Alpha Rising: The Wolf Runs
Chapter 5

THE RED WITCH

She has taken her second mate. Not a full claiming, but enough of one. Smiling, I douse the embers of the fire. I’ve been able to see the prophecy. She’s getting closer. I only need her to claim one more mate with her body, and then finish the run for her to become the Alpha.

She’s everything my mother said she would be. Strong, beautiful, intelligent and fierce. I didn’t think this day would come, but my mother started having dreams of her when the wolf was born. She reached out to the Alpha of that pack lands and filled his ear with talks of power if only he would do what she wanted.

But, of course, who could trust a wolf? He got hot headed and messed up the vision. He ran my little wolf off. She’s the one who found her way back, becoming stronger than even my own mother imagined.

The old and unwelcome feeling of sadness creeps up on me as I think of her. She was the greatest witch of all time and what happened to her was not deserved. Once I take the Alpha, I will reclaim what was hers. I will reclaim everything she lost.

The Redlands is, a little piece of what she claimed years ago to be ours. The worship and the high honor is one I had to earn back. One that I literally earned on my back, long enough to stab him in the back.

The king was a pathetic worm with old world visions and needs. He wanted something that would degrade women and honor men like their shit don’t stink as bad as ours. I let him between my legs until he married me and sold the Redlands. I again brought honor to my family and restored the family name.

“Astra, are you done my love?” Smiling, I let my red hair fall from the bun I had it in. He loves when my hair falls around me, when we make love.

“Yes, Cade, come to me, my darling.” I wait for him to enter the room and his emerald eyes replace mine. Immediately I see the love shining there.

“How was the vision?” He moves over to the little pit I had commissioned for my personal quarters, so I can use it to see. “Anything new?”

I smile at him. Taking a moment to take him in. His smoke colored, almost steel, hair is styled back and some of the unruly curls fall in front of his forehead. His emerald eyes are so rare that with my blue ones, when we have children, we will have gorgeous children.

His plump lips curve into a smile, and it makes my knees weak. He is my weakness and one that I make sure no one will ever get to. “You’re staring, Astra.”

“I can’t help it. It’s like I’m living in a dream every time I look at you.” I lean in and snatch a k**s before pulling back. “As for your question, yes, she has taken a second mate. She is getting stronger every day and the sooner she takes another, we can move to the next part of the plan.”

I see his eyes flicker with concern for a moment before he looks back at me. “Are you sure there’s no other way?” He is worried this won’t work, but it has to . We have no other choice. “I worry about the kids, my love. Trying to bring in Alore is going to cause a rift. I need you to dispatch the men. Have them hidden and when the time is right, I want them to be taken. Alore is aware of his duties and will obey me.” Again, his eyes meet mine before dropping. He doesn’t like putting our son in the middle of this but Alore is needed for this to work.

“Astra, I have a bad feeling about this. Love, I don’t think this is going to go the way that you want.”

Normally I would listen to his instincts, but if we want this, then there’s no other way.

“Cade, I know you worry, but please do as I say. Give them each an amulet that will stop a wolf’s shift. They must place it on the wolf, and it will be unbreakable.”

“Yes, love.” I watch Cade grab the amulets and with one last look, he leaves my private quarters in search of the men. I rub my stomach and smile. One day it will be filled with a babe, and this is the start of it.

My poor Cade has no idea what part our son will play when we get the Alpha here. The Alpha is starting her heat, and she has no idea what’s going on since the things that will be happening shouldn’t happen until she claims her wolf.

Krisna

Last night with Collin was all-consuming and amazing. My love for him blossomed the way it was supposed to all along. Collin has always been my friend and has always been there, but when I mated with Ruse, I put him in the brother box.

I was so exhausted last night that I didn’t think about how I smelled when I passed out by the fire on the furs. I was so content and strangely enough, I could feel that my wolf was as well. This morning proved what I smelled like with Kale and Juniper’s sour moods. They barely talked to me, but they made sure to clean up camp and make sure there was food.

My wolf has been energized, and I’ve followed the wolf’s path since we got up. We’ve run into other wolves, but they’ve been Gamma males and they left us alone.

“Krisna, I feel like we’re coming to something. Do you feel it?” Collin grabs my hand and for a moment, butterflies erupt. I cannot wait to get home with him and Ruse. With thoughts of the two of them in my mind, my body heats. “I can smell you, wolf.”

My smile is wicked as I look at him. A thought of a quickie behind some rocks hits me. I don’t know what’s going on with my body, but it seems like I want s*x now all the time. Grabbing Collin and not caring for the looks from Kale and Juniper, I pull him behind some rocks.

“F**k me.” I push my undergarments aside and hike my leg up around his waist. Collin growls, and it sends shivers through me.

“This is what you want, gorgeous?” I look down and watch as he pumps his c**k. “I want you to get on your knees first and suck it.” The wolf in me is taken aback, but I’m turned on and I know it’s only because he’s my mate. Lowering my leg, I lower myself and grab his c**k.

I suck him inside my mouth, listening to him m**n and taste the saltiness from his cum. He doesn’t taste bad and with a few pumps; I feel more come out of him. I bob my head quickly and use my hand to pump him at the same time.

