44. Chapter 44

Chapter 44

A lpha Brax was already waiting at the edge of the clearing where they had set up their camp when Jackson walked up to it. Being too far from Layla was already messing with him, but he steeled himself against it despite Cain's objections. He had to be strong enough to do what needed to be done.

Brax's gaze lowered to his leg and widened when he looked back up at him. Brax was never one to look him in the eye. Out of all the Alphas, he was the least interested in breaking the rules.

"I'd heard you were already back on your feet but I didn't really believe them," Brax said.

"It's been a crazy few days," he answered.

Brax was an ally, but they had no interactions except the official ones.

"What happened, Brax?"

"To be honest, I'm still not sure. I woke up one night, and this witch was in my room. I still don't know if she was real because she passed all my safeguards without triggering any alerts."

"She was real," he answered as he looked over the camp.

Most of the wolves were probably sleeping on pallets under the stars, but a few tents had been set up, probably for the wounded. They could have helped them all at the hospital if he could trust that the witch wouldn't take control of them again.

"She's powerful, Your Highness," Brax started. "How could she control all of us so easily?"

Revenge was a powerful motivator, but he didn't say that to Brax.

"I'm going to find her, and we'll find out. Did she say anything to you?"

"When I woke up, I was in a dark room and already bound. She waited until the silver had weakened me to start her spell. She didn't bother telling me why she was doing this to us."

There was a weak groan from one of the tents and a lot of pain in the air. His pack had been lucky that Layla had been around, or they would all have been in the same situation. Even Brax seemed weaker than he usually was.

"Are they recovering?" he asked.

"Not as well as you, but they're hanging in there. Your doctors were kind enough to give us some healing potions. We might be out of your hair in a day or two."

"I'd say take as long as you need, but it's dangerous to be out here. It was a big spell, so I'm hoping the witch is too weak to attack again now, but I don't want you to risk it."

She seemed to be getting desperate, and that wouldn't stop until she took Layla and the baby from him. He'd had enough people die in the crossfire.

"I've had to ask the Circle to help me with the wards around my territory, but we're going to head somewhere else."

Maybe the wards wouldn't work. But again, he kept that information to himself. All he had were assumptions that the wards had failed because of him, but he prayed to the Goddess that it was true. He hoped Brax would be safe wherever he went, but anywhere else was much safer than in the forest.

He hoped they wouldn't have to be away from their home for too long. If he got things right, the witch would die before she was strong enough to attack anyone else.

He was ready to head out when he saw Micah and some of his warriors walking back into the camp with Brax's men. They all lowered their heads before Micah spoke.

"We didn't find any tracks or scents to follow," Micah reported.

Brax growled and turned away. His frustration was evident.

"If I had been the only one to see it, I would have assumed the witch had messed with my mind and I was seeing things," Brax said. "But a red wolf was standing right in this spot."

"Did it threaten you?"

He had no idea why Rebecca would show herself in the first place when she was a master at staying hidden. She had to have a plan.

"No. It seemed to be just observing. I didn't sense any danger, but I wish it had stuck around to help us. Do you know how rare red wolves are?"

"How would it have helped you?" he asked.

"When I was a young lad, my father told me about a couple of red wolves who passed through and healed everyone who'd survived an attack. I always thought everything they told us about red wolves was fiction, but I need it to be true right now. There's something not right in the air, and if that wolf can get us back on our feet so we can move..."

"If the wolf doesn't want to be found, you won't find it. Maybe save your energy and prepare for your journey," he suggested. "I'll see you when I get back."

He nodded at the Alpha before walking out of their camp and heading to his destination. It was half a day's run if he didn't stop, so he would be back by nightfall if things went according to plan.

"Alpha."

"You can't come with me, Micah."

He'd known his Head Warrior's intentions the moment he had left the camp.

"You can't be out here alone," Micah insisted.

"I'll be fine. And I'd much rather have you protecting everyone else."

He stripped his clothes and growled in irritation when he heard Micah throw his clothes on the ground behind him.

"It's my duty to take care of you," Micah said stubbornly.

"It's the other way around, Micah. I have to take care of you," he sighed, knowing Micah would still follow. Rebecca's gift of masking herself would have been handy.

He shifted and gave Cain the lead. Every step he took further from Layla almost brought him to his knees, but Cain didn't turn back.

‘I have to hunt,' Cain responded to the unasked question. ‘I have to keep our family safe.'

He ignored the beast's words.

Cain kept his pace slower to make sure Micah kept up, and he even took more breaks than usual, which was surprising. By the time they came to the Shadow Moon territory, it was late afternoon, but he couldn't tell just by looking at the sky. The Shadow Moon pack had enjoyed living in the darkness, so their territory was deep in the forest.

He stopped in the shadows just before where their old, rusty gate hung uselessly on the pillars between the crumbled stone walls. He opened his senses to track any signs of life, but all he could scent were the wild animals that had reclaimed the land.

Micah crouched beside him. All the warriors were trained to endure much worse than the gruelling run, so he wasn't surprised that Micah wasn't too out of breath. But the mate bond had rendered him almost useless. Every part of him was aching to return to Layla instead of doing the job he had come to do.

‘Stay here,' he said through the mind link. ‘If anything happens to me, go back home.'

He crossed the dirt path that had become overgrown and walked through the broken gate. The signs of his destruction had already been covered by plant life, and he couldn't pick up any human scents. The whole settlement was like a scene out of a dystopian movie. Trees growing through the cracked asphalt, abandoned rusty vehicles, and houses with broken windows. It looked like the witch had also left the place. He was about to turn back when he caught something in the air. A relatively fresh human scent, though it was days old.

His excitement rose as he took a deep breath. It had to be the witch, and now he'd caught his first real lead. He wasn't surprised that she smelt like death, the same as the dark magic she relied on. Worse than several rogues put together.

He followed the scent to the middle of the settlement. He remembered fighting down the main road. It had been littered with dead wolves, and there was the sound of wailing all around him. And just up ahead, where the scent was leading him, was where he had killed the witch who'd cursed him.

There was no one there, yet he could sense eyes on him. The air was heavier the closer he got, and the scent was more pungent. There was some sort of wooden teepee structure that hadn't been there when he'd attacked the pack, and somebody had drawn some symbols in chalk around it. He didn't dare cross them.

Right in the middle was a shrine. Lit candles were around several pictures, but they were not flickering. Magic had probably been used to keep them burning. The biggest picture in the middle was the face he would never forget, the witch who had damned him, with her arm around a young woman. They looked so similar that they had to be related.

Mother and daughter.

Everything made more sense.

It was why the witch was so tenacious in her revenge. It wasn't just about avenging her pack; it was much more dangerous.

There were more symbols around the picture that he couldn't understand. He noted them so he could draw them for Diedre to explain.

Then below that was his picture with an ‘x' scratched across his face.

He didn't blame the witch for her strong feelings. He deserved it for what he had done. But he would take her down first before he made Layla and his child suffer for his actions.

‘Alpha, come quickly.'

He abandoned his inspection and sped through the settlement. Micah was still in the shadow of the trees, but his attention was somewhere behind him. And that scent.

It was fresher than the one he'd caught inside, but it was already burnt into his memory.

It was the witch.