Pack Gems by Kuro Kusai, WhiteWolf Aura (free ereaders TXT) 📖

too fast to catch; crashed into Lucas, jolting him sideways just as the bang sounded…but Mason still went down.

No! No, no, no, no!

This couldn't be real!

She wrenched her body out from under Audrey, barely aware of snarling and screaming.

Her eyes only had a second to take in the large brown wolf shaking Lucas like a ragdoll in her jaws.

"..Bree—?" before her confused mind could sort out what to do, there were hands pulling her backward.

She snarled and blindly swung backwards, hitting her offender.

"Oof! It's me! It's me!" Daren's voice filled her ears making her stop her struggle.

Wolves were everywhere now, huddled around Mason, pulling apart Bree and Lucas, and checking Audrey for a pulse…

What…? Just a few seconds ago, everything had been so peaceful.

Taylor was bombarded with quick flashes of memory strings with Lucas, he was the first one they had met…the first one to interrogate Kaden (and get bit), he played poker with them, ate all the pepperoni off the meat lovers they ordered, his peppered brown and black wolf form with his tongue lolling out happily after he woke them up—

"He's dead."

"Dead." Taylor echoed the statement in a hollow tone.

"The other one?"

Taylor watched numbly as one of Axel's men nudged Audrey's body with his foot.

"She's still breathing. Get her inside, and get the other girl inside too."

She thought they were talking about Bree's panting form, now human and sprawled on the grass, until Daren began dragging her backwards.

"No," Taylor scrambled for footing and her voice, "No!"

"Akira's got him. Akira's carrying him in behind you." Daren spoke against her hair, trying to soothe her.

She looked to see that Akira was carrying Mason out of the crowd gently.

Taylor nodded but didn't take her eyes off Mason, mesmerized by the rise and fall of his chest—it was as if she were to break eye her contact, it would stop.

Everyone was ushered through the door and a flurry of movement commenced. Taylor wasn't aware of anything other than blood filling her nose, there was so much of it she couldn't scent one from the other.

She was eventually sat in a chair in the same injury room she had taken a snooze in before. Her mind reeled at the fact Bree, the very She-wolf who hated her guts had saved them and the Wolf she'd befriended had been the one trying to kill them. Or at least Mason….she really was too shaken up to contemplate much.

It wasn't until Mason was hauled in, did she sit up and come back to reality.

"Hon, now let me see your wrist," Andie came into her vision, startling a growl out of her.

Akira and Daren, who were already on edge by having an injured alpha in enemy territory, spun around to issue a growl of their own.

"Hey, hey! None of that, I have to look at this. Calm down," she grabbed Taylor's wrist more roughly than she would have liked.

"Will he be okay?" Taylor's throat sounded rough and tired.

"Yes," Andie's voice softened "He'll be fine. The bullet, thankfully, missed all his vital organs and passed completely through him. We only had to disinfect and bandage. The bullet was made of an unusual silver that burnt a much larger radius than a normal silver bullet. Although, no permanent damage was done, he won't be mobile for a while."

Taylor nodded, really not hearing anything past, "He'll be fine".

"Oh, and you have a nice clean break here…This won't take long to heal. May I see your stomach?"

Taylor complied, lifting her shirt for Andie to note the large purple bruise that started at her lower stomach and climbed, disappearing into her bra. Andie pressed the cold stethoscope and listened to her heart…or lungs…whatever, Taylor wasn't paying attention again.

"Well, I don't feel any other broken bones, ribs might be bruised and your lungs might be a bit sore but they seem fine. Let me know if you still have any shortness of breath tomorrow." Andie quickly set her wrist in a gaudy, temporary blue brace.

"Right," Taylor followed Andie's movements as she headed for the door, "Hey, how's Audrey?"

Andie turned to face her with a less than optimistic look, "She's…well, she's alive for now. The next couple hours will determine what will happen with her; the other girl…Bree? She's with her now."

Taylor gave a final nod to signal she was done talking when Andie continued,"You need rest—Ah, I know," she cut off Taylor's protest before she even started, "Lay with Mason. It's a big enough bed. Just be careful not to jar him."

Taylor gave her a small grateful smile, "Thank you."

"Mm-hmm. And as for you two," She directed to Akira and Daren who had been pacing the bedside, "You need to leave this room."

Feral growls were the response.

"I have more than enough man power outside to have you removed. This room is for the injured. Are you injured? No. Not yet. Now hop to it, out!"

They still didn't move, "Guys,"Taylor did her best alpha voice she could manage—anything to avoid more bloodshed tonight, "Get out. And guard the door. The window is barred; no one's getting in here unless it's through that door."

