues.
'Xavier!' Celeste's voice drifts back into my head. 'I found her!'
'Celeste,' I almost snap, 'you're supposed to be in my office.'
A rogue stalks its way over to me. I bare my teeth, leaning back on my haunches.
'I am! She's outside!'
'Celes-' The rogue launches, colliding its body into mine. I land on the ground, quickly rolling away.
'Xavier?' The rogue is right behind me, launching itself again. This time I dodge, making it collide with a tree. 'Xavier?'
'Stay in my office!' This time, I do snap at her. In the midst of the action, I can't hold back. Can't check my tone that stems from worry. She doesn't respond and I don't have time to think on it.
The rogue shakes off the impact, its eyes finding mine. Its teeth snarl. I growl back, the sound filling the forest air. It tries to study me but I don't let it, being the first to lunge this time. It tries to dodge but the turn it chose only aides me. My teeth land in its shoulders. I sink my teeth deep, its blood filling my mouth. I rip myself back, taking a generous chunk of furred flesh with me. Blood seeps from its wound as it once again lands on the ground. It tries to push itself up, stumbling as the fur beneath the wound turns a darker shade from the pouring blood. I spit out the flesh, snarling at it. It tries again to push itself up only to teeter to the ground. I leave it to die.
'Delian is by the pack house,' I send out to the men I sent to look for her, Jared included. 'Somewhere visible from my office, maybe the training grounds. Update me when she is retrieved and safe.'
'Thank you, Xavier.'
I turn back to the crowd of growling, fighting wolves. Jacob is locked paw and paw with a wolf slightly bigger than him. Just as I go to help him, Josh is there knocking the rogue away from him. Josh pins it to the ground, growling in its face and keeping it down. He's not supposed to be here but I ignore that; proud as he goes for the death bite. I look away, sure they can both handle themselves.
Instead, I lunge for a rogue that's nearing another one of the warriors. My claws sink into its side. I push it to the ground. It tries to turn to bite at me but the impact with the ground has its head snapping back. One paw holds it down, pushing the weight of my body against it, and the other claws at its head. My claw rips through its eye. A pained howl escapes its lips. I let my claws sink deeper, feeling the hot blood on my paw. Not wanting a game of this, I take the death bite in its disadvantaged state. It goes limp beneath me and I move to the next rogue.
Two more are down before her voice reaches me again. 'Xavier-' Her voice sounds panicked. My heart stops.
A rogue gets the best of my momentary distraction, knocking me into a tree. I growl, deep and rumbling. The rogue backs away, a wag in its warped looking tail. It thinks this a game, a fun ploy for it to play out.
Celeste still doesn't answer. The worry in my gut started a small bundle and now grows into a full ball.
The rogue lunges forward then back twice as I try to both asses and convince myself that Celeste is okay. That she didn't leave my fucking office. The third time it lunges, I lunge too. We meet somewhere in the middle, head colliding. A small ring echos in my head. My next growl sounds as loud internally as externally. It staggers before righting itself, lunging once more. I dodge it by an inch, biting into its tail. It takes a deal of strength to whip the creature. It flies in the air, trying to right itself, before landing against a tree head first. It falls limp. I care not for if it died or not in that moment.
'Celeste, are you okay?' There's a deal of panic in my voice. 'Celeste, answer me.'
I take a step back as my head begins the swirl. The action, the blood, the growls. It all continues to swirl around me.
'Jared, have you gotten to the pack house yet?'
'Not yet, Alpha.' The switch to my formal title only confirms the noticeable panic in my voice.
'I think Celeste is in danger.'
'We're five, ten minutes out.'
'Celeste!' I can't help but try to reach her one more time. I switch my link back to Jared. 'Make it five.'
'Yes, Alpha.'
Several of the rogues stop in their place and I feel my brows furrow. 'Jacob?'
'I see it too, Alpha.'
Then, the rogues begin to turn, making a run back across the border. Several still engaged in a fight manage to shake off my warriors, also turning for the border.
'Xavi-' Celeste's voice stops. My heart sinks.
'They're retreating, Alpha.'
'So am I,' I say quickly, my mind racing. I turn the opposite direction, running for the pack house. 'Jacob, follow them! Josh, with me!'
