Boundless

“Why are we stopping?”

The lines on the street that were usually blurry had suddenly become unusually clear. We were slowing down.

“Shit,” Vince cursed as he strained to maneuver the sluggish car onto the side of the road. As soon as we came to a stop he hopped out of the car. Thick, black smoke reached their ghostly fingers for the sky upon him lifting the front hood. I didn’t have to strain my ears to hear the lung, racking cough that came from Vince’s mouth as more smoke rose.

Dominick climbed out the car too, pulling the neck of his shirt over his nose and mouth. “I should have known this piece of junk wouldn’t get us there.”

Vince nodded his head in agreement. “I would have taken the Range Rover but Blue didn’t want anyone to have a reason to even turn their heads in our direction.” I watched him lean closer into the hood, his eyes squinting into the smoke. “Looks like the engine blew.”

“Great,” Dominick growled, pulling out his phone. He moved to the driver side of the car and opened the door. Without sparing me a glance he reached below the wheel. In seconds, the trunk popped up. As he passed my window he knocked on the door. “Get your things.”

One of my eyebrows rose in confusion, I opened the door. “I don’t have anything with me.”

Wordlessly, Dominick dropped a back pack and a small knapsack onto the ground. “Here.”

I eyed the bags, my confusion, plain as day on my face. Dominick must’ve felt my puzzlement because he spoke, “My mother,” he pulled a couple more bags out of the trunk that I assumed were Vince’s belongings. “Bay, she packed those for you.”

I thought of the blonde haired, nurturing woman for a second and inwardly frowned. Bay was Dominick’s mother? My eyes immediately went to search Dominick’s face for any sign of the concerned woman I’d met two days ago. The only thing that I found, which was obvious now that I thought about it, was his eyes. They were the same as Bay’s blue orbs aside from the fact that Bay’s gaze didn’t make you want to squirm under their deep scrutiny.

Those blue orbs snapped to mine and held my gaze for a moment before the lids around them creased in annoyance. “I’d rather you not just stand there.”

I bit down on my lip to stop myself from retorting at his abrasive tone. With ease, I picked up the bags and placed them on my back. The load wasn’t heavy but it would be if—

“We’re walking the rest of the way.” Dominick announced, chucking Vince’s belongings at him before pulling his own on his back.

Vince’s eyebrows drew together at Dominick’s declaration. “Do you think that’s a wise choice?”

Dominick’s jaw tightened, as he slammed the trunk close. “Do you question me not even five hours after you questioned me before?”

“Dom, you know what’s out there,” Vince pointed towards the thick woods that sat on both sides of the road. “Not to mention if we walk, that will add an extra two days onto the journey.”

“What do you expect us to do, flag down a car?” Dominick adjusted his belongings on his back. “We’re walking.”

“With the Rogues terrorizing anyone that crosses through the woods?” Vince’s shoulders tensed. “That was the whole reason we had the car in the first place.

I looked over into the woods, my wolf eyes delving a couple feet farther into its greenery then human eyes ever could. What if Vince was right? Dominick barely got away from one of the Rogues before…

“We’ll be careful.” Dominick said, “We have no choice.”

I glanced back and forth between the two men. I could see Vince’s frustration with Dominick. His hands clenched at his side, and his body rigid with disagreement. Dominick’s chin was lifted and even in his human form I could see the dominance radiating off of his skin. These two were clearly at odds but for some reason Vince would not fully go against Dominick, not once had he ever completely told Dominick no. I had to admit, this ticked me off a bit. Dominick had no right to order us around, Alpha or not.

Vince didn’t object, instead he went around the car opening the driver’s door and reached for something low in the seat. He firmly closed the door, his face working from its annoyed expression to a resigned one.

My eyes coasted over the now folded map in his hands before landing on his face again. He spread the map out, against the hood of the trunk, his eyes skimming the illustration. I silently watched him, my wolf inwardly reeling at the sight of him. I clenched my hands to keep them from reaching out to touch him… I mentally shooed her, No. I told her. The sooner we get away from these people, the better.

