Chapter 12

Lucian drops to his knees. His shirt tears and his bones start breaking and rearranging. He was shifting because of the loss of his father. This wasn't good, Lucian wasn't going to be able to comprehend what needs to be done in this state. I was on my own. Pushing both boats into the water I tie the rope around the second one and row back to the shore.

'Everyone left on the territory and not on the island please meet me at the edge of the shore. We are getting off this territory. We have to get out or we will all die.' I reach out to the rest of the pack through the pack link. Reaching out to everyone so they are all aware of the plan, but so that the vampires don't overhear the plan. As I get closer to the shore I see more and more wolves file out onto the shore. Some shifted some not a lot covered in blood. Untieing the second boat I push it towards the shore as Lupus, the packs beta, grabs the bow of the boat and pulls it onto the shore filing as many as he could fit into his boat as he could. Pulling my boat on the shore The rest of the warriors' file onto it.

"Where's Lucian? I thought he was supposed to be driving this one?" Lupus asks looking around the boats and not seeing Lucian among them.

"He's on the other shore. The news of his father forced the change because of his emotions I couldn't get him to come around and time was of the essence so I thought quickly and tied the other boat to mine to get the rest of you." I explain pushing the boats back into the water as we head back to the other shore.

"You're going to make an excellent Luna. You're already showing excellent Luna attributes. You did exactly what the pack's Luna should've done in this type of situation." Lupus says looking at me appraisingly. A blush creeps up my cheeks as I look at him.

"I just did what any other wolf would do. I just got a new family and I'm not ready to say goodbye to it yet," I shrug my shoulders as if any other wolf would've done the same thing, "besides I was just doing what the alpha told me to do."

"No other wolf would've done this. They would've gone crazy and just saved themselves. We are pack-oriented, but when the alpha dies and the new one hasn't gotten approved by the pack yet we lose our sanity. We can't think straight. I hate to admit it, but I wouldn't have done this myself. You are one strong asset to this pack. I thank you for your help in getting us all out." Lupus says admiringly.

"How many did we lose? I know we didn't all get out. Three boats full shouldn't have gotten the whole pack out." I changed the subject I didn't like being praised I wasn't used to it and never felt important so I switched the subject.

"Too many. Once dawn hits we will come back across and grab the dead to give them a proper burial. Then we will go about initiating Lucian as the alpha. You two will need to complete the mate bond afterward though. If not he'll look weak. I'm not sure how much you know about an alpha and luna's relationships and the meanings behind them, but if the alpha has a mate that's alive and hasn't accepted them or hasn't completed the bond it weakens the alpha. The pack sees them as weak because they can't reach their full potential without their other half by their side. Now if the mate dies and it doesn't kill the alpha after they don't look weak and aren't questioned like in Ajax's case. His luna died long after they accepted each other and completed the mate bond, but bad things happen if it's not completed. That's why Ajax was so keen on asking your opinion of Lucian being your mate. He also may have bragged a bit about you after his talk with you." Lupus chuckled at the last part, I could see why Ajax chose him as his beta. He was strong, with a good head on his shoulder, but knew how to keep a crowd from panicking when everyone just wanted to panic and run. We reach the other shore at last and everyone gets out of the boats and files into the trees. I stay back by the boats and watch the other shore be engulfed in orange and yellow flames. I know I've only been here a brief time, but that shoreline felt like home for the first time in my life. Now it was being swallowed by heat and flames. I could hear windows shattering from the heat and could just see the last of the alpha's mansion collapsing. Warm fur brushes against my leg pulling me from the trance the flames put me in. Glancing down I see Lucian's familiar black wolf sitting beside me. I lace my fingers into his neck fur my whole body visibly relaxing.

"We're going to be okay. I know it's difficult now, but we'll make it. You're going to make a phenomenal alpha." I say to him hoping it cheers him up. I knew he'd make an amazing alpha. This pack will come back stronger than ever from this and we were going to make it happen. Together.