26

"Javed grew sick of the rogue life and wanted to join a pack."

The gasp that resounded out of Savannah was in direct opposition to the silence that reigned afterwards.

Until Tori threw up her hands. "I don't know why I'm being so honest with you!" she sighed deeply, then continued plowing through the forest with heavy footsteps.

"It's her face," Ethan tried offering an explanation. "She has this innocent and naive thing going on," he said while waving his hand towards Savannah. "Definitely gives the vibe of trustworthiness."

"The vibe? Since when have you been so intuitive about vibes?" Willow scoffed, eyeing him incredulously.

"Since I took a relationship class with Mrs Gruber. She really made me think about how to read others and their emotions," he said matter-of-factly.

Willow snorted, muttering sourly, "I'm sure she did. I'll bet she also told you how to give mixed signals to your own mate."

"Me giving mixed signals? Babe, you're the one who said you couldn't breathe without me, then ignored me for a whole week!"

"Your uncle said he'd bite my head off if I went anywhere near you."

"And you took him seriously? He's a sensational nutcase."

"He's your family. If I'm anything, it's not disrespectful to family. I don't care what problems he has with me. You were the one who wrote that racy text to Marcia then sent it to me by accident. Hilarious, if it wasn't such an eye-opener."

"Why are you bringing that up again?" Ethan tugged on his shaggy hair. "How many times do I have to tell you--I was drunk at the time."

"And what have I told you about drinking?"

"You didn't seem to have a problem with it at my cousin's wedding ceremony. We had to haul you out of the cellar during the speeches."

"What can I say? I hate sentimentality, especially when it's fake."

"Maybe that's why you never stick around long enough to hear how I feel."

"Your phony feelings can go climb a tree--"

"Will you two shut up!" Tori spun on her heels and glared at Willow and Ethan. They immediately stopped, shooting dark looks at each other that spoke more than words. "We have a job to do, and this isn't helping."

"If your job is to take down Regan, count me in," Savannah piped up, following Tori through the trees. Willow and Ethan seemed content to take up the rear, continuing to mutter quietly to each other under their breaths.

Tori glanced over her shoulder and gave Savannah a slow perusal. "You're the chick that stood up to Regan at centre stage." It was a statement, one that held a touch of admiration. "Made my heart sing to see someone else with guts, you know. You're brave, though probably stupid. Once an enemy of Regan, always an enemy."

"I'm used to making enemies," Savannah replied, keeping her voice casual even though Tori's words caused doubt to blossom in her chest. Had she crossed the line of common sense when standing up to Regan? She'd spent her whole life thinking herself stronger and superior to rogues, but perhaps there were some battles she couldn't win.

"Are you, now? I'd love to hear those stories," Tori raised her eyebrows.

Shrugging, Savannah brushed it off. "I'm more interested in your story. So your mate, Javed, wanted to join a pack? It's not often you hear of rogues wanting to get on the straight and narrow."

"He was always like that, my boy. So sweet and kind. Not an evil bone in his body. Unlike his father, that treacherous knave," Tori ground a fist into her palm, her face twisted in loathing. "Regan calls himself the leader of Black Halo and expects us to just fall in line like perfect little sheep. Hell no!" She threw up her hands in frustration.

"Black Halo? That's the oldest existing pack on the continent. Been around for centuries," Savannah recalled pack history. This, she knew back to front.

"So it is."

"And Regan named his gang after it?"

"He tries to be dramatic like that. He was the former Beta, you know? Had a falling out with the Alpha and killed him, then went rogue. I guess he formed his gang as an outlet for his domineering tendencies. Wolves like him always need loyal followers to feed their thirst for power."

"He was a Beta?" The revelation didn't shock Savannah, but answered her questions more than anything. It explained why Regan was so authoritative, and garnered natural respect from rogues all over the continent. "Beta's usually have a hard time killing Alphas. How did he do it?"

"By ripping the heart out of his Luna," Tori grinned wickedly.