Vince turned to us a second later. “We need to head back West in order to pick back up on the straight shot there.”

“And which way is that?” Dominick asked.

Vince barely glanced at him, extending his finger towards the woods. “That way.”

Dominick nodded. “Then let’s not waste time.”

^^^

Nightfall had come unfaithfully slow.

The sun had been beaming on us for six hours and it showed in the sweat that gathered on our necks and backs. My breathing was even but harsh and though the bags hadn’t yet became heavy I still was mentally tired of climbing over logs and pushing past branches. We had long ago veered away from the road and were now farther into the woods. So far, that if we screamed, it was possible that no one would hear us.

This would be so much easier in my wolf form.

My wolf inwardly barked in excitement at my thoughts. 'No'. I shooed her once more.

I was so busy in my thoughts that I didn’t notice Vince had stopped walking and I stumbled into his back. Before I could bounce off of him and lose my balance, he’d already reached around and grabbed my arm, completely stopping my fall.

A pleasurable chill ran across my skin at his touch, my eyes darted in between his concerned gaze and his hold on me. Inside my wolf was grinning like a crushing, twelve year old girl.

Vince silently pulled me back into a stance. Once stable, I quickly pulled my arm from his as if I had been burned. “I’m fine.” I bit out, moving around him and walking toward where Dominick was standing. I quickly figured out why we had stopped. My breath hitched in my throat.

Before us was a mass of ashes.

These ashes looked as if they’d once been structures or…homes. The smell of charred wood was still crowding the air; so much so that I was surprised I hadn’t smelled it some feet go.

That wasn’t what caused my breathing to hitch, no what made me breathless was the blood smeared on the trees. These weren’t random spatters of blood; someone had artistically spread it on the spine of the trees that were some feet farther back from the charred area. They used the blood to create letters…these letters were warnings. My eyes flickered to each backbone of the trees until I could make out the message.

T…U…R…N…B…A…C…K….

Dominick spoke the warning cynically, just as a moody teen would speak of something they were once scared of. “Turn back.”

Vince saddled next to me, the ground crunching under his weight. “They’ve burned down another Den.”

“Another?” My eyes found Vince’s face. “This has happened before?”

Vince nodded. “Yes—”

“It’s nothing that you need to worry about.” Dominick cut Vince off, his voice hard.

I turned to Dominick, my eyebrows immediately drawing together in annoyance. “I’m not some child you need to protect!”

Dominick smirked humorlessly. “You could’ve fooled me pup.”

Seeing that I wouldn’t get anything out of Dominick, I turned to Vince. “Tell me what’s going on. Does this have anything to do with the Rogues?”

Vince shook his head. “No one is sure.”

I gazed over the charred surrounding once more, moving to approach it. I hadn’t gotten far before I was pulled back.

“You shouldn’t.” Vince said.

I yanked my arm from his grip. “I just wanted a closer look.”

“We need to move on.” Dominick added. “Whatever happened here has happened. There’s nothing we can do.”

I bristled at his words. “That’s it? We’re just going to leave?”

Dominick narrowed his eyes at me. “There is nothing left to do but report it to the Council. They’ll handle it.”

I adjusted the strap on my bag. “I bet these people called on the Council too.” I pushed passed him. “Right before they were burned to death.”

Just as the words left my mouth the sound of growling hit the air.

“What was that?”

Immediately all three of us lifted our noses to the air, sniffing.

“Don’t worry about it, we should keep moving. This place isn’t safe.” Dominick said.

The charred smell was definitely overpowering my senses. I started forward, forgetting the two behind me. Something was going on and if they weren’t going to tell me. I was going to find out.

“Pup!” Dominick growled after me.

“Clover!” Vince called after me as well.

I ignored them, dropping my bags and pushing myself forward. I alerted my ears to follow the sound of struggle.

I padded through the underbrush, my legs pumping through the woods. I knew Dominick and Vince were following me but I couldn’t think about them right now. Something was happening and we were close.

“Leave him alone!”

The voice was female and it was harsh.

Snarls of objection followed the female’s words. I followed those snarls, my heart not only beating from my running but beating out of fear as well.

