The Alpha Claimed Me Deeply

39

:Xavier's pov:

"You've summoned for me Alpha?" One of my patrolling wolves bowed his head, hands tucked behind his back as he waited with stiffness for my answer.

My eyes slip to the girl on the table, a white sheet covering her nakedness from our sight. Her skin had now turned an odd color of purple.

It had been so long since we've seen the effects of wolfsbane that I had forgotten how toxic it really can be for wolves.

"Yes. Eli mentioned that you were the one who found her?" I questioned, nodding my head to the dead she wolf.

Isaac nods, looking down at the dead girl in pity. There was nothing we could do for her. It had already been too late. The wolfbane had already taken effect and she was already no more the second it entered her bloodstream.

"Where?"Imurmured, then tear my eyes off the dead wolf to stare at Isaac. "Where exactly did you find her?"

Isaac looks to be searching his mind before he answers." Mary and I were patrolling the right side of the woods. Brendon mind linked us that something was off on his side. Mary told me to go have a look. I didn't want to go without her but she persisted. She said no one dared to trespass your territory so she'd be fine."

He sighs, eyes falling to a deceased Mary. They quickly fill with a look of sorrow and regret. " Brendon wasn't too far away so I figured I'd be quick and get back to her soon. But when I did come back, she was slanted on the bark of a tree, in human form. Her

words seem to be scribbling out."

Gulping, he blinked as if still remembering every detail of what happened and how he saw her. "Gamma Eli wasn't too far so I mind linked him. But it was already too late." Whispering he took a step back, shaking his head as if still in disbelief.

I nodded, sensing his inner turmoil. He was mouming her.

"When I got there, her heart was already faint. There were no signs of struggle." Eli mumbled with his arms crossed beside me. He was awfully quiet, staring at Mary like at any second she'd rise from the dead and tell us who did this to her.

I left his side and walked closer to Mary until I was beside her head.

"Did you get any scent of another wolf perhaps, one from another pack? We haven't had vampires on our territory for some months now, could possibly be them too."

I lift my head to Eli when he grunts. "Shit man. I didn't think to check, not when I thought if I was fast enough, she'd have a chance. Sorry. But I only took the scent of wolfsbane from her and even that was faint." He lifts his hand in his hair, scratching his scalp as he avoids my gaze in sheepish embarrassment.

I narrowed my eyes down on my Gamma. "Tell me why you're my third in command again?"

He winces. "Because I'm your friend? And I'm fast? Oh and loyal!" He snaps his fingers exaggeratedly. "Extremely loyal!"

I rolled my eyes and choose to ignore him. Dipping my head until my nose was near Mary's neck, I sniffed. Reckon became restless when he took the scent of wolfsbane. Eli was right.

It had been years since the last time I ever saw one but I could still remember its scent. Who in their right mind managed to get a hold of that plant? Wasn't every last one of them destroyed?

I have many enemies, so many that I couldn't point the accusing finger at one.

Whoever was the culprit didn't touch her skin so not leaving any of their presence on her. This was a warning, not anything else but that.

Whoever did this, wanted war.. -

But what cowards that they are for hiding behind a toxic plant.

Moving away from Mary, I looked at Isaac. "Bring us to the place you found her." Shifting my gaze to my Gamma, I mumbled. "Get Samuel to meet us there. Chris is guarding Lily so we do not need him."

Eli nodded while Isaac quickly led us out and we got on our way. The moment I shifted into my wolf, Reckon took over, his paws hitting the earth roughly as we raced through the thick foliage. Something was off about all of this,

Really off.

Just a few days ago, Aurora stumbled on my territory. A rare looking beauty. A creature no one was familiar with.

Today, one of my wolves died from wolfsbane. A toxic plant that should not be still around. Destroyed years ago.

I couldn't help my thoughts from straying that way, even though I didn't want to accuse her. Still, I was an Alpha and it was my duty to protect members of my pack.

Reckon growls in anger, furious that I would ever think our mate had any part of this.

'She was beside us the entire time Xavier!' He roars, getting angrier and angrier. 'How dare you even think about accusing her. She's innocent.' He growls, his paws digging into dirt and leaves. He was a thundering beast as his huge body weaved through endless trees and bushes.

'You're right. She was with us the entire time.'1 agreed, not wanting him to get angrier before he really took over.

Besides he was right. I couldn't help but feel awful for even considering her being a part of this. Aurora wasn't a traitor, she wasn't. my enemy

She was my mate.

