The Delta's Daughter Chapter 333

MIKE

I left the vault walking back outside with hurried steps, a new goal in mind. Through the hall where I could hear bystanders whispering; trying to guess who it was that had been murdered. Word traveled fast and I could only assume a member of staff had opened their mouth and now the guests were making their own assumptions.

"And have someone tell the guests to stay in their rooms for the rest of the evening," I said, needing the gossip mills shut down then walking out, letting my nose guide me. The scent led me outside side towards the forest line, towards the east gate. My footsteps hurried, and with no regard for my suit, I shifted into Duke. The suspect couldn't have gotten that far but I should be able to catch up before the scent completely fades.

Duke took off at high-speed weaving between the trees and bounding over dead branches and logs, through the light dusting of snow that tapered off the deeper we ran into the woods. Emitting a low growl occasionally as we tracked down the scent of the jewel thief and murderer. My wolf eagerly homed in on the fruity scent.

I heard the sound of paws behind me and Rhett's light feet running with the wolves. I was much faster than Rhett, even if he had shifter speed, and I was much faster than any of our trackers or warriors. Being a Queen's Knight came with added bonuses. Everything about us was heightened, our sight, smell, hearing, speed, and strength just to name a few.

*Follow my scent* I sent a mind link to Rhett and my wolf sped up hurdling forward now he had a good lock on the suspect.

We ran and ran, my wolf taking us close to the border of the Packs territory. Whoever this culprit was, was fast, but we were faster - the scent getting stronger as we pushed forward. It didn't matter where they ran now, how far, or how fast. My wolf had a lock on them, they couldn't hide.

*I'm getting closer, how far behind are you?* I asked Rhett through the mind link.

*Trackers are ten minutes behind you, I'm about fifteen.* He replied panting.

Duke began pushing himself harder, determined to run down the suspect, the scent was far stronger, and I could conclude it most definitely belonged to a female. Confusing me even more as to how a female would be able to take down not one male wolf but two.

Bounding through some trees and into a small clearing, Duke let out a menacing growl and slowed his pace slightly, we were close. I could feel Duke's thirst to catch the suspect, envigored by the scent that was embedded in his nose. He was relishing the hunt and determined to catch the culprit, as was I.

Suddenly my wolf's head snapped to the side as a movement caught his attention. Fur standing on end, he zeroes in on it and we turn direction to pursue. We had been running for what seemed like an hour now, chasing down the criminal. Both Duke and I were ready to end the chase.

From out of the bushes, darted a sleek dark brown wolf. She was quick and nimble but not fast enough.

Duke leaped towards the female wolf, giving chase. The pretty wolf dodged and weaved, but despite her quickness, it wasn't enough. Duke easily ran her down, catching her back leg in his jaws and throwing his large superior body onto the smaller wolf, careful not to hurt her.

We rolled across the damp ground, tumbling into the base of a tree that halted our roll. The she-wolf let out a whimper at Duke's sudden roughness.

Taking control, I shifted back to my human form quickly grasping the wolf in my arms tightly. "SHIFT!" I commanded. The female wolf trembled against me, her soft fur making my skin tingle.

"SHIFT!" I commanded once again, getting irritated and weirdly enjoying her wolf pressed against me.

The she-wolf's bones started to shift, and her fur began to recede. A petite, slender female formed in my arms, her back flush against my muscular chest. My cock grew impossibly hard as stronger pleasurable tingles spread across my body, everywhere I was touching her. The urge to mate the woman locked in my grasp was so great that my chest began heaving and my heart raced.

I pushed her away, confused by the unexpected reaction of my body. I flew to my feet, looking down at the female in front of me who quickly scrambled back against the tree.

My wolf hadn't said it, but I knew who she was to me.

Pulling her long dark brown hair over her slender shoulders to cover her chest, in an attempt to conceal her nakedness. Wrapping her arms around herself I pounced forward, pinning her against the tree so she wouldn't try to escape. My manhood strained towards her- rock hard. The contact of my hand on her arm had sparks flying over my nerve endings.

'Mate' Duke whispered in my mind with awe. The one word I had been dreading to hear.

Her wolf must have called the same thing as she lifted her eyes to mine, wide with shock, her full lips parting letting out a little puff of air. I growled and stepped back from her, the taste of her peachy breath enticing my wolf. Still, I was truly pissed that my mate turns up now when I am already happy and in love.

