Jacob

"How is Connor doing?" I ask Kimon as I enter the den, having decided it was time to stop pining after someone who'd made up their mind already.

So here I am, at the meeting I asked Kimon to set up. I take a glance around the room, noting that my Beta isn't anywhere in sight.

She really did go with him! She'd taken her stuff from the room she always occupied when she lived with me. And she's probably living with Derek now.

Moon Goddess knows what they were up to for Derek not to be -

"He's doing much better now, Alpha." Kimon lowers his voice as the others have their eyes on us, waiting for me to address them. "I thought you'd go see him by now."

"It's just been -" I swallow on the lie I'm about to tell, but it comes out anyway, "I've been trying to track the rogues."

Kimon seems to accept this and nods before wrapping me in a black cloak of honor. I feel way less than honorable right now, having failed to do anything productive in terms of finding Luthor who escaped us last night. Gripping the ends of the robe and feeling unworthy, I take a deep breath and turn my attention to my pack.

They wait patiently for some news about our assailants. There isn't much to report on - not when my mind is this messed up. I'd spent most of my day waiting around for Anastasia to come back, hanging on to what little hope I had left. And now I am left with nothing. Not even a scar from last night to remind me of where her hands had been on my skin, or how her eyes had been fraught with concern.

Truthfully, I don't even know what to tell my pack. They look at me as if I am their hope - as if I will single-handedly rid our land of the rogues. I mean, I don't blame them. After all, I am the revered Alpha, but I sure as hell don't feel admirable right now.

"Blood Moon, our mission to attack the rogues last night almost cost us the life of one of our fighters. We cannot allow this to happen again. We will begin training tonight since the rogue pack seems to grow stronger every time we encounter them."

The members nod their heads, but the younger members are clearly worried as their eyes remain wide, searching my face for the promise of safety.

A promise I can't guarantee, and behind the podium, I clench my fists. There was only one way we had a fighting chance against the rogues. We have to come up with a plan. A meticulous one that would ensure we caught the rogue leader.

"Gather outside, Blood Moon. We will hunt for fuel, then meet back here to practice our combatting skills."

"We've never fought before, Alpha. Our wolves are too weak. We're too young."

I turn to Chamile who makes this observation and remember the words my father once told me when I was a fresh wolf with fearful, doe eyes just as the wolves gathered around me.

'It isn't your strength that powers you through, it's your brain. You have to outsmart your opponents in order to defeat them. Only then, son, will you conquer the world.'

I lift my chin and square my shoulders, uncoiling my fists and remembering who I truly am.

"No wolf is too weak. You have to use this," I tap my temple, "to defeat your enemies. Go now, and I will show you how."

This seems to lift their spirits, and I know it's because they see me standing here proudly, and of course their faith in me as their leader. The only way we could defeat the rogues is if I taught them myself - the way my father did when I was younger.

The pack disperses into the woods, their wolves taking turns to howl the start of their hunt. I stand back and watch them until the very last member disappears beyond the trees.

I call upon my wolf, and I'm just about to follow the pack when I hear the sound of leaves being crushed beneath heavy footsteps. The scent I pick up is the scent of my Beta, and a spark of hope ignites in my chest when I think it's Ana who's come here to find me.

But as I turn my head, the wind blowing through my fur, I'm knocked by the sight of my Beta in his wolf form.

'I'm sorry I'm late,' Derek apologizes, purring apologetically as he bows his wolf head.

I turn my back to him, only offering an emotionless, 'I didn't know you were coming at all.'

'I had to do something before coming here.'

I honestly don't care where he'd been. And I don't reply either. It's none of my business anyway. But Derek seems adamant to inform me of what he'd been up to, and even as I dart into the depths of the woods, he's not far behind me.

'Ana and I -'

I growl in warning. 'I don't want to know. This isn't the time.'

'You're not listening, Jacob!' Derek rams his head into my shoulder, and I side-step to threaten him with a bellowing snarl.

'I don't need to listen, Beta. Congratulations to you both!'

'Congratulations to us for fucking ending things!'

Ending things?

Did I just fuck things up between her and me because I refused to believe the truth? There's no way Derek is lying - he's my Beta after all and we share a connection that's strong enough for me to tell when he's lying or not.

If I could frown in my current form, I would have scowled. 'If you're here, where's Ana?'

Derek turns his nitid brown head my way, and I swear he'd have returned my questioning glare with a frown of his own. 'Ana? Wouldn't she be with you, Jake?'

'Why would she -'

The voice that cuts me off is one I instantly recognize. That voice my heart pines for, only now her urgent tone snaps my head in the direction it's coming from. 'Jacob! Blood Moon! They're coming!'

They?

As if instinctively, Derek and I turn to look at each other, both of us having heard Anastasia. The others must have heard her too, because they come rushing towards us, their wolf eyes wide with alertness.

'Alpha Jacob! Did you hear that?'

'Is that Ana?'

'Who's coming?'

I'm bombarded by questions from the pack when I hear her calling again.

'The rogues just crossed our border!'

'The rogues!' I announce with urgency, and Derek steps up.

'This is our chance, Jake!'

Losing my temper at his sudden eagerness, I snap my teeth and yell, hoping my voice shakes his brain up a bit, 'where were you when we really stood a chance, huh?!'

'Jacob!!' Kimon shouts, drowning out the anger splitting through my mind, and before I can reply, I see him charge forward towards a group of rogues.

'Now!'

I know my pack is wildly unprepared for this attack, but we surge forward, with Derek by my side heading the attack on the group that crossed into our territory. As we leap upon them, sending them soaring in the air as we tear into their formation, I try to find the leader, Luthor.

But as they fall, the Blood Moon Pack ripping them to shreds, I don't see Luthor anywhere. Fearing the worst, I let Derek take over on the wolf who comes straight for me.

'Ana?! Ana, can you hear me?!'

The moment of weakness allows one of the burly rogues to knock me off my feet, sending me thundering towards a tree. My back makes contact, and I whimper from the pain shooting through my spine. For a moment that feels like time has slowed up, I'm unable to move and only watch as my attacker stalks towards me. I close my eyes, wondering if this is the moment when my life will flash behind my eyelids.

'Jacob, be safe.'

It's not a warning. It's a plea to me, her voice in my head so gentle it has me opening my eyes, believing she's right here next to me. But it's not her I see - it's the bleached out wolf who bares his teeth and licks his lips. He's just about to pounce on me when the Beta comes to my rescue.

Jacob, be safe? Was this the goodbye I didn't know I'd fear the most until I heard it? No! That's why Luthor isn't here. He's still near the border - where Ana is. Why? Why did he care to attack a single wolf alone on the border, unless he's out to hurt me?

'Derek! Ana!'

The Beta claws into the rogue, giving a few extra slices just for good measure before he turns to me.

'The border?'

'Now!'

I find the strength to pick myself up from somewhere deep within - where those feelings for Ana finally wake up to save her from the danger she's in. I hear Derek instruct Kimon to hold the group of rogues on this side of the woods, while we rush forward to get to the border in time.

The little house near the border is cast in darkness, and there's no sound of struggle. Fearing the worst, I pick up my pace, saying a silent prayer to the Moon Goddess to save her.

'Ana! Ana!' I clamor, and fear my prayers aren't answered tonight when the silence knocks me like a death blow.