Bound to My Mate Ch. 13

'Joel,' I called, 'they are after our females. You have to stop them.'

'Get back to the den, you are out matched. I know they are after females,' he sent back sounding irate.

To hell with him, I thought as I barreled into the slower wolf ahead of me. He dropped the female and tried to come around to face me. I tore out his throat before he could even start to change direction.

Something sharp and painful hit me from behind and I turned to see the five had caught up to us. The fastest one of them had sunk his teeth into my hind leg. The others surrounded me and prepared to attack.

Despite the pain I shifted back to the hybrid form and used my hands to disengage my opponent. Before I threw him off of me completely I shoved my sharp claws into his chest and tore at his heart.

I battled with the remaining four wolves and killed one more before reinforcements showed up. Joel barreled into the scene and executed two of the remaining wolves. He damaged the other one severely and threw the body to his Betas.

'Take that one to the holding cells in the den. I want him alive for questions,' he told the wolves behind him.

I was inching away from him to go follow the other wolf that had had a female.

'We were watching their get away vehicles. She is fine and he is dead. Explain to me what part of, go to the secure room, confused you,' he said loudly in my head stalking toward me.

My wolven half had had enough of defying him. I really didn't want him mad at me, so I dropped down and exposed my belly to him. He completely ignored the gesture and came up to look me in the eye.

'In light of the fact you don't listen to me, ever, your submission is not accepted. What part of my direction confused you?' he asked again.

'I'm not a child and I don't like to be told to go sit with the children,' I told him honestly. 'You expect me to continue to act like the weak human female you originally met. I want to be part of this, I am strong, and I want to help. I will not sit at the side lines while you take all the real assignments.'

The Betas he had brought were watching us skeptically. Joel still looked angry and he had never stopped growling at me. In addition, he had ignored my obvious submission, which was strange. They knew something was up.

He stalked away from me toward the nearly kidnapped Omega and I rolled to sit up. I rose stiffly, my back leg still ached from the bite. Joel sniffed at the girl and licked her across the face, probably trying to wake her. The pain in my leg was forgotten when he sat down groggily beside her.

I approached Joel and his eyes looked clouded. Pushing into his mind was like wading into mud and I was couldn't connect to him. He was so tired all I got when I moved into his mind was a blank space.

'Nate, the spell on the girls is still active. When they get that other girl to the den wash her off immediately. Nobody lick her, understood?' I ordered, seeking out Joel's second with my mind.

I heard as Nate alerted everyone in the pack about the spell. From the way he was talking it was several girls that were being returned, not just the one.

'Joel, stay awake,' I ordered wondering if he could hear me.

Joel just stared at me. He was ready to lay down and go to sleep was the feeling I got watching him.

I barked at him loudly to get his attention. He woke up a little and looked back at me as his eyes started to shut again.

'Get up,' I ordered nudging his backside with my nose. 'We are going back to the den. Get up or I will have them carry you like a baby. Do you want that?' I threatened.

The threat seemed effective and Joel rose to his feet unsteadily. We made our way slowly back to the den. I pushed, yipped, and nipped to keep him moving. Joel passed out once we made it into the front doors. He fell heavily down on the marble floor and went sound asleep.

A large silver wolf approached eyeing Joel. I recognized Nate and was glad to see him.

'Nate, we stay on alert until Alpha Latro wakes up. Do we have an accurate count from downstairs?'

'We got everyone back that was taken, Madam. The thieves we didn't kill have been placed into the holding cells. The kidnap victims were all knocked out by a spell. We sent all of them to the secure room with the healer,' he said watching Joel on the floor.

'Can we move him somewhere safer, that isn't the secure room?' I asked.

Joel's current position left him exposed, I wasn't sure the attack was over. I didn't want to put him in with the Omegas, women, and children. Seeing him knocked out like this may scare them.

'We still have an empty holding cell,' Nate said thoughtfully.

It took three hybrid warriors to lift Joel and move him downstairs. I had the healer come and check on him and she said he was fine.

"You are a doctor, Madam," she said to me. "You know he is just asleep. The potion just needs to wear off. These new spells are very powerful," she mused, "I will have to study them."

