Sold To The Alpha
A Love spoken Chapter 33

Waking up in the morning, the four travellers ate some of the rations from their back packs before heading back out on their route, Gabriella, Vaughn and Olivia talked animatedly as they trekked across the fields in their path.

Stumbling across a small town, they entered cautiously, making their way to the one little shop that serviced the towns folk, to buy extra water and food. As Rowan silently paid, Gabriella talked to the young shop assistant who was eyeing the warrior curiously.

'He's mute' Gabriella said in answer to the young girl's inquisitive stare.

The shop assistant looked over at the princess with a small smile, 'that's sad' she said softly, 'did he have an accident? Or was he born that way?'

The group stared back at her hesitantly, taking in her appearance, from her black waist length curly hair to her mismatched eyes that were looking back at them with kindness.

'It's OK, I can tell you are wolves' she whispered quietly, causing the four to tense in surprise.

'How do you know that?' Olivia asked slowly.

The young teenager smiled widely, 'I am the grand daughter of a seer, I do not have her advanced powers but sometimes I can sense things about people' she replied, 'you three' she continued pointing to Rowan, Gabriella and Olivia, 'are wolves, but your friend is different, he has a wolf but there is something else that I can't quite pinpoint.

Noting the travellers wary looks she gave them an understanding look, 'I don't mean you any harm, I asked about your friend because I might be able to help him.

The Princess immediately perked up in interest, 'how can you help?' she asked hopefully.

The assistant replied, 'It depends on why he is mute, I can feel something about him which is why I asked if he was born this way!

What is your name?' Vaughn asked suddenly, cutting across the conversation, giving Gabriella a warning look.

'My name is Tia' the girl replied without hesitation, 'I live here with my aunt on my father's side because my parents were killed when I was younger.'

Olivia's face fell in sympathy, 'I'm so sorry Tia, that must have been awful.

Tia shrugged with a sad smile, 'I was very young at the time, they were ambushed by a group who wanted my mother's seer abilities, fortunately my own are too weak to be of any use so they left me' she replied simply, a tinge of sadness to her voice. 'How do you think you can help us Tia?' Gabriella asked, bringing the young seer's attention back to herself.

Tia smiled brightly, 'If your friend is mute due to something other than a health defect, like I am sensing, I may know someone who can help him' she said confidently.

'Any help you could give us would be greatly appreciated' Gabriella replied with a smile.

Returning the grin with a shy one of her own, she checked around the store to make sure they were alone before dropping her voice to a whisper and addressing the travellers in front of her.

'There is a wolf pack, my understanding is that they do not live in a pack house like a normal pack, but actually in a converted cave. They are said to be different to normal Werewolves, that some of them contain seer abilities like mine but much more refined, some know what ailment a person is suffering, others can cure those ailments, they work as a whole to help people who come to them' she said softly.

'So they are seer werewolves?' Vaughn asked slowly.

Tia shook her head, 'they do not hold the ability to see the future or read peoples minds, their abilities are purely to do with people who have been injured in some way by physical or magical means' she replied. 'I can't guarantee that they will be able to help your friend, but if they can, they will.'

'Where do we replace them?' Gabriella breathed

Tia gave them a rueful glance, 'All I know is that they are too the east of us, they are known as the Shaman pack but I am unsure if that is their real name' she said apologetically.

Picking up their purchases they thanked the young girl and left the shop, making their way out of the town before sitting down to discuss what they had just been told.

'Do we think she's telling the truth?' Olivia asked hesitantly

'We won't know until we go and see them' Gabriella replied determinedly, 'we need to get going, they could help Rowan' she stated.

Vaughn held up a hand to restrain the excited teen, 'we cannot just go waltzing into an unknown pack on the say so of a stranger' he reasoned, ignoring the Princess' scowl, 'she could have been hired to lure unsuspecting travellers to the pack for all we know, plus we are supposed to be going straight to the castle' he added.

