Red Is for Traitor

Sindri was going to kill me. There was no way around it. He was going to see me, hug and nuzzle me, and then kill me. Then he would bring me back to yell at me only to possibly kill me again. My life was great sometimes. Why was my mate going to kill me? Because somehow I ended up hiding in Phillip's bed with my top looking like it was not on. Yup I was dead. Okay, I really did sort of know how I ended up in my friend's bed, but that still would not excuse me from the death my mate was going to deal. I know you are wondering how I ended up in this situation and it is quite simple, we were found out. Possibly even betrayed. Sindri is never going to let me live this down...
My party of seven were a week away from the village in a small city. There were reports that five werewolves and two humans were going to be shot for their crimes (being werewolves or supporters). Being the lovely rescuing Red Cloaks we were, we took it upon ourselves to rescue them. We mapped everything out and learned everything we could before our heist. Phillip had been a great help with smuggling us information about everyone's movements within the city. Our plan was near flawless and went smoothly. Three of us went in to release them while the other four kept watch. For fear they would spread their 'lies and blasphemy,' the wolves and supporters were kept away from the other prisoners. Convenient for us. We crept in, drugged the guard, took his keys, and stealthy crept through the prison until we came across the prisoners we were here to rescue.
The wolves bared their teeth at us as they tried to protect the humans. The sight warmed my heart, but I shook my head and focused on the mission. I placed a finger to my lips and slowly walked to the bars. "I am here to help." I whispered. "We are a team of Red Cloaks from Lobiera Village and we wish to help."
"How do we know?" One narrowed her eyes at me. I held my palm our for her to scent and then showed the other side of my midnight forest green cloak. The she-wolf looked to her fellow cellmates and then nodded.
"Are any of you hurt or ill?" I asked, unlocking the cell.
"Timothy was hurt on the leg, but other than that we are fine."
"Good. Take a cloak and quietly follow us." I turned and we headed back where we came from. I deposited the keys back on the man and we continued on. See smooth. Everything was going fine until we slipped outside.
"Who are your friends?" The wolf sneered as we stared at five hunters and four guards.
"We thought we smelled wolf and..." The hunter gave a disgusted sneer, "Supporters."
"Your sense of smell must be right up there with a wolf, are you sure you are not half werewolf?" I smiled politely.
"You lil Bitch!" He howled trying to lunge forwards.
"Go!" I yelled, pushing two of the wolves left. I nodded at Rami and Mina to split like we had discussed. Rami took one other Red Cloak and two werewolves, while Mina took two Red Cloaks and the rest of our rescuees. Me and the last Red Cloak Luka ran in a third direction, weaving in alley ways and streets trying to shake the men and women after us. We ended up cornered in an alley when someone above whispered for us. Looking up, I found a familiar face. I helped Luka up before being pulled in through the Inn window.
"What the hell is going on?" Phillip asked with crossed arms.
"We did exactly as we planned and ended up surrounded." I replied with a shrug.
"And then?"
"We ran. Rami and Mina split with the escapees and the other Red Cloaks, Luka and I went a third way."
"Should you be tellin' this Huntah our names? Or speakin' so friendly?" Luka asked hesitantly. He trusted me, we have worked with each other quite often, but that did not mean he trusted a hunter.
"Normally no, but Phillip here has been a friend for quite some time." I smiled at him. "Any way out of here without being seen?"
Phillip shook his head, "There is, but you'll have to wait." We all went silent when shouts started in the hallway. "Shit, you brought 'em here? Of course you did." The shouting got louder as doors crashed opened.
"What are we goin' to do?" Luka asked with wide fearful eyes.
Phillip looked around wildly before looking at me. "I have an idea, but it's a bad one."
"Just tell us, I cannot think of any that does not involve Luka and I jumping out a window." This room was terrible for hiding two adults.
"Alright, Luka under the bed and don't make a sound. Macha, did they see your face?"