Fuck Jonda is going to be pissed. My love being the first person I thought of. Not my Mate who was standing naked as the day she was born in front of me.

I let go of her and took a step back, creating some distance. My eyes wandered, traveling down her shaking form, not being able to help the need to want to look and touch her again. I admit she was beautiful, with long deep brown hair, an olive skin tone, and a slender body. Her breasts were a perfect size, not huge but not small either. I clenched my fists at the thought of my hands cupping them.

Her honey-colored eyes held golden flecks and she watched me with worry and uncertainty. She was scared. Her fear mixed with her delectable scent of peaches. And still, even though my body reacted to hers, my wolf and I were angry.

No wonder I was the only one who could smell her.

*How close are you to me?* I linked Rhett wanting him to get here as fast as possible before I did something I had no intention of doing and regretted my actions.

*Five minutes, the trackers should be there sooner.* He replied immediately.

Good, I thought. The less time I'm in her presence the better. The moon goddess must be laughing right about now, except the joke was on her.

I didn't want my mate despite my body's physical reaction. I was in love with Jonda, and I had already decided to take her as my chosen mate. We had just talked about this, this very morning. The moon goddess had paired me with a female who was a thief and a murderer; this she-wolf would be executed once tried for her crimes.

I snarled at the mate, disgusted with her - she was a criminal. I would have no problem rejecting her.

The she-wolf shrunk back under my fiery stare and her large eyes filled with tears. My wolf whined at her discomfort, his anger dissipating, now urging me to take her in my arms. I shut him up. That would not be happening again.

Luckily for me, I heard the paws of wolves and the trackers emerged from the tree line, coming to a halt as soon as they saw me. A few were in wolf form and the ones that weren't, cast their eyes over the suspect lustfully. I growled out a warning, "Turn the fuck around! Do not look at her!" I snapped at them.

Just then Rhett came running onto the scene, stopping in his tracks, and assessing the situation. "Give me your shirt," I ordered him. He quickly took it off without asking any questions and handed it to me. I threw it at my mate "Put it on. Now!" I growled at her.

"This was the third person in the room. Have her taken to the cells and interrogated. Only mated wolfs around her or you." I barked out. I glanced over my shoulder at the woman who was now wearing Rhett's shirt while speaking "She is your problem now."

I walked away from the group of trackers and Rhett, feeling their stares on my back. *You ok man?* Rhett asked me privately.

*No. She's my fucking mate. That piece of information stays between you and I.* I growled back through the mind link *I'm going back to the hospital, and to talk to Jonda.* With that, I shift back into my wolf form and ran all the way back to the palace to grab some clothes before I went back to the hospital to meet my nephew and tell Jonda what the fuck happened tonight.

I would have to reject the criminal before she was executed anyway. I had chosen Jonda as my mate the moment I laid eyes on her. We decided to wait and mark each other after the crowning ceremony and after our nephew had been born, which was all meant to happen tonight. I was in love with Jonda, and nothing was going to change that. I wanted a family with her, and I wanted to grow old with her by my side.

Tonight, was a huge inconvenience and disruption in our lives, yet there was a hidden blessing. Maybe the moon goddess planned it this way, giving me a murderer as a mate - one that was fated to die for her crimes?

*****

LYRIC

Note ran hard. She ran fast. Her paws pounded against the ground with conviction. Two goals in our mind. Outrun Twenty-Nine. Find my pup and run as far away as possible.

Run, run, run.

The word sounded through mine and Note's mind like a tempo guiding us. Driving us. A beat we breathed to. A beat our heart hammered, and a thump Notes paws thudded with.

The image of Bram's lifeless eyes flitting in our mind.

Just when I thought we were far enough ahead, that there was no conceivable way Twenty-Nine could have caught up to us, Note's ears perked and tweaked at the distant growl.

'No! No what are you doing?' I yelled at my wolf when she began to slow. 'Don't stop!' I urged her, panic in my voice. We couldn't get caught. Not now. The image of my pup bled into my thoughts as I urged Note to run faster, harder.

It was that image that shook Note from whatever stupor she was in and had her propelling forward. But it was too late. The heavy footfall of a large wolf resonated behind us.

It couldn't be Twenty-Nine. He wasn't a shifter, that I could determine. Certainly not a wolf.

'Beta.' Note supplied with a tight growl mixed with a whine.

Shit. That was even worse. How had they tracked me down? And so fast? I had covered my scent and I had at least a twenty-minute head start. There was no way. Not even a Beta wolf could have caught up to me. Never mind tracking an absent scent.

