Chapter 7 An anomaly (with River's POV)

River:

In the middle of a thick undergrowth, a wolf larger than usual laid curled around a bloodied woman.

The beast's fur was the color of glossy obsidian and its green eyes were heavily lidded as it watched us without moving.

My gaze darkened at the sight and I frowned at the sudden urge I felt within him at the sight of the bloody woman.

My wolf pawed growling and becoming restless as the urge to tame the wolf threatened to consume me.

The wolf wasn't usual, it exuded a terrifying power that smelled ancient, threatening to bow my alpha aura.

It was concerning to me, but my wolf was excited by the event. He growled threatening to consume me as it itched to be with the female wolf.

'Gamma...' it growled excitedly and I froze, my eyes widening.

I gritted my teeth and fisted my hands as I took a step back, staggering.

A real life gamma, this was a beast told about in fairy tales. It was a protector of packs destined for greatness and its powers are vast.

What was it doing here?

My gaze riveted to the pale, bloodied woman laying in its care and the urge to protect her swelled in me.

My nostrils flared, picking up her citrusy scent that matched with the gamma's. I scowled. How could this be? This was an anomaly.

Muna seemed to notice the strangeness about me as she turned to me, her eyes curious.

"River?" she whispered.

I growled in response, still lost in my thoughts.

What had hurt this woman so much? The urge to snap the attacker's neck into two surfaced and I tried to fight against, but failed.

Why was I feeling this way? Although I was constantly concerned about the well being of my pack members, the thought of feeling concern on a higher level for a total stranger set me at unease.

Rory turned, his eyes also widening like Muna's. He looked from me back to the bloodied woman and suddenly let out a pleasant laughter that made the gamma wolf narrow her eyes at him.

"Bro, you found your mate! Unbelievable, I've always thought Muna would before either of us," he commented jokingly and Muna glared at him.

I calmed his erupting emotions and took a slow step towards the wolf ignoring Rory's comment.

She isn't my mate, but I didn't tell him that. What use would it spell? People liked to believe what they thought was true, by the way.

"She is a strange one," I said softly.

Rory nodded, "yeah, I wonder why the missy wouldn't shift back. Perhaps she's that lady's mother or sister or something, but she's quite huge."

Muna shook her head at Rory's dumb act and flicked him on the neck as she walked past him towards me.

"Not that dummy. The wolf is unusual. Mine is restless at her sight and I feel the urge to bow...I won't though," Muna frowned, cocking her head at the huge wolf ignoring us.

"Oh?" Rory started, seeming to notice the same issue with his wolf. "So which of them is River's mate?"

Muna shrugged, "beats me... but, hey, I think you can ask the grumpy wolf." she said with a hint of sarcasm.

I sighed at their childishness resisting the urge to tell them off on the idea of the woman being my mate.

"The both of them..." I started my voice cool and distanced as I watched the pair on the ground, however Rory as usual interrupted me.

"Wait! What sort of luck is... you're fated to two women at once?" he exclaimed, his mouth falling open.

I spared him a chilly gaze and he immediately shut his mouth.

"Both of them are the same person. Although, I do not know how. Could be because she's a Gamma," I explained shrugging as I calmly approached the wolf who started standing up immediately.

She almost towered above me as she growled down at me, but I didn't back down as I bared my fangs and as if coming to a realization, the wolf calmed down and laid back beside her other part.

Both Muna and Rory watched this speechlessly, still numb from the revelation that they were before a legendary Gamma wolf.

Rory immediately fell to his knees in obeisance and Muna instantly followed suit.

I paid them no mind, as I got to the woman and stared down at her hesitantly. I looked down at my pair of scarred hands and took some steps backwards shaking my head.

Even in death, the woman was like a goddess with pale skin and a porcelain like face. I couldn't bear to taint her with my cursed soul.

"She would die if we do not take her back with us, River," Muna said quietly to me knowing my thoughts.

Then as if in response to her words, the wolf lifted her head towards me whining pitifully and I could see the light slowly fading from her emerald eyes as if she could no longer hold on.

Sighing, I took a deep breath and gently lifted the bleeding unconscious woman into my arms.

Her scent invaded my nose; citrusy and beautiful but tinged with blood. My eyes darkened at the pain she must have gone through when I noticed the large bite mark on her jugular.

My wolf growled. The fucking thetas.