"No?" I replied suspiciously.
"Give me your cloak and get in bed." He gave a shit eating grin.
My face went blank. "What?"
"Get in bed, they won't question me if they think I've been preoccupied all night. If I tell them I've been busy and no there haven't been any fugitives hiding in my room, they'll leave and you're free."
"Sindri's going to be pissed." I pinched the bridge of my nose.
"Better pissed than you jailed, now in and um..." He looked up with reddening cheeks. "Make it look like you're um naked." I groaned as I started undressing a bit. I handed him the cloak before dropping my skirt on the ground. "What are you doing?" Phillip whisper yelled.
"Making it look like we have been 'busy.'" I dropped the bustier on the floor and climbed into bed. "Alright you, over here so when those hunters and police men burst in we look like you have been preoccupied." My friend snickered and climbed in next to me. He ruffled my hair before ruffling his own. "Sindri is going to kill me." I laughed quietly before stopping.
"We're next. Luka, no matter what stay quiet." Luka did not reply but I knew he understood. "Ready?"
"Nope." I replied, laying back so Phillip could bend partially over me. Seconds later the door flew open with three men in the doorway.
Phillip shot up with an annoyed expression. "Do you mind? Oh!" He looked surprised as I raised with the sheets covering my 'bare' chest. I hid behind him as if embarrassed at being caught in a compromised position. "Greg. Stephan. Mike. What brings you crashing into my room?"
"Sorry Phil, but we looking for some traitors." The skinnier of the three replied.
"Well, I haven't seen any but I've been... well a little busy." He shrugged as if it was not a big deal.
"Sorry, if we'd known you were here we would have knocked."
"No problem. Do you need more or can I..."
"No, continue as you were. Some of us need more ranking points than you." The skinnier guy grinned. "Have fun." He looked at me hungrily (which made me want to vomit but I resisted) and lead the other two out.
"I think I vomited in my mouth." I commented after a moment.
"Meet some of my hunting mates." Phil swept his hand in a sarcastic fashion. "Luka it's safe now." The younger man crawled out from under the bed. "What are you going to do now?" He got up and collected my skirt, top, and hidden cloak.
As I readjusted the top half of my shift, I replied, "Same plan as before. Sneak out and make it out of the city to the meeting point." I got up and started redressing. Luka slapped his hand over his eyes causing me to chuckle.
"You laugh, but I don't want Beta Moonshadow's wrath on me." The young Red Cloak defended.
"Do not worry, all his anger will be at me." I sighed.
"Sorry, Macha. It was the only thing I could think of." Phillip gave me an apologetic smile.
"At least by the time we get back I will not smell like you... as much. Thank you for everything."
"Try not to get caught or let Mast-Beta Sindri kill you. Be safe, you too Luka." He held out his hand for Luka to take. The young man took it with a shy nod.
"Bye, stay safe." I gave him a quick hug. I tied up my cloak and together Luka and I started our way back to the woods. We were almost there when I pulled Luka by his cloak into an alley. "They are everywhere." We eventually made it out when the sun started to rise.
"Are you two alright?" Rami asked as he ran greet us.
"Just fine. Although I am tired and I am sure Luka is too." I ruffled the man's hair.
"We will rest when we are a few miles from the city. Are you able to make it that far?"
"We can try. Let us go." We began again with hastened steps. About five miles later both Luka and I were unable to go any further. Disappearing into the woods, we set up camp and the two of us slept for a few hours. By the time we packed up and left I was feeling refreshed. Being delayed only a day, we arrived late by only two. Like usual, Zane was the first to greet me.
"Mak!" He threw his arms around my waist. "You smell funny."
I rolled my eyes. "Thank you Zane, good to see you too." He grinned at me before greeting the other Red Cloaks. I introduced the five wolves and two humans to the Elders and Alphas before excusing myself to find my mate. I watched silently as he watched five pairs spar each other. He lifted his nose and scented the air only to turn around a second later to look at me. Relief spread over his features before he turned to watch again. Knowing it was okay, I walked over wrapping my arms around his waist. Like his son, he nuzzled me but without removing his eyes from the other wolves.
