Chapter 4

"Attempting to overpower your wolf and make it submit, is like grabbing at water”

—Wolfgang former alpha of the Tundra Pack.

"Now, now. I know that y'all can barely contain your excitement." Alavanz raised her hand and the group grew silent. They were standing at the edge of the woods awaiting her signal.

She approached Marx and sprayed a scent blocker on him. "Don't want to start a needless feud between the vampires and the lycans now do we?" She asked Marx, straightening his reflector. "Make sure this is on you at all times."

Holding his shoulder, she added tipping her head toward the forest behind Marx. "But, if you meet any hideous faces like Boise over there." Marx turned to look at Boise.

"Ahh," Alavanz sighed, shaking her head while looking down. Raising her head, her eyes locked with his, her face grim. "Run."

"Wait." A witch girl stepped forward, looking wronged. "On the way, you said you'd informed the head office about us coming."

"I did." Alavanz responded. "Marx your five minute head start, just started."

"Well, then what did they say?"

"I don't know. I submitted the request today." Alavanz gave her an incredulous look.

"Today morning!?"A male vampire gasped.

"Isn't that supposed to be done two days prior." Another male vampire whispered next to him.

They seemed to be twins with how identical they looked, though the one who had gasped had dyed orange hair.

"If that's the case, then." The witch girl held her head as she started pacing. "The head office may not even be aware that we're here, meaning the vampire prince doesn't know. Worse the..." She glanced at Boise who returned her gaze with his pale unblinking one, flinching she turned away.

"Not this morning, almost an hour ago."Alavanz corrected.

"What!?" The whole team gasped. Marx's jaw dropped slightly. He hadn't moved, how could he, if he'd be the first to die the moment he stepped foot into that forest. Although he didn't know the procedure he knew how to read faces, and he was very well versed in signs that spelt danger.

A loud scoffing resounded from Boise. Alavanz gave him an offended look in response. "What matters is that I sent the damn thing."

"What matters... is, is that it ge- gets approved, Mam." Vanessa shyly corrected.

"By the Abingdon prince for that matter." The orange haired vampire twin added.

Abingdonians stole secret glances at Boise, after the orange haired vampires statement.

"What are you waiting for?" Marx's shoulders squared, he glanced at his new team members, who gave him defeated looks in return. Alavanz scoffed, adding. "Your three minute head start is running out." Her voice carried a tone that had a part of his inner wolf tremble.

"Isn't it supposed to be..." The witch girl whispered to the male wizard next to her.

Alavanz turned to her, her tone frosted like a frozen glacier. "Keep talking." The witch girl covered her mouth. "Vanessa."

Vanessa's back straightened, when Alavanz barked out her name. "In there." Alavanz pointed at the forest. "I expect you to lead as team captain, not do your subordinates work for them. So don't fight, or track but guide."

Vanessa's lips pursed and she gave her a firm nod.

"Use your words."

"Y, ye, yes Ma, mam." Vanessa stuttered, clearing her throat, she corrected her self. "I meant... yes mam."

"A minute left, prepare yourselves." Alavanz rolled her eyes at her and commanded the team.

Two minutes hadn't passed yet, though each of them swallowed their complaints. Preparing themselves, the sooner they'd get this done and find the wolf, the sooner they'd get on with their lives.

A grueling thirty seconds passed in an audible silence. Broken by Alavanz shouting out into the open woods. "Marx of the Northern Wolf Nations, your time is up!"

Marx wondered if it was his rushing foot steps or her booming voice that made the tree leaves tremble. Talk about being careful when she was the one who'd lead every unwanted undead to him. This woman had no sense of urgency.

"Find him!" Alavanz's voice boomed once more.

He left the ground climbing a tree. The sound of footsteps rushing into the forest, rang in his ear. Multiple scents scattering in different directions. He patiently awaited his prey to reach him. They might have thought that he was their prey tonight. But he was a hunter, first and foremost. Always.