I had shifted to a human form so I could fit in the room while she examined Joel.

"Damn it," I cursed, "I didn't tell them to get a sample before they washed the girls off."

"They were brought to me for care and I took samples, Madam Alpha," the healer said bowing slightly.

I was impressed with her forethought and told her so. She seemed happy to be complimented.

"It is my honor to serve my pack to my highest ability," she said turning out of the room.

I would have been happy to sit and watch Joel, but Nate was standing expectantly at the door when the healer left. With Joel down for the count, I was quite suddenly in charge.

"What do we do, Madam?" he asked watching me.

I thought for a moment and wondered what my mate would do in this circumstance.

"The Warriors all need to be in the wolf or the hybrid form so we can communicate. Let's get to the security center and organize from there," I said throwing one last glance back at Joel.

Nate locked Joel in and we both shifted into our hybrid forms as we walked down the hall.

'What do you all usually do with creeps that break into the den,' I asked Nate.

'Torture them until they tell us what we want to know and then kill them,' he answered.

'Who usually does the questioning?' I asked.

'Alpha Latro, myself, and a wolf named Donavan are the best at getting information without killing them too quickly,' he told me.

We were up on the main level now and I looked outside to see the warriors dragging the remains of at least twenty dead wolves toward the circle. There was also the man I recognized from the Omega's bedroom.

'We will burn them, Madam,' Nate told me.

'What pack are they from?' I asked him.

'We don't know yet, but they are probably rogues trying to start their own pack. They were kidnapping wolves just old enough to breed. By the way, they aren't all wolves, the one that looks human is a witch. That's very odd, Madam. I've never seen a witch or a human involved in a raid.'

My feet took me outside for a closer look and Nate followed. I wondered what would prompt a witch to involve themselves in a raid on a were wolf compound. His skills had obviously been useful, but the risk was enormous. The wolves stopped dragging the dead and let me inspect.

I smelled the witch they were dragging. He smelled like sickness and death. The scent clung to his skin like it had been there a long time. I stood there trying to understand why he smelled so rank.

'Didn't you all just kill this man?' I sent the question out to the entire group.

Another voice requested entry into my head and I allowed it. I recognized Lucas's voice, as the large black wolf approached submissively from several feet away.

'I killed the witch, Madam. It was less than an hour ago that I tore out his throat. He was hurling spells at me. One of them injured my shoulder when I didn't move fast enough and some of it touched me.'

'Is that normal?' I asked curiously.

'No, Madam, I have been away for some time, but those spells are quite rare. The others warriors I have asked told me they had never seen anything like this before,' Lucas said and turned to show me a burned looking area on his shoulder. The fur was gone and the flesh was eaten away. I could just see muscle in the wound.

'The healer should see you Lucas,' I thought to him.

'I wish to serve you, Madam. I do not want to be locked up downstairs. My last century has been spent not serving my pack; I want to make up for it,' Lucas said hanging his head.

'If you start to feel sick you will go to her right away. That is an order, Lucas,' I said turning my attention back to the dead man.

I heard Lucas's happy response in my mind, but my attention was now on the corpse before me. He absolutely reeked. It was like he had rolled through a cemetery to get here. I'd never been so displeased to have a wolf's sense of smell.

His arm flopped out when I touched it with my nose and suddenly I understood. Track marks ran up and down his forearm. I nudged his mouth open and saw the yellowed remains of his teeth. He was probably a meth addict.

'Can witches get addicted to the same things humans do?' I asked Nate.

'Any of us could,' Nate told me, 'we all have part of us that is human. With us, I know that such a thing would be possible, but the quantities needed would be much larger. I imagine it would be the same for the witches. We could ask Anthony when he wakes up, he worked for the human DEA for a long time. He would know better than I would.'

'We need to know more about this man before you destroy his body,' I told Nate. 'I want to know why a drug addicted witch is mixed up with a group of rogues capturing breeding wolves,' I ordered.

This was odd, I could feel it. The wolves around me seemed uncomfortable also.

I stood thinking for a moment and had a horrible thought. 'Do the other packs know this happened, yet?' I asked Nate. 'This may be bigger than it seems.'