"Your scent is off." He whispered.
"We can talk about that later. The mission went somewhat awry but everyone is safe." I matched his volume. "They are doing well."
"I agree." He watched a little while longer before calling a break. "They aren't a fan of me." Sindri chuckled.
"Because you are teaching them to survive?" I raised a brow.
"I'm too strict."
"You strict? No." He growled causing me to laugh. "How is everything here?"
"Fine. A hunter party tried to attack but quickly retreated when they realized we had more packs than last time."
"Miss Macha?" I turned to see Luka standing off to the side looking uncomfortable. "Alpha Corbin and the Elders want you at the hall for the debriefing."
I nodded, "I will be there in a moment." Luka nodded and ran off back to the hall. "I guess I best be off."
"I'll see you later, Red." I hummed and kissed him before departing. I walked in being greeted by a nod from Corbin. I sat down next to Rami and listened as each person told their side of the mission. From leaving to being discovered to our return. It took a while like usual, but it was not too bad. I listened while Luka told the events from his perspective.
"We were hidden by a friend of Miss Macha's. I hid under the bed when the other hunters entered the room." I was grateful he did not tell them who my friend was since he is still supposed to be anonymous.
"Where was Miss Macha?" An Alpha asked.
Luka looked to me and then them, "I never saw where she was hidden, but we weren't discovered." Again I was grateful he did not give more detail than that. I wanted to tell Sindri before the whole village found out. It would be better that way. "When the hunters left, we escaped, were nearly found again, but left the city without further delay."
When it was my turn I was just as vague about hiding as Luka was, but when they asked me I gave them some details but not all. I looked at Corbin since he was the one who asked and would most likely understand my hesitation to answer. "My friend hid my cloak so the other hunters would not see it and I hid behind him when he talked about not having seen us."
"Why would having you out in the open have been a good idea?" Alpha Clair asked with a voice that rang at how stupid the tactic was.
"I hid behind him enough that they could not clearly see my features and he was shirtless." I stared at her and waited for the pieces to click. I wanted to laugh as the Elders and Alphas finally understood what the ploy was. "I would greatly appreciate it if this stayed between us until I talked to Sindri. I do not want this warped by the time it reaches him. Anyway, once they left we waited a little while and then left ourselves. We almost ran into another group of hunters and city folk but managed to not be seen and then we escaped out and met up with everyone else." We were in the meeting for another hour before we were let go. Corbin walked up next to me and jerked his head for me to follow. I said goodbye to everyone and followed after my mate's brother. We walked a ways until we were on our way to my cottage and alone.
"Is it wrong for me to assume you and master Luka edited some of the events in your 'friend's' room?" He asked with his arms behind his back.
"He is my friend Corbin and no you would be correct. I did not want anyone to know before Sindri." I replied honestly.
"Is it that bad?"
"Depends on how jealous he will be." Corbin's eyebrow rose wanting me to explain further. "I am only telling you because I know you will not spread the story around. We did make it look like my friend was busy with me, but it was more than what I said. We were in the bed and I was only in my shift. Normally I would not do anything like that, but we did not have time and I could think of nothing else. Since my friend is a hunter all he had to say was he was busy and the ones searching the rooms would leave without further inspection. Luka would be safe where he was under the bed and they would not inquire further to who I was."
"Sindri's going to be mad."
"I know." I sighed rubbing my forehead.
"How are you going to tell him?"
"I am going to tell him exactly what happened. Let him get mad and take it. I did nothing wrong, but I know I would be annoyed if he jumped into bed with another woman even if it was all for show. I trust him but does not mean I would like it."
"Just don't let him get out of hand. He's already lost one mate, he's a bit overprotective of you."
"I know. Thank you for not going crazy on me."
