Alpha Loren novel Chapter 48

November 4th

We ran for an hour through the forest, my legs already aching from running all night. Mateo was adamant that we had to get to the base as soon as possible but my body couldn't take much more.

"So your mate just told you to run?" Connor asked as we took a break, solely for my benefit.

"He had little choice. We were under attack," I replied. "And you can say his name, Connor. It won't poison you."

"He's poisoning you though," Connor muttered. "And he shouldn't have sent you off alone in the middle of a war."

"Well it wasn't the initial plan," I snapped. "But when you have enemies coming at you left right and centre, you hardly have time to sit down and carefully formulate a plan B."

"I just don't think he's good for you, Ells," Connor replied.

At that point Mateo stood up, "I'll just give you two a minute-"

"We don't need a minute because we aren't getting into this now...again," I said.

"I'll just go anyway-"

"Sit," I ordered Mateo and he silently sat back down next to me.

For the rest of the five-minute break, little was communicated. Connor kept giving me shifty glares and Mateo sat awkwardly amongst the tension between us. 

"Why don't you just go back home, Connor?" I asked. 

"Because I care too much about you-" he began before a high pitched wail, shattered the quiet of the forest.

"What the fuck was that?" Mateo said.

"Someone's hurt," I said, "A woman. We have to go."

"No, no, no," Mateo said, "I have to go. You need to get to the base."

"It's someone nearby," I continued glancing around.

"Connor, take her to the base," Mateo said.

"I don't take orders from you," Connor said.

The scream sounded again.

"We need to find her," I said already running in the direction of it.

"Ella stop!" Mateo said as they both followed me. 

"Somebody is in danger,," I said, battling through the branches and between the roots.

"Then stop running towards the danger," Connor said.

"Ella," Mateo said taking my wrist.

"No!" I shouted fiercely shaking him off much to his surprise. "We have to help her."

"Ella-" Connor began reaching for my arm.

"Don't," I spat. "Don't you dare try and stop me. Mateo you shouldn't go on your own. Connor can fight too and so can I with this," I said lifting the praesidium Deae Astra. "We all need to go and now. Splitting up when there's fighting nearby would be a foolish decision."

I glared at them both and they exchanged a glance with each other before I continued running without their protest.

As we got closer, I could hear her whimper and wail again and again and after twenty mintues, we reached the source of the noises- the centre of Lissauer, the poorest faction in the pack. 

"Right on cue Luna," I head the evil voice of Haden say. It wasn't until then that I noticed my situation. On one side of Lissauer village square was Leo and a large amount of Stella men, on the other was Haden and his men. Mateo, Connor and I were stood directly in the middle having just exited the woods.

I looked over to Leo, he was wearing a sense of relief from seeing me yet not even close to relaxed.

A few moments later I felt Mateo shove me in the direction of Leo and the other Stella warriors. 

"We predicted that would bring you here and you fell into my trap quite nicely," Haden said deeply before making a hand signal to one of his men. Out from behind a group of them the man pulled a woman roughly out so that she was visible to us all. Her head was hanging loosely down so that her red, dishevelled hair covered her face. She lifted her head slowly and weakly to reveal a red and bruised cheek and swollen lip.

I had no idea who she was but I felt for her immensely.

"Let her go!" I growled lunging forward before Leo blocked me with his arm and pulled me against his chest.

Haden's lips curled into a malicious smile as he watched me struggle against Leo's force.

"She wants to come to us Loren," Haden teased. "Come on, let her go."

"Haden I swear to God I am going to kill you in the slowest most painful way imaginable to man," Leo growled his voice immediately filling the entire square.

"I have a surprise for you too though Leonardo," Haden ridiculed before making another hand gesture to a different man. Out from behind another cluster of warriors came Lia dragged by her wrist.

"You aren't going to hurt your own mate, even you couldn't stoop that low," Leo responded although I could tell he wasn't completely convinced by his own words.

Haden raised an eyebrow.

"Would you like to find out?" Haden said stepping closer to Lia causing her to close her eyes and flinch. Leo didn't reply instead he sent a hard, murderous glare. The sort of glare that could render someone paralysed, but of course. Haden wasn't phased. He continued to go along with whatever devilish scheme he had planned.