“F**k baby, that feels so good.” He winds his hand around my hair, and I love feeling him grip me and lose control. Without notice he pulls me up again and picks me up, slamming his c**k inside me and using his thumb on my clit sending me spiraling. “F**k, Krisna, you feel so amazing on my c**k.”

Slamming my mouth against his I come. My body feels like it is coming down from an inferno that I was feeling. As soon as Collin comes, my body relaxes. I needed him and I needed him to come inside me.

“Come on, love.” Collin helps me fix myself and we take our time walking back to where Kale and Juniper are.

“Are you two f*****g done?” Kale grits out. “You smell like a whore.” That hurts. I don’t want it too, but he still manages to catch me off guard.

Before I can say anything, Collin swings at him, catching Kale right in the jaw. “Stop being a jealous f**k. You want her badly, but you’re too stupid to beg for forgiveness and try to win her.”

Kale growls, and it is a deep growl. I feel like Collin and Kale are evenly matched and not one of them is willing to back down. “You’re wrong.”

“We will see.” Collin goes to storm off but stops. “If you insult her again, I will knock your f*****g teeth down your throat.”

Smirking, he walks away. My wolf starts moving again and pride comes from my wolf. Her mate defended her. It doesn’t make sense, since I now know Kale and Juniper are my mates.

As my wolf decides to start walking again, I follow her, feeling the guys close behind me, but at a slower pace. It amuses me that Kale is fuming and still his wolf will follow me. I don’t even realize that I’m getting closer to yet another large rock.

I want to climb it, and for a moment I don’t see my wolf. Looking up, I see her peeking over the top of the rock. I start climbing, feeling the adrenaline rushing through my veins. I hear the guys behind me moving at a slower pace, but climbing.

I can feel the rocks cutting into my palms and my feet are starting to become injured, but I don’t give up. I keep moving. Trying to focus on anything but the pain, I look out at the view and the world seems that much larger.

I can see the Redlands in the distance, and a large river that is running between the lands. I feel calm as I look out. I know at the end of this there will be changes in my life and ones that I will have to learn to accept and ones that will make me happy.

Collin is one of those changes that will make me happy. Ruse is going to be happy that I found another male that will love me without question. What won’t be good is when I have to face Ren and Thorin? They knew about the bond before I left; I know they did, and when I gain my wolf, they will feel it that much stronger.

Could I even be with them? Could I deny that they belong to me? Could I forgive them? All these questions stir inside me every day, along with a burning need.

“Krisna, love, are you okay?” Looking down, I see Collin looking up at me. “Not that I mind the view, babe, but this is getting harder to hang here, and it seems I am unable to pass you.” The sweat beads on the guy’s forehead as they grip the small parts of the rock.

“I’m sorry guys, let me keep moving.” I turn and I start to climb again, feeling all the muscles in my body screaming. It feels amazing to stretch and work the muscles that I haven’t used in a long time. I feel the strength that I didn’t know I had coming through each part of me. Giving me the ability to make this climb.

By the time we hit the top of the rock, my hands are bloody and my feet, even though they’re protected, are scarred. Amazingly though, I watch some of it heal, making it so it doesn’t hurt so much. I am becoming more with my wolf if I am getting the ability to heal. Looking around, I see a cave that leads inside the rock and my wolf walks in there and I gulp.

I have always hated the dark. I hesitate, because I know that it’s dark in there. Closing my eyes and taking a moment to talk myself through the fear, I start to step forward. I know I need to; she is there waiting for me to prove that I deserve the wolf she is going to be.

Once inside, I open my eyes and see my wolf. I take a moment to smell, and I only smell other wolves that may have been here before, but from the smell they have left. I don’t smell any other predators, so that relaxes me.

“Krisna, my wolf is taking me somewhere else. Hopefully, I will be back.” Collin calls from the entrance.

“Mine is heading his direction too.” Kale grumbles. I hear him stomping off. Where they’re going to go is beyond me. There is more land clear up here, which leads to a slope and dives a little, coming out to another route headed closer to the Redlands but not quite in the borders.

“It seems that it’s just you and I.’ Juniper smiles at me and for a moment it takes everything in me not to dive on him. His blond hair is falling into his face, and is more than a little unruly. It needs to be washed badly. His shirt is open, leaving his chest for my viewing.

His skin is soft, and I can see the different bruises forming on him from the trials. The thought that I want to lick him runs through my mind and I shake my head, trying to clear the thought. Though my body doesn’t take the hint, and the burning need in the pit of my stomach almost makes me fold in on myself.

What the f**k is going on with me?

“Krisna, if you keep looking at me like that, I may just k**s you.” Again, I am startled hearing Juniper. I did not realize that I was staring at him and now I cannot stop, and I desperately want him to k**s me now, but there is no way in hell I will admit that to him, ever.

Juniper walks over to me, seeing I haven’t stopped staring at him, I hold very still, and I straighten my spine. Juniper is much taller than I am and him being this close really reminds me of that. He bends down a little and I catch the hint of mint leaves and sweat, and the two mixed together on him is intoxicating.

