“Six of them at the eastern border. The nearest Warriors are too far off, and I can sense a handful of Pups.” Maleah tells me, and I make a beeline for the eastern border. We can’t access the Pack’s mind-link, but I make sure I move close enough to a Warrior for Maleah to use her gift. He nods his head before his eyes glaze over.
I reach the Rogues before they can cross our border and see four very young Pups near a tree. My anger spikes when I realize there’s no adult around.
I stalk toward the Rogues, but their eyes are focused on the four Pups. The moment I release my aura, their attention shifts to me, and the fear is clear in their eyes. I growl as I move closer, noticing how one of them keeps glancing at the Pups.
“Pack-members are approaching.” Maleah tells me. I take a good look at my surroundings, wanting to make sure we can capture at least one of them. I know Maleah will take great pleasure in getting answers from him.
One of the Rogues tilts his head to the left as we hear the pounding of paws approaching. Our Warriors are still at a safe distance, which means Maleah can’t warn them about the Pups. We’ll have to hold them off until the others arrive.
I growl as one Rogue tries to move toward the Pups, but it isn’t until I release more of my aura that he backs up. At that moment, all six of them look behind me.
“The cavalry just arrived.” Maleah says mockingly as I notice the Rogues starting to back off.
“No way in hell. They’re mine.” I growl, telling Maleah to warn Dad about the Pups while I decide to take down their biggest member – clearly their leader.
“Dad, they’re after the Pups. Four of them are near the tree behind you.” I hear Maleah say as I lunge toward my target. He’s so baffled by my attack that I have him pinned to the ground in seconds, not even giving him a chance to react as I release even more of my aura.
My aura forces him to shift back to his human form, and I feel someone approaching from behind. “Fortune, I need to put cuffs on him. Can you step aside, dear?” I hear, followed by an aggressive growl.
“Shut it, Commander. I doubt she’d be interested,” I hear behind me and when I turn my head I look at a smirking Colter. But Commander doesn’t seem too pleased with what he said. I slowly back away from the Rogue as Colter steps forward, and I deliberately bump into Commander, forcing him to put his attention elsewhere.
I get a soft growl in response but I keep my eyes on the Rogue. I will take him down again if he tries anything and I follow the Warriors that drag him into the territory. Commander walks beside me, brushing against my side from time to time, and a part of me just wants to shove him away.
“If he felt the connection like you did, he just wants to make sure we’re okay. He’s a male, Fortune.” Maleah says, and even though I hate that he is so close, I decide to ignore him for the time being.
Commander’s p.o.v.
“I want to know where the Rogues are and where Maleah is. I want to have an update every few minutes.” I growl through the Pack’s mind-link, knowing no one in their right mind would ignore my demand.
I push myself to the limit because I need to be there if those Rogues cross our border. I need to protect Maleah and Fortune. Unlike me and most Pack-members, she never attended training – something Diego told us after she left the territory.
My heart is pounding in my chest whenever I hear one of the Warriors say that the Rogues are getting closer to the border and each time I hear her name I push myself even harder. I finally found the female I have a connection with, the one I could form a Mate-bond with, and I refuse to let some Rogues hurt her.
I hate that she can’t mind-link us, and I’ll ask Alpha Max why she was never initiated into the Pack. Being Wolfless doesn’t mean you’re useless or can’t use a mind-link, but I doubt she’d listen to anyone telling her to stand down.
I’m not close enough to see her clearly, but her violet-auburn fur tells me she’s out there. I growl when I smell the Rogues. They’re still near our border – most Rogues would have fled by now, but these six seem to be after something.
“I need Warriors to get to the tree behind me, there are four Pups there. Get them out of here, take them to the Pack-house.” I hear Timber, Diego’s Lycan, order through the mind-link. When I ask how he knew they were there, he answers: “Maleah seems to have another gift – she linked me.”
Now I’m certain Maleah comes from one of the purest bloodlines – something that will make her a target when this gets out. I want to rip a Rogue apart just to calm myself down.
The moment the Rogues step back, Fortune lunges for the biggest of them and even though a small part of me wants to close my eyes, I keep looking as she pins the Rogue to the ground. I feel her aura seep out as she forces him to shift to his Human form.
“Fuck, she’s amazing.” I hear Mack say. Though I wish she hadn’t been here in the first place, I’m proud of her. She moves back when my Father asks, and I growl softly as she bumps into me.
I walk beside her as we follow the Rogue and Warriors, her eyes locked on the captive. I chuckle when I feel her stiffen every time I brush along her side. Walking this close, I feel our connection strongly and I reach out to Fortune through it – something most Wolves and Lycans never experience: forming a bond with their Mate before their human forms do.
I feel her accepting my attempt to start our bond. Mack and Maleah will feel it forming the moment we shift back, but until then it is just something between me and Fortune. I stay close to her as we approach the dungeons – not a place for anyone but Warriors or assassins in our Pack. I wish I could tell her to go home, but I know she wouldn’t appreciate that.
She waits until the Warriors take the Rogue inside before turning to face me. To my surprise, she steps closer, pushing her head under my chin. I lower my head to bring her closer, enjoying this moment with my Mate, wondering where everyone else went or why Mack isn’t aware of what’s happening.
Truth be told, I don’t give a damn.
Maleah’s p.o.v.
I felt it the moment Commander reached out to Fortune. When I told her no one was around, she was still reluctant to accept it, but I assured her I would help hide it from Mack. Not that she doesn’t want him to know – she just wants a private moment with Commander. Knowing we’ll spend much more time together in human form, I’m willing to help her out.
I discovered this part of my ability to conceal Fortune a few years ago during a discussion with Pauline. If I concentrate hard enough, I can hide the presence of another’s Wolf or Lycan. They have to be standing really close to me, and Commander and Fortune are trying to snuggle into one another, which is more than close enough to use my ability.
Mack and I will feel the bond Commander and Fortune formed after we shift back. It might confuse him at first, and I may need to explain a few things. This will certainly make our meeting a lot more interesting – he’s going to become unbearably possessive and overprotective. I might have to test whether my aura is stronger than his.
Yeah, Mack will have the most problems with what I have to say and my Dad will be right behind him.
More Kickass Werewolf Reads
Dive into our collection of free werewolf romance novels—where fierce Alphas, daring heroines, and heart-stopping twists await. Every story burns with forbidden desire, loyalty, and destiny. Don’t wait—here’s a world where love bites hard and nothing is stronger than the call of the mate.
Leave a Reply