Before my father's death, our pack - The swift Paw pack- had been renowned for our fast wolves. We were home to some of the fastest wolves on the continent. My family was the quickest and the swiftest of them all. Our second name was not just a name. It had been so much more. Is so much more.

Movement caught Note's eye and she turned to evade the wolf, but it was too late. The large deep brown colored wolf had caught us. His jaw snapped around Note's hind leg, with strength and force but with a surprising gentleness that the wolf was careful not to break our skin. The wolf shifted into a large male, his body encompassing Note's form. Note's fur prickled and a warm sensation ignited across her fur as we tumbled and slammed into a tree, the male taking the brunt of the hit.

"Shift!" The male commanded us. I resisted. "Shift now!" He commanded with more force, and I couldn't ignore the order even though I tried. Because I knew. I just knew what would happen when I looked into his eyes.

I shifted into my skin form, Note easily submitting to the male.

I felt every hard plane of the male's chest at my back. A warmth like I had never experienced before traveled over my skin, a rush of sparks and a tingling sensation gripped me.

I froze. The long, hard, telltale feel of his manhood dug into my back. He was naked. I was naked. Fear gripped me, overriding any pleasure and warmth his body had provided me.

Before I could even fight against him, he had pushed me away and was on his feet. I scrambled against the tree, curling into a ball, trying to cover my naked body with my arms and hair.

The large male pounced forward, his hand grabbing my neck and pinning me against the tree. Note whimpered in my head, and I dared to look up.

Big mistake.

I was met with eyes as black as onyx, a glowing white symbol of a cross centered in each pupil. His demonic eyes glared with heat and fire, so fierce that I was rendered motionless. Speechless. I swore he could see straight through me.

'Mate.' Note called out. My lips parted but I wouldn't repeat her claim. I couldn't. I didn't want to. I belonged to no one. I couldn't belong to him - The Royal Beta.

Either he would claim me, or he would reject me. I hoped for the latter. Either way, I was royally screwed.

More wolves crashed through the forest, coming to a halt before us. I felt every one of their eyes aimlessly roam over my body. I cringed and sank back against the tree in an attempt to conceal myself from their heat stares.

"Turn around! Do not look at her!" My mate's voice commanded the group of men and wolves. They did as they were ordered. Another male came busting through the bushes only moments later and my male ordered him to take off his shirt. It was handed to me, and I was thankful for the cover.

It was cold as shit out here and the iciness of the air wrapped around me and stuck to my skin now that I wasn't in wolf form.

My mate spoke with the man who had given me his shirt. His scent was an odd comfort in the debacle I had found myself in. Without another glance at me, my mate walked away, calling over his shoulder, "She's your problem now." Before I watched him shift into his humongous wolf and disappear back into the forest.

I looked around, searching for a weapon. Maybe I could fight my way out of this. Get back to Lizzy and my boy. Maybe I still had a chance for us to escape. I wasn't without skills, but the thought died just as quickly as it formed.

Twenty-Nines words repeating in my head 'No witnesses, the master said.' I wasn't an idiot I knew what that meant. I was dead either way. Shadow would send men to hunt me down. Finish the job Twenty-Nine failed to do.

Besides, no matter how skilled of a fighter I was, I doubted I could escape a dozen highly trained werewolves.

I was hauled up to my feet by the man whose shirt I wore, his green eyes held sympathy in them. Sympathy for me. I jerked my arm harshly from his grasp, lifting my chin in defiance. Though it was probably safer to be detained by them than out here ripe for the picking by Shadows men. But I wasn't going to make it easy for him or anyone else.

I may have become a criminal, a rogue, with the downfall of our pack. But I was still prideful and an Alpha's daughter.

"Come on, don't make this harder for yourself." The green-eyed man said, gently tugging on my arm. Note gave him a warning growl to keep his hands off us and I showed teeth, sneering at him. The cold sting of silver encircled my wrists, I looked down at the cuffs that had been slapped on me. Instantly Note shrank to the back of my mind. The silver pushed her deep down and held her there.

I was yanked forward and led through the trees to a dirt path where a vehicle sat waiting for us. The man was gentle, despite my resistance and fight, as he shoved me in the back of the car and told the driver, "To the holding cells. She needs to be questioned."

I still had a few days before Lizzy would leave the safe house. I could escape by then. I was sure of it. There wasn't a lock I found yet, that could keep me contained.