Chapter 6

I sit in silence as Alpha Mortlock fills me in on what's been happening over the past two months. Supernaturals are going missing. Witches, shifters, vampires, and even the fae haven't been spared. At first it started off small, some lone shifters or a renegade vampire that strayed too far from their nest disappearing, and then it got worse. Now bodies are starting to show up, but the bodies were only those of shifters. Mangled and mutilated, with the stink of magic in the air and runes carved into their carcasses. ASP, the Allied Supernatural Protectors, had been called in, but they don't seem too bothered. They're only interested in covering it up to stop the humans from noticing. This is causing unease in the shifter world. Various supernatural races are going missing, but shifters are dying, torture evident in the marks on their skin.

"What do the other supernatural races think?" I ask, disbelief obvious in my tone. Surely they can't be happy with their people disappearing? "It's only a matter of time before their bodies start showing up too."

"I spoke with Damon, so far, the only vampires to go missing were rogues, so they aren't taking action at the moment. In fact, the disappearances helped them out." Mortlock's tone shows his distaste at the actions of the Master Vampire .

Damon is in charge of the city's nest and is someone I've had the unfortunate experience of meeting. Yeah, I know, a vampire named Damon, more like Demon. Let's just say our interactions always end up with me threatening to kill him and just leave it at that. I shake my head, I shouldn't be surprised that Damon is revelling in a bit of death.

"What about the fae? The witches?" I ask, my throat tightening when I mention witches, Tori's face flashing in my mind like a beacon.

"The fae have gone underground and are refusing to talk to anyone, but so far, those who disappeared are wanderers, not belonging to any clan," Alex explains, his brow knotted in frustration. "The witches are also refusing to talk to us since Tori disappeared. They think she was taken because of her involvement with us."

Anger fuels me as I push up from my chair. "What? They're just using her as a scapegoat, they never cared for her. She wasn't part of any coven! They were afraid of her!" I exclaim, running my fingers through my abused hair. A thought comes to me, stilling my movements as I look over to the alpha.

"Wait. Could they be behind it? You said magic was involved." My thoughts run a hundred miles a minute, flashing through my brain as I try to piece this together. I remember Tori telling me that the last time she checked in with them, they threatened her, warning her that if she didn't join them that something bad would happen. Maybe they had finally done it. Besides, the only bodies showing up are shifters. Witches and shifters don't get on, and they make no effort to hide their dislike of us. My wolf stirs within me, finally making an appearance at the thought of Tori being taken. My eyes glow, and I feel my power rise as I get more worked up.

"Ari, those are very serious accusations. You can't say things like that without any proof. You could start a war. Besides, Tori isn't the only witch to go missing, others have too. Why would they harm their own?" Alpha Mortlock placates, but his voice is firm. Has he considered this as well?

I start to pace the room, my weary body protesting, but I need an outlet for my frustration before I do something stupid. None of this makes sense.

"The attacks on the shifters. Are they definitely related to the disappearances? Could this be Shadow Pack?" I ask. They wouldn't be beyond mauling innocent shifters to prove a point, especially after they lost what they wanted—me. When they took Garett, they had wards to stop me from leaving. Alpha Black said they bought them from a rogue, but I wouldn't put it past him to lie about that. Could they have a magic user helping them? Could it be that they're behind everything?

Mortlock sighs and runs a hand over his face, the frustration that Shadow Pack got away alive after they killed wolves here obviously wearing on him. Lena squeezes his hand in support, feeling the weight of his despair through their bond.

"There has been no sign of Shadow Pack since they took Garett, but it's a possibility."

"We think they're recuperating since you killed their alpha. We killed a lot of their wolves, so their numbers will be spread thin." Alex's eyes are trained on me as he says this, judging my reaction. Everyone has been toeing around the issue. It wasn't just the Shadow Pack Alpha that I killed, but my father. Does it make me heartless that I don't care? He had no right to call me daughter, he never cared for me as one, only as a weapon and a brood mare he could use.

"I've spoken with other alphas in the local area, they're all listening for word on the Shadow Pack. They know they're unstable, and since they attacked us unprovoked, the other packs are on alert. The bears, lions, and coyotes agree with us and are willing to help if we need it."