Gabriella glared at the hybrid angrily, 'we are in no rush to get to the castle, your parents don't even know we have left yet so it's not like they are expecting us. Plus if there is a way to help Rowan be able to speak then we need to investigate it' she growled sullenly. Vaughn looked over at Olivia for back up to replace her deep in thought, 'I don't think she was trying to deceive us' the started slowly.

'That is what these charlatans are trained to make you think' Vaughn protested.

Olivia shook her head, 'no, I could feel it, she was telling the truth, she really thought that these Shaman pack members might be able to help us' she replied absent mindedly.

'How could you possibly know that?' Vaughn asked

Olivia raised her shoulders slightly in a shrug, 'I've always been able to tell when someone lies to me' she replied as the hybrid shifted uncomfortably, 'well everyone apart from you' she added looking over at Vaughn with an interested look. 'You can't tell if I'm lying?' Vaughn asked as he heart rate started to slow again, after speeding up at her original words.

Olivia shook her head, 'no, it's like there is a barrier that shields your emotions, I can read people's emotions normally but yours are hidden and I don't know why!

Gabriella interrupted the conversation, pulling them back to the information at hand, 'Look, Olivia cannot detect any deceit with the girl, we are not on a time limit here so how would it hurt to just give a couple of days to go and replace this pack and ask them about Rowan?' she asked, her face pleading as she stared at Vaughn.

Sighing heavily as he noted that Olivia was also giving him a hopeful look he slowly nodded his head, 'fine, we will give two days, but if we haven't found the pack and gotten an answer in that time, we cut loose and head for the castle' he replied. Squealing, Gabriella threw herself on to the Vampire Prince, hugging him tightly as Rowan growled angrily. Smirking, the princess pulled away and plonked herself into the warrior's lap, wrapping his arms around her waist and tilting his head until it was sat in the crook of her neck, giggling as she felt his muscles relax.

'chill baby' she murmured flirtatiously, 'you are still the only werewolf for me'

Packing up their things, they checked the map for information of what was east of their location, Rowan silently pointing to a large forest that looked to have rocky areas, as Vaughn nodded.

'Yes, if I was a werewolf pack Alpha that wanted to stay off the grid I would look for a large forest like that to hide in' he agreed. Scrambling to their feet, the four set off toward the distant forest, Vaughn shaking off his unease and taking pleasure in the fact that he could spend a few more days with his mate.

Marching steadily, they stopped only for rest and to eat, reaching the edge of the large forest in the early evening. A quick conversation led them to decide to camp again before tackling the dark expanse of trees.

'I really don't want to be getting lost in there in the middle of the night' Gabriella muttered with a shiver, 'I am not Vaya, I can't look at a random twig and go oh yeah, camp is six hundred yards to our left and there is a live food for us to our right from these two bits of rabbit poo that is pointing toward their location.'

The others laughed at the princess' words before they found a section out of the elements that was still near to the edge of the woods. Once again, Rowan disappeared off to hunt, returning with a Monk Jack deer in his mouth twenty minutes later. The arranged their sleeping arrangements, each she wolf choosing to stay close to their mate and sat around the fire that Olivia had started waiting for the food to be ready. 'What do you think this Shaman pack is like?' Olivia mused as she turned over the meat in the flames.

'Hopefully they are friendly' Vaughn replied worriedly.

Gabriella nodded, 'I'm sure they are, the young girl said they were nice, I just wonder what they will want in return for helping us' she added musingly. The others turned to her in surprise, 'you think they will want paying?' Olivia asked.

Gabriella shrugged, 'wouldn't you? We are asking them to help us with something that is no concern of theirs, why would they not ask for something in return?'

The group lapsed into silence again, mulling over the Princess' words, 'well whatever they want, I am willing to pay it if It helps Rowan' Gabriella added in a low voice.

'Don't make promises like that Gabby, you might live to regret it' Vaughn muttered gloomily.

Gabriella looked over at the Vampire concerned, 'are you OK Vaughny?' she asked, slightly worried.

Vaughn brought his gaze to the princess' and gave a forced smile, 'of course I am Gabby' he replied with a smile, 'Ignore me, I'm just being dramatic' he added with a chuckle until the teenager's face relaxed again.