"Yes, I-- I suppose that ought to do it," Savannah agreed weakly, fighting off a shiver at the morbid story. Knowing Regan was a cold-hearted monster gave her even more reason to hate him, and determination filled her bones. "So, any idea where Regan is? How are we meant to find him?"

"Well, he won't be sitting pretty like most Luna contestants normally do during the game. Even though the focus has shifted to capture the Alphas, the males will probably still be prowling about, hunting down their prey like usual. No doubt Regan has gone after his number one priority."

At Tori's words, the pieces clicked in Savannah's mind, sending a shudder through her body. "Zion."

"Hm mm," Tori agreed. "The highest ranks are always at each other's throats. If I can find Zion, I'd bet my bottom dollar I can find Regan."

Savannah swallowed hard, an unexplainable lump rising in her throat at the thought that Zion would be targeted. "Yeah, well, aren't we meant to be securing the perimeter so no wolves get close enough to capture him? We've done a great job so far," Savannah's voice dripped with sarcasm as she threw a dark glare over her shoulder towards Willow.

Willow just shrugged as if she'd never cared for the mission, and had only one thing on her mind--a secret rendezvous with her mate.

Her flippant attitude rattled Savannah, furthering her sense of dread at the situation. The fine hairs rose on the back of her neck, and a heavy feeling like rocks settled in her stomach. Was Zion in danger even now? Would he and Niko be able to defend themselves against a whole gang of bloodthirsty rogues.

"Then let's find Zion," Savannah shoved past Tori and took the lead, catching Zion's scent on the faint breeze as it meandered through the forest. Amidst the sweat and filth of hundreds of rogues, there was no mistaking the spicy tones of cypress wood and tropical fruits that characterised her mate, and she could always trust her nose to lead her back to him.

"There's the sycamore tree!" she called out as the black silhouette came into view, its spreading branches reaching up against the velvet sky. She ran forward, noticing two things as she entered the clearing surrounding the large tree.

First-- her feet tripped over a large object sprawled right in her path, nearly sending her face-first into freshly disturbed earth. The collision elicited a rough groan that sounded an awfully lot like Niko, the sight setting alarm bells off in her head.

Second-- two figures were at the base of the sycamore, one crouched, bent over as if in pain, the other standing over him in a posture of triumph.

The crouching figure looked an awful lot like--

"Zion!" Savannah sprinted across the clearing and fell to her knees by his side. She grabbed his face and pulled it to her own, willing him to be okay.

His expression was pained, his mouth open as he tried to get words out. A strangled cough was all he could get out, his hand coming up to clutch his chest as he crumpled to the ground.

Savannah couldn't believe what she was seeing. Her mate--her invincible, strong, and fiercely capable mate-- rendered helpless by whatever witchcraft his attacker had cast on him. Leaping to her feet, she threw herself at the figure, knocking them down as a loud snarl vibrated from her throat.

"What did you do to him?" she screamed, protruding her claws and latching onto the attacker. The force of her lunge knocked them both to the ground. They rolled, Savannah fighting to come out on top.

The attacker flipped them over and hovered above Savannah, their hands wrapping tightly around her neck. "Nothing he can't handle. Now shut up before anyone hears you."

The feminine and accented voice surprised Savannah. Her assailant was disguised with a black hood over her head, but even the shadows couldn't conceal the blonde hair and arched eyebrows. The foreign and fierce facial structure was seared in her mind forever. "Persia?" Savannah gasped, struggling for breath under the other female's strong grip on her neck.

Surprise flickered in the darkly shadowed face, and in that moment of lost concentration, Savannah heaved to the side, bringing her leg up to slam into Persia's back, and knocked her off. Scrambling to her feet, Savannah stood over Persia, feeling a surge of confidence at having regained the upper hand.

But her legs were soon knocked out from under her, and she hit the ground heavily. Persia rolled to her knees and sent a fist towards Savannah's face. The Alpha, her nose in the dirt, saw enough of it coming to block the attack, grabbing the other woman's fist and holding it tightly. Bones crunched, eliciting gasps from Persia. She never wavered though, and yanked free before sending a kick to Savannah's stomach.