I take in the alpha's words, digesting them as I pace. "Help in what way? Will they fight? "

Mortlock looks around the room before his eyes meet mine. "At the moment, they're offering help with information and search parties only. But I think they would fight if we asked them to. I don't want to put strain on these newly formed relationships, we've only just started to work together." His words hold a warning. He would ask them to fight for us if we needed to, but only as a last resort.

I mull over everything that has been said before groaning and rubbing my hand across my face. God, my head hurts, and my arm is throbbing from the wound I got in the Shadow Realm. A large hand lands on my shoulder, and I lower my hand from my face and look up at Garett.

"Ari, come sit down. You're shaking." I look down at my body in surprise and see that he's right. A small tremor is running through my limbs. With a sigh, I allow him to lead me back to the chair I'd been sitting in. He moves to stand behind me and starts rubbing my shoulders, my muscles crying in relief as he works out the tension.

"So what about Tori? She's one of those who've disappeared?" I ask quietly, not sure I want to know the answer. Garett's hands still on my body, and I feel him sigh, the weight of her disappearance heavy on his shoulders. Walking around the chair to face me, he crouches so we're at eye level.

"We don't know for sure." I frown at his words. How can they not know? She's either missing or she isn't. I'm just about to ask this exact question when Garett puts a finger on my lips to silence me. "Let me finish. There's been no sign or contact from her for two weeks. I'd been speaking to her regularly with updates, and she'd been trying to find ways to get you back." He pauses to take a breath. "Last time I spoke with her, she thought she'd found someone who could help. I warned her not to trust anyone, but she waved off my concern. We haven't heard from her since. Both my pack and Moon River have sent out search parties, but there's nothing untoward and no signs of any magic like there've been at the other disappearance sites."

So either Tori has left of her own free will or we haven't found the place that she was taken from. I can tell the others are thinking the same thing from the grim expressions on their faces. Despite this, hope starts to grow inside me. Tori is one badass motherfucker and it would take a lot to overpower her, so maybe she's just holed up somewhere waiting for all this to blow over? Yeah right. Knowing Tori, she's right in the middle of the trouble, stirring up the fire!

I look up to meet Garett's eyes. "We need to find her, Garett." He nods solemnly at me, bringing his hand to my cheek.

"We will," he promises, and I trust him to keep his word. His expression is so earnest and pained that I want to kiss the lines of tension from his face. I lean forward to do just that when Alpha Morlock's voice calls my attention.

"Ari. We're having a pack run tonight, do you think you will be strong enough to attend? We could use something good to celebrate, and it will really please the pack if you could come."

"Are you ready?" Alex pokes his head around the door to my room. It's starting to get a little cramped with all four guys in here with me. Alex had left with the alpha after our meeting to take care of pack business, but the other three hadn't left my side since I woke up earlier. They even tried to come into the bathroom with me when I went for a soak in the bath.

I hadn't minded too much, trying to be understanding that they'd been really worried while I was in the Shadow Realm, but I put my foot down at that. I spent an hour trying to soak the numb feeling of the Shadow Realm from my body, but it still clings to me like a second skin. I felt it tugging at me, calling me back, but I focused on the light within me, still shining bright and keeping me here in the real world.

I nod and stand, my little posse doing the same, circling around me protectively. I sigh. They're going to have to get over this little insecurity before I go mad. I'm so used to being on my own that this feels stifling. Seb seems to understand and throws a meaningful look at Killian and Garett, before following Alex from the room. I can hear Seb chattering away, which makes me smile, grateful for the distraction. Garett sighs and comes to stand in front of me, pulling me to his chest. I automatically wrap my arms around his large frame in return, savouring this feeling of safety.

"I have to go, a bear has no place at a pack run." I'm about to protest when he shakes his head, a small smile on his face. "Before you get all indignant, I was invited, but I know it wouldn't be right. Besides, I should check in with my own pack, the alpha wants to see me." He lowers his face to mine and places a gentle kiss on my lips. I'm sure if Killian wasn't in the room, things would've gone further, but Garett isn't the kind to rub his affections for me in another man's face. Another reason why I love him.