'Just ahead Alpha,' Isaac mind links me, his paws quickening.

Eli and I looked at each other before racing to catch up. Suddenly Isaac's grey wolf stops just beside a tree. Reckon slows down, looking around to see if anything is amiss. Nothing.

'She was slanted on this tree. You can still take her scent.' Isaac mind links, his snout touching the bark of the tree.

Reckon growls. He hated that one of our people went down this way. Whoever did this was a pussy. We fight teeth and claws, not with an injection laced with wolfsbane.

'They must've sneaked at the back of her. She had no choice but to shift into human form to try to make the wolfsbane spread slower. They must've dosed her with a lot of it for her to die so quickly. 'Eli voiced out through the link.

'Exactly what I was going to say,'

The voice that cut through the link was that of my Beta, Samuel.

His wolf bounds over to us, his eyes avoiding mine completely as he stops beside Eli.

He wanted to keep his distance, especially with what happened earlier. He knew Reckon could lash out at any moment if given a reason to.

'Wolfsbane, every single plant had been destroyed. The wolf council made sure of it. If they know a plant was left undestroyed, they'd find a way to find who has it. We're already in deep water with the council, even though it was one of ours who died by the use of the wolfsbane, they'd still point fingers our way. What I think would be best is if we find who the culprit is before they do.' Samuel grunted.

He was right. The wolf council and every other alpha will point fingers at me. Not that I cared what they think but now I had to think about a pink haired girl who had taken over my thoughts the moment she got here.

'Speaking of, aren't they supposed to send someone over this afternoon? Or did you sign and check through the papers Alpha?' Eli said through the link.

'I didn't. I can't make promises I won't keep anyway. That pack is another on my list. Along with that old goat Raphael,' I growled. Reckon snapped his jaw, rising to his full height as he takes a step forward. Raphael was the bastard who conspired against my father and brought other alpha's into his scheme. He was always envious of my father's power and knew the way to bring down a man was to go for his mate first.

Power, something every Alpha sought for.

After making sure my father was weak enough to not see his attack, that's when he struck. But of course, Raphael was never man enough to take down my father on his own, and recruited other alpha's. Little did they know I was coming back after being away for some intense training. After the bastard had someone do his dirty work, he had a traitor in our pack lace Lily's tea with poison. Lily was so young back then, but again she was always a smart girl and it didn't take long to notice something was off.

Of course after finding out my father was dead and my entire family was nearly no more. Reckon grew extremely furious and

barely tameable.

We wanted blood.

So we took it. We took what Raphael had treasured most and made him feel how it was to be without a mate. Just like he had donet o my father.

But revenge was sweet and I didn't stop there. I let him fear me by taking down every single pack that was in alliance with his. I made him fear me for years. Made him eat that fear. Drink it. Fear can do a lot to a man.

And I was going to come for him last. That I made sure he knew. Eli and Samuel backed away instinctively while Isaac wolf bowed and whined.

Speaking of that old goat, Alpha. Isn't his pack this way? Perhaps the culprit is that goat himself.' Eli said thoughtfully.

'Raphael is a pup. He won't dare. He'll never try to cross me. He knows I still have it out for him. He'll rather stay a safe distance away. 'I snarled, walking to the tree and sniffing for a presence other than Mary. Nothing

Whoever did this was clever to not leave their scent behind.

'Not if he has wolfsbane.' Eli pointed out almost reluctantly.

Reckon stiffens, an angry growl roaring from our chest.

If they were right and it was that bastard, knowing him, he'd kill anyone. As long as he gets power, he doesn't care.

I should've taken him down first. But what would have been the fun in that? The way he feared me for years was truly comical. Entertained me for years actually.

But if this was his doing, then somehow, somewhere, he seems to have gotten his hands on one of our worst enemies. Wolfsbane.

And he was planning to strike first.

An image of Aurora flashed in my mind. And Reckon became restless. He feared whoever this culprit was, would come for her too.

Are you okay Alpha?' Eli voiced in slight terror through the link.

'Reckon is angry,' Beta Samuel added.

I shook my head as I try to push him down. He wanted to go to her. 'Look for anything you can,'l growled, backing away as Reckon tugs relentlessly on the restraints.

Shit.

If I don't go to her now.

'If you find anything, let me know. I need to

A powerful growl rips through my throat as I bound back to the pack house. Reckon wasn't going to give up until we claim Aurora.