Saviour

No More Than Five Minutes

Braden

It was the hardest thing I have ever had to do, leaving her there. I know in my mind that it was the most logical thing to do. Lives of the many outweigh the lives of the few, but what if the few included your mate. Your one true chance at happiness? I gather Hayden, Sam, Jax, Cress, and Cal to bring them into the pack house. I glance one last time at my beautiful mate, hoping to the Moon Goddess that this won't be the last time I lay my eyes on her. We see panicked faces of the pack members in the foyer where Hayden asked them to all meet. Hayden explained the urgency of the situation and told them to grab a few belongings that fit into a backpack as we would be leaving almost immediately. I can hear the whimpers of small children who are scared and don't understand what is going on. We step out into the front yard and those who can shift, shift. The pups sit on the back of their mothers and we all set off into the woods. Running at a decent speed to ensure everyone can keep up, we leave the territory.

Minutes turn to hours before we take a quick stop at a lake to have some water and a snack from the bags we brought. Mothers are trying to calm down their children who are sobbing quietly while the fathers are standing on guard to make sure no one harms their family. Everyone shifts into their wolf forms and head off. Cal, Hayden, Sam and I are jogging at the front of the group with warriors positioned at the sides and back. I don't know where Jax is, but I can still smell him so he hasn't strayed far. Soon enough Jax runs up next to me in his wolf, Max, who gives me a nod, reassuring me that everything will be alright.

Hours pass with no problems. We haven't run into any Wilds and we are all very thankful for that. I have been on autopilot the whole run so far as my mind wanders to Ash. I haven't felt anything through the bond so she must still be alive. I won't feel her emotions or pain until I mark her, but at least I know she isn't dead which means there is still hope.

I hadn't realized we stopped running until I hit into Jax. He turns his head to give me a look of 'what the hell, man?' I just then notice that we are at the border of the Royal Pack and it is dark outside. I must have spaced out for quite a while. Two wolves meet us at the boarder.

"You must be from the White Stone Pack. My name is Nova and this is Drake. We will escort you to the pack house."

The group of us follow the two wolves through the trees and emerge into a clearing with a grand castle. I hear some of the children gasp in awe at the sight in front of them. We shift back into our human forms, putting on our clothes, and walk into the mansion. We are lead down a hall into a wing of the castle that looks vacant. This must be the guest ward in the castle for packs who have gone to war and came here in refuge. We will probably have to double up on rooms considering we didn't loose any members of the pack and still have quite a large number. I help people start getting settled in in the rooms and I then head out back to make a phone call to Mom.

"Braden, it's good to hear from you," Mom greets.

"Mom, something happened at the White Stone Pack. We have moved the members to the Royal Pack temporarily until the threat is no longer."

"What happened," her tone turns serious.

"Rogues, at least fifteen hundred, came and tried to take Ash. When Ash said she wouldn't go willingly with them, they attacked her. She held off the rogues long enough for Hayden to get his entire pack out of the territory."

"I am on my way," Mom states, no room for argument.

"Okay, I will see you soon."

She says she loves me and then hangs up the phone, ceasing any conversation as she goes to pack. I turn around quickly when I hear an exaggerated sigh come from behind me. It's Jax.