As soon as prince Bastian disappeared from sight, I took off running. Sprinting south toward the wall on two legs as fast as I could. I didn't bother waving off the other Alpha or trying to figure out what the Lycans were up to. Both of those things felt like giant wastes of time when there was this much distance between me and Jake.

My human legs weren't able to cover ground as fast as they could if I shifted, but thanks to all those years of track I didn't have to rely on my power for everything.

"Hunter!" Axel's voice caught up to me from much closer than I expected.

I didn't stop running till I reached the 8-foot-tall wall of trees and soil. Even then, I didn't turn back to look at him. "I do not have time to stick around and chat with you, Astray," I growled and started climbing over the loosely built wall. It would have been easier for me to just tear the trees apart, but I wanted to conserve my remaining strength.

Axel started climbing right beside me. "Hunter, just listen to me. I'm not asking you to stop. I..." he paused and seemed to think over his next words carefully. "I agreed to help protect your territory, but from the looks of it I've already failed."

No kidding. As soon as I threw my weight over the wall and landed on the other side, a shiver ran through my whole body. The entire forest floor was covered in a layer of snow and mist. The trees that were touched by the mist had begun to die out and petrify. Whatever the Lycans were doing was killing my home from within. It would probably end up looking more like their winter caves if things continued like this.

"I think it's obvious I can't do anything against our royalty, but I want to help protect your pack at least. Especially your mate," he said suddenly.

"What are you saying?"

"I'm saying, that I'd like to stick around you and your mate a little more closely until all of this madness blows over. You've had demons in your town for months and it was your mate that attracted them here in the first place. Yet, both of you are still standing."

He was fast. I was putting everything I had into my sprint through the woods. The trees whipped by me as blurs as I tried to escape them. I couldn't hold a conversation with anyone while rushing so hard, but Axel was keeping up and talking at the same time.

"I know you've lost members to their attacks, but your pack is still strong somehow. I want to see for myself how you protect the ones you love." I didn't expect to hear these words coming from someone like Axel.

He was at least a couple years older than me and seemed like a solid guy, but now I could sense that he was vulnerable on some level as well. Either way, I finally saw the opening in the forest and leapt through it. A pale house, badly in need of a new coat of paint and refurbishing, stood near the trees. On the second floor, a window lay open and a pair of black eyes were glaring at me.

I could feel his anger and hear him mentally berating me with complaints about disappearing for TWO days, but I smiled. Seeing his face made that anxiety fade away. Turning to the other Alpha beside me, I said, "I am fine with you watching me. As long as it is just me. But my guy up there has a habit of being an idiot and provoking me, so I suggest looking somewhere else while I deal with him."

I saw a smirk tilt the man's lips and a nod of the head before I climbed the side of the house and swung in through the open window. My grumpy mate was waiting for me inside.