Twin Moon - Chapter 272 - A Survivor
Zelena.
Gunner’s deep growl rumbled through the village. I turned back around to see that he had stepped forward and the half-man was smiling wickedly back at him. Gunner barked an order and the pack fighters closed in around them tighter, preparing for attack. They all seem so alert and cautious, which is good, they should be cautious. But why is there so much fear in the air, the smell of it is hard to ignore. As I looked around at our fighters and Gunner, I noticed the way they watched the half-man closely, like they were expecting him to do something. The half-man smirked at Gunner, and it hit me. It’s so obvious now, I don’t know how I could not have seen it before. Gunner, and this man, they know each other, somehow.
The man held out his hands in surrender and chuckled. I watched as the hair slowly disappeared into his skin. His human frame got shorter and smaller as his limbs shrunk. I watched in amazement as his face reverted back to that of a normal human. He was a little older, but well fit and still somewhat scary looking. He lifted his gaze to me briefly and winked, an act I thought was very forward and familiar for someone I have never seen before. It didn’t go unnoticed by Gunner who stepped forward again and growled. The man turned his attention back to Gunner and relaxed his arms. He smiled widely and placed his hand on his chest and bowed ever so slightly.
“Alpha of Alpha’s” he spoke teasingly. The look on his face was not one of consideration, but more of mockery. He was baiting Gunner, pretending to show respect while actually mocking him. My whole body heated in anger, and the need to protect what's mine consumed me. And Alpha of Alpha’s, is he trying to be funny. Without even thinking about it, my body's instincts took over and a rumbling growl burst from my lips. The man’s eyes quickly snapped to mine and he smirked,
“Still as feisty as ever, tiny Goddess” he cooed cheekily. Still? If I didn’t know any better, I'd say he is talking like he knows me. But I've never seen this person before.
“Excuse me” I snapped angrily and stepped down onto the first step.
***Enough Zelena, stay where you are***
Gunner’s angry voice filled my head. I looked down to his wolf. He was standing with his body facing the man, but his eyes were glancing back at me over his shoulder. The man laughed out with a forced laugh, it didn’t sound even slightly genuine. He must be deranged or something. What other explanation would he have to coming onto pack land unannounced, then mocking the Alpha, winking at the Luna and then teasing and flirting. He is straight up bonkers.
“Are you fucking insane or what?” I scoffed in disbelief. His laughter cut off instantly and he pierced me with a furious glare.
“Remember what I told you last time, tiny Goddess, remember what I said about the next time we cross paths” he growled lowly. I stared back at him blankly. What in the world is he talking about, we’ve never met before. I opened my mouth to question the statement but was cut off by the sound of the deck creaking behind me. I turned my head to see Tobias’s oversized black wolf stalking up behind me. His eyes were fixed on the man below, his hackles were standing tall, and his fur shook with the growl rumbling through his body. He stopped at my right side, with his shoulder and head hanging over my shoulder. He was standing so close that his fur tickled at the back of my neck. The man stood tall and glared up at Tobias. He tried to keep his face hard and emotionless, but I saw the concern flash through his eyes.
“Well, aren’t you terrifying” he laughed awkwardly. To which Tobias answered with a growl loud enough to vibrate the floorboards.
“Oh so tough standing behind the Triple Goddess, aren’t you?” he teased with a smirk. Tobias jumped down the steps in one launch, pushing me into the side railing as he went. I got back to my feet and rushed after him. The man had returned to his half man half wolf form and was snarling at Tobias. Tobias had his teeth bared and was ready to attack. I stood at his side and readied myself, calling forward the magic until I could feel it just below the surface.
“ENOUGH!” Gunner bellowed and moved to stand between us all. My eyes fell on the scar on his shoulder, the remnants of the bullet wound from facing off against the hunters. It's the only mark to mar his otherwise perfect skin.
