Chapter 5

My mate led me to another part of the huge forest—one that was so deep into the mountain, it felt like a whole other world. There were so many distinct smells around—pine trees, cool grass, upcoming rain, soil and all kinds of rodents. There were a few deer trails that were covered by wolf paws. Their food, huh? I wondered how many deer there were around to keep a pack like that in such a good condition. All of the turned looked healthy and strong. When I studied the huge rock that disappeared into the sky in front of us, my heart tripped in worry. There were so many small holes and caves in it. It was the perfect place for a wild pack.

As we kept walking, I noticed the old bones of an ordinary wolf. They were so well cleaned of meat that I wondered if that had been the only thing they hadn't eaten of the animal. There had probably been hundreds of them around this area, but now, it was all taken by the turned. The place was so quiet that even the birds were afraid to make a sound. They were a big part of the turned's menu. More like a snack. They couldn't feed even a cub. But if the turned were living so deep in the wilderness... they weren't supposed to create much trouble for us or for the humans. They had separated themselves from the rest of the kinds. This was good news to me, especially if I wanted to fight for them to keep their lives.

My mate caressed her body on mine and started walking in front of me. Her pleasant scent pulled me forward, and I blinked at her, quickening my pace. I had no intention of letting her get out of my sight. It seemed that I was alive thanks to her. No matter how much I wanted to study this place, I wasn't stupid enough to let go of my breathing stick. I instinctively glanced at the other wolves. They were all watching me carefully from a safe distance, but I could smell their hostility and desire to rip me to pieces. It was all that swam in the air. As I stared at one of them, he growled and let out a warning bark, his body shaking with his rage. I clenched my jaw and, after a challenging second, averted my eyes. My mate gave us a quick look and turned her head to the front.

We reached the huge rock, and she jumped, climbing over a stone on it. Her ear twitched and she glanced back at me and my dumbfounded self. She held her gaze on me with narrowed eyes, and I instinctively nodded. It was clear she wouldn't understand my gesture, so I took a step forward, letting her know I was going to do as she wanted. Follow her. She leaped on another stone, this time higher, and I took her old place. My heart was beating like crazy. I couldn't believe I was doing this. Nobody before me had managed to infiltrate a wild pack. Not that there hadn't been any attempts to do it. Especially after my brother returned from the dead. After our pack banished him to the lycans, a few werewolves gathered and created a group that wanted to search for their turned families. They were desperate. But nothing until now had proven to be successful. It only created a bigger rift between our pack members, splitting us into two opposite sides.

I jumped higher and higher, my claws scratching the hard surface beneath me, and when my mate entered a cave, I widened my eyes. How hadn't I noticed it? It was huge. I scrambled to get into it. I had to admit, I wasn't used to living in surfaces like this. The rational werewolves' pack was based on a flat land, hidden behind forests. And during missions, I usually hid either on trees or bear caves. Not in caves in high rocks.

When I entered the cool cave, I let out a long breath. The fight with the Alpha had tired me, and my shoulders were killing me because of the backpack. Its heaviness made me shiver and reminded me how many times I had fallen on top of it. I had to be full of bruises, but at least my quick healing was going to fix them in no time.

Examining the dark cave, I noticed branches and leaves put into a corner and the shape of a werewolf on them. So she had made a bed. And she'd calmly rested on it. Her serenity put me on edge. There were a few deer bones in another corner, placed together as if they were trophies. There was a skull, ribs, legs... even antlers. Then the sound of dripping reached my ears. I took a few steps further into the cave and narrowed my eyes when I noticed the small puddle at the bottom of it. Water was sliding down from the ceiling of the cave, dripping onto the concaved rock. There were a few other places where drops of the liquid fell on the floor, but nowhere else had formed a puddle like that one. Smart. Way too smart. Not only did she have a perfect spot to call a home, but she also had an unlimited source of water. I was pretty sure there had to be a river over the rock somewhere. My stomach tightened in hope, and I whirled to face the she-wolf. What I saw was not what I expected. She was still on the pile of leaves, licking her paw. But then again, what did I expect? For her to turn into human and say 'hello'? Noah, grab a hold over yourself. That wasn't happening. At least not that quickly. First, I needed to show her the perks of turning into human. And that was going to happen if I spent time with her. But then again, why would I want her to shift into human? I had Evangeline by my side, and even if this she-wolf was the one created for me by nature itself, she wasn't the one I was going to spend my life with. Her soul was dead, and there was no guarantee it would ever come back.

I approached the exit of the cave, and my eyes nearly popped out. Her pack was down there. They were either lying on the ground, like my mate, roaming around, or playing with each other. There were even small pups! The world spun for a moment, not able to bear my shock. Pups that had been born by turned werewolves. Did they even have a chance of regaining their human side? Nobody really knew the answer to that. It was still a mystery we had to dissolve. Or kidnap a few of the pups and try to teach them what humanity was. My heart clenched at the thought. If it weren't for the humans, they would've known what humanity was from their first breath.

I flinched when my mate stood next to me and playfully nipped at my scruff. She let out a short yelp and waved her tail, waiting for me to react. Was she crazy? She wanted to play now? That wasn't gonna happen. I had nearly lost my life a few times in a day. I was a prisoner in my mate's pack.

Clenching my jaw, I forced myself to return her playful action and inhaled her scent. She smelled much cleaner than I thought at first. Her fur was soft and healthy, even in better condition than of some of my pack's members. Mate purred at my action and pushed me to the ground, wanting to go further. Unable to control the fall because of her, I tumbled onto my backpack and groaned in pain. The she-wolf shot up from me and sniffed me, trying to estimate the source of my discomfort. Great. I could use this as an excuse not to go any further with her than this. I had fought the Alpha. So I took a deep breath and let out a small whimper, lying on my side. I bent my ears and put my head to rest on the cold grovel. My eyes kept following her as she paced around me, studying the damage.

I wondered why they'd made me fight the Alpha. Was it some kind of ritual of acceptance? Did I have to beat him to prove I was strong enough to be a part of their pack? Or I had to prove myself because I was her mate? There was no other sense. I huffed in thought, but when a paw stopped in front of my eyes, I looked up at its owner. Onyx's eyes met mine, and we stared at each other for a long second. Her eyes glimmered in their obscurity, and her ears pointed up. What was going through her mind?

A small whimper raked through her throat, and she plopped beside me, curving inwardly to fit my position and body. My steady heartbeat shot up again, and I tried to keep my breathing normal. This closeness was making me uncomfortable. She snuggled into me and pushed herself harder, closing any remaining distance between us. Then, she exhaled and remained like this, drifting off into a dreamless sleep.