The twins were the first to approach his hiding place. The orange haired one grumbling on about Alavanz's poor leadership skills. Taking advantage of their distraction. Marx quietly adjusted his position on top of the tree branch. When the twin without dyed hair was below him. He lunged down rattling the surrounding branches, tree leaves cascading down next to him.

The twins grew alert at the sound of the falling leaves, but it was too late. Marx had already gripped the head of the twin without dyed hair. Twisting his body mid air, dodging the attack of the orange haired twin. The thud of a head slamming onto the ground, was muffled by the damp soil.

Swiftly, he lifted the limp body of the normal haired twin and threw him at the orange haired one. The orange haired twins back slammed into a tree trunk. Its hard body, moved like a projectile, cutting the thick trunk in half. Groaning, it toppled over, landing with a heavy thump shaking the ground beneath their feet.

Marx hid behind the bushes as footsteps approached the fallen tree. The other female witch arrived. She checked on the fallen twins, her nostrils flared when she noticed that their tags were gone.

"Idiots," she muttered, "I told them to wait."

Flipping through the pages of her spell book. She began to chant under her breath. He assumed it was a tracking spell, because she conjured a ball of light that floated toward him. Not willing to risk another spell, Marx burst out from the bushes. The witch shrieked, her screeching silenced by a quick chop to her neck. She passed out on the forest floor.

The were three magic users in their team and if that spell had been cast when he wasn't ready, she could have alerted the others. Next time he had to be more careful, he thought disappearing into the night. Marx raised his chin, sniffing the air in search for his next victims. The air carried a strange smell, maybe due to the unfamiliar environment. His ears twitched, the sound of approaching steps edged closer.

"Three down, sixteen hunters left," Alavanz's voice sounded, cutting through the silence and interrupting his train of thought. "Or should, I say seventeen."

She cackled. At the sound of her voice each team member tensed. The hunt had just begun, and they were already three members short.

"Oh! Uhh... Oops my bad." They heard a muffled giggle. "I meant fourteen hunters left. Five down."

Alavanz reported over a walk radio. Flipping her hair she winked at Marx, standing over his recent victims. Two fallen male vampires.

He hadn't bothered to hide at the sound of their approach. Marx had taken them by surprise with a straight forward charge. Whether it was their lack of preparation or their underestimation. Not taking advantage of the opportunity would be foolish.

"From what I'm seeing," Alavanz continued, "it's starting to seem like the hunters are being hunted."

Marx wondered how she'd kept track of him so closely. She paid careful attention to her phone. Stealing a glance at her screen, he noticed that it had multiple green dots scattered around it. It must have been them.

"Oh, Vanessa," Alavanz sang softly into the microphone, "leadership."

Unwilling to spare any more time thinking about Alavanz. Marx locked onto the scent of the third boy who'd accompanied the two vampires, who were now slumbering on moss covered soil. He rustled the bushes, stepping on twigs and shaking the trees, while running in circles.

The vampire paused frantically looking around. Failing to pinpoint the source of the noise, he whimpered. At the height of the vampires anxiety, Marx pounced. The guy released a sound he'd never thought could come from any mans lips. Something bordering between a shriek and a scream. Though, Marx made sure he passed out before he had any chances of making his ears ring any further.

Everyone must have heard that, he released a heavy breath. Feeling slightly tired, he chuckled disappearing into the woods.

"And another one bitesss... the dust." Moments later Alavanz's smirking voice sounded as she reported. "Thirteen hunters left."

Marx took out two more female vampires after that, and decided to hide among the tree leaves. They carried a strange scent from the air on them. He noticed it on the shrieking boy but it was stronger on the last two.

Beginning to feel slightly tired, he left to find a hiding spot in order to rest and recuperate. Marx disappeared into the forest, leaves rustling after him. Thirty minutes passed, in careful search. He found a tree and settled onto its top branches, while thinking about a strategy to deal with the rest of the team. He'd gotten this far because most of them were unprepared and had under estimated him. But they were competent, the memory of the girls he'd caught previously flashed in his mind, they moved like the wind.

