Wasteland

The sky was darkening as each hour passed, and they were still traveling on foot. The second youngest, and only female, grimaced as she felt the heels of her boots sink into the soft ground. Lifting her arms to tighten her ponytail, she let soft growl pass her lips, “How much farther?”

“Looks like Jo needs a rest,” an arm slid across her shoulders. “ain’t that right, princess?” Jo rolled her emerald eyes which earned a chuckle from the youngest member of the pack, who was beginning to annoy her even more as each day passed.

“Oh, fuck off, Ethan.” Her hands pushed hard against his side, making him stumble over his feet almost losing his balance; he shot her a dark look. “My bad,” she sarcastically smiled at him. “I guess I don’t know my own strength.”

“You’re such a little-”

“Quiet!” The command made them both shut up. Jo watched as Jaylon, the oldest and the second strongest, take deep breaths as his head tilted to the side in curiosity. “Lane, you hearing that?” Lane moved to stand next to Jaylon, whose eyes were rapidly scanning the area.

“Sounds like someone’s running.” Lane’s husky voice answered. “Cole,” Lane jerked his head to the right to see him slowly disappearing deeper into the throngs of trees. “Circle around, make sure they’re not hunters.” Though, Cole was already gone once he heard Lane tell him to circle around, the others still heard his reply of, gotcha.

Jo sniffed the air, “They’re not hunters.” she stated as she glanced at each of the Alphas; she sniffed the air once more. “They’re not human.”

Ethan smirked. “Finally, I’m been looking for a fight.”

Jaylon, sharing the same thought as Ethan, cackled. “Don’t you just love it when you come on someone's territory and they come running?” Lane shook his head, pulling out his phone and texting Cole to venture out farther and find out where the pack resided.

Jo raised a perfect eyebrow, “What are you telling Cole?”

Lane shoved his phone back into his jeans and flashed his eyes to her. “Once we obliterate this pack, we need a place to stay, don’t you think?”

Jo licked over her lips before smiling, “Of course.”

“Hey!” Ethan’s laugh was low, almost sinister, “Sounds like they’re getting closer. I say, we ambush them; catch them off guard.” Jaylon nodded his head, silently agreeing with the baby Alpha of the pack.

Jo squealed, clapping her hands together in excitement. “I hope one’s a girl,” her eyes flashed their bright green as her canines began to show. “You guys always get to have fun.”

“Only because we don’t want to lose you, baby J.” Jo grimaced at the nickname Lane gave her, but she also felt happy that she was loved by these guys. She hadn’t meant to become an Alpha, hell, she was quite alright with just being a Beta; but when the time comes and your life is on the line, you will do anything in your power to stay alive, would you not?

“I’m not a baby, Lan, I’m twenty-three for fucks sake!”

“Quit your bitching, Joanna.” Lane grunted. “If you haven’t noticed, we are the only ones not participating in taking the pack down.” Joanna’s eyes drifted around, and had noticed that they were in fact the only ones there. “Come on.”

Joanna growled lightly at Lane; though, he was an Alpha also, didn’t mean that she had to obey his commands. Just because Lane had more experience as an Alpha, like Jaylon and Cole, didn’t mean shit to her. If shit got tough, or out of control, she could handle becoming an Omega. Shit, before the pack had found her, she was an Omega; and if she had too, she could do it again.

Once the two of them caught up with the others, she noticed that Cole had returned and had a look of deviousness on his face; she smirked, instantly knowing that he had marked the residence in which they would be overtaking in a short amount of time.

“You’re not Alphas.” Jaylon sneered. “Where’s your Alpha?”

“We don’t have an Alpha.” A timid female voice, who was radiating off fear and regret, stated.

Joanna moved to stand by Jaylon, who was placed a few feet away from the two werewolves, then squealed. “Aw, look at the little puppies!”

Ethan shot his pack-mate an amused expression before focusing back on the two pups they had in front of them. “Come on, two pups like you should have a daddy somewhere.” Jo growled at him, slowly letting her werewolf break out. “Or a mommy.”

“We don’t have an Alpha.” The boy spoke up, who was holding his pack-mate’s hand tightly. “We left him days ago.”

Joanna blinked, “That’s very stupid of you.”

“Did you live in that burnt down house, a few miles away?” Cole asked; Joanna noted the emotions passing on the young pup’s faces. They knew the house, they knew the history. Jo watched as the pup’s glanced around at all the Alpha’s faces; they were ready to fight, they were ready to tear these pups limb by limb. “So many scents linger there, are there more of you?”

“No.” the female answered, as her heart skipped.

Ethan frowned, “Did your parent’s teach you that lying is bad?”

Jaylon chuckled, “Did your Alpha teach you anything? When people lie, they have this tick; some stutter, their hearts begin to pump faster, making you breathless, and some just can’t look you in the face.”

“But when you’re a werewolf,” Lane growled, bearing his teeth. “you can hear when their heart fucks up, telling you they’re lying.”

“So let me ask you again,” Cole took a step forward making the young wolves to step back. “are there more of you?”

“No.” The boy answered this time, his voice was strong and even Joanna barely heard the faint extra pump his heart gave.

Jaylon snarled, “Wrong answer.” Joanna barely had time to react as Jaylon was the first to attack the young ones; placing herself in front of the teen werewolves, she snarled, bearing her teeth at the other Alphas. Jaylon baffled, had stopped before he managed to hurt the only female in his pack. “What the fuck are you doing?”

“Touch these kids, and I’ll make sure you’ll fucking regret it.” Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed Ethan crouching down, putting him in a defensive stance. “That goes for all of you.”

“Jo, are you crazy?” Lane snarled at her.

“They’re just kids, Lane!” Jo snapped. “I never signed up for killing kids.”

“They’re Omegas, Joanna.” Jaylon took a step back away from her. “If you’re willing to protect these pups, you’re not one of us anymore.”

“You’re not serious.” Jo was shocked, was he really abandoning her for sticking up for these kids?

Jaylon’s eyes flashed their Alpha color, causing Joanna to literally step back into the teen wolves she was protecting. “I’m serious, Jo.”

“Jay, maybe she’s right, they’re just-”

“Are you willing to give up the pack too, Lane?” Jaylon taunted as he began to walk away. “You can be replaced just as easily as Joanna.” Lane’s crystal blue eyes connected with Jo’s emerald ones; he was telling her so much through his eyes that he wouldn’t let his face express.

“It’s okay, Lane.” Jo spoke up. “I can take care of myself, but I do suggest you get the fuck off this land and never come back.”

“Suggestion noted,” Ethan grunted as his eyes ranked over the golden haired teen behind her. “but I feel like this town might just be worth staying for a bit.”

Joanna snarled, “Fuck off, Ethan.”

Ethan cackled before walking backwards to follow Cole who was already following Jay, “You just started a war, princess.”

Lane waited until the three other members of his pack were out of range before swiftly pulling Jo into a hug. “Be safe; I’ll try to detour them as long as I can, but-”

“I know.” She cut him off. “Ethan will get ideas in his head, and Jay will become ruthless and come after me.”

The two barely remembered that they weren’t the only ones around when a howl echoed through the trees and Lane instantly knew he had to leave. “I mean, J, be safe and protect those kids.”

“I will.”

Lane smiled before jogging in the direction of where the others had gone; turning back to glance at Jo still standing in front of the two pups, he licked over his lips, “Sempre rimanere forte.” Always stay strong.

All she did was nod, before he took off leaving her behind for the first time in years.