"Shut up girl!” a male’s voice growled back. “Or we’ll kill him!”

I slowed down at those words, my running becoming small, soundless steps.

“Have you completely lost it?” Dominick growled upon catching up with me. He grabbed my arm, making me face him. “You can’t just go running off—”

“Somebody’s in trouble!” I growled. “And unfortunately your dear Council isn’t around to help.”

Dominick bared his teeth at me. “Don’t talk to me that way.”

I yanked my arm away from him. “This isn’t about your stupid Alpha superiority Dominick.”

Vince stepped between us, giving me a warning look. “Stop it, they’ll hear us.”

I cast Dominick a scathing look before turning away from the two and edging towards the sounds of screaming.

I had but to round a couple of more trees before my eyes met with the small clearing in the forest. There were two wolves surrounding a younger wolf. The younger wolf was male but very young and it showed in his wavering stance and hesitant gaze.

The two wolves surrounding him bared their teeth back at the young wolf, daring him to move.

Near them was a girl, her hair as dark as the midnight sky and her skin creamy smooth. Her eyes were a harsh green paired with the softest of features. She was beautiful, even as her face bent in pure fury.

She was being held, by a bald, burly man, his eyes vicious with malicious intent. He was dressed in black pants, a crisp white shirt and a leather jacket. His face might have been handsome once but a thin scar telling of a past injury sliced across his face, destroying any hope of attractiveness. A smirk prodded his lips as he tightened his arms around her neck, a silver blade, gleaming in the moon’s light was pointed at the girl’s throat.

“Now what will it be young one?” the man with the knife asked. “Will you come with us willingly or will my friends here have to tear the kid apart first?”

The girl thrashed against the man’s hold. “You’ll kill him anyway! Your kind are not merciful!”

The man let out a soft chuckle. “Our kind?”

The man lightly, slid the knife down across the girl’s neck and over her breast. His lustful eyes tracing the path of the knife as he brought it up to caress her lips. “And just what are we beautiful?”

“You are the worst kind of beings.” the girl breathed. “Filthy, blood lusting creatures!”

The man sneered at the girl’s words. “You’re a spirited one aren’t you? I’m going to make sure Grayson makes you my mate.”

Grayson? If this guy knew Grayson then…

“They’re Rogues.” I whispered.

Dominick turned his head to me, his eyes sharp on my face. “How do you know?”

I looked at him, my eyes wavering and unsure. “I don’t.” I said, turning back to the sight in front of us. “But they’re the only ones who hurt other wolves, right? Look at what they’re doing.”

And with that he grabbed the girl’s dark strands and pulled her head back, greedily kissing her mouth. Seconds hadn’t even passed before the man pulled back, screaming curses.

His mouth had begun to leak blood and his hold on her had loosened as he checked his new injury. “You bit me you little bitch!”

Before the girl could respond in any way, the man's hand connected with her face, a sickening smack hitting the air. The girl flew towards the ground, grunting upon impact. She cupped her cheek, sending daggers at the man.

“We have to do something.” I moved forward but didn’t get far as Vince pulled me back into his chest.

“Not yet Clover.” Dominick reprimanded.

“They’re going to kill them!” I whispered fiercely.

“Not yet.” Vince agreed, his eyes landing back on the scene unfolding before us.

The sound of clinking drew me back to the situation. “Now,” the man leaned over the girl, sneering down at her. “You’re coming with us and that kid over there,” he pointed to the young wolf still baring his teeth at the other wolves. “Well, let’s just say you won’t have to worry about him anymore.”

The man whistled, drawing the attention of the two wolves surrounding the younger boy. “Kill him.”

I turned to Dominick, my eyes pleading. “Now?”

Dominick nodded. “Now.”

We quickly hit the small clearing until we could be seen. “Hey!” Dominick yelled.

Everyone’s head whipped our way, the Rogues all growled as their eyes zoned in on our presence.

The man rose off of the girl, his eyes watching us, before spreading his arms wide and beaming at us all. “Well welcome to the party people!”