Chapter 114

Alyson

I hardly make it a few steps from the courtyard door before I hear glass breaking on impact. The tea cup in my hand shatters, hitting the floor, the full weight of a large, hefty wolf slamming into my body from behind, easily tossing me across the hallway. My side and hip slams into the wall, dropping me like a damp rag, blood already invading my throat.

When I peer upwards, I see Olivera standing over me protectively, snarling toward the wolf that stands just opposite of him. Fritz's wolf is massive, far bigger than the rogue Alpha, and I can already tell that if they dare to clash more, Olivera will die here in this hallway.

Limping, I stand up unsteadily and push past Olivera, hearing him growl loudly as he dares to stop me with his massive paw. I swat him away like a needy pup and continue pressing forward, doomed to the tears on my cheeks as my bones slowly try to heal back into place.

Hitting the floor on my knees, I fall down against Fritz's front leg, leaning on him for support. I feel him shift, holding me up with mortal hands, brushing my hair back and cooing for me to calm down. He mutters something about Olivera, about how he should die, but I ignore it, clinging to him like a shield.

"Alyson, what the hell is going on here?!" my mate roars, running down the hall. I watch his warriors all shift and stand at the ready but everyone here knows that even with the numbers and strengths of our pack, they won't do well against a single elder. "Come here, darling. I'll handle this."

"No," I breath, spitting a bit of blood off my busted lip. Fritz grabs a scrap of cloth of the floor from their clothes that had been torn in shifting and lightly taps it against my lips. "Thank you, Fritz," I grumble. "I'll talk, I just don't want anyone to fight anymore."

"That's all those elder assholes are good for!" Olivera chimes in, no longer his onyx wolf. "If he came here, it wasn't for good intentions, sweetheart. Let us handle this guy."

"Don't call her that, dammit, or you'll be back in the barracks," Ryan mutters, jealousy dripping off his vile tone. "She is the Luna of this pack; have some respect."

"Now is not the time to be worried about her falling in love with me," Olivera taunts.

A whole different fight breaks out, wolves fighting like children to win some kind of prize over having my hand. I go limp against Fritz's leg, feeling him pick me up in his arms and whisk me outside before shifting, throwing me onto his back, and running for the hills.

I want to tell him to stop, to wait and talk to me, but I haven't got the energy anymore. This battling constantly and shifting of who is on who's side has me dizzy. If anything, I enjoy the fresh air and the break from the tug-of-war between Ryan and Olivera.

When Fritz is done sprinting, I find myself at the mouth of a cave, the night sky rumbling overhead with the threats of rain. I duck into the opening, Fritz back on two legs and ushering me through the maze until we are faced with a rock door held up with iron bolts.

He opens it with ease and I'm met with a beautiful space, earthy and warm and dry from the cold, rainy night outside. I find a seat on the couch, ivy plants growing along the armrest and swooping down to twirl around the legs of the chair and table nearby.

"Is this where you live?" I ask, toying with a flat, large leaf on the vine. "I thought the elders all lived in their pack palace."

"We've decided to disband for now," Fritz says, grabbing a warm blanket and tea cup from the kitchen and handing them both to me. I take in the herbal tea and sip on it lightly, surprised how much better it tastes than my tea from home had. "I moved out here to get away from the fighting."

"The fighting?" I echo.

"The elders are all furious with one another. They can hardly be in the same room before a fight breaks out. No one can agree what we should do about this rogue situation, Alyson."

I shake my head, disappointed the leaders who have spent centuries keeping the packs away from scrapping with one another can no longer even be civil with each other. It's a tragedy, really, seeing how they have been the sturdy authority all my life and now they have to live apart to keep from killing one another.

"Is it really that big of a deal?" I ask. "Just release the rogues and Olivera will stop. The fighting, the kidnapping; everything needs to stop."

"If it was that simple, it would have been done already," Fritz hums.

"Why can't it be that simple? No one wants to fight anymore. We're all tired."

"Because there is a lot going on that you don't know—it's far more complicated and—and—" He begins to pace; frustrated. "I just wish it would be easier to say what is—"

I grow increasing frustrated, setting down my tea. "Dammit, Fritz. Just tell me!"

"I can't release the rogues!" he bites, turning to face me, his features bright pink and his eyes wide and blood shot. "I can't do it, Alyson, there's just so much that has happened to get to this point and striking it down now will do nothing but hurt us!"

"Why? What are you saying, Fritz?"

"They weren't kidnapped and tested on just because we were bored and had nothing better to do, Alyson! It's because they are sick. All of the rogues we took and tested on and had to kill; they're all laced with a deadly virus passed through the weakest wolves. Most Alpha's and Luna's are safe from the disease but the pack gammas, the small children on the outskirts of pack lands, they are the ones who will suffer!"

I swallow hard, feeling my heart race with his words.

"What about the wolves Ryan released from the Wilshire facility?" I gasp.

Fritz stares at the ground, shaking his head solemnly. "By my projections, about thirty wolves with the virus, running roughshod through the packs and the neutral grounds, we're looking for at least a hundred, maybe more, sick pack wolves in the next four weeks."

I feel like I've been kicked in the chest. "Why didn't anyone just say this earlier?!"

"We didn't want to cause a panic, Alyson."

"Well, does that mean we should panic now?"

Wordlessly, he nods.

I feel the panic first.