One of Runts

Chapter Forty-Three

Chapter Forty-Three: Incoming

        "They've got a witch?" Azrael asks me as I let his conscious fall away from me. I nod my head as I slip back from under the tree. "How do you know? I don't believe either of us has ever seen a witch in the flesh before."

        I shake out my fur and give him a raised eyebrow. "I can't have been the only one to see the swirling mist, right?" I ask him. His ears splay to the side as he acknowledges my point. "Besides, how wouldn't they be able to link us if someone wasn't tampering with their minds with magic? Our studies should have been similar enough, yours if not more thorough than mine, to know that witches can easily mess with mindlinks as well as create them. She's either blocked them or she's removed them."

         Azrael nods his head slowly as he thinks about it. "You should have gotten standard studies compared to my pack, though I suspect that due to your high rank, my uncle taught you some things?" I nod my head. Alpha Quill had taught me, along with some of the higher ranked pups, personally on different things. The other kingdoms and species were apart of it. "Then you should know that witches can only remove a mindlink if all wolves connected are in a specific radius. Our links are still connected to theirs, though they cannot link us back. And if we try to link them, the witch'll sense it. The best we can do is link your pack and some of the closer squadrons for backup."

        I nod my head, though I feel terrible for just sitting here like a little pup. We could be doing som-ething right now to get them out and I have no doubt that once backup comes, the rest of the rogue group will be here. I know they're still coming and it seems like Kace and the other rogues are stalling.

        "It doesn't look like they're planning on harming the squadron any time soon," I tell Azrael, seeing him nod in agreement. "They're waiting for something. I'll contact Alpha Quill, and you contact the king?" He nods his head slowly, giving me a sidelong glance.

        "You don't have to call him that, you know," Azrael says, drawing my attention to him. I flick an ear to the side and he elaborates on his statement. "Alpha Quill. You don't have to call him Alpha. You're family now, and when we're not in company of the whole pack or other high ranking people, you don't have to refer to him by his title."

        I lower my eyes and nod. "I know," I tell him, my voice soft. "It's just been ingrained into me to refer to an Alpha by their title and nothing more. It'll take me some time before I even think to refer to him as just Quill. He's been my commander for so long and calling him by his title shows my respect for him. And while he may no longer be my Alpha, I'll still refer to him as such for a very long time."

         Azrael's eyes seem to darken in his sadness and I can tell he's curious as to why it's been ingrained into me to be so respectful to someone of higher command. He doesn't know all of my past, though he knows that it's not his uncle's doing. I believe he suspects the truth as to why I'm so serious all the time. He slowly nods his head and I close my eyes, trying to connect my mind to my old alpha.

        "Alpha Quill?" I call out. I'm still connected to his pack, but with not being in touch for so long, and with being connected to other wolves, it's become more difficult to actually let him know that I'm trying to speak with him. All he'll feel is a little nudging sensation and he won't know who exactly is speaking with him. Worst-case scenario, I can just link my parents. Their minds are always open to me, so they should easily know who's trying to contact them.

        I keep calling for a few more minutes before I feel a tug on my mind. We're farther away than we were when I linked him the other day when we first came here, so the mental voice is a bit strained at this distance. I have a feeling that it not only has to do with the witch messing with the area, but it also has to do with the fact that I'm now mated to Azrael. That basically means I'm apart of two packs: Azrael's and Alpha Quill's.

        "Ever?" Alpha Quill asks me. His mindvoice is quieter than normal and I know it has to do with the distance that we're at. "Have you found the person responsible for the missing rogues?" I sigh.

        "It's Kace Sentry, Alpha." I mentally wince at the betrayal and anger I sense from him. "He's in the small valley to the west of the pack with... seventeen rogues and a witch. You were right when you said that the other kingdoms have been having problems with rogues recently. It's clear by her wardrobe and the obvious free will that she's a rogue. I wouldn't be surprised to learn that the witch and Kace are mates and are working together."

         It's not too common to see a cross-species mating, but it happens more often than expected. I've heard that the vampire kingdom's royal family actually had a half-human half-vampire hybrid due to cross-mating. Vampires don't get predetermined mates as wolves and shifter do.

         "That's plausible," Alpha Quill states, still sounding furious and frustrated. I'd expect him to be more collected when talking to a wolf of a lower rank, but he's not. It's because you're family, now, my mind whispers to me. Family, I think softly. I shake my head to focus on what's happening. I'm slacking.

        "Alpha, we're going to need reinforcements," completely serious. "The rogue group we told you about should be close and I don't think Azrael and I can get close enough to take out the existing wolves with the squadron surrounded. They're biding their time and waiting for reinforcements of their own. We've got to get them out of there quickly."

        "Is Azrael contacting the squadrons in this sector?" he asks, revealing that he knows what the king has planned. Well, he technically is royalty, so it makes sense that he's been debriefed on the current problem. "If you're correct about the incoming army of rogues, you're going to need all the help you can get. I've got Beta Reade rounding up top warrior guilds, though I'm afraid there aren't too many warriors with everyone helping out around the kingdom and with the increased border patrol."

        My tail lashes in annoyance, but I don't let him sense it. "We'll have to make due, Alpha. Hopefully, we can detain the wolves already here so we can focus on the incoming company."

        "Great job, Ever. You'll make an amazing Queen," he comments, making my ears heat up. I duck my head even though he can't see me in pleased embarrassment. "And Ever? I know you have trouble with calling someone by anything other than their rank, but we're family now. Please, call me Quill."

        I'm quiet for a few moments and I paw at the ground, looking over at Azrael. He seems to be finished with all of his linking, so I allow him to listen in on my conversation and sense my emotions. "Thank you... Quill. I'll try, but it'll take some time. Hopefully, I'll see you soon." He lets me sense his happiness at me calling him by name and essentially accepting him as my family.

        The link falls silent and I feel the pressure of the mindlink fade away. I shake my head at the slight headache left over but don't pay mind to it. It happens on stressed links and I suspect that Azrael has the stress, too. But considering royal wolves can link someone from across the world, it should be less of a headache than mine. If he has one, that is.

        "How many is he sending?" Azrael asks me, thankfully ignoring what just happened. He's made me realize that I prefer letting others feel my emotions rather than talk about them. I need to fix that.

        "The pack's a bit lacking on warrior wolves since the current rogue sighting has a third of the wolves all over the kingdom and a third on border patrol. I'd be surprised if we get more than three squadrons. How many on your end?" I ask him, a bit miffed that we won't be getting too many wolves for help. At least we're getting the help, I remind myself.

        "The two local squadrons and three from the surrounding packs," Azrael says. "But they won't be here for at least an hour or two." I nod my head and paw at the ground.

        "We'll have to make due, then."

Merry Christmas!