Ayla knew that Alexander, Julius, and Dominic were on their way, so she focused on stalling Mason.
She hadn't known him long, but he struck her as an angry little man.
All she had to do was provoke him, and the rest would fall into place.
And so far, it was working!
Being a disobedient female didn't sit well with him, as he immediately went to where he felt it would hit her the hardest.
Threatening to hurt those closest to her.
Mason had no idea her newly found family was already on their way to get her!
She listened to his words carefully, picking them apart and using them as bait.
"You really don't know how to listen, do you? Don't worry, Alpha Ulfric will sort that out before passing you along to his son. They'll make sure you fall in line."
He gave the crate a hard shake as he finished speaking, trying to unsettle her and assert his dominance.
She braced herself as he did, knowing he would, just like every other time he'd spoken to her.
It was all she needed, because she'd noticed a small window of opportunity each time he did, and she was ready when it came.
That small moment was all Ayla needed to shove the door open as she shifted.
The door burst open with the impact of her head, as the crate tilted just right, sending her flying out as she shifted mid-motion.
In the moonlight, her fur glimmered the most beautiful shade of white before vanishing, as she stood behind Mason, leaving Ayla standing tall and bare, her glowing eyes fixed on the man ahead of her.
"What's this about me not listening? I think I listen just fine. I caught the part where you said you know for sure that your Alpha and Luna aren't my parents, and even more, that you know their actual plan for me. Did I get that right?"
Mason came to an abrupt stop, turning on his heels.
"What? No!"
He stared into the blazing eyes of an enraged Ayla, who clearly had no plans to spare him.
Confusion and unease spread across his face, while fear slowly began to take hold.
"How the hell did you manage that? There's no way you should have been able to get out. The cage was secure."
Ayla smiled and raised an eyebrow.
"Didn't you hear me dare you with 'come and get me'? I know you did; I saw that smirk you tried to hide. Did you really think it would be that easy?"
Her gaze was steady and fierce, confidence radiating from every pore, yet she still wasn't finished.
She was ready to show him just how much of a coward he truly was.
"I was curious to see who would step up and take the challenge, and I wondered how long it would take for the rats to reveal themselves and the cowards to scurry. Funny enough, it turned out to be only you, though I always knew you couldn't be trusted. Do you really think I'm the only one?"
Mason's face was filled with pure terror as the truth hit him.
She had crafted the perfect trap to reveal who was truly loyal to the team, and he had walked right into it.
"You don't get it. Ralph's showing up changed everything. He knows who I am. What if he saw me? He would have left with my head if I hadn't left with you. I didn't have a choice."
She raised her hand and stopped him.
"Sure, that's what it was. Like it wasn't your plan from the start. You always have a choice, but this time you chose wrong. You had us... had our help... but unlike the others, you picked the wrong side. You were right about one thing: soon, you'll lose your head, and it'll be no one's fault but your own."
"You have no idea what you're talking about. You've never lived the pack life, never experienced what it's like to be a wolf."
"True, I haven't. But I'm getting one hell of a crash course. Dominic was right the night you arrived, you can't be trusted. You're a weasel, not a wolf."
Mason seemed desperate to find a way out, but nothing was coming to him.
Ayla shook her head, one eyebrow raised, eyeing the man before her as if the very sight left a bitter taste.
Every insult hit exactly where she meant it to, and she wasn't finished.
"You'll never be him, you know, Dominic. He's a good man. He figured out what he wanted in life and went after it. He knows how to choose what's right, no matter the consequences. And because of that, he's been rewarded, and always will be."
A sly smile crept across her face as she lunged at him, claws flashing as she slashed them across his cheek before spinning away to run.
"That's for locking me in a cage!" she shouted, just as he began to scream back and charge toward her.
"I don't want to be like him; you've got it all wrong, you bitch," he yelled angrily, as he grabbed his face to slow the bleeding.
She could sense his words drawing nearer, along with his physical presence, and knew it was time to make a move.
"Keep telling yourself that. I can see how you look at him and try to compete with him."
As the words left her lips, she leapt into the air, letting a wolf take her place.
Ayla had no idea if anyone else was in the woods ready to help him, or how far he might have gotten with her.
It was the first time she'd ever been captured, and it didn't feel frightening.
Well, it was frightening, but that wasn't the main feeling coursing through her.
Ayla's anger pulsed through her veins as she ensured her captor experienced every bit of it.
