~Tanner~

"Get the hell off of me, you assholes. You just let him take your alpha."

I struggled like hell against the three werewolves who now held me. One of the others had been woken up by my howls, and I couldn't remember his name, but who fucking cares. That bastard had taken my mate. Thankfully I had the strength of an alpha so the second they let me out of the crate, I threw both Rowin and Orlando against the wall. The other was in there a minute later when my wolf began roaring with anger through my human mouth. Now we were standing, me near the wall and the other three werewolves blocking the door. Well, not really anymore. All of us were bloody and panting heavily, but I was still in the game while the other three were barely standing.

"Get out of my way. Now," I warned, my voice deepening as I spoke. The threat was definitely not lost to them. I didn't care if they were his pack, they were nothing any longer. They had let him be hurt and taken away.

"T-Tanner...we promised...t-to protect...you," Orlando stuttered, pursing his lips.

"Oh yeah? Well when you sign on to be in a pack, that means you protect the pack. That means Cole too."

My anger was blinding me from everything except getting to Cole. The next time I blinked, I was in my wolf form and lunging at the others. I don't remember much of what I did to them, but as I bolted through the cold crisp night some time later, I hoped that they weren't dead and Cole was okay. I easily tracked my mate's scent along with the man who had taken them. Some seem to think that getting in a car erases the scent trail, but not for a werewolf. It would likely take me awhile to get there, but I wasn't going to stop running until I found my Cole.

~Cole~

I never thought I would be in such a demeaning situation for at least another few years. To be kidnapped from my own front door... pathetic. Sure I knew I would be usurped from my seat as alpha because of my bad eye and blood would likely spill during that fight, but for it to happen in this type of situation—

Hmph, what are the odds?

"Quite low, Alpha Cole. It is very unfortunate that you let your wish to protect that pup rule your decisions."

I ignored his words and let my mind wander in no real direction for a few moments while I moved a bit and sniffed the air. The scent of my blood was still strong, but many other scents, mainly that of cooking food, were beginning to overpower it. My body moving against hard plastic made me nearly one hundred percent sure that I was in a dog crate.

"What are you thinking about right now? I can sense there is something else in that interesting mind of yours besides the pain I caused you and your lost title."

My wolf growled immediately through my lips, giving him the answer he likely already knew.

"You love him.... that's why you gave yourself for the boy."

His face wasn't giving away much except for a faint hint of amusement, but the pain in my chest definitely dipped slightly deeper when he spoke about my feelings for Tanner.

Wait...feelings?

"I-I..."

"Don't go telling me you don't want him. It's written all over your face. Even if it may just be your wolf hearing the call for now, you'll soon follow. I can feel it in your mind since you are now a lower wolf."

I wasn't really sure what to say to that so I just sighed out a tired breath and let myself fall back to sleep, not wanting to acknowledge him or his words.

~Tanner~

My lungs burned and my heart ached, but sometime around noon, I found my way into the territory I had vowed I would never return to. Oppression was heavy in the air as I padded toward the quiet town, but I didn't take the silence for granted. There were wolves everywhere. At least five sets of eyes were on me, but none seemed to think I was a threat, as they remained hidden without so much as a warning howl. I was just about to step out of the forest when I heard the latch to a fence about twenty yards in front of me unclasp, and an older woman around fifty or so ran out. She was heading straight toward me, making my wolf bristle and bare its teeth in warning...but when she promptly shifted and flipped onto her back with a loud whine, I wasn't quite sure what to make of the situation.

Tanner! My baby!

Wait a second. Had she just said...?

"Tanner."

My eyes flicked up when I heard a male's voice and the sound of someone approaching in human form again.

"You need to leave, son."

Dad...

Tanner, that man is not worth your life. The alpha is just using him to lure you here, my mother shouted into my mind. My wolf whimpered at the sound he had never forgotten but always missed. I let him take over for a moment as he nuzzled against our mother's fur, then licked our father's hand. However, I knew what he had decided the second we set out. There was no leaving if it wasn't with Cole.

Mate.

I heard my wolf push the word into my mind, solidifying my determination.

I know. We will get him, I said, comforting my wolf's worry before returning my attention to my parents.

I cannot leave Cole here. He is my mate, even if he doesn't understand yet.

"Son, please. The alpha has likely already killed him. We don't want you to fall to him as well. Please, run."