"Now, Ella. You hand yourself over immediately or I will slice this lovely women's head off right now and make her children watch before killing them too," Haden said as 4 men brought out three small and terrified children. She let out another scream when she saw her children in the arms of the Ayas warriors and struggled against them. 

"Ella my dear, you don't want blood on your hands do you?" Haden said. And I tried again to go forward.

"Leo let me go," I snarled.

"No. He's going to kill you," Leo said grasping me around the waist.

"They are going to kill an innocent woman!" I replied.

"You are not giving up your life," he replied as tears fell down my face.

"Very well," Haden said and he nodded his head to the man holding the woman. In seconds her body was lying still on the floor, blood pouring out her neck.

"No!!" I screeched through the silent air. Tears began to flood down my face as I watched her children sob too. "No!"

"He actually did that Leo. He killed her," I sobbed as I shook my head in disbelief. 

Leo kissed held me closer to him and attempted to comfort me but nothing could help the extreme guilt, anger and grievance I was feeling as I looked upon the young, innocent faces of her children.

"The kids are next," Haden tested.

"Nobody else from my pack will die tonight Haden," Leo roared.

"Well it's your Luna or all three of these kiddies," he said before the sound of rushing air emanated through the square.

An arrow had hit the chest the Ayas warriors holding Lia. In seconds Lia had run across the short distance between the Ayas men and the Stella men.

Nobody on the square had shot the arrow so I looked around trying to find the source, but before I could another one hit another Ayas warrior this time the one who had killed the woman.

Alpha Haden wasn't the slightest bit bereaved about the death of two of his men. His eyes were on Lia who was now stood securely in-between Marco, Carlos and Mateo.

"Lia, stop this immediately and get back here. I won't tolerate disobedience," Haden growled.

"And I won't tolerate my mate killing innocent people from my pack," Lia responded. She had fire and confidence in her voice- much like Elena and Maria in fact.

"This isn't your pack anymore, you belong with me," Haden responded his voice deepening. "You have 5 seconds before I kill the one on the end myself," He said pointing to Isla. She was the youngest and was hardly able to keep herself up from grief of her mother's death. "Pass her to me," Haden ordered the Ayas man holding Isla who immediately carried her over to the demon himself.

"Those two arrows. They came from my sister's bow. She has an exceptional aim and if it comes to it she will have no trouble going for you next," Lia said 

"I have really come to loathe your family, my dear. They really get in my way and I would happily slowly and painfully murder them all," Haden said in a demonic tone. 

"I don't think I'd be wrong to say the loathing is mutual," Lia said.

"Get here now!" Haden snapped his patience finally ending. "Do not make me say it again."

"She will not be going anywhere until those four children are by my side," Leo growled.

"I will kill them all in less than twenty seconds if you don't hand my mate back to me," Haden snarled.

"Until those four children are by my side alive," Leo added. Neither Leo nor Haden took their eyes off each other for what felt like minutes. Neither did they blink or move. 

"The alternative is, as Lia has already mentioned, our sister could fire an arrow your way. The only reason you are still alive right now is that you are Lia's mate, but I think right now even your own mate would be glad to see you dead," Leo continued.

"Fine, the children's lives will be spared," Haden said and I breathed a sigh of relief as the four of them were released. They immediately huddled together before one of Leo's men bravely ran out across the square to them and herded them across picking up the three children in his arms and running back to the Stella side with them as Haden watched intently.

"Now give me my mate Loren," Haden said with such venom it could have knocked someone to their knees.

"As always, I'm not restraining her," Leo said holding up his arms. Lia turned to Marco who was handing her a knife. She then slowly walked across the square before standing next to Haden. He grabbed her wrist tightly, but for some reason she allowed him to.

"Now Maria!" She shouted suddenly. Immediately after another arrow flew through the air an hit Haden directly in the shoulder. "That's for being a dick," she said as he fell to the ground clasping his shoulder in pain. "Oh and laced with wolfsbane, should keep you out for a few days," she added before his eyes closed leaving him seemingly lifeless.

"We won. They are leaving," I whispered as Haden's men began to flee the square. "We actually won and they're leaving."