At the same time, she was going to do her damnedest to make sure that didn't happen again.
She refused to let herself be trapped in any kind of cage.
Right then, all that mattered was creating as much space as possible between her and Mason.
Without hesitation, she sprinted toward the place where she thought she sensed Alexander's presence.
It was time to let her wolf take the lead.
The snapping branches and crunching leaves in the distance made it clear Mason had darted off in another direction after the brief chase, bringing her a wave of relief.
He experienced a shame unlike anything before, proof that Ayla's mental manipulation had worked.
Even Alpha Ulfric had never left him feeling as hollow and insignificant as Ayla managed with such ease.
Mason just wanted to put as much distance as possible between himself and everyone else while he nursed his physical and emotional wounds.
Somehow, even though the three teammates were running toward the same destination, Ayla and Dominic had ended up somewhere between Alexander and Mason.
Ayla sprinted quickly, getting caught somewhere between Alexander and Julius.
They were all off just enough to get mixed up while running.
Dominic, as he darted through the woods, stood apart from the group, straying slightly from the direct path when a black wolf came flying toward him.
He barreled into him, delivering a blow from the side that sent Dominic sprawling off his paws as they collided.
He didn't expect someone to suddenly come at him from the side and attack while he was trying to reach Ayla, catching him completely off guard.
A sharp yelp slipped out as the large black wolf watched him hit the unforgiving ground with a heavy thud.
Dominic got to his feet, brushing leaves and dirt from his fur while the black wolf circled, trying to steady himself and ignore the ache radiating through his ribs and abdomen.
It was obvious from the way the wolf moved, circling its prey in a tense, deliberate dance, that it was gearing up for another strike.
"Traitor!"
Dominic was still clueless about what was going on.
"What do you mean? What are you talking about?"
The black wolf kept circling him, closing in with each step, ready to pounce.
"You lied to me. You knew what would happen, yet you sent me to my death for strangers," he growled.
Dominic still wasn't sure what he was being accused of, but at least he knew who was behind it.
"I have no idea what you're talking about."
Close enough to strike each other with ease, the black wolf kept circling him, teeth bared as he spoke.
"Yes, you do. I can smell them all over you. I've been watching you. She has her wolf, a pack, and you protect her. Traitor. You were sending me to my death."
Dominic was starting to realize what he was talking about.
"No!"
Before he could say another word, a massive black paw slammed into his ribs, knocking him to the ground again, sending a fresh wave of pain searing through his body.
"Stop. You don't know everything. Let me explain," he said.
As he tried to reason with the wolf, the sound of several footsteps echoed nearby.
Others were around, but still at a bit of a distance.
Maybe Dominic couldn't hear them running, but he felt the vibrations in the ground from the blow to his ribs that had knocked him down.
After all, he couldn't see anyone, and thankfully, he didn't want them to witness what was happening or provoke his attacker further.
Still reeling from the shock of the blow, Dominic suddenly felt a jaw snap at his throat, its grip tightening around his neck, starting to shred him apart.
"That was my son, Lucas, my son," his thoughts a mere whisper.
The grip on his neck loosened, but it was already too late.
He'd already clamped his jaws around the old wolf's neck, and Dominic hadn't even tried to fight back.
He made no move toward the young black wolf, not a twitch of a claw or a flick of his tail.
"Please don't be upset with me for looking out for my son."
Lucas was at a loss.
He'd lashed out at his General in a fit of anger, unable to rein in his wolf, and he knew it was wrong.
As he shifted back into his human form, a sandy-colored wolf came rushing toward him.
At his rear, a second wolf, just a few shades lighter, a beautiful shade of white, came running.
Neither of those was the wolves Dominic had been with.
Had he lied to him once more, even as he was dying?
Dominic would never do something like that.
Dropping to his knees, he scooped up the injured Dominic, who was still in his wolf form, and held him close as tears filled his eyes.
"Why? Why couldn't you just tell me everything?" Lucas asked, his voice filled with distress.
The last wolf was approaching the scene just then, the one Lucas noticed looked a lot like Dominic.
Seeing what was happening, he instantly shifted as he quickly moved forward without hesitation.
"Because he didn't know everything back then. He had just met me," his voice loud yet trembling.
Lucas turned and saw Julius standing there, tears spilling down his cheeks.
Unable to hold back his own any longer, he finally realized who it was.
