HUNTED

Back at the packhouse on the grassy grounds, Chiara stood with her arms crossed, wearing leggings, a vest and a rain jacket as she watched her training session of 12-15 year old's attacking and defending each other. She held more classes on a Saturday and felt it necessary for werewolves to start from a young age to know how to fight. All the pack leaders did due to their heritage. 

But Alpha Damon and Chiara agreed that the youngsters of the pack should know how to fight. If they were ever attacked to the point that their warriors and trained pack members could no longer defend them, then the pups would be on their own. The classes were not as intense as the 16+ classes, but she still made sure they worked hard. 

One of the young girls slammed a boy into the mat, earning a laugh from another boy. Chiara raised her brow at the boy who laughed; he immediately went wide-eyed and continued sparring with his partner. She shook her head and glanced up at the sky; the dark clouds were coming closer, and after the first drop of rain, she called it time. 

While she and a few other pack members began packing away the mats and carrying them towards their sports centre, the rain started to become heavy. As she placed the mat down, her phone began to vibrate; she grabbed it from her pocket and flicked a strand piece of her hair out of the way. 

Chiara checked the caller ID; it was Tommy, one of the warrior's stationed near Aila. She pressed the accept button and placed the phone to her ear. "Is everything okay, Tommy?" She asked.

"Gamma, the hunters are here, and they've brought some werewolves with them. I don't know if they are rogues or what," He replied. Chiara could hear his breathing becoming ragged and shuffling sounds coming through the phone. 

"Tommy?" Chiara stared ahead. Her brows drew together as she heard more shuffling, the sound of grunts and fighting. She walked forwards and glanced at some of the men remaining with her.

"Mind-link those patrolling the surrounding woods. They need to be extra vigilant in case they come here," Chiara ordered one of the men. He nodded his head, and she watched his expression become vacant.

"Tommy, how many are there? Do you need backup?"

Bang!

Bang!

Bang!

Chiara gritted her teeth at the sounds of gunfire. 

"Gamma! Shit, the silver bullets, they don't-"

"Tommy!" Chiara heard a crashing sound. The phone dropped to the ground; she listened as several shots were fired one after the other until the round was up. 

Chiara raced through the doors and stopped when she heard one final shot and the phone becoming muffled before the line went dead. Her eyes hardened. Twenty men were surrounding the shopping centre, as directed by Alpha Damon, yet it sounded chaotic. She marched forwards while her mind was set in gear.

Did they need more men? 

She speed dialled Aila, but it went to voicemail. SHIT. Chiara knew Aila would pick up, especially today, knowing Chiara would be checking in on her. She had to make a judgement call. Their pack was huge but if Tommy, one of her best warriors, might be dead, then would sending the standard guard be helpful? Or was she sending them to their deaths?

"Send more. The hunters won't be able to deal with loads of us there, and they will retreat. Our Luna and Queen is there," Her wolf, Gia growled.

Chiara immediately sent a pack mind-link out, "I need thirty wolves, ready to fight at the gates in two minutes! This is an emergency. Your Luna is in trouble!"

Chiara pressed the speed dial on her phone just as she received a mind-link from Brock, one of the wolves on guard patrolling the woods, "Gamma, there's a pack of rogues."

"A pack? They don't do packs.. How many are there?" She replied; her voice stayed calm, but her mind was racing. 

"There's twenty, maybe more", He grunted back.

"And it's not a pack-pack?" Chiara asked, flabbergasted by the number of wolves. 

"Nope! They've got those red eyes.. but wait, hold on. Some of them seem a little bigger than your average rogue. Like they're on steroids. Wait. Those ones aren't with these.." Brock cut off the mind-link.

"Shit!" Chiara said aloud, raking her fingers through her hair, forgetting she was holding the phone to her ear.

"Chiara, what's happening?!" Damon snapped through the receiver. 

"We are being attacked at the packhouse-"

"Send more men to help the ones on patrol," Damon began barking orders. 

"Damon, I wasn't phoning about the packhouse," She sighed, glancing around, "the hunters are here. They are after Aila. It was a trap."

"FUCK!" Damon roared. Chiara brought the phone away slightly after flinching from his loud voice. She could tell he even pulled the phone away from him as he swore. She waited quietly as Damon told whoever he was with that something more important has come up. Chiara could hear a muffled man's voice on the other end, possibly Damon's dad.

"This meeting isn't done!"

"My MATE and pack are in danger. Do not tell me to wait it out."

Another man's voice, Chiara didn't recognise, spoke up next, "She is a Cross. Capable of taking care of herself, Alpha Damon."

The phone dropped, and Chiara once again was waiting impatiently as she heard a scuffling sound and a few growls. Was Damon fighting? Now was not the time! A few moments later, Damon picked up the phone, a little breathless, and she heard the slamming of a door on the other end of the line.

"Are they all working together?" He asked in a deadly quiet voice. Chiara knew this voice, and it was more dangerous than if he was yelling or throwing things. It meant his wolf was close to the surface. 

"I don't know," Chiara replied honestly; she watched some men running towards the gates.

"I'm on my way back. Stay in contact with someone at the shopping centre. I need you to stay in human form. I know you don't like it, but I've left you in charge. I'll be back as soon as I can." The phone went dead.

Chiara sighed and put her phone away, and jogged towards the men at the gates while sending another pack mind-link, "The woods are being attacked. I need 50 men to make their way there. Another 50 to surround the estate, and 20 to come to the mansion."

Although she barked out many orders regarding the number of people needed, the pack had been trained well enough to know what groups should go where. The warriors though were spread thin, and she made a mental note to train more up when this little fiasco was dealt with. Especially now, they have a Luna, and the pack was constantly growing. 

They didn't just have trained men and women, but families to look after. 

Chiara arrived at the gates and began barking orders. All at once, the group of thirty men transformed into wolves and started running towards the town. Although their world was kept a secret, the town folk was one of a few that had historically always had werewolves, meaning any humans cohabitating with them knew of them. It was hard to keep big wolves out of sight, especially if there was an attack on the town. 

The humans never said a word to anyone and continued to live happily in the town. If they weren't rudely attacked by the hunters, that is.