Wednesday, October 10th; 4am

The first hour of my journey is uneventful as I pick my way through the thick trees. We’ve traveled this overgrown path many times but the darkness of early morning is proving even more difficult to navigate than in the daytime despite my partial shift.
‘Beware, Dallas.’
My wolf whispers in my head. Unfortunately, my father using the link to torture me for six weeks and Alpha Andrew’s attempt to block him resulted in even my wolf talking to me being very uncomfortable.
I pause my movements, turning slowly in a circle, looking and smelling for him. I find myself at quite the disadvantage considering how I’m traveling upwind. Unable to detect anyone in the woods with me, I continue but at a slower pace. I may have gained half the weight I lost when I first got here but I’m still about fifteen pounds lower than where I was at Crimson Dawn and about forty pounds less than peak condition. Add my low body weight to my anxiety and asthma issues and this five mile hike is quite the undertaking.
After another uneventful thirty minutes of picking my way through the trees I come across a familiar clearing and I know I’ve only got a mile and half to go before getting to the cabin. I stay in the shadows trying my hardest to pick up on the scent of my pack mate turned weapon against me.
The only reason he would have known Jamie and I were up to something here is if dad told him to keep an eye on me. My wolf has alerted me three times to his presence. All three times I could verify a scent outside of Jamie’s and I’s nearby but never once did we see him and Jamie never smelled him.
I step out of the woods slowly, the dim illumination of the waning crescent moon giving me barely any light to work with. I make my way to the bank of the pond located in the center of the clearing. I walk to the edge of the grassy bank, kneeling in the tall grass. I dip the canteen Alpha Whiteman gave me into the cool, clear water. I bring the jug to my mouth drinking the water quickly so I can fill it again before continuing. It’s as I stand, capping the canteen to place in my pack that I hear the familiar rustle of footsteps coming towards me. My breath gets stuck in my chest as my wolf and I realize at the same time that it isn’t just one pair of feet that we hear but several.
I take off running but I know it’s not something that I can maintain for long. My endurance when it comes to running is only a few minutes at best on flat ground. I easily end up off course in my panic, stumbling over multiple tree roots and limbs until I find myself on the ground unable to breathe.
“I knew you would be your own undoing. Beating the shit out of you before dragging you back to the pack house isn’t much fun if you can’t fight.”
“Just… Let me… Go.”
I wheeze already knowing that it’s not going to happen. I slowly push myself into a sitting position on top of the fallen leaves.
“And why would I give up an opportunity to beat down a perv like you without consequences?”
I reach in my pocket and manage to find my inhaler. Keeping an eye on Dallas I manage to get two quick puffs into my lungs. Unfortunately, while he’s maintaining my attention four more members of Red Fang make their presence known.
‘Jamie.’ I whisper through the link.
‘You’re supposed to text when you get there.’ He chastises lightly.
‘I’m not going to make it. Get the doctor up. This isn’t good.’
‘What’s going on?’ ‘Five against one with no penalty from Alpha Redmen.’
I stand slowly as I let go of the link. Doing both at the same time tends to be quite detrimental to my ability to move.
“I’m not raping Luna Sasha. No matter what Alpha Redmen, Alpha Andre or Luna Sasha say. I have never touched her.”
I push out breathlessly any truth that may make him change his mind.
“You’re not a perv in my eyes if you’re doing what every male in this pack has done.”
“Why would I bed someone I can’t stand to be around?”
“For the same reason anyone would. She’s the future Luna of the pack. Getting in her good graces now will pay off later.”
“Just let me go, Dallas.”
“Why would I let go of a pedophile?”
“I’m not a pedophile!” I scream in frustration. “The alpha that I’m running to knows the truth.”
“And what truth might that be.”
“I can’t tell you. You would never believe me but I can assure you that it would destroy the pack as we know it. It’s already a bomb waiting to implode now that dad has requested a ferality trial.”
My voice comes out weak as I finish my statement.
“Who’s the feral? You?” He states with a laugh.
“He’s blackmailing you, isn’t he?”
I state quietly. The sudden change to shock isn’t lost to me despite the eerie lack of moonlight.
“That’s the only reason you’re doing this. He has you by the balls just like he has me. Just like Kristoph he has video footage of you raping every single woman you’ve ever dated. The difference between us is that your video footage is real where mine is falsified.”
I take a sharp breath in surprise as he stumbles backwards into the trees.
“You know nothing of what’s going on with me.” He finally growls out.
“No, Dallas, I don’t know what’s going on between you and Alpha Redmen but I can guess based on my own life at Red Fang. Dad takes video footage of Kristoph being the monster I’m supposed to be and documents it as being me. I have never touched a woman or a pup inappropriately. I protect them, to the best of my ability. Why would they keep running from their families to me if I were harming them in any way?”
I’m hoping that the shock of me calling out the blackmail will allow him to let me go. I step backwards.
“You’re not going anywhere.”
My heart jumps into my throat, so much for Goddess Diana helping with this one.
“Just because you’re trapped in the same shit as me doesn’t mean you get off for raping pups. That’s a low I don’t even dare to cross.”
“I’m not raping them!” I shout in desperation.
“Then how does he have video footage of you violently raping a twelve year old?” .
Now it’s my turn to stumble, the only difference is I actually fall sending multiple waves of crippling sharp pain up my back into my neck and down both my legs at the same time. I can’t contain the multiple yelps that leave within me as I collapse to my side. I bury my face into my hands as the muscle spasms course violently through my body leaving me too weak to even think about standing.
I start into the slow count Alpha Black introduced in an effort to reign in my asthma attack before it gets too far away from me.
“Dallas, I would highly recommend just dragging his ass back to the pack house. It’s not right to attack when they can’t defend themselves.”
A voice I’ve heard before but can’t place speaks from behind me.
“You have nothing to say about what I and the others do to him.” Dallas responds.
“It’s not right to kick a man when he’s down. Even Alpha Redmen preaches that.”
“Those weren’t my orders, Amos.” Dallas growls as he steps towards me.
“We will have nothing to do with this.”
“What are you going to do? We’re all under the same orders from Alpha Redmen. Kick his ass if he tries to run.”
“Yes, Alpha Redmen told Max and I the same thing but I was also told by my Alpha Redmen that if his brother steps foot back on Red Fang land he’s a dead man and we’re talking in the most painful way possible.”
My panic spikes as I feel Amos step closer to me. My face is covered in an attempt to protect my face and head from the blows I am now too weak to avoid. My brain is screaming at my legs to move yet I barely feel anything from my waist down. My only judge for the movement of my legs is the rustling of the leaves beneath me.
“Dallas please, reconsider. It's my father’s actions that are going to destroy the pack. He has requested a ferality trial from the council. If I return to the territory the council will come. They will remove me from the territory before they move in. They will investigate the entire pack. You and every wolf that has committed rape, sodomy or abuse will be investigated. Let me go. If I show up in another pack the council will come for me there and leave Red Fang alone.”
I try desperately to convince him of a half truth.