He felt the rogues entering pack lands. A chill ran down his back from his position in the trees. Border control would be tracking; his siblings would attack. There was no reason for him to be involved.
'Go north.'
'There isn't anything north, Scudo. The rogues are coming from the west anyway.'
'Go north.'
This time, his wolf spoke firmly and came closer to the surface. He could feel the direction his wolf wanted him to go, north and slightly west. He shouldn't go. Getting involved with the pack could mean causing more trouble.
'Go north!'
Scudo took control of his feet, making him walk along the tree branch.
'Okay, okay!' Scudo let go, and Sergio stumbled to catch his balance. 'Don't cross the line Scudo, I'm in human form, and I'm in control. I'll head north, just don't take over again.'
Sergio only got a growl. Still, the wolf backed down, leaving him alone.
'Rica, Monti, are you tracking the rogues?'
He jumped from tree to tree, climbing up and down while waiting for his siblings to answer.
'We lost them; they suddenly turned north instead of continuing towards the packhouse. We're too far up to scent the rogues; it's up the warriors.'
'Thanks, Rica. Stay safe.'
How did his wolf know to head north? Scudo didn't know anything about the rogues, yet he knew which way to go. Because of Scudo, he would arrive before anyone else.
'I'm further north than you are Rica, I'm gonna take my team; we would find them quicker than you tree climbers.'
Rica's laugh was heard through the family link, and Sergio smiled. 'As if you are faster than me. I've been trained since I was a kid; I'm practically a monkey.'
'How about we all agree that I'm the best out of the three of you?' Sergio added in, and suddenly the link was closed.
Rica was right, though; they were faster through the trees. Wolves may be crazy fast, but it's dark out, and there are plenty of things on the forest floor. Up in the branches, there is more light and fewer obstacles. Yet he and Rica's team were the only warriors that had trained to fight in the trees.
He stopped when the howls were right below him. He could smell the stench since he was on a lower branch. Easy enough.
'Monti, I found the rogues. Where are you?'
'A little further east than you are. Don't engage; wait for us to get there.'
He let out a sigh but obeyed his younger brother. Technically, he didn't have any authority, so Monti was in charge.
'Go down now.' Scudo spoke harshly and urgently.
'You heard Monti; we need to wait.'
'Go now. She needs us. I can feel her.'
She. Could it be? It had to be! He couldn't wait; he had to be down there for her!
He started leaping once again, running ahead of the rogues. From his view, he watched as they split up, some going further south or north. They were going to circle someone; she was down there!
Staying close to the rouges, he saw their target, a gray and brown wolf. He didn't know them, but he could feel a pull from the gray wolf. That was his second chance, just a couple feet below.
He could see the rogues gathering. Monti was still not here, but he couldn't wait. She needed him now.
Without really thinking, he fell from the tree, shifting in the air and falling onto a rogue. There was a second of silence before the rogues all turned to fight.
He took several down, ripping out their throats and clawing at their sides. He could hear the other warriors arriving and fighting the other rogues. It was an easy fight that was over quickly; they were just simple wolves looking for food.
With all the rogues down, he turned to face his second chance. Their eyes locked, and for a second, hers were a bright gold color. Before he could even shift, she fell to the floor.
The wolf next to her shifted and caught the wolf as the girl fell. She changed into her human form, and he took a step back.
She was a girl, a very, very young girl. She was not his second chance Fated. But why did he feel the irresistible urge to protect her? He didn't even know the girl; he should just leave before he got in trouble with Ally.
He stepped back, thoroughly planning of fading back into the forest. Yet, when another warrior stepped forward to cover the girl with a blanket, he couldn't stop himself from leaping forward between her and the man.
Scudo quickly took control, pushing him to the back. Scudo continued to growl and snarl at all the now clothed warriors. One tried to get close but had to jump back to avoid Scudo's teeth.
"Hey, Scudo."
Monti stepped forward from the crowd, hand up in the air. There were some clothes, probably intended for him, in Monti's hand.
"We just want to cover her up, Scudo. I promise I won't hurt her."
Monti kept his eyes on the wolf as he took the blanket from the warrior. He came closer, but Scudo continued to protect the unknown girl.
"Scudo, I need Sergio back. Please, be reasonable. I won't hurt her. If you shift, Ill let you cover and carry her back. Just let me cover her before she gets hypothermia."
'Scudo, listen to Monti. Why are you acting like this?' His words never even reached the wolf.
