5

It felt as if I didn't hear her right, I furrowed my eyebrows and shook my head, "Mom that makes no sense, no one can defeat him, he's...."

"There were too many rogues, he took too many at a time trying to protect us all," she bowed her head and I heard the choking sound she made. She had been really close to the alpha when he was alive I didn't want to think about how affected she was, "they were sent by a rival pack."

"Same pack responsible for the attacks in the previous weeks?" I felt my eyes water and tried to blink the tears away. My mom simply nodded in response.

"We have... We have gone rogue." Brit's voice pierced my ears as she screamed.

"Just calm down, beta Zeke, the other warriors and I have set up a camping zone for the pack, to know how many more wolves are safe, injured or worse." My mom turned on her heels, leading the way and I took note of how she was limping across the room as blood traiked down her lower leg, without the alpha, wounds would not heal on their own.

The usual streets that led out of school were stained with blood, I had to clutch on to my mother's hand, swallowing hard. This was the worst thing to ever go down in the history of our pack.

We got to the camping site and warrior wolves patrolled the borders.

Shayla and the rest immediately disappeared to find their families. I took my time heading inside, wails coming from all around me as werewolves mourned their loved ones. I felt claustrophobic just being here.

"Wait," my mom put one hand on my shoulder from behind, "where are you going?"

"In the camp like the rest?" I narrowed my eyes, "why? Is something wrong?"

"We're heading home," she tugged my hand, pulling me out of an exit that seemed to have less warriors guarding it.

"Are you crazy mom? You just said for yourself that the streets are not safe, why would we head home?" I tried to make sense of her words.

"Baby, we no longer have an alpha, we are prone to attack, I know it is my job to be here for the pack but I saw so many people die today," her voice was shaky and her eyes reddened as she spoke, "you're all I have left, I don't think I could live on if anything had to happen to you." My eyes glanced at the small amount of fur that sprout through her skin.

"Mom, I can't leave, this is where I was born, everything I've ever known, Shayla and-"

"Don't make me raise my voice, we don't have time, news will spread like wild fire how the pack has been left without an alpha, we were already endangered, you can't imagine when or how more attacks will show up." She tugged my arm, leading me out of the camping ground. "Hurry now before somebody sees us."

I was in a terrible state of mind but she was right, there was so much that could go wrong.

We walked home slowly. I could see my mom glancing at me every second from my side eye.

'This isn't happening for real, is it?' Nala seeped through my head. There was no way I could convince her it would be fine when I couldnt bear it myself.

Our house was small, a two bedroom bungalow with barely any furniture since my mom had chosen to stack it all up in our small basement after losing my dad.

I flicked a light switch on and swallowed realising this was probably the last time I'd ever see any of these things for the rest of my life. I took in our brown floor and white couches, inhaling the familiar scent of old books, my heart dropping in sadness.

"Hurry up we don't have time, just pack what you think of as necessary." My mom advised. How could I decide at such a spontaneous hour, she wasn't giving me any chances to think. Everything I owned was important to me.

I headed into my bedroom. The walls were a faded light pink, the white floors and bedframe were Shayla's idea. I was going to miss the window with a view of the street, took out one of my old mini travel bags and stuffed a few clothes in there, some of my undies as well.

"Talie, come out now." My mom called out, trying her best not to sound too loud. There was no time to think at all, I put in my favourite framed pictures of my parents and I, another of Shayla, Ash and I, before heading out to join my mom.

She had a bag of similar size hung over her shoulder and with a sigh, she led the way not bothering to lock the doors behind us, "we will be back Talie, I promise." She ran her fingers through my hair. It was unusual to find my mom this vulnerable.

The usual streets were empty in the weirdest way, it felt like an anomaly. Alpha Dan's father died four years ago before he took over and he had no child of his yet. His only brother had been vanished from the pack for betraying us

"Where are we even headed?" I swallowed.

"Dark Blood."

My eyes widened in ultimate shock. The dark blood was one of the most feared packs simply of one thing; their alpha. It was rumored he was as cold as stone, heart as dark as hell, and showed no mercy when things didn't go his way sure it was a good way to secure the safety of his pack, most other packs avoided him for his ruthlessness, yet here we were walking right into his den.

"Mom, you're joking, I'd rather die here than live under the watch of an unruly beast." I shook my head, "he's going to kill us, no one accepts rogues into their packs," I took a second to come to terms with the word, "let alone a pack that powerful, it would be a stain to his reputation." This day couldn't get any worse.

"Not when you owe that rogue a favour," sge muttered, causing me to furriw my eyebrows at her, "there are lots of rumors about Alpha Kaden, I guess we will just have to find out which ones are true."

Alpha Kaden, even the sound of his name reminded me of bad luck.

'Talie, where are you? I've looked through the entire camp.' Shayla's mind link caused me to flinch out of my thoughts. I heaved a sigh as I tuned her out.