"Scan the area for any theta. Kill him immediately," I ordered the others after picking up the putrid smell on the woman's soft body in my arms.

They nodded and bounded away into the forest expertly dodging the foxholes that dotted the terrain.

As if noticing the situation, the wolf raised her head and locked eyes with me sending a shiver down my spine before disappearing in a cloud of black dust, with a low growl.

Hugging the woman tightly to me, I groaned softly at the contact before speeding away into the trees.

I didn't stop until I got to a large clearing in the forest, where small houses dotted the area and people went about their business.

I sped past rows of houses towards the largest house in a clearing surrounded by trees and a river, raising a cloud of dust that attracted their attention.

"Master," a couple of guards at the gate to the log house bowed respectfully when I sped in holding the blood soaked woman.

Nodding once, I headed through the large doors of my home with the unconscious woman.

"A woman? He doesn't touch women a lot. What's this?" I heard one of them comment in hushed tones.

I paid them no mind and headed upwards to my bedroom where I placed the woman on the bed.

I stepped back cautiously, staring down at my hands before carefully checking the woman to make sure I hadn't hurt or tainted her with my touch.

"I thought it was just headless rumors, but you've brought home a woman," Lulu, my pack healer called as she walked in.

I stopped my actions and turned to her, my expression calm.

"Lulu, can something be done about her?" I asked, acting nonchalantly.

I couldn't care any less for what people said about him; I knew very much about my own shortcomings.

"Si, what happened to her?" Lulu asked curiously as she got to the bed and placed a gentle hand on the woman's forehead.

"A theta must have bitten her,"

I watched Lulu's eyes widen as her hands flew dramatically to her bosom.

"A theta? In these parts. Oh, we have to sound the alarm to make sure the children stay away from the woods," she panicked and I instantly held out my hands to her.

"Don't...please, there's no need to raise an alarm. I've got Muna and Rory on this, the theta wouldn't have gotten that far. Now please, do something about this woman and see that she doesn't die." I said, assuring her with a tinge of my alpha power leaking out.

As if by magic, Lulu instantly calmed down and patted my scarred cheeks warmly ignoring how I stiffened in response.

Touching was hard limits for me and everyone knew, but as always, Lulu chose to ignore that.

"Is she your mate?" She asked with a knowing smile and I averted my gaze.

Was it written across my forehead?

"I hope not for her good," I replied , my voice low and cold, before walking out to calm my erratic emotions.

Gemma

Images of my parents' death burned behind my tightly shut lids and I gasped awake.

Sweat dribbled down my face even though a cool breeze blew against me and I tried to calm my erratic breathing as I mulled over the nightmare I just had.

I remembered my parents' death, my mate torturing me with silver and my banishment.

Anger boiled within me as my last meeting with Sri played in my mind and I itched to stick a dagger through the harbinger of it all.

I'd loved him with all my heart, and yet, he'd paid me back by murdering my parents and best friend, then banishing me from the pack.

I clenched my teeth as his icy blue eyes came to mind. Hatred threatened to steal my breath away and I blinked back stupid tears.

Trying to calm my harsh breathing, I looked around the room I was in for the first time. Taking in the blue painted wooden walls, and furniture, I started, wondering where on earth I was.

I gasped at the image of that crazed wolf mauling me, burning my mind, and I palmed my neck that burned with the memory, surprised to see that it was completely healed.

How could this be? Because of my inability to connect to my wolf, I'd been unable to utilize my abilities making me just barely stronger than a normal human.

Just where was I, and how long have I been here to have healed this much?

Where was everyone?

Feeling suddenly uncomfortable, I got out of the bed and headed towards the only window in the room.

It overlooked a fast flowing river that bothered misty forest that blocked out the ray of the rising sun.

The sight was beautiful and calming, and I once again wondered where I was.

This place wasn't Moon Halo's pack, and neither was it any of its subordinate pack.

Sighting a man wading into the river, I hurried out of the room, running down a short flight of stairs into a homey parlor and out of the house.

Rounding a corner, I stopped abruptly as I collided head first into a solid mass of flesh.

"Are you okay?" an ethereal voice that sounded like music to my ears asked calmly as my body tingled lightly where a warm palm held my hand to keep me from falling.

I jerked back out of the stranger's touch and looked up to see who it was.

Resisting the urge to gasp out, I took some steps backwards trying to avoid the man's touch.

My stomach fluttered at the heated gaze he fixed me and I blushed furiously.