Curling into a ball instinctively, Savannah cursed the unnatural strength of the other shewolf, then shoved her fists into the dirt and pushed herself up. She barely had time to duck another kick, only just managing to swing low and land her own hit on Persia. The cloaked shewolf grunted, spinning to gain momentum and come at Savannah again despite bruised ribs.

Savannah steeled herself and rolled out of the way, coming up behind Persia to execute a perfect roundhouse kick. Tasman would be proud, she thought to herself as she watched Persia stumble forward under the heavy blow.

But Savannah had no time to gloat as Persia spun around, eyes dark and murderous as she charged at the Alpha. Savannah tried every diversion tactic she knew, but the unnatural strength and speed of Persia was an even match for the Alpha's genetics. With a painful twist of her arms, Savannah found them pinned against her back as cold silver pressed sharply to her throat.

"I really don't want to have to kill you," Persia panted in a harsh growl beside her ear, "But if you don't stop fighting, I will."

"By all means, go ahead. Just tell me what the hell you did to my mate!" Savannah snarled, more than angry with this stalker shewolf who was clearly trying to kill her mate. The young Alpha was ready to fight off ten more demons if it meant keeping Zion alive. She just needed to know how to help him.

Watching as he lay gasping for breath, clutching his throat helplessly while Willow cradled his head, was almost too much for Savannah. She wanted to rip Persia's spine from her body, but first...she needed answers.

"Mate? Oh darling," Persia gave a condescending laugh. "The number of women who've called him that." Her eye-roll was clearly heard in her tone of voice.

"Are you jealous?" Savannah bristled defensively. "I get why women would be chasing after him, given how attractive and famous he is in the rogue underworld, but is it so hard to believe that I'm actually his mate?"

She didn't really want an answer, she was just stalling as Tori and Ethan circled around them in the shadows. She was hoping they would come up with some plan to knock Persia out and take back control of this little situation. Either that, or Cale and the others would show up and then Persia would be completely outnumbered.

She wondered how Persia had managed to sneak up on Niko and Zion in the first place. Weren't the two men keeping watch? She saw Ethan kneel by Niko, shaking him awake. He rubbed the back of his, appearing dazed, but otherwise okay.

"Wait!" Savannah gasped, a new thought settling in her mind and adding to the growing pile of things that didn't make sense and knots in her stomach. "How do you know how many women are chasing Zion? I know you're a crazy stalker who wants in on his gang, but what do you really know? Is it the ruby you're after? In case you missed the memo on your stalker radar, Zion doesn't even have it."

"Please," Persia scoffed, sliding her silver-tipped claws a few inches across Savannah's neck in a show of power. They were sharp, and left a sting in their wake. "I don't want the ruby. I want Zion. Vinlarhk needs him."

"Yeah, okay, whatever that is supposed to mean," Savannah rolled her eyes at the cheesy phrase Persia had just uttered. Paired with her lilting accent, she had a real uppity manner of speaking and it annoyed Savannah. "The world needs superheros, blah blah. But they also need family. And Zion is mine, so I'm not letting you take him."

"It's funny you still believe you have a choice in this. Don't you recognise an assassin of Vinlarhk when you see one?" Persia trailed her fingers across her collar bone and to her shoulder, gripping it tightly and spinning Savannah around so they were facing each other again.

Shock caused Savannah's mouth to gape, and her heart rate sped up as she looked at the cool and calculated expression on the other shewolf's face. The hardness in her eyes was something she definitely didn't want to test. "You're...you're...." her voice faded as dread filled her soul.

She'd read a little of Vinlarhk government and law enforcement bureaus since hearing about the Vinn ruby that everyone seemed to want a piece of. Besides the normal security and intelligence agencies, there were legends of assassins deep in the province's underworld. Deadly hit men who no one could trace, no one knew much about, and certainly no one could even confirm their existence. They remained hidden in the dark, yet extinguished the light of life with their contract killing. Leaving no clues, and certainly no witnesses, they'd become known reverentially as The Shadows.