No.

My mother whined, still in her wolf form, and licked my muzzle, but I wasn't budging on this subject. Cole needed me, and I needed him to complete myself.

Be careful, son. We love you. Always have, my mom thought into my mind before my father finished.

"And always will."

Mom pressed her nose to mine as Dad patted my head. I really wanted to say that I loved them too and give them a hug, but I didn't love them. I didn't know them. I knew what they had done for me, and I deeply appreciated them for it, but I hadn't been able to get to know them enough to love, yet. However, Cole...

I will be back...with my mate.

They both nodded as I stalked forward, following the scent that would lead me to the one man in the world who was worth risking my life for.

Cole.

~Cole~

My eyes blinked open when I heard a whisper pass through my tired mind. The pain from my injuries slowly returned as I began to wake up, but I couldn't see much in the darkness. It didn't take me long to figure out I had been moved into a room. My body felt sluggish, as well as my mind... but I could have sworn I'd heard Tanner's voice.

I think I'm beginning to hear things, I thought to myself tiredly.

I am coming, Cole.

A shocked gasp slipped from my lips when I heard Tanner reply.

Tanner, I shouted back with elated excitement.

Cole.

I didn't know why I felt such a strong wave of relief crash over me at the sound of his voice in my mind, considering I was an alpha myself and shouldn't need to rely on another, but I knew Tanner was stronger than me. I hadn't wanted to believe my pup had grown up to become a powerful alpha, but there was no denying it any longer.

I'm coming for you.

My chest tightened at the thought of Tanner getting hurt for my sake.

Tanner...he's too strong, I said, trying to get him not to come.

I am stronger.

Tanner...

I didn't get another response, but I knew he wasn't going to be turning back.

"He will be here shortly."

My eyes blinked several times before I could manage to make out the sliver of light, which disappeared as Kine closed the door.

"Why?"

He knew I wasn't talking about Tanner being there right then but about why he wouldn't just leave him be after he'd escaped. Why track him for so long?

"I will kill him because he is becoming the alpha of this pack and has been stealing my abilities ever since he escaped."

Stealing? What the hell is he talking about?

"I'm talking about," Kine growled, obviously reading my thoughts. "This pack is very old. Ancient, in many ways. Our ages are not significant to the way we look."

I wasn't surprised to hear that because there were many old packs around the world where wolves did not age as quickly as humans. It generally depended on the blood and who the parents were, but alphas were always the most affected.

Wait a second. The alphas.

"Now you understand why he must die."

Kine's words were so detached. As if he didn't have anything to live for besides just that, living.

"How old are you, Kine?" I asked, my words quiet but easily audible in the dark room. His deep chuckle made me inwardly fidget, but when he answered, I couldn't hold back my gasp.

"I am one hundred two, Alpha Cole."

He doesn't look a day over thirty.

"No, I do not. That is the curse I suffer waiting for my mate."

I tried to push myself up so I could face him better as we spoke, but when I moved even a little bit, I felt my broken bones shoot pain through my body to the point of stealing my breath. Giving up on sitting for the moment, I settled back down on the cage's bottom and caught my breath before replying.

"You've been killing puppies."

He sighed and rolled his head on his shoulders. I was expecting a sadistic smirk or something to tell me he was insane besides his odd calmness, but he just nodded.

"Our pack's alphas are determined by remaining a pup for at least five years."

Now it all was beginning to make sense.

"You want to stay alive until you find your mate, but normally wolves do that after they mature. You got to be somewhere around thirty and never found yours. That's why you decided to begin killing off future alphas, to be able to be alive when you finally do meet your mate. You're using this packs curse."

It was pretty morbid, to say the least, but it put all of the pieces together as to why I'd found Tanner and the whole story of the pack to begin with.

"So you will kill Tanner only because he is beginning to take your abilities, mainly the specific one keeping you from aging."

It wasn't a question but more of a confirmation. He just nodded slowly and stood, flexing his clawed hands before heading toward the door.

"I do apologize, Alpha Cole."

With that, he walked out, shutting the door quietly behind himself.

~Tanner~

"There you are."

I knew it as soon as I saw him and was honestly upset with myself that I hadn't figured it out sooner. Usually you can sense another alpha when they're in your presence, but as Kine stepped out onto the grass in front of his home, I knew he had been pretending to be a retriever to outside packs just to hide his status as alpha.

