The Hunt

Chapter 36

I wasn't sure whether I was supposed to be up here with Cole, everyone gazing at me as if I was about to take charge and explain what was going on, but, the wolves were far too intimidating.

They watched me carefully, seeming to take in my every move, some of them not looking happy, but, I gathered it was because Cole had announced that what they were about to hear wouldn't be nice.

"Right, so as you know, Reya is human," Cole spoke, gesturing to me, and I tensed up, my eyes widening.

I wasn't expecting Cole to start with that, and it made me feel rather uncomfortable, all of the wolves shifting their attention to me, the majority of them nodding.

"She comes from a small colony a little way away from here, but they have been searching for her since she came with me. They aren't happy with her being mated to a wolf, and they have made it clear that they know the location of our pack and won't hesitate to attack when we weaken."

I mentally cringed at the half-truth Cole was telling. I mean technically, everything he had said wasn't a lie, but, he had purposely missed out the part where he had found me during my Hunt.

Looking at the wolves now, I gulped. I knew they would be outraged if they knew that Cole was lying to them to protect me, and a part of me wondered if Cole would lose his Alpha position over it.

Could that happen?

Could they decide to kick him from his duties?

This place did seem like a democracy.

"What does this mean for us?" yelled a small lady at the back of the crowd, looking dishevelled, the wolves around her nodding in agreement.

"We need all vulnerable wolves to evacuate, including children, the elderly, pregnant women and anyone who cannot shift when they weaken. All others will remain in their houses when the humans arrive."

Chattering started amongst the wolves, all of them clearly panicking and wondering how this was going to work.

As far as I was concerned, nothing like this had happened before and they were frightened and worried much like I was.

We were all in the same boat.

"Settle down!" boomed Cole, his voice loud and intimidating, and I gulped at the tone, all of the wolves instantly quietening as they clamped their mouths shut.

"I know this is hard to hear, and, we have never faced anything like this before. The humans want us dead, and I only want people who can defend themselves staying within the pack until it is over. I don't want to take any risks."

"Will your mate stay?" questioned a teenage boy at the front of the crowd. He was young looking, and I gathered that he was going to be included in the group of wolves being evacuated.

"Yes, of course," Cole spoke, nodding immediately. "However, her colony won't stop until they find her, so, we are going to have to fight until the death."

Hearing that caused my heart to ache, and I swallowed harshly.

I knew it was going to happen, but hearing Cole tell everyone that they needed to slaughter my old colony caused a wave of nausea to waft through me. I didn't want them dead, but, like Cole had said, they weren't going to stop until they found me.

My mind filled with images of my Father, imagining his limp form on the ground, blood pooling from his chest after having his heart ripped from him.

Tears rimmed my eyes, but, I tried my best to blink them away, thinking about something else.