The Prisoner’s Princess Chapter 62

Bryson

I sat inside my makeshift office while my mate and pups slept the next room over. I mulled over paperwork that was sent to me, confused but I refused to ask my tired mate or in-laws for help. They were busy, and I didn’t need anyone holding my hand. It had been a week since she was released from the hospital, but she was still being monitored. The pups’ claws had torn her apart, but it wasn’t any fault of their own.

I got a call from my Beta on my phone. It was Franklin. “Alpha, forgive me for interrupting you, but this is important.” He said on panted breath.

“Speak.” I commanded.

“He attacked a Guardian of the Forest, and now it’s dying. All the trees are dying too sir.” There was a crack of a tree. I could hear it falling and him running.

“Find something living and put it’s blood in its mouth. It doesn’t matter what.” I told him. He sounded like he was running off, and there was snarling, along with fighting of wolves.

I heard scuffling, howls, then howls of victory. “No forest, no profit, no pack.” Said a wolf. I couldn’t make out who, as the line got cut off.

“Shit!” I snarled at the top of my lungs. I heard my pups crying, and I swore again under my breath. They didn’t hear me, but the rumble of my growl shook the walls enough for them to feel it.

I ran walked to see my mate tiredly try to feed them, and it hurt my heart. There was a mini fridge with fresh kill and milk already in bottles for her. It would make life easier, but I had to leave. Without the forest spirit of PineMoon, we would lose the prosperity of the land, making it hard for anything to truly thrive there.

“My little mate…. I will take you home, but first I need to scout the area to ensure it’s safe.” I half lied. I hated lying to her, but I had no choice.

“What do you mean you’re going to scout out the house first? Take me with you.” She demanded, giving Tyson and Kaizen their bottles while I held Grace. Her little eyes were red with her wolf, but I would not let her leave this room if I could help it.

“Abso-fucking-lutely not. You can barely sit up, barely stay awake, and not to mention you’re still bleeding….” I told her firmly. The pups were a week old, and still small and uncoordinated, though now in their blind and deafness, they could almost get to the edge of the bed in my mate’s old room.

“Bryson please. I can help.” I didn’t care if she pleaded me as submissively as she did. My word was final, and I left out the door. I locked it; she would not leave that room and die again. Not if I could help it. I ignored her snarling swears at me, she would just have to accept that she wasn’t going anywhere.

“Give me the keys Bryson.” Shook her aunt quietly. I hadn’t really spoken with her much. I didn’t know if I could trust her. My mate had enough food to last a week in that room… but I didn’t want to leave her unattended.

“No.” I told her firmly. I smelled her fear. I didn’t know why she was, but it would play to my advantage.

“I will keep her locked inside unless I’m checking on her. Her body is weak, but her spirit is strong…” She said showing her neck to me. I was stronger than her, even if she used her powers, so it could be part of why she stepped back when I stepped forward.

“…. Do not let her leave this house.” I warned, handing her the keys, and she nodded. Her heart beat out her chest as I walked past her, and I went down the stairs. I got the keys to my small black car, and started the ignition. My wolf and I were torn.

On one hand, I wanted nothing but to stay with her and my pups; but I also wanted to protect my home. What would be the point in all this if there was nothing to come back too. I wouldn’t be able to stay as a guest for long. I will not submit to Kaiden. I didn’t care about rank or titles.

I was on the edge of my seat, going at least 100 miles an hour on the interstate, trying to get to the border. OpalMoon’s Alpha had made a mistake. He fucked with me anyway, even though I told him, I warned him I would kill him. He held a large territory the size of two packs, and I could only think that this was a trap. It had to be. He was too confident.

I was tired of the plots and schemes of the council members. It made me want to kill them all, and just be done with it. I knew he had to be behind this, as guardians are rare and far between. My gas light blinked, and I outwardly sighed. I got off the interstate, in St. Lui, being held up by a hunter who worked the register. It was noon now, though there were no other humans around.

“Well, well, well…. A red eyed male wolf. Biggest I ‘ever seen.” He said with a whistle.

“Not in the mood.” I snarled. “$50 on pump 3.” I reached into my wallet, and pulled out cash. He took it and put it in the register.

“You must be that there wolf that’s took over all Missourie.” His country accent was thick, and I nodded my head.

“yup.” I said casually.

“I might pay you a visit with my friends, you know, to welcome you to the community.” He laughed, and I grabbed him by the throat. The lights flickered, but I had no control over that. I could smell his fear. It seemed that was the common theme today.

“Listen real good, if you come near my mate or my wolves, I will try my hand at skinning mortal.” I snarled. My eyes flashed black on their own, and I dropped him before my wolf could kill him. He also turned on my pump, so I went to get my gas.

I had an additional worry now. No one followed me, but it still didn’t mean they wouldn’t try something. Fuck. I held five packs, leading about eight thousand wolves… hopefully that was enough to deter them.

I snarled in the car, pulling into the packhouse of PineMoon an hour later. Beta Zackery and Gamma Alexander were waiting for me with worried expressions. I let my horns come out, and they bowed their heads to me. They began taking off their clothes immediately. We all shifted, pretty much as soon as I left everything in my car, running into the forest of dying trees. They were withering and brown, as well as the grass at an unnaturally high rate.

I couldn’t believe it. They killed the White Stag. Elion ran through all my territories, and even a bit into Greg’s, so I didn’t understand why he would kill him. It was like poisoning your own water supply. I had to dodge a falling tree to see that he was hung upside down by his hoofs, so there was no blood to give another animal… I growled a rumble that echoed throughout the forest.

I shifted, climbing the tree, cutting him down. Elion’s innards were ripped out, and his eyes were still open, though he was dead. I closed his eyes for him. “Rest old friend.” I mumbled, looking for anything that hadn’t run away. In the tall grass, I saw a yearling buck, with his legs crushed under a tree. I lifted it, and it screamed, thinking I was going to kill it.

“Alpha, we left it, because we thought it was dead… surely we can’t use that, can we?” Alexander helped me by looking around inside the remains of Elion... and he found a chunk of liver.

“I’ve never done this so, I don’t know… I just… I just know.” I told him. I didn’t even understand where I got this knowledge from… but I picked up the screaming, kicking yearling buck in my arms. Alexander handed the piece to me, and I put it in its mouth. I forced it to swallow it, and his eyes turned green. I let him go, watching his antlers sprout, even though it was no longer the season for them. His pelt turned a bone white, but the grass changed to its normal color.

“I am Osalbum… the Stag of Bone.” He said with a bowed head. His legs had healed, and he vanished, along with the White Stag. I bowed my head to the nothingness, and my subordinates looked at the forest come to life in wonder. A ring of mushrooms formed where the body was laid, and I shifted back into my wolf, howling in lamentation for he who saved my life.

This ill deed would Not go unpunished.

Secure the perimeter, I am going to get Greg for this. I growled, sensing my warriors had come to my aid.

“Alpha it’s a trap… they killed Beta Franklin…” Said Gamma Alexander, and I snarled, scattering the birds in the trees.

Then he is mine to kill. I trotted to the border, with a handful of warriors. I didn’t tell them to come along; they did that on their own.