"You were the wolf. That would make you the son he wants me to help protect."
Julius could see the man that he had searched for so long, barely clinging to life in Lucas's arms.
"I have no idea what you're talking about. If that's your idea of protection, I want no part of it. Hand him over and get out, NOW," he said, his voice growing sharper with anger.
He stepped forward, took his father's almost lifeless body from Lucas's arms, and began to run.
"He didn't deserve this. Whatever you think he did, he didn't deserve it. I don't want to see you again," he shouted, turning away and leaving the man kneeling on the ground.
Lucas could only watch as Dominic was carried away, silently hoping the moon goddess would welcome him upon his arrival.
Julius was right, Dominic didn't deserve that.
The young wolf didn't know what took over him, but he couldn't change it now.
There was no way Dominic could survive after seeing all the blood that was covering him, let alone the pool that was on the ground.
Lucas had no idea what to do.
He couldn't go back to his pack because they'd demand answers.
Sure, he could tell them what happened, and they'd probably praise him, but that wasn't the kind of praise he wanted.
Before he knew what he was doing, he was shifting back into the brave black wolf and disappearing into dense woods.
Julius hurried back to the apartments, cradling his father in his arms, with Ayla and Alexander close behind.
They were there to guard Julius and Dominic in case any more unwelcome visitors showed up.
The trip took longer than they'd hoped, but they moved like lightning through the trees.
As they reached the building, the two protectors shifted onto two legs.
That night, they couldn't have cared less who was watching.
What mattered was getting Julius safely to the apartments without delay and making sure he was inside in no time.
His mission had shifted from finding Ayla to helping her, and finally to saving Dominic.
Once inside the building, the three of them carried Dominic into the first room on the right to assess the damage.
It was bad, really bad.
Ayla's voice was barely above a whisper.
"Hey, Dom. I need you to do me a favor and shift so I can check your injuries."
He stayed still, letting out a small whimper.
His weak, fragile sound cut deep into her heart.
Ayla wasn't ready to let him go just yet.
"Dom, it's not your time. Julius has only just met you. Shift so I can help you, please."
She could tell it hurt him, and it took everything he had to manage it.
He didn't look that bad, per se.
Really, aside from what seemed like potentially bruised ribs, a paw slash across his ribs, and some bruising on his abdomen, it was just his neck.
His neck was nearly torn apart, nearly completely through, as if the other wolf had locked its jaw with its teeth embedded and shredded downward in an effort to separate his head from his body, a fate that likely would have happened if it hadn't released its grip.
It turned out to be less serious than they initially believed, despite all the blood.
Maybe he'd make it after all.
There was still hope.
She glanced at Alexander and Julius.
"Do you guys have any first aid around?"
Alexander immediately dashed off to get it, and before long, she heard the sound of footsteps hurrying back.
To her surprise, it wasn't Alexander, it was Phoenix and Raphael.
Raphael glanced at Julius, then Dominic, and back again to Julius, who was only wearing shorts and was covered in blood.
"What happened? How is he? He doesn't look so good."
Phoenix tried to calm him down, and himself as well.
"He'll be fine. That man's tough. By tomorrow, he'll be back on his feet. No need to worry," he said, though his voice betrayed a hint of doubt.
Just then, Alexander returned.
"When did you two arrive? How did you know we were…"
Ayla cut him off.
She figured it must have been their bond that somehow alerted them.
"Thanks for getting back with the supplies. I need these," she said, quickly taking everything from his hands.
"Now you all can talk all you want."
With the supplies in hand, she went over and began cleaning up Dominic.
She had no idea what she was doing, but she knew she had to try.
Once she was done, she realized his wounds didn't look as bad as they had when she first saw them.
They were still in bad shape, though maybe just a tiny bit better.
She finished cleaning him up, wrapped the bandages, and closed her eyes to pray, knowing it would take a miracle for him to pull through.
When she turned, she realized four men were staring at her.
They had followed her every move as if she knew exactly what she was doing.
Raphael was the first to break the silence.
"Is he going to be okay?"
The worry in his voice was unmistakable.
"Honestly, I'm not sure. The gashes on his neck are deep, but they might be starting to close. We'll just have to wait and see how he does."
Julius spoke for the first time in a while.
"I've got a new mission. Call it Julius's Mission. Whether he makes it or not, I have a list. You three want to help me cross off those names anytime soon?"