Love. Huh, it's a funny concept being in love with someone. I meant it then and I mean it now, but I don't really know what that makes us or where we go from here. I guess that's a conversation that I have to look forward to…

I say my goodbyes to Garett and make my way downstairs. Killian follows broodily behind me. He's barely spoken to me since I woke up, but I can always feel his eyes on me. He's been favouring his other hand since his little outburst in the communal room downstairs earlier. I found out from Garett that when I was explaining everything that happened, he had lost his temper and punched the wall. When I asked why he did it, Garett and Seb shared a look and told me I would have to ask Killian.

Walking in silence, I glance over my shoulder and see him staring at me. I sigh and come to a stop at the bottom of the stairs, turning to glare at him .

"Are you mad at me for something?" I ask, placing my hands on my hips. His eyes narrow at my challenging words, and he bares his teeth at me in a snarl.

"Yes, I am." I take a step back from the venom in his tone before snarling right back at him, but this doesn't put him off. "You're reckless and impulsive. Do you have any idea what it would've been like for us if we lost you? And the fact that you think you deserved going to that hellish place?" He cuts off his words as I see him struggling with control over his wolf, the alpha power in the room stifling.

"But I'm Shadowborn, you hate us. You told me that yourself. You don't hate me, just what I am." I remind him of our conversation, of the issues he has accepting that we are fated mates, a true mated pair.

"And I told you that you are nothing like them. You were forced to do bad things by evil people. That doesn't make you bad. I've come to realise that." He takes a deep breath, his eyes running over my face. "You know how I told you that a Shadowborn killed my mate?" I still at his words, wondering what he is going to tell me, but nod anyway. "He had another wolf working with him, he was a sick, twisted bastard who enjoyed causing pain. Do you remember the wolf that killed Gloria, the grey one with the scar? The same one that attacked you before you came here?" Dread lines my stomach as he speaks, and I start to shake my head as two and two come together. "That was the wolf that attacked me, stopping me from getting to my mate. He scarred me to match him, so every day when I look in the mirror, I'm reminded of him and what he did."

We are both silent as the implications of what he's saying settles over me.

"Shadow Pack was behind the attack on your pack." It's not a question, but he nods anyway.

"Guys, are you coming?" Seb runs back into the house and comes to an abrupt halt when he sees us. "Oh… Um, awkward."

I roll my eyes at him and wait to see what Killian is going to do next. He rolls his shoulders and walks out of the door towards the woods. I stand unsure for a moment, before Seb and I follow him out. His admissions have me reeling, the implications of what he's saying are huge. I try to shake off the gloom of his revelation, I need to focus on the pack run.

Alex and Seb had tried to explain the pack run to me earlier, and while I had never been part of one, I had heard of them. It's a chance for the whole pack to come together and shift, running in the woods as a pack. Those who are ill, old, or pups, stay behind with a few of the pack protectors to keep them safe, but all others are expected to be present. It's an honour for a non-pack member to attend, so it's a big deal that both Garett and I were invited, especially seeing as Garett isn't even a wolf. I expressed my concerns about shifting. I struggled before, but now that my wolf is so quiet, I'm worried it will be even harder. Alex assured me that with the amount of power being raised from the whole pack shifting, I would find it hard not to shift.

The walk into the forest is quiet, but the farther we get, the more people we start to see with happy smiles on their faces, and a couple call out to us, waving and wishing us well. We enter a clearing where most of the pack is gathered, and excited murmurs fill the air as people greet family and friends. Several come over to us and ask how I'm doing, which humbles me. The alpha catches my eye, and if by some unspoken cue, the pack turns to look at him, a hush falling across the clearing.

"Tonight, we celebrate by coming together. This is the first pack run since we lost some of our own, but we will not let those heinous acts turn us towards hatred. Tonight, we honour those we have lost and celebrate those who are still with us." His eyes fall on me as he gives me a small smile. His gaze quickly moves away, but many people notice and turn to look at me, their own smiles lighting up their faces as they realise I'm here.