Yet, Scudo slowly stepped aside. He didn't want the girl to get sick. But he couldn't shift; he could protect her better in his own form. Scudo watched as Monti walked forward and laid the blanket over the girl. The other girl had dressed and tucked the blanket around her unconscious friend.
"Are you okay if I pick her up? We can't let you carry her on your back with her passed out."
Scudo snapped at Monti's legs, forcing him to step back. He wouldn't let anyone around her; he would protect her.
"Can he fit the two of us? I could hold onto her as we ride on his back." The girl spoke, and Monti looked over at Scudo.
Scudo was a large wolf; he had thick black fur and was near six feet tall. Of course, he could carry two girls on his back.
Monti moved slowly, stepping forward and picking up the girl. The other girl stood and was helped onto Scudo's back. The unconscious girl was then passed to her.
"Hold on tight. Sergio isn't going to run, I guess, Scudo won't run with her on his back. But we do need to make it back. Alex, run ahead and get their family members."
"I'm Aisha Rueben, and this is Regina Neri."
Scudo's ear twitched while Monti looked down at the wolf. Neri, as in Atta Neri? This was gonna be interesting.
The young warrior nodded and shifted, running into the night. The rest of the warriors shifted and walked back at the pace Scudo set. They would get back within fifteen or so minutes, enough time for Alex to run back and tell the families that they had found their daughters.
Sergio knew his wolf had a temper, the downfalls of having a black wolf. They are famously powerful, stubborn, and passionate. They are usually the best warriors or the evilest villain.
But Scudo had never acted like this before. Sure, his wolf was protective and did what he wanted. Scudo had never been so attached to anyone that wasn't his Fated. Sergio didn't know what had gotten into his wolf. He didn't recognize Regina, but he felt the bond. This was all too confusing; hopefully, Atta and Mavis would know more.
By the time they reached the packhouse, six people were waiting. Sergio recognized Mavis and Atta standing side by side. Alpha Josh and Gamma Ally were there along with what he guessed were Aisha's parents.
As soon as they entered the clearing, the group hurried to meet the wolves. The Alpha and Gamma stayed back as the parents worried over their daughters.
"Aisha, thank goodness they found you. I knew Regina would be with you; I was so worried. What happened?"
"Why were you two out during the rogue attack? They brought everyone in as soon as they crossed the border."
While they fussed and Aisha responded, Atta, stepped into Sergio's vision. Scudo had gone back, giving control to the human.
They made eye contact, and Sergio wished he had the pack link just once. He wanted to know what Atta was thinking, how he was feeling.
Atta didn't say anything; he just continued walking and tried to take his daughter off Sergio's back.
The moment that he moved Regina, Scudo took back control and leaped back away from the family. Mavis and Atta stared at the wolf, and Sergio saw the fire building within Mavis.
'Scudo! Stop messing around and give Regina back!'
His wolf growled at him, forcing Sergio further back. By now, the black wolf seemed larger, and its eyes were pure gold; any sign of Sergio was gone.
Mavis was the first to take a step, but Atta grabbed her arm before she could do anything.
"Look at his eyes, Mavis."
She tugged her arm free of his hold but looked anyway. Those eyes, they were the eyes of a feral wolf—a wolf on the edge of becoming a rogue, a wolf that was dangerous for her daughter.
The Alpha and Gamma noticed at the same time, and everyone took a collective step back. A feral wolf isn't logical; it doesn't think about what will happen before it does something. Emotions rule the wolf, and that means anything could happen. To them and their daughter still on the wolf's back.
"Scudo, I need to you relax; let Mavis and Atta take their daughter." The Alpha's words were firm, but his hands stayed out in the open.
The other warriors backed off, leaving only Mavis, Atta, the Gamma, and the Alpha.
"Sergio, old friend," Instead of calming down, the wolf snapped at Atta. "You know me; we trained together in these very mountains."
Atta took a step forward, and Scudo let out a snarl. Yet, the wolf's mouth and claws remained still, so Atta continued taking one small step at a time.
"Remember that, racing through the woods, seeing who could reach the peak first. We knew every path, every fallen tree, we knew these woods like the back of our own hands. We spend our entire childhood and teenage years in these mountains."
Soon Atta was only a couple feet from the growling wolf. Atta smiled and put his hands down at his side.
"I remember all those years. You were another brother, but one that didn't tease me or drive me insane."