Josh and several wolves follow, close on my tail. I run faster than I've ever run. Faster than when I ran a half marathon as a teenager. Faster than when I was late for curfew, the sun fast approaching when I knew my dad would check on me at the first ray of light. Faster than when I used to race Jared and Zay as a kid.
'Celeste!' Nothing. 'Celeste, baby, I need you to answer me. Are you okay?'
'Alpha, they're dispersing,' Jacobs voice interrupts my racing thoughts.
'Then you do too. We don't stop until we know where they're grouping.' My feet pound harshly against the ground, Josh and the others behind me getting further away.
'Alpha, that doesn't seem wise. It could be a trap.'
'Alpha, we're at the pack house,' Jareds voice reaches in. 'Celeste isn't here.'
'This whole thing was a trap, Jacob!' Fuck! Fuck, fuck, fuck. 'Celeste, please answer me. Please.' Nothing.
The pack house comes into views. I run for the training grounds, following Jareds scent to the training grounds. I glance up at the office. The blinds are open. Jared and one other warrior I sent out earlier are by the back door of the pack house. He holds Delian in his arms but I have no time to let out that breath of relief for her. Celeste's scent lingers between the pack house and the training grounds. The other three warriors are scattered, soon joined by Josh and those who followed me.
I shift back as I approach Jared. Delian cries in his hold, harsh childish sobs echoing under the structure of the house. "Where is she!?"
Jared flinches. "I don't know, Alpha." My eyes fall to Delian. Celeste said she saw her outside.
"Delian." My voice is harsher than it probably should be. Jared growls. I growl back and he stops. "Where is the luna?" My voice remains harsh. She only continues to cry.
"Delian," Jared's voice is much softer as he pulls her to an arms length. Josh strolls up beside me, handing me a pair of shorts. I tug them on as I watch the exchange between father and daughter. "Do you know what happened to Celeste?"
She sniffles, snot coming from her nose.
"No sign, Alpha!" One of the warriors shout from the training field. I growl and it fills the entire area. Delian sobs again.
I fall to my knees, pulling Delian from Jared. He tries to lunge for me but the other warrior with him holds him by the shoulder. "Delian," I say slowly, my hand on her own shoulder. She wipes again and again at her tear covered cheeks. "Where is Celeste? Do you know what happened to the luna?"
"Xavier!" I growl at Jared. Josh joins the warrior in holding back the large man.
"Delian," I say slowly, a threat I'm sure she doesn't grasp in my tone. A threat I'm not sure if I mean.
"I'm so sor-ry Alpha," she says with a hiccup.
"Delian, I need you to tell me right now."
"Xavier, she's a kid!" I shoot her father, my best friend, a glare.
"They took her!" All stops. Jared stops fighting. I think I stop breathing.
My next breath is shaky. "Who took her, Delian?" There's a growl in my voice.
"The bad men!" My grip on her shoulder tightens. Josh lets go of Jared, switching over to me. He pulls my arm from the small child at the same time Jared breaks the grip on him and pulls her to him. "They-they-they," she sobs.
"Calm down, Deili," Jared says softly to her, rubbing his hand up and down her arm.
"They-they-they-"
My heart is loud in my ears and the world spins around me. They have her. They took her. The rogues, I know it.
"Alpha! Josh!" I snap my head towards Jacob who enters the training grounds, the rest of the warriors following behind him. I stride over to him, an anger in my every step.
"What happened to following them?" The growl remains in my voice.
"It wasn't a wise choice." I push him as I meet him in the middle of our paths. He stumbles back before finding his footing.
"You let them go!?"
"I made a choice," he growls, pushing me. I don't stagger or stumble. I advance towards him. Josh quickly on my heels, pulls at my arm.
"A choice to let them go!"
"A choice to not let more warriors die at the hands of them!"
"They took her, Jacob," Josh says, calmer than me but with a worry still in his tone. "It was a set up." He steps between us as we glare at each other. "Delian said they threatened Katherin, Alpha. Threatened Jared." My breaths are harsh, my shoulders moving up and down.
"Alpha!" I whip my head towards one of the warriors near the training center. "We found something!" I push past Jacob, ramming my shoulder against his as I make my way towards the man. He holds up a needle. "Smells of wolfsbane."