Chapter 5

Aleister’s POV

“Yo dipshit. Are you on patrol tonight?” Liam said coming into the room shoving toast into his mouth.

“Dude close your mouth, I just had the room cleaned. Yeah, I’m on the south side tonight, why?”

Shoving me over on my sofa he threw his feet on the table looking over to my screen and rolling his eyes.

“Don’t you ever do anything other than study? I was talking to Leon, and he said if it's okay with you, can we switch up tonight. I’m over east beside the human forest. It’s a guaranteed easy night, but Cassie is working south, and I think she might be the one, man.”

Looking at my brother I rolled my eyes “Wasn’t Steph the one? Or wasn’t it Alicia? Oh no wait, it was Heather” I laughed.

“Dick! I thought they were, but I swear man, Cassie is just such a babe and she is playing hard to get.”

“Fine I’ll switch just this once, but you owe me. You know it's boring over near the human forest.”

“You’re the best brother EVER. But don’t tell Leon or Nate I said that. I wanna live to see 18.” He joked.

Getting ready for patrol I took my small backpack and threw in an energy drink and some snacks.

It really is boring on the South side or the forest. We are well hidden from humans here; our pack is out of the way with only a small human village a little south and miles of forest surrounding us on all other sides. We don’t get many humans in the forest because of the bears and, well, us wolves, so the patrols are mostly just to protect against other packs or rogues trying to get onto the territory.

I turned down towards the office corridors to see my brother. I was letting him know of my position change.

It was hard being the second born to the Alpha. My brother Leon was a hard ass, but our parents were killed 4 years ago, when he was just 16, so he took on the pack far earlier than most Alphas usually do. This means he pushes my brothers and me more than he does with the rest of the pack to make sure that we are ready to survive anything. Protecting us 3 is all he has ever done.

Knocking the door I heard him mumble, and headed in.

“Alpha I’ve swapped patrols with Liam tonight. I’ll be taking the South side.” He continued to write a few more words then stopped and looked up at me.

“Alpha? Don’t be such an idiot Aleister” he said with a grin. He hated when I called him Alpha in private.

“Sorry, sorry, my liege” I said with a bow and enunciated the words.

“You jackass.” he smiled, throwing his pen at me.

“Ouch, I’m reporting you to the council for child abuse!” I retorted.

“You okay swapping with Liam? You know you can say no? He doesn’t need to stick his dick into anything that will allow him. You could say no and be a cockblock and watch him struggle” he said with a hint of an evil grin on his face.

“Nah it's fine, Cassie is so chatty. I’d rather have the loneliness than be stuck listening to her.” I laughed. “But I’m heading out now. I’ll let you know if anything comes up.” With a thumbs up from him I turned and left.

It was quiet most of the evening so I decided to shift after walking a bit. I stripped down and put my clothes into my backpack and hid it under a tree.

It was coming up to about 5.30pm when I heard talking. Who would be out here? Nobody in the pack comes this far to the humans.

I stopped in a bush and watched a small petit red head walking along looking lost.

“Some human that’s strayed too far?” my wolf Havoc asked.

“I'm not too sure” I took a few steps closer and stopped. She must have heard me, so I hid in behind a bush and watched her duck behind a free in a poor attempt to hide herself. The wind shifted and I would smell the iron tinge of blood coming from her direction and something else.

Opening my mind link I quickly reached out to Leon.

“Leon, I think there is a human lost in the woods. Some small girl but I think she might be hurt. I can smell blood.”

“Stay close to her but don’t let her see you. Is she alone?”

“I think so. I don’t see or smell anyone else around.”

“Okay keep back and watch her. If she comes further in, you might have to scare her in the direction of the human town.”

“Yes sir.” I answered and cut the link.

I followed a while longer as it started getting darker with the sun setting. My patrol was finishing in an hour so I would need to get her heading in the other direction soon.

Staying back, I followed for a while unnoticed. She stopped and looked around; confusion evident on her face as I jumped in behind a bush.

She reached into a backpack and pulled out a jumper.

“I’ll need to find somewhere to sleep, I can’t keep walking through the night” I heard she speak as she was putting the jumper on, but as her head popped out the top, her eyes met mine.

Quickly moving I ducked down hoping she didn’t see me, which seemed to work as she shrugged it off.

She wants to find somewhere to sleep. I need to push her toward the human side, I thought as my wolf piped up.

“Aleister, I think she’s a wolf. Or at least will be. Didn't you notice? Her eyes flickered, just for a moment, and she had a slight smell.”

I sniffed; I could smell it now. She had a wolf.

“She hasn’t shifted yet though. That’s odd. Doesn’t the shift usually happen at around 14?” Havoc questioned.

“Yeah, it does. That’s odd.”

I opened my link to Leon again.

“Leon, this girl, I think she’s a wolf but she hasn’t shifted. I can’t smell which pack she would be from, and she doesn’t smell like a rouge. What should I do?”

He replied, sounding annoyed. “Just follow her a bit longer. If she turns towards the forest, drive her out. The last thing we need is more unknown wolves trying to get on to our territory.”

I cut the link and walked up closer towards her. “Can you sense anything Havoc? Anything at all?” I asked, maybe getting a little closer would help us determine where she came from.

“No, I’m getting nothing at all…” We stopped suddenly at the sound of the branch snapping under our foot, not realising how close we were until she turned around.

“Shit, em, do we back off here or stand our ground? She doesn’t look like she’s going to attack.” Havoc questioned.

“I don't know. Is it me or does she look confused? She should be able to tell we are a werewolf.” After a few moments she took a step, but she was going in the direction of the pack territory. I shook my head to tell her not to go that way and she glanced at me as if I’d just grown another head.

“Shift back and talk to her. She might feel less threatened.” Havoc suggested, but he was cut off by her shouting.

“Whose there?”

Did she hear someone else? She looked as if her heart was going to explode. I decided to go behind a tree to shift, I figured I better shift to talk to her and ask her not to go further into my pack territory. I might get some answers about her pack.

Shifting back, I came out from behind the tree. I was used to the look she had. Most women glared at me that way when I’d less clothes on. Part of being a werewolf was being comfortable with nudity. But there was something else in her eyes. Awe, amazement and fear?

Giving her a moment to gawk, I finally spoke.

“Who are you?” I asked but what I wasn’t expecting was the ear-piercing scream that tore through the night. A scream of pure terror.

“Shit, Al I don’t think she knows what we are. What SHE is!” Havoc snapped as we watched her take off running in fear.