Sage's POV:
My mate is a part of the group that has been capturing Omegas. However, I don't think he's the mastermind and I don't think he wants to harm anyone.
We met up with the Eastern Mountain pack earlier today and they were eager to attack and had claimed that the prisoners said there weren't many people in the pack and that many of the Alphas wouldn't even fight and would most likely flee. We decided to leave as soon as possible because they feared for the Omegas and wanted to get them away as soon as possible.
When we arrived and surrounded the pack, we waited for hours to understand the space and how big their land was. It was surprisingly really small and every building was short and concrete. There were a group of cocky Alphas talking and other Alphas who were silent and gave off an uneasy aura.
I assumed the quiet ones were the workers and the cocky ones were the leaders that were running the show. We were told that the leaders were in complete control and there were about fifteen of them with one ultimate leader who I wanted to punish for hurting so many Omegas.
We infiltrated and the battle only lasted for about twenty minutes. As we reached the end of it, I was shocked to see the leaders giving up and attacking the Alphas who tried to run away and flee, as the Eastern Mountain pack had said they would.
I witnessed the death of a man who was running aside another and then I caught the scent that I'd been longing to smell for years.
An evil wolf was about to kill my mate.
I acted quickly against orders, as my orders were to get the Omegas to our designated safe space, but I was not going to let my mate go. I killed the attacking Alpha and made sure he felt pain as he slowly choked on his own blood.
My mate looked shocked and horrified. He shifted soon after, his ashy grey fur glowing in the moonlight with blood splattered all over it. It wasn't his own; all of it was from the puddles of blood all over the forest floor.
He followed me and stopped at the body of his friend, mourning for a brief second before I urged him to leave. He joined with the group of Alphas that we had surrounded, but I stayed by his side.
The poor thing is terrified even now, but it makes sense. He's surrounded by unknown people who just worked to kill most of his leaders. Unfortunately, their head leader escaped and so had some of the other wolves who were looking to flee.
He will be a problem in the future, I already know that, but for now I want to focus on my mate, the terrified Alphas, and the Omegas.
We get back to our pack just past midnight, as it's closer than the Eastern Mountain pack so their warriors will stay the night in our pack, some guarding a house with the Omegas and the others keeping watch on the Alphas.
Once we're back, most of us, including myself, shift back and change our clothes in order to state what's going on.
My mom takes the lead. "Omegas, please follow our three warriors here," she says, nodding to a group of warriors that includes two Beta leaders and an Alpha leader. "Alphas, with them."
Nolan and two other Alphas take them to a large house where they will stay for the night, but I keep my mate with me.
Of course, because my mom doesn't know that this is my mate, she gives me a confused look.
"Sage, why is this Alpha not following?" she inquires, glaring at my mate who steps behind me.
"He's my mate and I want him with me," I tell her dryly. "I saved him from one of those Alpha leaders who tried to kill him."
My mom doesn't trust him, I can tell. "I want him in a different room and I want it guarded," she says, which is irritating, but it's no place of mine to contradict her in front of others. "Go home, Sage."
I obey while she finishes discussing with the other head warriors about how they will guard the Omega house and the Alpha house. I already know the plan, since I came up with it. Our warriors will start by guarding, and the Eastern Mountain pack members will go to rest for a bit before they take over patrol at dawn.
Then we will decide what comes next tomorrow.
My mate stays in his wolf form, following me closely.
"I'll get you some clothes so you can shift back," I say once we're upstairs and in one of the guest rooms.
He doesn't make any noises of acknowledgement, but he does lay down so I know he won't run. Once I'm back with extra clothes of mine (they're bigger ones that I have because I don't think he's the same size as me) I turn around and let him shift back and change.
Oh. My. Goddess.
He's got so many small injuries on his face and arms, but he's flawless. His eyes are a smokey grey, his hair dark brown and falling down his face and neck. He's in need of a haircut to look better taken care of, but I doubt that's at the top of his concerns right now. His skin is pale, and I assume it has a lot to do with lack of proper nutrition and being stuck inside a building or in his wolf form.
From what I saw at that disgrace of a pack, the non-leader Alphas were stuck inside carrying out tasks that the leaders didn't want to do.
"What's your name?" I ask him, sitting down next to him on the bed.
He shies away from me, his cheeks pink. "Ashton. Thank you for saving my life."
"I couldn't let my mate die on me," I say, hoping to pull a smile from him, but he remains stoic and on edge. "I'm Sage."
Ashton looks at me, staring into my eyes. "Your name matches your eyes," he comments, fondness in his voice.
"So does yours."
"Ashton isn't a color?"
"Ash, I meant. Like smoke? Grey?"
Wow, I sound like an idiot. I'm usually so composed, so this is frustrating for me.
Ashton doesn't seem to mind and looks around the room. "Is this your bedroom, Sage? It doesn't smell like you."
"No, it's a guest room. My mother, our Alpha, is hesitant about your pack because of your leaders. She doesn't know who of you she can trust or if you'll attack us, so she doesn't want you sleeping in my room right now," I explain, and he hums but I can tell he doesn't like the news.
"Where are my pack mates?" he asks, pulling his knees to his chest.
I watch him nervously look out the window. "They're in a house where they'll be protected by my warriors."
Ashton starts biting on his thumb nail, and I notice all of his nails are bitten. "If I'm not sleeping beside you... may I go stay with them?" He looks back out the window. "They're not bad wolves... we didn't have a choice and they're comforting to me."
It hurts that he doesn't want to be in the pack house, but I understand that after such a horrible event and witnessing a friend die, he wants to be comforted and I'm not allowed to stay here.
"Sure," I whisper, taking his hand. "I'll walk you there."
Ashton's hand is cold; his whole body seems cold, so I stop by my room and give him a sweatshirt of mine. Not only will it keep him warm, but it will give him my scent and hopefully comfort him.
The warriors don't stop me when I get to the Alpha house, but they follow me in because even with my strength, I cannot fight off a group of twenty Alphas on my own.
A door opens when we walk inside and I see Ashton perk up and he smiles softly.
"I'll come here tomorrow to get you," I promise my mate, but he seems more worried about the two wolves in front of him than he is with me. "Goodnight."
Ashton offers me the first smile I've seen from him directed at me. "Goodnight, Sage," he responds, acting as though he wants to reach out and touch me but pulling his hands back. "I'll... see you tomorrow?"
"Yes, of course," I promise him and he walks toward the two wolves and the three of them hug.
I have no business here anymore, so I leave and go home, flopping down on my bed. I wish my mate wanted me more, but he's gone through a horrible event and I don't know how long he's been under that control to begin with.
He needs time and I need to prove that I can be a good mate and help to mend the heart of my broken mate.
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