"You're a Shadow?"

"Someone's not so stupid, after all. But that won't make killing you any less pleasurable."

Savannah could hear the smirk in Persia's voice.

"Okay, so what? You're highly trained and not easily taken down, I get it. But I don't want to kill you either, so don't worry about that." Actually, she did, but who cared about such details in negotiation like this? "All I want to know is, what did you do to Zion, and how can I reverse it?"

"Oh, don't worry about him. The effects of the poison will wear off eventually. Maybe. I don't know," Persia shrugged half-heartedly.

"Tell m--Oh, is that a snake?" Savannah looked to the trees, sensing Persia follow her gaze. Using the moment of distraction, she dropped to her knees and spun around, out of Persia's grasp.

The other shewolf, the super deadly assassin, just laughed. "You think you're so clever. Well, let me tell you this," she leaned forward in Savannah's face, not bothering to restrain her again. Maybe she figured she wasn't a real threat. This possibility annoyed Savannah. Was she losing her touch as a powerful and lethal Alpha? "I'm not scared of snakes," Persia continued. "In fact, I eat them for breakfast."

"Good for you," Savannah pouted, pursing her lips to stop from vomiting at the mental image of eating wriggly, poisonous snakes. "I eat witchetty grubs. They're really high in protein and vitamin B. Now back to the task at hand?" she nodded her head in Zion's direction. His lips were turning blue, a sure sign that whatever he'd inhaled wasn't on his list of immunities.

"Nice hair," Persia commented dryly, smirking as her eyes perused Savannah's new look.

The Alpha got the feeling that Persia knew it had been dyed black to prevent further mistaken identification with herself.

"Nice boots," Savannah retorted, noticing the combat lace ups Persia had opted for since ditching her last pair. Personally, she preferred the heeled studded boots that were one of a kind and now her own. "But no more stalling. Zion?" she crossed her arms and pointedly jerked her chin at her prostrate mate.

"Oh, right," Persia chuckled, studying her nails casually before giving Zion a brief glance. "He'll be fine once his lungs are free of the antheraea danilesii dust. That is, if he lives until then. If you hadn't interrupted me, we'd be long on our way to Vinlarhk and recovery."

"Antheraea what?" The moth name was nothing Savannah had heard of before. Maybe it was a rare species endemic only to the northern province.

"The fairy moth. You have them around here, no? Very toxic creatures. If you startle one, the microscopic scales that fall from their wings can cause blindness, temporary organ dysfunction, and breathing difficulties. Case in point," Persia jerked her thumb at Zion.

"You sprinkled him with fairy dust?" Savannah barely heard a word more of whatever else Persia had babbled on about. This shewolf was clearly nuts. Strong, but nuts.

"He'll be fine once you dislodge the dust from his lungs. So if you don't mind, I really must get going." Persia knelt to shoo Willow away and began dragging Zion by his arms.

"Not a chance!" Savannah shoved her aside. "Dislodge, right? So... if I give him CPR..." Placing her hands firmly over his sternum, she began giving him compressions.

"And ruin my mission? I don't think so," Persia moved to push her away, but Savannah spun to scream in her face.

"Get away from my mate! I don't care what mission you're on. You are not taking my mate from me, and that's final!" The full force of her Alpha dominance rose to the surface and pervaded her voice, making Willow, Tori, and Ethan recoil like they'd been physically slapped.

Persia remained in place. What Vinn magic had she been infused with to remain calm and unimpressionable to Alpha to greatness? Savannah didn't have time to ponder this as Persia slowly and deliberately leaned forward until her lips brushed her ear. "You have no idea what you're dealing with, Alpha. But fine, save your precious mate for now. You'll owe me. And be assured, I'll never let you forget it."

The last words barely left her lips before Savannah was once more pressing hard on Zion's chest, her arms keeping a steady beat.

One, two, three... twenty nine, thirty.