“What are you doing?” I whisper.

He smirks at me and leans down. His lips are so close I can dream of the plumpness of them on mine. “I told you I was going to k**s you.”

I back up and I hear my wolf’s snarl. I know in my heart I should not be backing down to him. Juniper is a weaker wolf. Again, straightening my spine, I look at him. “No.”

I watch as he battles with his wants and what I said. I want to see what he will choose. My wolf is waiting, too. I can feel her, her curiosity about what this wolf will do. Now that we asserted ourselves, the choice is now his.

He backs me up against the wall and his hand snakes up my throat and cups my chin, as he stares at me for a moment before I see him visibly gulp. I watch until I see his blue eyes make the decision and he slams his mouth on mine, causing me to melt immediately.

His mouth consumes mine, and I get lost in the k**s and the inferno rising in my core. His lips are as soft as silk, and the little strands of his hair tickle my face as he tilts my head to the side to deepen the k**s. His hands run along my sides, touching the sides of my breasts and pleasure shoots through me.

I don’t know why the anger inside me is not towards Juniper, because of being angry with him all I want to do is sit him down and ride him. I want to make him mine and see his face in pure ecstasy while he is under me.

I bite his l*p, hearing the m**n he makes and the little taste of b***d on his lips touching mine. My hand winds in his hair and I force our bodies as close together as we can get. Juniper is hard for me. I can feel how thick he is and how big. He wants me just as bad as I want him.

I start pulling us down towards the ground and he follows, never breaking the k**s until I push him to lay down. I look at how plump his lower l*p is now that I have bitten it and it is the sexiest thing I have seen in a while.

I take off my top and watch his eyes dilate as he stares at me. “I need to taste you, Krisna.” Juniper leans up enough to run his tongue across my nipple, making it hard.

I only have a brief moment to smell the other wolf before I am thrown from Juniper. He is a male, and a very large one. He is breathing heavily and the muscles in his arms are bunching. I immediately go into protective mode. Whatever this man is, he is not thinking clearly. He is built like a brick house and has hair all over his body. Long black hair on his head and thick black chest hair. He has a nasty scar on his shoulder going down to his wrist.

“What do you want?” I shout at the male.

“You.” He starts to walk closer to me, and I back up. “I can smell you, and you smell like you need a good f*****g.”

Can he smell me? He doesn’t even have his wolf yet.

“Leave us alone.” I know it is a moot point, but it’s worth a shot. I know he won’t leave, and I mentally prepare myself for the fight ahead.

“She is mine, and you need to stay away from my mate.” I open my mouth and stare at Juniper. This is the first time he has called me his mate, and he’s sticking up for me. Trying to protect me.

“You think you deserve her? I can smell how weak you are.” The male storms over to Juniper and before I can break in, he grabs Juniper by the throat and starts cutting off his air supply. Juniper tries to get him off, but it is no use.

I jump on the male. “Let him go now.” The male doesn’t release Juniper, and I can see Juniper struggling to breathe. I start to hit the male and can feel his grip loosening as he is now struggling to knock me away. Juniper manages to get a punch in, and I decide to bite down on the male’s shoulder.

He howls, throwing me off and turns on me. “You bitch, you will be coming back with me.” Starting to move away from him, he grabs my leg and starts to drag me towards him. “I will f**k you.” That makes my anger come full force and as he pulls me under him. I kick out, hitting him on his now exposed c**k.

“Never.” I stand quickly, taking a moment to look over at Juniper who is struggling to his feet. I see the bruising beginning to form. I need to protect him. Growling, I wait until he’s fully standing, and I run at him, making sure to dip low, hitting him in his midsection. He goes down hard. His head hitting the ground, but that doesn’t seem to faze him.

We start tumbling around and I can feel the hits when he manages to get to my side, pissing me off. I stand when he stands, and I can tell both of us are tired. B***d is now dripping from my head, and it is going down into my eyes.

“Leave us alone.” I try again. I didn’t start the wolf run thinking I would be injuring people. I knew it was a possibility, but I didn’t think that I would actually do it.

“I’m going to make you mine wolf. I will f**k you and the moment my seed is planted inside you, no one else will be able to claim you.” He begins to move closer to me and I see a blur and a second later, I see Kale pounding into his face.

I watch as Kale destroys him. The b***d of the other male is spraying everywhere. I rush over to stop him. “Kale, you’re going to kill him.” I yell, but it doesn’t seem to matter to him. He continues as the male under him tries to still attack him.

“Krisna, move away from him. His instinct to protect you, whether he wants to admit it or not he is your mate.” Collin pulls me away from the sparring males and while I know Kale is going to win, I still worry not just about him getting hurt but also about how he will feel if he kills this other man.

“He’s going to carry this with him, Collin.”

“We’re wolves, Krisna. He will feel pride in protecting his mate, I promise.” He does have a valid point, so I just watch until the male stops moving. Kale stands and I see the b***d across his chest. He is breathing heavily and without saying a word, he walks off.

“Where is he going?” I turn to the guys and Juniper shrugs.

“Probably going to wash the b***d off and cool down. I will go check on him.” Juniper walks away and I watch him until he disappears.