Chapter Fifteen

Grace felt herself being pulled backwards, the people in the room behind her realising what was happening and putting themselves in front of her. Growls of warning from the wolves that could shift, as their eyes shifted to yellow to show that they would attack.

She felt gracious and shocked by their actions. She wasn't one of them, yet they were willing to protect her.

Hunt just smiled, a sickly sinister smile. His eyes not leaving hers, no matter how many werewolves had now left the safe room.

"Well, what do we have here...?" Hunt said, inhaling deeply again.

All of the planning and the time spent making sure he thought she was Jakes mate, and here she was after spending a month in Brandon's arms- wearing his jumper.

"All I want is the girl. I will let this pathetic mutt go and spare all of you, if you just let me take her." Hunt said, pointing over their shoulders towards her.

"We don't negotiate with rogues." An old man, with grey hair and a gravelly voice said, snarling as he stepped forward to meet Hunt in the eye.

Hunt jabbed the silver dagger a little further into Amy's throat, blood beginning to trickle as she cried out in pain.

"I am an Alpha!" Hunt shouted, his own eyes shifting to that of his wolf.

"You are no Alpha to me. That little lady, the one you want us to just let you take- she is the rightful Luna of Arion pack. So you either back off now or cut your throat with that dagger, or we will do it for you."

A few confused stares and surprised gasps could be heard around the room as people realised why she was sticking around and not going back to the city she came from. Though of course she had known the role the mate of an Alpha had, she hadn't put much thought into the fact that the title should indeed be hers.

"I am the Alpha! And if you don't stand aside so I can take her and lure her coward of a mate out so I can finally end him, I will stick this silver dagger into every single wolf I meet along the way." Hunt flung Amy to the ground, she flew across the floor and smashed into one of the bookshelves where she laid limp on the floor. Her ragged breathing the only sign of life as blood began to pool underneath her.

Hunt made to walk forward, the dagger raised to meet its next target.

"Stop!" Grace cried out, horrified that more people might get hurt. All he wanted was her, then the killing would stop. Brandon wanted to find Hunt anyway. She wasn't stupid, she knew that hunt would use her to get into Brandon's mind. But if that was by inflicting pain on her, he would be disappointed.

Pain. It was the one thing she could get over. Sure, things hurt like hell. But it was always there. She was in constant pain from the moment she woke up, to the moment she went to sleep. When something dislocated, she would just pop it back in. Screaming in her head as she did. If she screamed out loud every time, she would have been admitted to a psychiatric hospital by now.

So if Hunt wanted her for the intention of inflicting pain on her to get to Brandon, she was sure as hell not going to scream for that bastard.

"Take me. I'll go." She said, pushing her way through the people who had stood in front of her.

"Grace." The old man said sternly.

Of course he knew her name, but his scared and panicked eyes surprised her the most.

"One of me. All of you. It's not rocket science." She replied softly, walking slowly towards Hunt, who had his hungry gaze set on her.

With adrenaline coursing through her veins, all anxiety and fear was pushed from her mind. Her steps were stronger, and with her determined gaze on Hunt she found her way in front of him.

"Well... This was unexpected. How very noble of you. It's sickening, really." He passed the dagger into his other hand, raising his now free one to the collar of her jumper.

Grace stayed silent, glaring at him.

"Though I have no idea why you would want to protect them. It was one of them who told me where to find you. They don't want you, don't you understand that."

Grace felt her heart skip a beat, though her face stayed stoic, eyes still glaring. In her mind she knew who had done it. Danielle- or Casey. It would be their perfect revenge.

The old man behind her as well as some of those who surrounded her flinched. One of their own had betrayed them to their enemy, it was a packs biggest dishonour.

Hunt smirked at their reaction, ignoring her lack of one completely.

His fingers gripped the collar of the jumper, pulling it forcibly to the side so he could see her neck.

"It is a shame. I had hoped that when I kill your mate you would at least have felt some of his pain." Hunt said, sighing dramatically.

"You're a monster." Grace said, spitting on his boots.

"And you are a human I could- and will- squish." He reached for her collar again, preparing to drag her from the room.

He paused, staring for a moment into space. Before his infuriating smirk turned into a wide grin. He laughed manically, pushing Grace backwards.

She didn't know who had caught her, and who was now holding her steady as everyone stared at Hunt.

"It seems you are as redundant as I thought after all." He said between laughing. Tossing his knife back and forth in his hands he backed towards the door.

"Why take the pretty little princess when I can have the head of the king." He laughed again, his eyes twinkling with malice.

Grace went over his words, realising that there would only be one person he would drop her for.

"No." She whispered, the hands supporting her tightening, stopping her from lunging after Hunt- who was now racing down the hall.