'Will,' Nate called turning to face the den, 'the Madam Alpha wishes the other packs to be alerted to the danger. You know them, it would be appropriate for you to make the calls. I will verify with the Madam Alpha this is what she wants.'

As Will came running out I realized I could hear everything going on in Nate's head. I was fairly certain that was rude.

'Nate, I apologize, I think I'm in your head-' I started to say and he barked a laugh.

'You are my Alpha and it is appropriate for you to be in anyone's head you wish to be right now. If we feel you push in, we will not resist. It is our honor to serve you, Madam,' Nate said humbly. 'May Will make the calls you requested? He is acquainted with the heads of the other packs, already.'

It was obvious to me who needed to be in charge here. Nate had a much better grasp of what was going on. It amazed me how much he hated to be left in the Alpha role. I would just have to use Nate as an advisor.

'Yes, Will, please call them. Tell them about the spell used on Lucas, as well as, the other ones we've come across today,' I ordered.

'And what do I say when they ask why Alpha Latro isn't making the calls? At home, my father always would have made those sorts of calls,' Will asked shifting on his four feet nervously.

I thanked Luna Will had chosen to stay with us for a time. His experience right now would be invaluable.

Will had originally been sent to watch me when I was still a human. His father was an Alpha in another pack. Will's job with me was done, but he stayed here for the experience.

He liked the way he was held responsible by my mate. Will did his required rotations for medical school in the local hospital. In the den he had responsibilities like any other Beta. Will told me he felt the experience of truly being a Beta would make him a better Alpha when it came time.

Now I needed to know how the Alphas interacted normally, so I didn't mess this up too badly. None of them knew me, yet, so it seemed I probably shouldn't make the calls.

'Alpha Latro is down with the thieves now. He will call them himself when he has more than a warning to share with them,' I told Will.

Will and Nate both let out a sound that could easily be construed as laughing before Will loped into the den.

'Very nice, Madam Alpha,' Nate commented to me. After that we inspected all the bodies carefully. Anthony was still knocked out, but there were several other pack members in law enforcement. They gathered their tools to examine the bodies and try to find out where the kidnappers came from.

Once everything was examined the bodies were piled in the forest. There would be a bonfire to destroy the remains later. A permit for a 'controlled burn' was quickly obtained so no nosy humans would come check on the smoke rising from our land.

With Nate's help I set up teams to search the den thoroughly and make sure we hadn't missed anyone. The Warriors searched every room and every crevice in every room. They found two more wolves hiding and dispatched them quickly.

The interrogation of the prisoners downstairs was put off. The wolf named Donovan and Nate were confident they could get whatever information I wanted. I just wasn't sure what questions to ask. The prisoners would be left to await their fate until my mate was well enough to do it properly.

The victims of the kidnapping and Anthony were all still out cold. The healer checked them frequently, but they weren't giving any signs of waking. She told us she would let us know if they did start to wake up.

Hours passed slowly, but the wolves didn't let up their vigil. They seemed content to stay on alert. I stayed as my large white wolf pacing in the security center.

My back leg was still throbbing with every step, but I was more worried about doing a good job. Nate told me Joel probably would have the den on lockdown until the thieves had been questioned and destroyed.

'The people in the secure room, what do they do about eating and peeing?' I asked.

'That room is meant to house them for weeks at a time,' Nate told me. 'Life for us used to be much more dangerous. We had attacks like this all the time. Things became much calmer in the last century. The pack leaders work together and agree on their borders. Rogues are destroyed quickly. We've kept the same measures in place in case we needed them, though.'

My conversation with Nate was interrupted by a hair raising howl that arose from the depths of the den. I felt Joel push into my mind and quickly check me for injury. I still jumped when his outraged voice boomed into my mind demanding to be let out of his cell. He threatened to tear the door down.

Shifting into my hybrid form I grabbed the key off the table and bolted downstairs with Nate following behind me.

'Joel, be patient, I'm coming,' I called out to him.

All I got back was a flow of anger. He was mad, so frustrated at passing out and sleeping. His pack needed him and he did not protect them. That the rogues had managed to do this to him was infuriating.

As we got into the basement I heard the shredding of metal as Joel's claws cut through the steel door. Those rooms were never meant to contain an Alpha apparently.

