1 Game of Catch

*The name at the top of each chapter is the point of view the chapter is based on.*

Silas:

The streets were dark, everyone already asleep in their homes. I ran through the emptiness, knowing the target was just ahead. He had been running from my pack for nearly four months. Finally, we had him cornered. Nowhere to go in this empty town. The homes wouldn't open their doors. Not with the curfew being enforced. Maybe after tonight that could become a thing of the past. The smell of the target filled my nostrils and my wolf growled a low and deep growl. He was close. "I smell him two blocks to the left." I let out a push of energy that was searching for the wolf to tire him out. When it locked on I began to drain from him. "He's got a drain tether. Zone in on it and pull from it." As the other members of the hunt pulled I felt the target's energy lower, their speed slowed as a result of their exhaustion.

"We'll go around and corner him from the back." An omega led two others around the corner as I nodded once in their direction.

"Go, I'll catch him from this side. Don't let him escape if anything happens."

"Understood." All four of the other wolves who separated from me spoke in unison as I charged full-on towards the target's direction.

"I'll take the other side."

My beta was efficient at running down our targets. He was quick, to the point, and could rip the arms off someone in one pull. Everything I needed in my second. I knew this wolf would have to rest soon. He wasn't part of a pack and didn't have the ability to pull on energy from his pack as we did. We'd been running for nearly 4 hours now. Even my group was getting a bit tired. They didn't stop though, not while the fugitive still ran. I felt the wind pick up and could smell the fear of the pathetic waste we'd spent so much time finding. It wasn't uncommon for me to be called ruthless, even cruel at times. However, this rogue had broken one of our cardinal rules. One that could not be forgiven regardless of the cause.

Another turn and I could see him. He was small with tan fur and a small white stripe. The mark of a previous home, a previous family. Did they dismiss him because of his actions? That was too kind, he didn't deserve to be banished. He didn't deserve to die either. That too, was kind. I was only a few feet from him now. I yanked on the energy line I'd wrapped around him for the drain and he fell to the ground. I pounced, pushing myself to close the distance as my Beta and a few omegas came into view behind him. I landed, pushing the small tan wolf to the ground with enough force his blood began to run on the concrete. I growled and snapped, warning him to stay still. He was not in my pack so he would not understand me like this. "Stop draining. Shift and translate." My command was simple and followed immediately. All the wolves stopped draining on the energy link and my beta was immediately back in his two-legged form.

My beta knelt next to us, his focus on the tan wolf. "You are charged and have been judged as guilty for the pain caused to two small pups and their mother. If you have any final words, I would speak them now." I listened as my beta copied my words and watched as the tan wolf went through the emotions with it. He stayed still, not moving before letting out a small whimper and nodding once. I felt his bones breaking beneath me, shifting. I didn't move, he could deal with the dislocated shoulder that wouldn't be able to mend correctly. That was the least of his concerns at this point. I waited, impatiently, as the final bits of fur became skin. The man beneath me is small, weak, and fragile. He couldn't have been older than 25. 25 and already a monster even I wouldn't allow in my pack.

"Please, I had to, you don't understand."

My beta continued to voice my inner monologue. "Had to?! Had to torture a woman in front of her family? Had to lock the children in the closet until their screams turned silent? There is no 'had to' in that. You were a waste of life, your body will be wasted in death." I had heard enough, no reason could make up what he had done. Absolutely no reason.

I let out a long snarl, nearing his throat. I needed his fear, he deserved to be scared. As scared as the ones he had hurt. The wind around me was quiet and cold, adding to his fear. I thanked the moon for the dark night and let my teeth scrape the rogue's shoulder. He cried out as a small streak of blood mixed into what had already fallen to the ground. I knew it would be seen as cruel to leave him as I planned, but it had to be done. He did not deserve the alternative. I leaned back, letting him move just enough to feel that moment of relief. That moment of maybe I had changed my mind. Then I grabbed his arm and pulled it from his body. My teeth tore into its flesh as it tried to stay a part of the body it connected to. One hard pull was all it took. His screams echoed in the night. I smiled, knowing his pain wasn't finished just yet. I grabbed his other arm and threw it like I had the first.

"Please, please, I couldn't help myself." I growled, anger building in my chest. This man didn't deserve life, he didn't deserve death. I got my face close to his, my teeth even with his neck, and my eyes locked to his. He didn't need to hear my thoughts to know what I wanted to do to him. This was the easiest way he would die. I let my jaw wrap around his neck, one hard pull brought it separate from the body. His scream died as it drifted into silence as the head fell to the ground. Four months, four hours, and four pieces. That was the kindest sentence I could possibly give to him. I stepped away, blood covering my fur.

"Toss him into the woods. No burial, the animals can clean him up. Put his head outside the cells for the day. It'll join his body tomorrow night." My beta nodded once at my command. He didn't speak but I could feel he felt I could have handled it better. I disagreed, there was no better end to someone who tortured children. This was a peaceful end in my eyes. He had deserved much worse, and I refused to allow a burial on my grounds. If his family came with claims or anger about my decision, I would handle it then. I turned and ran back towards home. It was a four-hour run after all, a lot of ground to make up.

The sun was nearing the horizon as I saw the front door to my home. The large home housed a total of 5 other wolves plus myself. My circle, including my beta, the top 3 omegas, and an advisor who was an elder from the previous circle. It was four levels, but the bottom was only used when necessary. It was a private cellar, meant for criminals who couldn't be put in the general cells. The main floor opened into our den. A large room with three black leather couches centered around the fireplace with a television hanging above it. The main floor also had a kitchen just past the den and the advisor's bedroom to the side of the kitchen. No one except the advisor would be home for now. As the sun was only coming up he was most likely still asleep. I made my way past the furniture, shifting as I rounded the corner table and made my way up the stairs. The second floor was for omegas and my beta. They had their own rooms and a shared double bathroom. I kept going up the stairs and found my floor. It had my room, a spare room that had always been used as a private training room, and one bathroom that was larger than I ever needed. Honestly, it was a waste of space. I tried to have it changed and made into a second weapons room after I took over as Alpha, but the advisor informed me it was tradition that my floor be left alone above all others. Only the lower two could have any major renovations. I went straight to my oversized bathroom. It was all light blue and black. The large porcelain tub sat in the center of the room surrounded by the three faucets and shelves.

I wasted no time turning on the water and jumping in. I still had the blood covering my skin. It didn't just disappear after the fur went away, that would have been too easy I guess. Images of the run and execution were on replay in my mind. My wolf growled and scratched at my mind. He wanted back out, was tired of being pent up. "I'm sorry, we can't go out tonight. One kill has to be enough." I hadn't told anyone, not even my Beta, but I'd been taking runs every night hunting wildlife around our pack's base. My wolf needed out, needed a release. Hunting was the only one I could give it for now. I felt his disapproval but he was calming down, the energy from him came in waves and I tried to let the water wash it away and down the drain. Just focusing on the grounding for a few minutes I let the water do its job and clean me, energy and all.