Corbin shrugged, "You'll get enough of that later. Be safe Macha." He kissed my cheek and left me at my door. With a sigh I walked into the cottage to find a fine layer of dust collecting on everything. As per the usual routine of returning from a mission I began cleaning up to make it livable again. Around supper time Sindri walking in as if this cottage was a his home. Which in a way it was, we spend as much time here as we do the Den.
"Alright, can you tell me now why your scent is off?" He asked, I could tell he was of mix of curious and anxious.
"Promise to hear me out all the way before you do something rash?" I smiled.
He groaned, "That bad?"
"Depends on your interpretation. I do not think so, but when it has to do with a mate our emotions tend to be a bit more dramatic."
"I'll try."
"That is all I ask." Yep, going to die. Or at least someone was. I looked at him and went straight for the news I knew he would hate the most. "I was in bed with another man." Almost instantaneously he went into his hybrid form. Still humanoid, but with the added bonus of fangs, claws, and glowing silver eyes. A growl rippled through the air that made me want to shiver in fear. "However, nothing happened. We did nothing sexual, I am still your mate. I am going to give you a minute to let that sink in." I watched as he tried to somewhat calm down. I now had claw marks in my table. "May I continue?"
"Yes." Sindri growled out through still pointed teeth.
"Very well. After rescuing the prisoners, we were greeted by a hunting party and human guards. We split into three groups with me running with Luka."
"Luka?" His eyes snapped to me.
I rolled my eyes, "Leave the kid alone, it was not him. Luka and I ran all over town trying to lose our small group and did for a little while only to end up at a dead end alleyway. Ph-My contact was staying at the inn that we were next to and let us in through his window." His eyes narrowed and continued to glow. "We talked and heard doors being knocked in trying to find us. With really no place to hide since it was a borrowed room, the plan was to hide Luka under the bed and me in it." I held up my hand when he was about to protest. "I did not like the idea either, but with it looking like my contact was awake but preoccupied the hunters were not going to search the room."
"They saw you."
"They saw a partially hidden terrified woman, not me. It did the trick. The hunters were only in the room for a few minutes before they left to continue their search. We left soon after that. Nothing happened, you smell him since I was in the bed he was using while in the city."
It took Sindri a little while to speak again as he breathed in through his nose and out through his clenched teeth. "I still don't like it."
"If there was any other way I would have chosen that, but we had no time to think and we could not have the hunters check his room."
"I know." He replied begrudgingly. He stepped closer and enveloped me in his arms. I let him scent me to his heart's content. He growled when he smelt my hair, rubbing his hands through it along with his cheek. "Your clothes smell fine." He seemed to be thrown off at how everything about me but my clothes carried the scent of my friend.
"I changed. We had to walk through mud on the way back so they became dirty."
"You should burn them."
My eyes searched his face for any signs that he was kidding. Apparently he was not. "Someone is over reacting. I have four outfits, I am not burning one of them." As my eyes narrowed I noticed his lips twitch. "Jerk!" I pushed him, but Sindri merely laughed without budging. "Feeling better?"
"A little." He held me close again and inhaled.
"If you and Zane want to, you can stay over. I have things I need to get done here."
"I'll ask him. Tomorrow I have to leave, a party of us are meeting two packs on neutral territory."
"Corbin is not going?"
"No, he has to stay here and have a giant meeting about where to go from here with the other Alphas."
"Okay." I held him tighter listening to his heart. "Do you know how long you will be gone?"
"Hopefully no more than a week and a half."
That night Sindri and Zane stayed over. It was wonderful having them both stay, I missed them dearly. Zane told me all about his training while Sindri talked about everything he had been doing while I was away. The night was simple and refreshing. Everything felt right in the world, but that feeling would soon shatter. Sindri left with the two dozen wolves from other packs and met with the other two packs to discuss the war. Twenty seven wolves left from our village, twenty two returned. Sindri was among the missing.