Chapter 4 Noah

My body felt strained as I splashed water from the stream up into my face, hoping to clear my mind. I had been wrestling with my wolf all day after I spent the night tossing and turning in restless sleep and bad dreams. The control I normally had was in short supply. My patience was growing thinner with each passing day as I searched to get some actual information on my brother's whereabouts. I had been led on a wild goose chase for the past two years. Every time I thought we were getting close, the trail would run cold, and we would have to start over from the beginning.

"Captain Ryder sent me to let you know we're ready for you, Alpha Noah..." One of the warriors approached me, making sure to not get too close.

My wolf had a thing about space. Most of the people in my pack understood this and gave me a wide berth whenever I was around. I pushed up to my full height, turning to face the younger warrior. He quickly dropped his gaze to the ground, the scent of his fear wafting over me. I hated the sour stench that it left in my nose, but I was used to it.

I patted him gently on the back as I passed by, hoping to calm his nerves. He had nothing to fear from me. He wasn't my target. He followed close behind me as I made my way toward the voices.

Ryder stood in the small clearing, arms crossed over his chest. I looked over his hardened expression, noting the scar that curved around his head. He had the rogues line up in a straight row, knees pressed to the earth. Their bodies were already beginning to heal from the beatings they had certainly been given at his hands. His hunting party had been very fruitful, which was fortunate because my wolf was hungry for blood and I was ready to feed the beast.

I walked slowly down the line, taking in the scent of fear and rage that poured from them. "I'm not feeling very merciful today, but you tell me where my brother is, and I'll make your deaths quick... If not..." My lips pulled upwards into a sinister grin. "Well, I'm sure I can come up with creative ways to loosen your tongues."

One of the rogues got to laughing, which started the lot of them howling like a pack of hyenas in no time. This was the same response they gave every time, without fail. They never ceased to disappoint me with their predictable responses. I glanced toward Ryder knowingly, giving him a nod of approval. He was already pulling out his weapon of choice, a silver whip that he kept with him during our hunts. He enjoyed a little torture before the kill.

He let it spring from its coiled position before he cracked it towards his target. It wrapped around the throat of the ringleader, cutting his laughter short. Ryder yanked hard on the whip, taking away all the slack.

I watched the show with slight amusement. The rogue choked as he fell forward, using his hands to catch himself before his face could greet the ground below him. The stench of his burning flesh was filling the air. I looked around the group of rogues who stared at their comrade with pale faces. "Now, let's try this again. Which one of you wants to tell me where my brother is?"

The silence was deafening as they watched their leader writhe under Ryder's unrelenting nature. He and I were cut from the same cloth, one that had spent more than a few days in the fire.

I glanced toward the captain of my warriors, and he pulled the whip back, freeing the rogue. I watched as he coughed and gagged.

"You and your followers are traitors to your father's cause." He snarled as he lifted accusing eyes toward Ryder. My wolf peered out with teeth bared at the mention of my father. He had happily helped me rip my father to shreds not long after we reached maturity.

The rogue's bloodshot eyes flipped back to me. "You're fighting a losing battle, Alpha." He mocked my title, his voice still hoarse. "As we speak, your brother is out there leading others into the new age. An age of our evolution."

I knew first-hand what their radical form of thinking brought. No longer wolf and man dwelling together in harmony. It was a fusing of the two into a monstrous form. "Oh, I know all about your evolution. With its unimaginable power comes the insatiable blood lust. The need to feed... a hunger that never goes away. That won't be our ascension, it will be our extinction." His eyes narrowed at my words, this was not a wolf. This was a sheep well-trained by my brother.

"Your little mate thought the same thing before Kellan got a hold of her, but she learned the truth didn't she? They all do once he shows them what true power is..." The warriors under Ryder's command let out low warning growls at his words. They didn't like to be reminded of the loss of their luna, a person who had been far better than any of us.

This rogue was poking at the wrong wolf, taunting a beast more feral than most. My vision grew red for a moment as the beast pushed at the cage of my control, testing the limits. I ran my tongue over my teeth, canines lengthening under the stress of my darker side.

"That was a really stupid thing to say. These rogues never learn." Ryder commented under his breath behind me, knowing exactly what was about to happen.

I kicked out my leg toward his head, enjoying the sound of bone crunching as it struck, and the rogue fell onto his side in pain. I watched the blood run down his face and soak into the earth. I knelt down in front of the broken beast, tilting my head to the side as I examined my work. Dark eyes stared up at me full of hatred. "Kellan is going to come for you."

"That certainly would make this all a lot easier." I quipped back before I reached out, grabbing his broken nose between my fingers and squeezing. He screamed as I pulled him up to his feet. He stood before me bloodied and beaten, swaying slightly.

"Hey, Ryder," I said as I held the gaze of the rogue. "How many people do you think it takes to deliver a message?"

There was a short pause. "One, Alpha." I could hear the smile in his voice. He was already on the same page as me. I released my grip on my prey, turning my back to him for a moment. My wolf poked at the surface, frothing at the mouth with his desire to taste blood. He was becoming as uncontrollable as he had been before I met Claire. I let out a small sigh of frustration as I spun back around, slicing a clawed finger across the rogue's throat. Blood sprayed out, raining down on the earth and appeasing a bit of the beast's hunger.

"Then there were only three," Ryder proclaimed behind me.

"Who will be the one to get away, and who will become food for the crows?"

They looked at each other for a moment in slight confusion before scurrying to their feet. I watched them with amusement as they shifted into there beastly forms, racing off into the trees thinking they would be able to escape the same fate. Around me, my warriors tensed and strained to keep control over their wolves that wanted to hunt as the blood of the dead rogue only added to the frenzy.

Ryder stepped up beside me. "Fruitless, again..."

I pulled my shirt off, wiping the blood from my face with it. "No, I got more than enough information." His brows furrowed as he turned his face in my direction. I knew my brother was building his ranks, scrounging at the bottom of the barrel, seeking out the weaker packs. Now I knew he was planning to come for me again. He thought taking my mate would break me, but all it did was make me a colder creature. I had nothing to lose now, and since I was going to hell anyway, I planned to drag him there right alongside me.

"Happy hunting, boys!" I threw back my head and let out a howl towards the heavens. The sound of bones cracking and shifting, followed by vicious snarls from my warriors as they took off on the hunt, breathed life into my beast who lived in the darkness of my broken soul.