"I am here to kill you and take my mate back," I stated, giving him a formal warning as to my intentions.

"Hm? Not just to take your mate back and leave?" he asked nonchalantly.

"No. I know you have killed many younger werewolves to keep yourself as the alpha, and that is unacceptable."

The blond-haired man rolled his shoulders and smiled.

"Alright."

Talking was evidently over as he shrugged off his jacket and shifted, his wolf's body easily tearing away his clothing as it stretch the fabric to shreds. After being hunted by him, I knew his wolf was big, but I'd grown since the last time he'd seen me, so when I quickly shifted and shook out my coat, we both acknowledged that we were of a similar size.

We began stalking around each other in a wide circle. Our paws moved in sync, each of us waiting for the other to make the first move. I decided to take it a moment later, as I was not one to wait for the right time to do anything.

Which is probably why Cole got so annoyed with me when I tried to pressure him into a relationship so quickly.

With a deep growl, I bolted forward and lunged at the tannish-blond wolf. I wasn't too surprised when he easily dodged me, making it look like he was playing with a pup. My wolf wasn't deterred, though, and quickly ran after him. I definitely wasn't the best fighter, but I knew once I managed to get my claws into him I could take him down...just catching him was the problem. We ran around for twenty or so minutes before I finally slowed to catch my breath. The other alpha stopped a few yards away, panting a little harder than me.

I'll have to thank Ryder later for all of those nights of vocal work for the band

I faked another attack, then quickly darted after him when he jumped aside. Our bodies collided as my bite hit home. Without thinking, I sank my teeth into his front left leg and shook my head, hard. A loud howl of pain told me I had hit his tendon, making me feel a surge of pride at the feat. When the alpha shifted his weight to go for a counter attack, I growled and jumped back, barely getting clipped on my nose by his huge canines. I didn't bother to try to overpower him but instead used my agility to dodge and nip anywhere I could. That one good bite at the beginning gave me several openings since it threw his balance off when he tried to use that leg from then on.

You won't be able to kill me, he suddenly shouted into my mind after I landed another nip, this one on his hind right heel.

We'll see about that, won't we? I returned, snapping my teeth at him.

How do you think I've survived as alpha this long? I'm immortal.

My eyes widened in shock, but I kept the surprise from my face as much as possible.

That's impossible, I replied with a mental growl.

Is it? I am over one hundred years old and still standing in perfect fitness before you.

I did know that he had been alpha for a very, very long time, but werewolves tended to live a little longer than humans. At least that's what I'd learned when I was young and during my time at Cole's home. However, they hardly ever remained alpha for more than twenty years. An offspring was always born and took over when old enough.

I know what you're thinking, and you're correct. I should have been usurped long ago, but an alpha can only usurp another alpha... and I've killed all the possibilities, except for you.

More pieces of the puzzle slid into place in my mind as I thought about what he was saying.

All of those puppies. The law. When a pup doesn't shift, that's the signal for an alpha in this pack. I shouted angrily into his mind. His wolf's lips pulled back into a cocky sneer before it shook out its coat, sending blood flying everywhere.

Wait a second, if I am one of those pups but I survived, then that means that I can kill him, I thought to myself excitedly.

You were never trained, pup. You will never be able to defeat me, he replied with a mental laugh, obviously having sneaked his way into my personal thoughts again. He was right that I wasn't trained to fight, though, but I grew up in the wild and that taught me a good amount about survival, including how to attack and defend myself against enemies.

Oh yeah? Well, I don't think I need any fancy training because I have a reason to fight.

The large wolf scoffed before it pounced at me. I dodged, but he was suddenly there, biting at my shoulder and drawing a loud howl from my throat.

It's unfortunate that I am no wild animal, little Tanner.

His teeth chewed at my shoulder, but all of a sudden, I simply didn't feel it. All that was running through my mind was hatred. He had taken away my childhood. He had ruined my teenage years. He had killed so many innocent pups, and for no other purpose other than to keep his age and power?