Grace saw people running after him, she wanted to join him. She didn't care how much it would hurt her, or that she probably wouldn't make it down the hall without collapsing. She wanted to kill him.

"No!" She screamed, the hands finally letting her go.

"I'm so sorry Grace. When Brandon heard what you were doing, he gave himself up." The old man said, walking forward and embracing her.

"Hunt plays dirty. They will hurt him- kill him. We have to do something!" Grace cried out, tears streaming down her face.

How could he be so stupid?! She thought.

"What now? What do we do!?" She asked, pulling away from him, furiously wiping the tears away from her face.

"We do nothing. You don't want to get in the way of these people. Let Thomas and the other warriors figure it out." He said, patting her on the shoulder reassuringly. "They are following his scent and will have him and Hunt tracked down in no time at all."

Grace knew he was only trying to be helpful, but couldn't help feel resentful towards her condition. If she was normal, she could run after him. Maybe even fight a little bit.

A scream from the other side of the room startled her, Grace going ashen as she remembered the state her friend was in. She dropped to the floor, crawling to her friend at the bottom of the bookshelf.

Her laboured breathing told her that Amy was ok. Others surrounded her, someone poking an envelope opener into the bullet wound.

Grace winced as the small silver bullet appeared, burning every part of Amy it touched.

"There. She will be alright in a few minutes now her wolf can heal her." One of the ladies said, tossing the bullet away before it could hurt someone else.

Grace sat and stared down at her friend numbly.

Anger, sadness, confusion, hate, love, regret, fear and determination all flowing through her at one.

Shouting from outside caught her attention. Fury building up inside her as she recognized the voice.

Standing up, she walked out of the room towards the group of people who were now congregating outside.

"Why aren't you trying to find him?" She shouted, glaring at Thomas as she neared them. The adrenaline still in her body letting her stride forward with determination. She knew she would pay for using her body like this later, but she would happily spend a month unable to get out of bed if she knew Brandon would be there too.

Thomas looked up, cursing under his breath as he saw her.

"Grace, I'm sorry. We lost his scent as soon as we got to the road the loops around the boarder. Right now we're trying to figure out where Hunt would take him, we will find him. I promise."

Her heart sunk. They had lost him. And he was one against many. She knew he was strong, but up against a maniac like Hunt?

"Alpha!" A warrior called out, dragging a figure along behind him.

They all looked up in hope that whoever it was would give them new information they could use.

Instead, her anger just intensified. Danielle. Her make up smeared, hair a mess.

"What is this?" Thomas asked.

Before anyone could answer him, Amy appeared from the side door, her eyes fixed on Danielle. Grace shot out an arm to stop Thomas from stopping Amy. She knew exactly what Amy was planning on doing.

One satisfying crunch later and a broken bloody nose on Danielle's part. Grace turned to him to explain.

"She told Hunt where I was."

Thomas fixed a deathly stare on a whimpering and broken Danielle.

"I gave you an order not to tell anyone she was Brandon's mate. What did you tell him?" His cold and detached voice would have been scary if it weren't for the fact that Grace was now wishing she had punched the traitor herself.

"I told him to go inside the pack house and follow Brandon's scent. She is wearing his jumper. I knew he would be able to find her." Danielle replied, as though in a trace.

"Take her to lock up. I don't want to have to look at her until this is all over." He said, turning to the warrior that had found her.

"And if this ends badly, you will be executed for treason." Said Thomas, she Danielle was being dragged off towards the pack house.

Amy turned to Grace, silently walking over and scooping her into a big hug. Grace held her tightly back.

"You need to distract yourself. I will stick with the Alpha- if that's ok with you, Sir- and come and find you when we find him." Amy said. Thomas nodding in agreement to her plan.

Grace took the hint. They needed her out of the way. She knew that her physical weakness would only slow them down.

Nodding, holding back her tears, Grace let her feet take her to wherever.

Looking up she found herself on the path towards the training field. To her left, his- their- cottage. She couldn't bring herself to go inside.

Slumping back onto a fallen tree, she looked around feeling completely and utterly helpless.

"Grace!"

At first she hadn't heard him, his shouts from the forest beyond the training field were too quiet. But as he drew near she started to hear him.

Jake, followed by a man behind dragged by their arms behind him.

He had caught one of Hunts men. Standing up, she walked as fast as she could manage over to him, checking him for injuries, she was relieved to see the blood on him had belonged to injuries now healed by his wolf or someone else.

"Grace. I'm sorry. I couldn't stop him. Once he knew what you were doing, he gave himself up." Jake said, looking at her sadly.

"I know. It isn't your fault. It's Hunts." She replied. "Who is this?"

Jake threw the man to the floor who groaned as he attempted to stand up.

