Alpha Loren
Chapter 48 Tragedy on Home Turf

November 4th

We ran for an hour through the forest, my legs already aching from running all night. Mateo wasadamant that we had to get to the base as soon as possible but my body couldn't take much more."So your mate just told you to run?" Connor asked as we took a break, solely for my benefit.

"He had little choice. We were under attack,” I replied. "And you can say his name, Connor. It won'tpoison you."

"He's poisoning you though,” Connor muttered. "And he shouldn't have sent you off alone in themiddle of a war."

"Well it wasn't the initial plan,” I snapped. "But when you have enemies coming at you left right andcentre, you hardly have time to sit down and carefully formulate a plan B."

"I just don't think he's good for you, Ells," Connor replied.

At that point Mateo stood up, "I'll just give you two a minute-"

"We don't need a minute because we aren't getting into this now...again," I said.

"I'll just go anyway-"

"Sit," I ordered Mateo and he silently sat back down next to me.

For the rest of the five-minute break, little was communicated. Connor kept giving me shifty glaresand Mateo sat awkwardly amongst the tension between us.

"Why don't you just go back home, Connor?” I asked.

"Because I care too much about you-" he began before a high pitched wail, shattered the quiet ofthe forest.

"What the fuck was that?" Mateo said.

"Someone's hurt," I said, "A woman. We have to go."

"No, no, no," Mateo said, "I have to go. You need to get to the base.”

"It's someone nearby,” I continued glancing around.

"Connor, take her to the base,” Mateo said.

"I don't take orders from you," Connor said.

The scream sounded again.

"We need to replace her," I said already running in the direction of it.

"Ella stop!" Mateo said as they both followed me.

"Somebody is in danger," I said, battling through the branches and between the roots.

"Then stop running towards the danger,” Connor said.

"Ella," Mateo said taking my wrist.

"No!" I shouted fiercely shaking him off much to his surprise. "We have to help her."

"Ella-" Connor began reaching for my arm.

"Don't," I spat. "Don't you dare try and stop me. Mateo you shouldn't go on your own. Connor canfight too and so can I with this," I said lifting the praesidium Deae Astra. "We all need to go andnow. Splitting up when there's fighting nearby would be a foolish decision.”

I glared at them both and they exchanged a glance with each other before I continued runningwithout their protest.

As we got closer, I could hear her whimper and wail again and again and after twenty mintues, wereached the source of the noises- the centre of Lissauer, the poorest faction in the pack.

"Right on cue Luna,” I head the evil voice of Haden say. It wasn't until then that I noticed mysituation. On one side of Lissauer village square was Leo and a large amount of Stella men, on theother was Haden and his men. Mateo, Connor and I were stood directly in the middle having justexited the woods.

I looked over to Leo, he was wearing a sense of relief from seeing me yet not even close to relaxed.A few moments later I felt Mateo shove me in the direction of Leo and the other Stella warriors."We predicted that would bring you here and you fell into my trap quite nicely,” Haden said deeplybefore making a hand signal to one of his men. Out from behind a group of them the man pulled awoman roughly out so that she was visible to us all. Her head was hanging loosely down so that herred, dishevelled hair covered her face. She lifted her head slowly and weakly to reveal a red andbruised cheek and swollen lip.

I had no idea who she was but I felt for her immensely.

"Let her go!" I growled lunging forward before Leo blocked me with his arm and pulled me againsthis chest.

Haden's lips curled into a malicious smile as he watched me struggle against Leo's force.

"She wants to come to us Loren,” Haden teased. "Come on, let her go.”

"Haden I swear to God I am going to kill you in the slowest most painful way imaginable to man,”Leo growled his voice immediately filling the entire square.

"I have a surprise for you too though Leonardo,” Haden ridiculed before making another handgesture to a different man. Out from behind another cluster of warriors came Lia dragged by herwrist.

"You aren't going to hurt your own mate, even you couldn't stoop that low,” Leo respondedalthough I could tell he wasn't completely convinced by his own words.

Haden raised an eyebrow.

"Would you like to replace out?" Haden said stepping closer to Lia causing her to close her eyes andflinch. Leo didn't reply instead he sent a hard, murderous glare. The sort of glare that could rendersomeone paralysed, but of course. Haden wasn't phased. He continued to go along with whateverdevilish scheme he had planned.

