11

Mika heard the wails and scream of a woman inside. They'd followed the wolf's scent, the delicious scent of flowers and crisp water lead right up to this cabin and she was in there being tortured. He could nearly taste the blood from outside. Anger rushed through him. *How dare this human torture my mate!* he roared! He was seeing red as he broke through the wooden door. A woman was tied to the wooden table her leg showed signs of fresh blood. Movement caught his attention a lean woman with blond hair stood facing him. Determination edged in her face. Two small flashes let him know she had armed herself with blades. As much as he wanted nothing more than to tear the person causing his mate pain limb from limb he thought better to feel the breath leave their throat in his bare hands. He shifted to his human form, his muscles rippling as he was barely containing his anger and rage. Theo and Devion flank his side remaining in their wolf form cutting off any escape should they try.
"Back up wolf!" she ordered. A small edge of fear in her voice, but Mika could tell she had bravery. *No it wasn't bravery but stupidity for a human to stand against a werewolf .* Mika growled as the little female backed up to the one tied down." You can't have her." she warned.
"Back away or I will eat you little one." he growled. "Fuck you dog!" she snapped. *The insolent little fucker!* he thought," Girl, when the big bad wolf says move, you fucking move!" he roared as he lunged to move her away from his prize. Theo advanced ever so slowly around to the head of the table. Mika was surprised she did not move, instead he felt a searing heat against his abdominal. He growled ignoring the pain, towering over the now tiny girl. "I said no!" she snapped back. Unmoving. That's when Mika noticed something was off. He was closer to the woman on the table he could smell her- her wolf's scent. He started smelling around the room but keeping one eye on the little fighter. But that was when he realized that the female wolf's scent was not the magnolia and crisp water. He looked confused and then down at her, “It’s you!" his jaw dropped. Bending his face closer to her taking a long breath of her. She was showing clear confusion unsure if she should gut him now or run. “Mate!" he breathed. That stopped Theo and Devion in their tracks. they knew what this meant. They would need to deescalate this now. "The hell you say!" she screamed, the next thing Mika knew he was seeing stars as everything went black.

When Mika was able to see clearly again he saw the situation had not gotten much better. Devion was guarding him from above.*Dude get your wolf cock out of my face!* he groaned as his first image was not the face of his mate but his beta's cock and balls. Mika reached down to his stomach, there had been a burn there from where the little minx had branded him, but he knew his wolf was already healing the flesh. Sh ehad not pierced him only laid the blade agains this flesh. A warning. Devion done as he was told still keeping a glaring watch on the little female his prince called mate. Mika got to his feet rubbing his temple. She held up her weapons again, her eyes looking wild now. "Hold on, hold on. Let's talk this out before I see stars again.' Groans from the female behind brought his attention back to the others in the room. "Mika this isn't good.' Theo said looking over the female. "I can help her if you will let me." Theo looked at Mika first, and then directed the request to the human in the room. "You will tell me who the hell you are before you touch her!" she snapped.
Mika was impressed, she knew she was out matched but was willing to lay down to protect this woman. Not to mention she had a good arm. He chuckled darkly to himself. "I am Prince Mika, son to the alpha from the Southern Crimson pack. We are searching for a group we were to escort back to our lands. We believe she is one of ours." He straighten himself up, appearing to make the room smaller and everything gravitate toward him. Ari was highly aware of every inch of him. But it was his eyes that pierced her, she could feel him searching.
"Look I need to check her out please." Theo asked urgency in his voice. She bite her bottom lip, uncertain if the girl would allow them. Were they really who they said they were or were they from her previous home coming to collect her and the baby? "I swear I will not harm her or the baby." he pleaded. She nodded watching him like a hawk as he examined her pupils, her gums, and then moved straight to her wound. After several painstaking minutes Theo looked up from his patient. “You cleaned the wound well. I see you removed all the dead and infected flesh. Hand me the aloe plant the witch gave you please." He reached out and Ari handed him the prickly long green plant. He squeezed the clear liquid onto her wound rubbing it gently making the blood clot in its gel. "Will she be ok?" asked Ari, her adrenaline rush fading. "yes I think in a day or so she will be fine. She will require more of the herbal tea, and will need a lot of rest. She can not be moved for a short time Mika. The track could kill her, or throw her into labor."