“State your business Doyle, before I throw you off my fucking land” he demanded of the man, who I now know as Doyle. Doyle dragged his ferocious gaze from Tobias and looked at Gunner. He flicked his eyes back to Tobias’s wolf and then down to me. I can’t not look at his deformed face. It's so unusual, I wonder how he does that, is it a half-breed thing? And is that why Alyse can do it too. He kept staring at me while his features returned to human shape. His lip curled up into a smirk as he gazed at me.
“Best stop frowning at me, tiny Goddess. You might start to hurt my feelings. We wouldn’t want anyone to think that you're not happy to see me again” he said in an overly sweet tone.
“Last warning Doyle” Gunner growled and moved to block me from his sight. I am so confused right now. I don’t know him, Doyle, I've never met him before, why would he keep suggesting otherwise. Oh, unless... He doesn't mean me. He met Whiskey, and now he thinks I'm Whiskey.
“Just getting reacquainted young Alpha” Doyle shot back at Gunner with a frown. I saw Gunner’s body visibly swell, his shoulders pulled back and his chest expanded. The muscles under his bare skin rippled with anger.
“State your business” Gunner demanded again. His voice held that same strength as before. I felt it wash over me like a cool breeze. The wolves standing around Doyle appeared to lower themselves, to the point most of them had their bellies on the ground. Even some of our own pack fighters lowered themselves. Everyone felt the power of Gunner’s voice, they all responded to the command within it. Even Doyle. His knees buckled and he dropped to one knee. He was fighting against it, the strain was visible on his face, but Gunner proved to be more powerful.
“I have information about some attacks on the smaller packs around Russia” Doyle blurted out quickly. He took a deep breath and huffed angrily. It's been so long since Daniel brought the news back about those attacks. Honestly, so much has happened since then that I forgot all about it.
“What information?” Gunner demanded again, not for a second dropping the aura of his influence. Doyle was trying to get up off the ground, but it looked like his legs were too heavy to lift himself. It was actually quite amusing to watch. I fought the grin wanting to spread across my face.
“We found a survivor” Doyle begrudgingly answered in a strained voice. The grin I was fighting against vanished immediately.
“A survivor?” I rushed out and jumped forward. I gripped Gunner’s arm and stared down at Doyle, suddenly desperate for more information. Daniel told us that the packs had been fully wiped out, no one left alive. Could they really have a survivor? Tobias was right behind me, not giving an inch of space for anyone to get between us. Doyle looked up at me with a frown and nodded.
“Release me” he grunted turning to Gunner. Gunner however didn’t relent. His swollen muscles twitched and his chest heaved with heavy breaths. I tapped his bicep and stroked my fingers gently across his forearm.
“Let him go, it’s alright” I said softly. Gunner growled lowly, leaning over Doyle's kneeling stance. I felt Gunner’s influence scratch against my skin as he pushed his power over Doyle harder. The wolves around him whimpered and pressed themselves into the dirt. Our own fighters lowered their bodies with bowed heads. Doyle struggled visibly against the power. His legs shook, and his knuckles turned white as he balled them tightly. He grunted and dropped down onto both his hands and knees, his head was bowed as he fought against the urge to lay flat on the ground. Then Doyle huffed deeply and collapsed into the dirt. The air around us felt ten times lighter. All of the wolves stopped whimpering and slowly started to rise up again. Gunner took a few steps backwards, wrapping his arm around my waist, he dragged me further back with him. Doyle growled lowly and pushed himself up off the ground. He brushed the front of his shirt while glaring at Gunner with his lips curled back to expose his teeth.
“Playing dirty, Alpha” Doyle grumbled angrily,
“I’m not playing anything” Gunner fired back without missing a beat.
“The survivor” I interjected before these two went at each other again. Doyle turned his dark eyes in my direction but didn’t respond. I felt the heat of his piercing gaze as it ran down my body and up again. When his eyes found mine again, I saw a hint of confusion hidden in them. I tilted my head to the side, waiting for his response. When he didn’t answer I asked again,
“You said you found a survivor, what happened to them?” I pushed him. He paused for a minute before answering,
“Who are you?” he asked in a half whisper.
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