Hours passed and he could feel his body grow heavier. Soon, two dark shadowy figures flashed across from him. Marx clumsily stood up, fists curled, he scowled eyes flashing bright blue. Crouching he gathered all the energy he could muster he lunged to the tree across from him where one figure stood. Only for his body too freeze mid air. Marx released a frustrated growl, one eye a blazing cyan blue the other a cloudy grey. He twisted his body and free fell to the hard forest floor.

Steadying his footing. He stood up, back hunched, claws elongated instinctively despite Alavanz's previous orders. Glancing around him, muffled sounds of footsteps reached his ears. Everything smelled the same, like nothing.

A firm voice ordered, Damon hold him!

A bucket of bitter liquid with a sharp smell soaked his face, jolting him up. It was the wizard boy, he now had a bloodied gash on his face. Starting below his inner eye, next to the bridge of his nose running down the side of his face and fading below his ear. He offered him a hand, that Marx had difficulty admitting, he graciously took since he couldn't feel his body.

The wizard struggled to pull him up, wincing while holding onto his ribs. Marx went down again, an orange haired vampire arrived before them. Taking his other hand. Pulling him up again. Unable to feel his legs. His whole weight ended up resting on the vampire.

People were talking, he saw their lips moving yet nothing registered to him. The wizard placed a herb below his nose. Five minutes later, a sharp smell hit him and he scrunched his nose in disgust, face twisting.

Slowly, he regained the ability to feel his body and the wizard took away the herb. Even, then it was only after they were sure he could nod his head. Voices were clearer now, the vampire let him go.

He stood in place, unmoving. Mind blank. Never in his life had he been so thoroughly defeated. His father would turn his back on him. Clan elders wouldn't meet his eyes. Failing to hold up the pride of his people before the enemy. The enemy had pitied him.

Thatnmoor would turn it's face away, before it's future alphas shameful defeat. Did he even deserve the title? A slumbering Mayo would have had his head already. An uncomfortable feeling settled in his chest as his wolf stirred at that thought.

Gazing around at his surroundings he noticed that they were next to a large van. The air smelled like his own kind. They were at Wylerr. His vampire team members scanned the area, sharing uncomfortable glances with one another.

Alavanz appeared before him tapping his shoulder. "Well today, is now yesterday. Tomorrow is today. Today we have training at six." She looked at the orange haired vampire standing beside him. "Trot, help him to the gate."

"It's pronounced Throt." He grumbled taking Marx's large arm onto his shoulder. Marx stilled. Trot gave him a side eye in return. "We don't have time for this." He muttered taking careful steps to Wylerr's main gate.

At the gate the security guard opened the gate for Marx. Eyes carrying a look of disgust for their crew and a disregard for the vampire next to him. Marx took slow deliberate steps to the buildings entrance. The van's engine rumbled to life, it's low growl fading into the distance. He didn't look back.

Marx entered the elevator. Looking up with his heavy lidded eyes. The clock showed it was 00:07. The elevator stopped at the second floor. Two girls boarded, greeting him. The other one an alpha scowled, scrunching her nose, hissing.

"The smell of rotten flesh."

The elevator stopped at fourth floor and Davin got on with two other large wolves. Immediately pinching his nose, and speaking with a strong nasal tone.

"Dude, doesn't she allow you guys to take any baths after training?"

Davin tapped the shoulder of one of the wolves he was with.

"Let's stop at five and take a purifier plant..."

The wolf next to Davin nodded pressing five, yet the elevator carried on. The alpha girl growled interrupting Davin.

"To think, I smell rot at school and now here." Her eyes locked on Marx, her alpha tone slipping out. The elevator grew silent. "In my territory."

At the thirteenth floor, the air thickened as a towering alpha stood at the hallway. He stepped back when the elevator doors open. Exhausted Marx left. Feigning ignorance at how each elevator occupant had bowed their heads slightly, at the sight of the towering alpha.

Davin grimaced, offering.

"Need any help?"

Marx shook his head heading to his room. At the moment, he had no time or care for pleasantries.