The Reluctant Mate

Porter

“I’ve got her scent,” Lee nearly shouted through the link.

In a split second my claws dug into the earth and I was going a different direction, dodging trees and breaking through the underbrush like it wasn’t even there. I knew roughly where he was so I turned in that direction. It only took me a minute to find his scent, and then I found him standing just inside the tree line of a clearing.

There was a house, and he was watching it.

“There’re two human guards.”

“Human?”

“I don’t know what to do with humans,” Lee said, pacing around. “Alpha?”

I interrupted before Jason could say anything ridiculous like we couldn’t harm humans or something. Keeping the supernatural world secret was secondary to Amanda’s safety. These weren’t innocent mundane humans, these were humans who had threatened one of our own. “We’re going in there to get her out.”

“Of course we are, Beta, but we need a plan.” Jason’s tone was more stern than usual, and it forced my wolf to calm down.

“I have a plan. I’m going to kill them all.”

“Well that’s one possible plan,” Krystal said as she and Jason trotted up to me. “Even if it’s not a great starting point.”

Jason nodded. “Krystal, check what they’ve got for weapons.”

She didn’t question him, but trotted out of the woods casually, as if she were in no particular hurry. She was a good choice, because she was the smallest of the three of us and therefore the most like a wild wolf. Jason wasn’t stupid, I reminded myself in an effort to keep a hold of my own instincts.

A moment later, I heard one of the guards yell to the other, “There’s a wolf here.”

“A wolf? So what? We’re in the middle of the wilderness, wolves are a part of that. Ignore it. One wolf isn’t going to hurt you. They’re not as dangerous as everyone thinks.”

“But, it’s walking towards me!” the coward sounded, like he was very much going to piss himself.

“Just scare it away.”

“We’re already yelling, and it’s still approaching!”

“Maybe it has rabies. Whatever, shoot it.”

“But...”

“But nothing.”

A third voice from inside the house joined in the yelling, an unfamiliar man’s voice. After I ripped him to pieces maybe I’d put his face back together and figure out his identity like a puzzle. “What do you two think I’m paying you for? Shut the hell up and do your damn jobs!”

“But there’s a wolf and it’s acting strange.”

“Then just fucking deal with it.” He sounded kind of like a whiny pansy. He’d be less whiny when he was dead.

“Be careful, Krystal,” Jason said.

She just chuckled. “Don’t worry about me. They think I’m a normal wolf. As if any wolf is this big. Stupid city humans. Besides, the odds of them getting a killing shot without silver is slim to nil.”

“It’s coming closer!” The guard looked like he was ready to piss himself, holding his gun up towards Krystal.

“Looks like goon number one has a gun, but not much else, especially upstairs.” Krystal stopped approaching the one who was freaking out and trotted around the side of the house. “And number two is about the same. He’s the more calm and smart one and also probably the more dangerous. He’s just watching me.”

She trotted back into the forest on the other side and a few moments later rejoined us. “I think they’re both completely mundane, and if the one who took her thinks that’s enough, then he probably is, too. They’re pretty much zero threat to us. The only one I’m worried about is Amanda.”

Jason paused. “Normally I’d say we should find a way in without tipping them off, but I’m more worried about her safety than secrecy. Will she be in more danger if we just rush in there?”

If only she had the link, I could let her know that we were here without tipping whoever took her off and find out how much risk she was in. I regretted how hard I had tried to be patient.

“If we could hold off until dark—”

Jason was cut off by the muffled sound of Amanda’s scream, scared and angry, I recognized it well.

And I wasn’t waiting any longer.