Without any further words, the alpha turns to his mate and they begin undressing each other. I look away only to see that many other couples are undressing each other too. Some are undressing themselves or little children, but I turn and see Killian staring at me. Not wanting him to get any ideas, I start to remove my clothes, fully aware of three sets of eyes trained on my exposed flesh. In my attempt to avoid looking at the guys, my eyes fall on a woman with three males all removing her clothing. No one seems to be batting an eyelid at the fact she has three males, so perhaps Gloria was right. The looks of adoration on their faces as they undress each other is intimate, and I look away, feeling guilty for intruding on their moment. A little part of me whispers that I looked away because I was jealous. I squash that voice.

Before she was killed, Gloria pulled me aside to give me some advice. I'd been conflicted about caring for so many people, especially after trying to avoid those type of feelings my entire life. She had seen how these feelings were tearing me apart and told me there was nothing to be ashamed of by loving multiple people. I am only just starting to accept that mindset, but it's still difficult for me to get used to.

I keep my undone shirt around me like a shield until the last moment, letting it flutter to the ground as I drop to my knees, calling my wolf to the surface. Eyes closed, I focus on where she resides within me. She seems distant, and I fight to pull her forward. I startle as I feel a hand on my shoulder, but I keep my eyes closed when I hear his voice.

"Stop fighting. Let go, she will come." Killian's tone is deep and rough, his wolf close to the surface, making him sound more beast than man. He's right though, and his nearness calls to my wolf. I take a deep breath and think back to when I had changed in these woods with Alex, how freeing it felt to give up my control to my wolf. It was difficult, the associations with my wolf had always been bad, and I had hidden that part of me for so long, only giving into my wolf impulses when I had to, that giving letting it happen willingly was hard.

The air fills with an unearthly power that has the hairs on my arms rising, and Alex was right, it pulls at my wolf, waking her fully and calling her to the surface. I drop my barriers and let her take control. For the first time, the change doesn't hurt, and with the guys around me, it feels like coming home.

The world always looks different from this angle, the sights sharper and the smells stronger. I look around and find that I'm surrounded by wolves of all different colours. Funnily enough, even though I've never seen most of them in their wolf form, I still recognise them. So when a small, ash coloured wolf comes charging towards me, yipping in excitement, I know it's Jessica. I crouch down into a playful position and let her tackle me to the ground, giving her wolfy kisses as I do. I hadn't realised how much I missed her, and I'm glad to see that she's just as playful as I remembered.

A wolfy snort brings my head around to see Killian's large, white wolf choking—no, laughing. Huh. I didn't know he could do that. I then realise he's laughing at me. Right. My wolf narrows her eyes, and we leap forward, barging our shoulder into him so he stumbles. It's my turn to start snort-laughing. I hadn't realised he would stumble, he's usually so collected and together that I assumed he would move out of the way. He gives me a playful growl before swatting at me with his front paw. I dodge it and run around to his other side, bumping into his other shoulder. As we continue to play, a feeling of elation fills me. Last time I shifted with Alex, my wolf had taken over and I had let her. This time it's different, we work together, there's no fighting for dominance, we are simply whole. It's harder staying away from Killian in this form, the bond is almost like a tether, pulling me towards him, begging me to accept it.

Seb and Jessica are playing together right next to us, and Alex trots over now that his beta duties are completed. He comes straight over to me, moving his muzzle to my shoulder like he's breathing me in, before pressing our foreheads together in greeting. I may be new to the whole wolf gathering thing, but this seems awfully familiar of Alex, like the greeting of a lover rather than a friend. I might have expected it from him if it was just the two of us, but with the pack around us, it's more of a statement.

A bark from the alpha has our ears perking up, and as one, we start to run. The forest is full of the sound of howls and footsteps as we take off. I look around me and notice all the happy faces, even Killian looks happy in his wolf form. Seb is joking around and playing tricks on us, like the Seb from before, and Alex looks comfortable in his wolf skin, the only thing missing is Garett. Several members of the pack run up to me, brushing up against my side in greeting, and I race alongside them. I don't know how long we are out there for, but my heart is full of emotions I don't have names for, and I think I finally understand what it would mean to be part of a pack.