HUNTED

Aila sprinted as fast as she could; her strides were long as she seemed to almost be leaping down the small hill that led back to the town. She knew she was quick, but the adrenaline pumping through her veins and the fear of her pack members taking more casualties made her believe she was as slow as a slug. Aila tried to focus on trying to quicken her pace to the point that she would be there in seconds like she had earlier with Nairi..

NAIRI. 

Aila clenched her teeth together. She knew Chase was okay-ish; she didn't really want to think too much about him now but believed or hoped he could take care of himself. But now, she needed to know if Nairi was okay. There was a single gunfire earlier, which made Aila believe Silas shot his son, but what if he killed Nairi instead? He saw how she hovered over her and became protective.

Dread filled her burning and tense muscles, and she pushed forwards, feeling better once her footsteps made it to the cemented ground. Yet, she came to an abrupt stop at what she saw before her. Werewolves were fighting werewolves, or what remained of the rogues, along with hunters and the modified beasts that had three to four of her own wolves trying to take it down. Aila scanned the street and counted there to be at least six of them left. 

She took a step forwards while analysing the situation, what needed to be done, and where she would be most beneficial to the pack. Almost instantly, four werewolves appeared by her sides, two in front of her and two behind. They were guarding her, their Luna, from any more threats. Aila felt both grateful to them and afraid. Afraid that they would die for the sake of saving her life.

"It is their duty. You are the pack's Luna and future Queen. Now enough moping and worrying. Look around you. It's a mess!" Malia refixed Aila's line of thinking. Even in these times, Aila was still familiarising herself with werewolf life.

Raking her hand through her already unruly hair, Aila sought out one of the warriors she met on her first day of training. Tommy.

Tommy raced past a few wolves and crouched down next to Nairi. He was still in human form, covered in blood and sweat, from what she observed in her position. Aila jogged forwards and crouched by his side; he was checking for her pulse. 

She watched and waited, her eyes glued to his face. She knew it may be unnerving to him, having her stare at him, but she couldn't help it. With her eyes fixed on his face, she couldn't help but look at a few scars left on his features, along with the very faint freckles scattered from his nose outwards. It seemed a scar or two were the norm in a pack.

Tommy's copper hair clung to his face, a mixture of the rain from earlier and sweat. His navy-blue eyes were closed as his face was set in concentration. Aila began tapping her hand on her knee from impatience. Was Nairi okay? She would have pushed him out of the way, but it was better he done it. 

The seconds ticking by felt like hours. Aila's heart thrummed rapidly and so loud that it was all she could hear as she waited for Tommy's verdict. She swallowed a lump in her throat and kept a hand in her hair, waiting. 

Tommy turned his head to look at Aila and gave her a slight nod. She breathed a sigh of relief and looked down at the red coloured wolf. Panic had consumed her before, making her blind to see the ever so minuscule rise and fall of Nairi's chest. She released her hand from her hair and shook her head. Yet, when she looked back at Tommy's face, she could see the concern etched into it.

"Her heartbeat was very faint," Tommy explained, causing Aila's moment of relief to turn into a feeling of a sinking ship. "She needs her mate. Beta Kane.." Tommy continued with furrowed brows.

Aila turned her head down, her hands sinking into the roots of her hair and whispered with tears resurfacing in her eyes, "He's two hours away."

Tommy sucked in a sharp breath and looked away, "If only friends are capable of such a thing." His voice was low and full of sorrow.

"What do you mean?" Aila's interest was piqued along with the tightening of her chest at the thought of Nairi dying. The bullet was out of her chest, and she should have been healing herself, but it was made of silver, reducing the healing time. Aila wanted to call an ambulance for her, but she couldn't, not with the mess that was this town right now. 

Tommy looked back at her, his brows raised in disbelief. But after assessing her face, his own relaxed and she saw a spark of realisation flash across his eyes. He quickly licked his lips and said, "I've only heard this as a rumour.."

Aila began stroking Nairi's face, hopefully, a comforting gesture to her friend as she listened to Tommy. "The pack leaders have more unique powers with their mates. One of them.. so I have heard, is that if one of the mates is injured, their other half can help heal them.."

Aila gasped at this revelation, but Tommy continued, "at the price of their own body." 

Aila's brows drew together at this, "So.. you mean like a life for a life?"

"No. The other mate will be drained of their energy and take part of the injury." He concluded.

Aila closed her eyes at this revelation. All of this was her fault, but before she began to blame herself, she decided to stop moping and bitching, and take action. 

Standing up, she looked around, "We need to phone Beta Kane. He needs to be aware of-"

"He already knows," Tommy stated plainly and stretched out to his full height.

Aila tilted her head to the side, "That means Alpha Damon knows, and they will be on their way."

Tommy nodded his head in response.

"Tommy, I want you to stay by Nairi's side and inform me if anything changes in her condition," Aila softly commanded.

"Yes, Luna!" He replied and crouched back by Nairi's side. Aila hid a smile, almost expecting him to have saluted her with his response.

Aila knew she had to keep moving on, her heart was clenching at the idea that her friend might die within the next five minutes, but at that moment, she felt the weight of the whole pack resting on her shoulders. It wasn't just Nairi she had to worry about; there were her friends and the pack members. Each had mates and families, and those bastards' hunters decided to wreak havoc on her pack.

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