The door hit the opposite wall as a livid black wolf man stepped out and turned to stare at us. Nate dropped and showed his stomach beside me, which was a feat in the small hallway we were in. The rage coming from Joel was like nothing I had felt before.

Joel stood glaring ahead for a moment. Dropping into the form of his wolf he let out another ear splitting howl. That sound was meant to call his pack and galvanize his warriors.

My wolf responded to the call. I dropped onto all four paws and walked toward him. My voice rang in the tiny hall as Nate and I responded in kind.

Joel was salivating he was so upset. His face was held so his vicious teeth were clearly visible and a low growl just resonated in his chest. I'd never seen him like this before, this uncontrolled and angry. The emotion seemed to radiate off him in waves.

Joel came forward and sniffed me completely. His inspection of my wounded leg was the last thing. His rough tongue came out and licked persistently at the most tender part. I wanted to tell him that wasn't helping and it still hurt. Thankfully he stopped and came to stand by my head.

His breathing was calmer now and he wasn't growling. Joel was just rubbing his snout across my neck as I heard his voice gently in my head.

'Love, sometimes when a wolf bites really hard the tooth breaks off. Have you ever heard of that?'

'I know it happens with cats more often than dogs,' I told him thinking back on my medical training.

'The wolf that bit you left his tooth in the wound. I imagine it is still very painful. I will call the healer to have it removed. The pain will stop once the offending object is gone,' he told me and licked at the corner of my mouth.

Joel's next thought was directed to everyone. 'Warriors, convene in front of the den in thirty minutes. Keep a patrol on the inside perimeter.'

He walked out of basement with Nate and I following. I was so relieved he was okay. My nose nearly hit his backside when he stopped in the main hall.

'It would be more appropriate for my mate to walk beside me, not beside my Beta,' he called softly.

I ran my body up the side of his as I took my place next to him. His smell was comforting and I wanted to be covered in it.

'How long was I out?' he asked as we made our way to the front of the den.

'Several hours,' I told him, 'I didn't want to lock you up, but I wanted to put you somewhere safe in case of another attack.'

'It was a good idea. I just woke up...disgruntled,' he thought. 'Tell me what else you did.'

I told him what I had done, which wasn't much, but he seemed pleased. He appreciated my concern about why the witch was involved in a raid. He barked a laugh when I told him what Will had told the other pack leaders.

'Thank you for your concern, but they'll know something was up,' he said. 'I never stick my underlings with calling them. Will was a good choice, though. He has a relationship with them. They would not have known who you were if you had called. I should have introduced you sooner.'

'It has been a busy time,' I shrugged as we walked outside.

'Not like you'll get to meet them now,' he grumbled. 'Nobody's going to be leaving their pack for social calls. The rogues are bad enough when they don't have the benefit of magical interference.'

While we waited for everyone to get to the front of the den the healer came from downstairs to see me. Using a scalpel she removed the tooth from my back leg. Having it removed was excruciating, the tissue had tried to heal around it already.

My wolf wanted to turn and tear the healer's arms off for hurting me. The pack's warriors were all showing up, so I didn't make a sound as she dug the offending object out. I did my best to control my beast and let the healer work.

Being still while the healer dug around was difficult. Joel kept telling me I could go inside and she could do it, but I didn't want to leave him. I lay quietly and stared at the forest. Once she had it out I breathed a sigh of relief; it felt better already.

"You know it makes it more difficult to work when you shift in the middle of it," the healer told me matter of factly.

I looked down at my body and was surprised to see a human form.

"Your wolf wanted to attack who ever was hurting you and you forced the instinct down, am I right?" Joel asked leaning over me in his human form.

I sat up on the concrete and moved my leg. For the first time in hours it didn't throb with every little twitch.

"I wanted to rip off the healer's arms, no offense intended, Sarah," I told the healer feeling guilty.

"Oh, I've gotten plenty fast over the years. Although having seen you move I probably should have had Alpha Latro hold you down. I doubt I'd manage to get out of your way quickly enough," she said a slight frown marring her features. "I would have stopped her, Sarah. I wouldn't let my mate hurt you," Joel promised.