"We can hold off to allow her wolf to heal her." Mika replied authority thick in his tone. "Wolf? She's a wolf?!" the girl gasped. It all made sense now,*She was the wolf in the trap!* Ari thought. She looked down at her patient. "I am sorry I couldn’t help him too." Her heart hurt. This child would come into this world with out its father now. She knew it was not her fault, but that did not stop the guilt from slipping in.
It was then that Ari became highly aware that she was in a room with three very large men who were not clothed. Her cheeks turned bright red and she averted her eyes. Mika noticed and growled at the other men,*Go dress!* They filed out of the cabin to return a few short moments later with pants and shirts on. "I'd like to know who hit me so well if you don't mind. Unless you like being called girl?" Mika said as he entered buttoning up but leaving the top two undone. “Ari, Arianna, of the human settlement off the southwest coast." she said matter of factly.
Mika smirked, his grin catching Ari off guard making her stomach do a weird flip. "Nice to meet you Ari."
To keep from looking like a fool Ari redirected the conversation, "Ok I am going to need someone to explain to me exactly what's going on." She said calmy, but in truth she was trying to hold back confusion, anger, fear, and guilt.
Mika stepped forward, “My name is Mika as I have said, this is my delta Devion and Theo. We had been sent out on a mission to collect a group of wolves to return back to our village. We got word a little over a week ago now that they would need an escort. We were expecting 5. No one said anything about a human traveling with them."
" I wasn't." she whispered. " I ran in to her," she nodded her head to the woman resting on the table." the other day. I knew she needed help. She'd told me she thought her group would be in Silver Mines. I tried to get her there but," she waved her hand," this was as far as we got." Mika nodded. "Did she said why she had been separated?"
Ari explained to him only what Talia had told her. She did tell him about the wolves she found in the woods, which now she knew was really Talia and Matt. She did not mention what Talia shared about her old pack. That was her business not Ari's and she didn't want to get into wolf business.
"How did you find us?" Ari asked genuinely interested.
"When we came into the settlement we could only smell one wolf's scent. We tracked it to this cabin. So we know the other's haven’t made it there yet." Ari thought for a moment, and raised her wrist showing the purple cloth. "You smelt this." Mika looked at her like she'd lost it and then leaned forward sniffling. "Well shit, you are right. clever." he grinned. He could smell Talia on the fabric but the chance to breath in Ari's scent was quickly becoming a drug to him. It was doing things to him he had not expected. "Talai made me wear it. I thought it was just for luck nothing else."
Devion spoke up from leaning on the far wall, “She wanted you to wear it incase one of her pack was in the town. They would've recognized the scent and followed you out here. Instead you go us.' his white teeth glistening in his smile.
"So what? you guys gonna take her home now and be on your way?"
"Yes we will return her to the pack lands for better care. But I would like to extent the invitation to you." Mika offered.
"No I travel alone. The last couple of times only got my group hunted. Besides you three boy look like you can handle a lone female just fine. “A slight flash of panic shot through Mika. The chance to actually have a fated mate was not one to be wasted. "What if you help us find the rest of her group?" Ari thought for a moment. It couldn't hurt to at least get them all together but could they be trusted? "Look come with us and help us find the others. We are headed in the east coast direction. You can tag along if you are interested?" he offered.
She was trying to make her way to the east since game is getting harder to find. "Ok I will travel with you, but if I get so much as one strange feeling I swear I will cut your balls off!" The guys in unison raised their hands palms facing Ari, "We swear."