My wolf went utterly still in the dirt for a moment, making Kine's wolf pause in confusion and loosen its grip just enough. With a ferocious snarl, I snapped my head to the side and sank our teeth into the alpha's face, then began shoving him into the dirt with my nails, clawing at wherever I could. The fight now felt surreal, like my wolf was standing beside me, fighting with me, but not taking over. We were thinking separately but together and deciding on the best course of action faster than he could even move. I had no idea what was happening, but I wasn't fighting it in the least. We bit at his muzzle until his nose was partially torn right along with his jaw. Then we jumped back to dodge a paw swipe before moving in to snap our jaws down on his right foot. To keep him from retaliating, we began backing up quickly while shaking our head, dislocating the leg and easily breaking the foot while he struggled to kick at us as he was dragged on his back.

I slowly regained most of the control and released his foot in order to go for his throat. Normally I wouldn't be so aggressive, even toward another alpha, but he had taken what was going to be mine. A faint image of Cole in my mind stole my attention for one second too long, and I suddenly felt teeth snap against the side of my neck.

You will die, pup.

His loud snarl echoed in my head as I tried to free myself without causing too much damage to my throat. My whines got quieter and quieter as he tried to tear my neck apart, but thankfully everything I had done to him weakened him to the point of finally allowing me to break free. I took the opportunity to grab his neck with my own sharp canines. Instead of thrashing about or trying to claw him, I just kept one paw on his chest and the other on his jaw, holding him still while my mouth gradually added pressure.

You have grown into a demon... and demons don't deserve to live forever. Sleep in hell as the children you have killed look down upon you from heaven.

When he finally stopped moving, I waited an additional five minutes, then shook him before releasing his neck. The second I let him go, his form wavered, then shifted.

Dead.

My eyes darted to the left, then right, seeing several wolves coming out from behind houses and the nearby woods. Their heads were all down in submission, and as they walked up to me, each one licked my muzzle and face. A chorus of words quickly drifted into my mind as I was surrounded by wolves.

Alpha.

Alpha!

My Alpha.

Son.

I looked sideways and gave a mute whimper when my parents, one gray and one light brown in their wolf forms, came over and nuzzled against me.

You are the new alpha of our pack, Tanner. We are so proud of you, my father said with excitement. I hadn't really considered taking over the pack, just killing off an alpha that had abused his power. Heck, I didn't even know why he had lived so long or why the younger pups that didn't shift showed that they would be future alphas, but I had a feeling it was buried in the lore of our pack. Some ancient packs came with curses such as the age affliction ours seemed to have, but they were so rare from what I'd researched that most werewolves thought they no longer existed. I thought killing the pups that didn't shift was to prevent something negative, but now I understood that it happened to keep something terrible in place.

I am not sure if I wish to become an alpha here, but for now, I need to check on my mate.

I projected the thought to those surrounding me before my mother's voice entered my mind.

Follow me. He is inside Kine's home.

She shifted back into her human form and ran toward the stairs as the rest of the pack got busy removing Kine's body. I quickly followed her inside and down a long hall to the right before we came to a closed door. The smell coming from beneath it had my hackles standing on end. Blood. My mate is hurt. Thankfully my mother got the door open as soon as I stepped aside, allowing me to run in.

Cole!

My tail was going crazy as I paced around the crate he was locked inside. I wanted to change and get him out, but my wolf was too excited and angry to let me have my human form.

Mom, get him out of here.

"Calm down, hun. I'll get him."

I mentally growled in her mind since my throat seemed to be too damaged to let out more than a tiny whimper.

"Tanner Royal. Stop pacing and calm down or it'll take me longer to pick this lock."

That had me immediately sitting still, though my tail still thumped wildly on the wooden floor. I watched in silence as my mother carefully got the lock off, then gently tugged Cole into her arms. Once she had a good hold on him she stood up and began carrying him out into the hall. When she turned into a large bedroom and set him down, I noticed his tired eyes were open. He looked so confused.

Coleeee, I whined loudly into his head as I put my paws up on the bedding and licked his arm softly, drawing his attention to me after a moment.

Cole Cole Cole.

Hey...Tanner.

Coleeeeee.

It's okay.

I shimmied my big fuzzy backside up onto the bed, not caring about any blood I got on the blankets as I snuggled right up against my mate and began cleaning his wounds with my tongue.

Mine.

When I didn't get a reply, I glanced up from his chest and let my ears droop to the side a little when I noticed he was asleep once more. A quiet whine left my damaged throat as I nuzzled my nose into the bend of his arm.

...please be mine.