"Now, Ella. You hand yourself over immediately or I will slice this lovely women's head off right nowand make her children watch before killing them too," Haden said as 4 men brought out three smalland terrified children. She let out another scream when she saw her children in the arms of the Ayaswarriors and struggled against them.

"Ella my dear, you don't want blood on your hands do you?" Haden said. And I tried again to goforward.

"Leo let me go," I snarled.

"No. He's going to kill you," Leo said grasping me around the waist.

"They are going to kill an innocent woman!" I replied.

"You are not giving up your life," he replied as tears fell down my face.

"Very well," Haden said and he nodded his head to the man holding the woman. In seconds herbody was lying still on the floor, blood pouring out her neck.

"Nol!" I screeched through the silent air. Tears began to flood down my face as I watched herchildren sob too. "No!"

"He actually did that Leo. He killed her," I sobbed as I shook my head in disbelief.

Leo kissed held me closer to him and attempted to comfort me but nothing could help the extremeguilt, anger and grievance I was feeling as I looked upon the young, innocent faces of her children."The kids are next," Haden tested.

"Nobody else from my pack will die tonight Haden," Leo roared.

"Well it's your Luna or all three of these kiddies," he said before the sound of rushing air emanatedthrough the square.

An arrow had hit the chest the Ayas warriors holding Lia. In seconds Lia had run across the shortdistance between the Ayas men and the Stella men.

Nobody on the square had shot the arrow so I looked around trying to replace the source, but before Icould another one hit another Ayas warrior this time the one who had killed the woman.

Alpha Haden wasn't the slightest bit bereaved about the death of two of his men. His eyes were onLia who was now stood securely in-between Marco, Carlos and Mateo.

"Lia, stop this immediately and get back here. I won't tolerate disobedience,” Haden growled.

"And I won't tolerate my mate killing innocent people from my pack,” Lia responded. She had fireand confidence in her voice- much like Elena and Maria in fact.

"This isn't your pack anymore, you belong with me," Haden responded his voice deepening. "Youhave 5 seconds before I kill the one on the end myself," He said pointing to Isla. She was theyoungest and was hardly able to keep herself up from grief of her mother's death. "Pass her to me,"Haden ordered the Ayas man holding Isla who immediately carried her over to the demon himself."Those two arrows. They came from my sister's bow. She has an exceptional aim and if it comes to itshe will have no trouble going for you next," Lia said

"I have really come to loathe your family, my dear. They really get in my way and I would happilyslowly and painfully murder them all,” Haden said in a demonic tone.

"I don't think I'd be wrong to say the loathing is mutual,” Lia said.

"Get here now!" Haden snapped his patience finally ending. "Do not make me say it again."

"She will not be going anywhere until those four children are by my side,” Leo growled.

"I will kill them all in less than twenty seconds if you don't hand my mate back to me," Hadensnarled.

"Until those four children are by my side alive,” Leo added. Neither Leo nor Haden took their eyesoff each other for what felt like minutes. Neither did they blink or move.

"The alternative is, as Lia has already mentioned, our sister could fire an arrow your way. The onlyreason you are still alive right now is that you are Lia's mate, but I think right now even your ownmate would be glad to see you dead," Leo continued.

"Fine, the children’s lives will be spared,” Haden said and I breathed a sigh of relief as the four ofthem were released. They immediately huddled together before one of Leo's men bravely ran outacross the square to them and herded them across picking up the three children in his arms andrunning back to the Stella side with them as Haden watched intently.

"Now give me my mate Loren,” Haden said with such venom it could have knocked someone totheir knees.

"As always, I'm not restraining her,” Leo said holding up his arms. Lia turned to Marco who washanding her a knife. She then slowly walked across the square before standing next to Haden. Hegrabbed her wrist tightly, but for some reason she allowed him to.

"Now Maria!" She shouted suddenly. Immediately after another arrow flew through the air an hitHaden directly in the shoulder. "That's for being a dick,” she said as he fell to the ground claspinghis shoulder in pain. "Oh and laced with wolfsbane, should keep you out for a few days,” she addedbefore his eyes closed leaving him seemingly lifeless.

"We won. They are leaving,” I whispered as Haden's men began to flee the square. "We actually wonand they're leaving."