His subconscious fluttered a warning, something about the Pack being banned from hunting Red deer.
He pushed it back, ignored it. He was Alpha. He made the damn rules and he’d do whatever the hell he wanted. Releasing his beast fully, he took off, huge paws eating up the ground as he raced toward the north. That’s where the herd was last spotted, so that’s where he was going. He had to find them and he had to get his jaws around one of those deer.
All thought of the Loch flying away as his feral instincts kicked in.
His Wolf sped through the forest, ignoring smaller prey in search of something far more substantial. Leaping over burns, darting around trees, with incredible agility for such a large beast. His Wolf was huge, lethal, deadly, and it was intent on one thing only.
A sweet aroma wafted on the air, drifting over his nose, twitching, and he veered toward it. Deer. Not Red but his beast was now in a frenzy and any prey would do. His Wolf almost howled with glee, barely containing its excitement and alerting the quarry that it was in the area.
Slowing his pace as the herd’s scent grew more pungent. His beast surveyed the area, getting his bearings. Dang. He’d come further from the camp than he’d planned, but truth was he didn’t care. The one, the only thing he cared about was abating the hunger eating away inside him.
His beast slunk lower, sliding along the ground, knowing every square inch of his land like the back of his hand, and that there was a small clearing just ahead. One lush with fresh grazing ripe for a herd of deer.
Testing the air with his nose to gauge which way the wind blew, he adjusted his approach, veering around to the right and sticking his nose through the thick bushes. Yes. There they were. The full herd was not visible, some must be in the surrounding trees on the opposite side, but there was enough for him to single one out and make the kill.
Although he wanted to scramble through and rush headlong toward his prey, he waited and watched. His keen eyes searching for one that wandered just a little too far away from the others, one that he could pounce on before they alerted the dominant female in charge. He didn’t want to have to kill her, not if he didn’t have to. The herd relied on her guidance to keep them stable.
There. One of them was grazing away from the group, easy pickings.
His stomach clenched, hunger pains lancing through it and urging him to attack. Bunching his hind leg muscles, preparing for a sprint to reach his target, he realized his total focus on food had made him forget about everything else around him. Sounds of another predator hit his senses a second before something large, hard, and powerful bowled into him, sending him sprawling as their bodies tangled with claws, huge paws, and jaws snapping.
Kade growled savagely, opening his jaws wide, ready to snap them around the neck of his opponent.
“Kade, what the hell are you doing?”
The voice in his head startled him so much he let out a yelp. He refocused his eyes on the Wolf that had attacked him but who’d now leaped away. “Lennox?”
“Aye, who the hell did you think it was? What are you doing?”
Kade’s beast rose unsteadily, shaking his head and saw Lennox wasn’t alone. Shit. Dara was with him. “What are you two doing here?”
Kade went on the offensive. A position he much preferred than defending himself. Dara’s dark brown Wolf paced back and forth, eyeing him curiously as Lennox’s front paw rose and slapped the ground angrily.
“We’re your Beta’s and we’re worried about you. Don’t think it’s gone unnoticed that you’ve been sneaking out to hunt,” Lennox replied shortly, always the one to call out any BS from anyone.
Kade snorted, tail swishing as he realized his nighttime escapades hadn’t gone unobserved. Again. Why was he surprised? Lennox was one sharp cookie and knew everything about everyone. Damn.
“Who sent you?” Kade snarled, allowing his Alpha power to seep out, just enough to remind them who was boss.
“Cut it out, ya numpty,” Lennox said, lowering his body to the ground.
Dara was already prone, whining. The sight causing Kade to feel more than a little regret. Maybe he’d sent more of his power out than he’d thought. Dara never submitted to anyone, apart from him, and even then, it was grudgingly.
“Answer the question, Len.”
“Nobody sent us but I saw you talking to Fraser earlier and I was worried about you so . . .”
Kade’s head lifted, a growl rumbling up from his chest. “I knew it. That old man needs to keep his nose out of my business.”
“Alpha, it is his business. It’s all three of ours. We are the Pack Betas and it’s our job to protect the Pack, but also to look after you. Especially when you’re acting like a complete eejit. What were you thinking? You were the one that put the law in place about hunting deer. We only do so on specific Pack hunts and never alone. And don’t even get me started on just how far you’ve come alone. Jeez, you could’ve been attacked by rogues while you were on your own, Kade. That is not good and you know it.”
Kade prowled around, hearing the deer scattering in a wild rush to escape from the predators they now knew were in their midst. A rumble grew in his chest, growing until it erupted from him in a howl of . . . what? Definitely anger at losing his prey. But there were other emotions vying for supremacy, doubt was rushing through him at his actions. As Alpha, he should be