Brown started to seep into the gold eyes as Sergio gained more control. The rumbling ceased, and Atta drew closer to the wolf. Hand reaching out, Atta barely brushed Sergio's fur.
"I'm sorry old friend."
Before the wolf could even respond or freak out, a dart was in his side, and he fell limp. Atta held onto Sergio and guided him down, making sure the wolf and Regina weren't hurt in the process.
The Warriors came out of the woods, and while Atta took his daughter, they carried the large wolf back into the woods.
"He won't be happy when he wakes up, but Monti and Enrica will be there to watch over their brother."
"Well, if you didn't dart him, Ally, he wouldn't be mad." Atta glared at the Gamma and walked away.
The Gamma just shook her head and turned back to her warriors.
"Take him to his house, make sure he stays under surveillance. We don't want him attacking anyone again."
Moonlight guided the warriors as they walked through the trees to the edge of pack land. Buried in the dense wood was a small cottage. It was small, only enough for one man at most. The cabin was simple, with plants surrounding the house and the porch.
Monti led the warriors into the home, leaving the large animal on the floor. He dismissed the wolves and sat at the limited counter space in the kitchen.
"He went crazy again." It was more of a statement than a question, and Monti could only sigh.
His sister sat next to him as they looked over the black wolf.
"I'm surprised the Alpha only ordered to take him out. It's his second time; I almost expected the Alpha to tell the warriors to attack."
"He wouldn't do that, not with a pack member in danger. Is this the right choice Monti? Is it really best for him to keep suffering?"
"What else can we do, Rica? Let him waste away into nothing right when he has found someone to care for?"
Enrica stood up; Monti was the baby of the house and was always so optimistic. He couldn't see the truth, that left her to be the bad guy.
"His Fated and family are gone; it's just us now. I'm gonna see Polo; Sergio doesn't deserve this anymore. In the end, he will be with his family and no longer in pain."
Enrica moved to the door, and Monti stood from his stool.
"You are okay with killing our older brother?" His voice was quiet, hopeful that his sister would change.
"It's for the best, Monti." Her eyes were sad, but her voice didn't allow any more arguments.
The door slammed shut, and Monti fell to the chair.
How could his sister even think about that, killing family members for silly reasons? Sergio was in pain, that was clear. But Monti had never seen his brother so protective over a stranger. This Regina was essential; Sergio still had things to do.
He wouldn't let this happen. Monti got up from the stool and went over to the still sleeping wolf. He could tell the drugs were already leaving his system. An aggravated wolf with a larger body than the others in the pack, miscalculations were made that would work in their favor.
"Serg." Monti pushed the wolf, and a black ear twitched.
"Sergio." He pushed harder and got a growl.
With one more push, the black wolf jumped up and snarled at Monti. Gold rapidly turned to brown as Sergio finally took back control. The wolf shifted back into human form, and Sergio fell to the nearby bed.
"Serg, what happened? You went crazy; Scudo retook full control. The Alpha even considered-"
"Where is she, the tiny girl." Sergio's voice was stiff, rough from being in wolf form.
"Regina? The girl that was on your back?"
"Where is she!"
Monti stood with his hands out as Sergio's brown eyes lightened. His brother always had problems with his wolf; black wolves are notoriously hard to control. After an accident several years ago, Scudo got stronger while Sergio grew weaker. Because of that, Sergio worked all day to keep his wolf from taking control and doing something terrible. Monti had never seen his wolf so in control.
"Serg, you need to relax. You first need to leave the house; Rica thinks you've been in pain for too long."
Sergio took several breathes and stood up. He dressed quickly and went to the door.
"Where is she, Monti?"
"She is with Atta and Mavis near the nursery. But Atta don't do-" His brother was gone before he could say another word.
Sergio didn't know what was wrong with him. He was an older man; his Fated was gone. Yet, he felt so protective over that girl. Not in a romantic way, just that he needed to help her whenever he could.
Scudo wasn't saying anything either, which was even stranger. Scudo was always trying to take control, never leaving him alone. Sergio hadn't been alone from his wolf in years; it made him feel, naked.
Reaching the edge of the woods, the man started to climb. Reaching the top, he jumped and leaped from tree to tree.
In the end, he was miles away from the packhouse, facing where the nursery would be. Settling down, Sergio kept his eye on the ground and any enemy there may be. He didn't know why he had to, but Sergio knew he would protect the little girl, whoever she was, with his life.
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