"One of Hunts men. From the Arion pack. He is only young, but I doubt that will stop Thomas from doing whatever is necessary to get the information we need from him."

"From the Arion pack?" Grace repeated, an idea forming in her mind.

It was ridiculous and probably would have zero effect what so ever. But she had to try.

"Yes?" Jake asked, frowning in confusion at her speculating expression.

Reaching down to the man, she took his jaw in her hand, forcing him to look up at her. Putting on the same expression she had seen Thomas wear when he talked to Danielle. A bubble of confidence burst within her.

"Do you know who I am?" She asked, keeping her grip on him tight.

"No." He replied, beginning to shake. From her grip and expression, the cold, or wounds that were only beginning to heal she didn't know.

"I am the mate of Brandon Evans, true Alpha of the Arion pack by birth. I am your rightful Luna." She said, and she watched in amazement as the wolf in front of her lowered his head in submission.

"Well... I didn't see that coming." Grace heard Jake murmur beside her.

"You will answer all of my questions." She said, turning back to the wolf who nodded in agreement.

"Where did Hunt take Brandon?"

"There is a cabin, follow the road at the border for five miles and take a left, it's on the unclaimed marsh land." He said without hesitation.

"What is Hunts plan for him?"

"He wants to be the true Alpha. He will... weaken... him before challenging him to an honourable fight."

Grace stood up, recoiling from what he had just told her. The smirk on the wolf's face telling her that even though she was his rightful Luna, he would be always follow Hunt.

"I know where that is. Come on, you can have the honour of telling the others." Jake said, reaching to grab the man's arms again.

"One more thing."

Grace turned back to the wolf, who was now lazily grinning up at her. Curling her fist, she slammed it into his nose. She was right. It was as satisfying as she had thought.

"Well... Remind me not to get on your bad side." Jake said, whistling appreciatively.

"Come on." Grace replied, rolling her eyes. They walked quickly through the training ground, back to the lawn behind the pack house. Grace unable to revel in what she had just done, Brandon filling her mind.

Only Amy and Lily where there. Upon spotting them and the wolf that was being dragged behind them they sprung forward, racing to meet them.

"Where is Thomas? I know where he is!" Grace said, excitedly.

"They are following a lead, they just passed the town." Lily replied, eyeing the man on the floor.

Grace's heart sunk, panic taking over. That was too far away. Even at their running speed by the time they reached the cabin, Brandon could already be- she didn't want to think about it.

"They are heading in the wrong direction, tell them to turn around and head for the marsh land while I get this punk into lock up. We have to move fast." Jake replied, dragging the man towards the pack house while lily mind linked her mate.

"How do you know where he is!?" Amy asked her as Grace racked her brain for ways to reach him faster.

"I'm the rightful Luna of the Arion pack. I guess his wolf submitted to me or something." Grace replied.

"They are turning around, but it will take at least half an hour to reach the marsh land." Lily said, looking over to Grace worriedly.

"Then come on! What are we waiting for?" Amy said, grabbing Grace by the hand and leading her around the front of the pack house, towards Thomas and Lilies garage.

"What are you doing?" Grace asked confused as Amy lifted the garage door open to reveal three cars, a family car, sports car and an off roader.

"We are going to the cabin." Amy said, catching a set of keys Lily had thrown at her, the off road car unlocking.

"No. No way. I am too weak, I will just get in the way!" Grace replied, stepping back. Her adrenaline would only last so long, and then she would be a liability. Not to mention her nerves and anxiety. She would get them all killed.

"Says who? You are one of the strongest people I have ever met. Plus, wouldn't it feel nice to wipe that smirk of off Hunts face?" Amy stood in front of her, hands on her hips, her eyes daring her to say that she wasn't capable of saving him.

But she was. She would do anything to save him. Anything at all. Even something as stupid and daring and scary and dangerous as this.

Rolling her eyes, she nodded. "Let's do this." 

"There has to be someone here in case any of Hunts wolves decide to come for revenge after you have ended him. I will send Jake after you as soon as he gets back." Lily said, stepping out of the garage.

"Send me where?" Jake replied, jogging over to the car.

"We are going to kick ass." Amy replied. "Back seat." She added, as he started towards the driver's seat.

Walking over the passenger side, she spotted a pair of crutches leaning up against the wall of the garage.

"My crutches?!" She asked, turning to Lily who nodded.

"We got them for you, but you never mentioned them again so put them away. I guess you had something much comfier to lean on." She said.

Snatching one of them from the wall, knowing it would probably come in useful when her adrenaline began to disappear from her system and her body began to grow weaker. Grace hopped into passenger side of the car. The engine roaring to life.

Within seconds thanks to Amy's lack of inhibitions when it came to driving, they were driving down the road leading towards the border, and towards Brandon.

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