Then she leaned over, pulled the collar of his shirt over his mouth, then placed her mouth on his. Instead of breathing out into his lungs, she inhaled sharply and deeply, sucking as much contaminated air from his body. Hopefully most of the toxic dust was now caught on the fabric of his shirt. She thumped his chest a few more times, not caring that ribs crunched beneath her powerful touch, then sucked another breath from his lungs. "Come on, Zion, come back to me!" she pleaded, repeating the steps a few more times.

Suddenly, he gasped, taking a deep breath and opening his eyes. A wild light lit the hazel orbs, but when they focused on Savannah, it calmed him right down.

"Oh, thank goodness you're okay!" She threw her arms around his neck and pulled him tightly to her, crashing her lips on his and kissing him as if he was the very sustenance for her soul. He groaned, clearly in pain, but he was definitely more alive than before. Savannah imparted as many healing mate qualities into the kiss as possible, knowing even limited contact between their skin was strengthening him.

"Thank goodness, indeed," a deep and oily voice echoed behind them. Savannah spun around and watched as Regan stepped confidently from the trees. He was flanked on either side by muscled and smirking wolves. "I see you brought him back to life so I could have the pleasure of killing him."

"Over my dead body," Savannah stood and growled, positioning herself between her mate and this new threat.

"That can be easily arranged," Regan cackled, lifting two fingers and motioning his men forward. They approached Savannah almost gleefully.

But adrenaline was still pumping in her veins, and the feisty Alpha wasn't done proving herself yet. Using all the moves and techniques she'd perfected in her life, she made short work of Regan's thugs. Even when they lay in shredded piles as her feet, the smug expression didn't slip from Regan's face.

"Wild little thing, aren't you? So much fun to watch," he chuckled and rubbed his palms together gleefully. "I can see why Zion keeps you around."

"I'm not his toy. I'm his mate," Savannah lifted her chin proudly, daring anyone present to try and claim what rightfully belonged to her, or dare smear the purity of their relationship.

"So you really are partners. In more ways than one," Regan tapped his chin and smirked suggestively, stalking closer through the clearing and towards her.

"This doesn't have to end in any more killing. We can all just walk away," Savannah held her hands out as if calming a skittish creature, offering a truce she feared the bloodthirsty former Beta was beyond.

"But sweetheart, the wars have only just started."

"I don't care. And neither should you. What's with all these grudges and vendettas against each other, anyway? What did Zion ever do to you?" Strength infused her voice, and she refused to let her sensible fear rattle her bones or shiver through her skin.

Remaining calm in tense situations was her specialty. She'd stared down innumerous rogues, never letting their dirty threats or tactics beat her before. Regan was no different, despite having been trained in pack ideology and strategy himself.

Regan chuckled. "Oh, didn't he tell you?"

"Tell me what?" The words slipped out before she could stop them, as she fell for his bait without so much as batting an eye. Maybe she wasn't so good at this, after all.

Maybe, since it was so personal, she was crumbling under the pressure that tangled with her heart and emotions. How she wished her Beta Justin was here right now as back up. They'd faced every threat together, side by side, minds linked in perfect sync. And now, when it mattered most, he wasn't here. She had probably just made a fatal blunder. Mentally slapping herself, she cast a questioning look to her mate.

Zion shook his head slightly. "Don't believe a word this lunatic says," he whispered in a raspy voice.

"Really, Zion? The least you could do is show this old wolf some respect after all you've done," Regan lifted an eyebrow expectantly, crossing his arms in a stance like what a parent might assume with a rebellious child.

"What did you do?" Savannah's voice had grown weak and thready, her gaze locked on Zion's face as his expression hardened and a muscle twitched in his jaw.

After a long moment of silence filled only with the sighing wind, thudding hearts, and the racing of blood as it rushed through heated veins, Regan spoke flatly, "He stole my baby girl from me."

Savannah thought she might never breathe again. Zion held her gaze, begging her not to believe Regan. To have faith in her mate instead.

"And as if that isn't enough," Regan's voice took on an amused tone now, almost laughing as he continued, "He is responsible for her murder."