Both of them looked into her eyes and stared long and hard, it was the most uncomfortable experience of her life but miraculously they back down, "Scream if you even hear anything out of place, we'll be right outside the door."

"I will."She grit her teeth at the fierce protectiveness and determination she felt to not let another thing harm Mason or any other friend around her.

Maybe it was infectious.

They seemed satisfied at that omission and went voluntarily, ushered from the room by Andie, who then proceeded to shut the door behind her.

Gathering her numb feet out from underneath her butt on the chair, she weakly worked her over to the bed.

"You idiot," She stared down at Mason's emotionless face, "You gave me a heart attack, you know that?" And to her horror, she felt her vision start to blur. Blinking rapidly and shaking her head to clear her traitorous tear ducts, she crawled gingerly unto the bed and lay closest to the uninjured left side of his torso.

"And when you wake up, I'm gonna chew you out for the hell of it," Taylor laid her head on the pillow and finally succumbed to exhaustion.

.::. Kaden's POV .::.

The second pang of pain hit Kaden hard and unexpected, undoubtedly just as Taylor had received it, as she took her boots off to run faster. There was only one problem with that pain…well besides the fact that Taylor was in pain. This felt different.

It didn't feel like the typical pain they shared, it ran deeper, and that's when Kaden realized it wasn't physical. She stifled a relieved laugh as she realized what had been so off about Taylor as they pulled up to the house.

Kaden got out of the car barefoot and ran, her feet pounding against the rough stones as her desperation to know what had happened grew. She barged the front door to find every wolf in the room turn to look at her; their assortment of expressions varying from curious, sad, to downright annoyed, which let her know nothing too grave had gone down.

"Taylor, whe… where is she. She alright?"

"She's resting with Mason, and yeah she's fine, just needs some rest." Andie replied as Axel caught up to Kaden.

"Report."

Connor stood up, face grim and eyes dark brown, unlike their usual ice blue, "Kansas pack member Lucas Sharpe assaulted Alpha Mason Kavanaugh and our Audrey Randall with a weapon. Respective Kansas pack member Bree Bennett stopped Sharpe and killed him. Mason is recovering. Audrey's condition is…unknown." Connor finished as he tightened his fists in anger, which was to be expected considering Audrey and Connor were twins.

"You're dismissed."

Connor all but flew out the door, his job as Axel's second fulfilled.

Jordan replayed the story in more detail to Axel and Kaden, as more and more of Axel's wolves arrived. The new wolves stared at her curiously, not even trying to pretend they weren't staring.

She had to admit, it bothered her a little.

Kaden was at least grateful that Daren and Akira weren't around. They'd have felt very uneasy considering they would have been outnumbered and completely surrounded by another Pack.

Kaden focused back to the story, but as he continued, it didn't make sense.Why would Lucas shoot Audrey and Mason? How did he even know Audrey, since they weren't in the same Pack? And then how could he have shot his own Alpha? But if he was able to shoot him, did that mean he belonged to his Pack? Thinking about it gave her a headache.

"This is all from Taylor?" Axel asked.

"Affirmative, sir. Mason and Audrey have not awakened, and Bree refuses to speak to anyone who is not her Alpha." Jordan said his African accent thick.

"Axel, there's something I would like to mention," Andie said as she stood.Axel nodded his permission for her to continue as he paced in thought.

"The bullet wounds that were inflicted on Kavanaugh and Sharpe were abnormal. The wounds grew in circumference in the few seconds it took me to get to them."

Kaden's head shot up, "Did you treat it right away?"

Andie scoffed, "Of course! I'm no amateur, I know my stuff."

Kaden glared, "I've had the same thing happ—" But before she could finish, she was cut off by Bree.

"Can I speak with you?" Her eyes seemed glared holes into the wall straight ahead of her; it seemed she was determined not to look at anyone.

Chapter 26: Death Dream

.::. Kaden's POV .::.

Kaden hesitated. She wasn't exactly Bree's favorite person.

In fact, if it wasn't for Taylor, Kaden would probably be at the top of her list. Plus, Kaden was definitely not her Alpha.

Reluctantly, Kaden decided to follow Bree's limping form back to her room and shut the door behind her.

Bree's face was bruised and her right arm was in a simple cloth cast.

Kaden crossed her arms over her chest, "What is it?"

"I want you and that damn freak gone." She said in a low voice, spitting the word freak venomously at Kaden.

Kaden's heartbeat picked up with rage as she took a few steps closer to Bree, "If you're not afraid of me, you better start. I don't care that you're hurt and saved Mason's life today, I don't mind adding collapsed throat to your list of injuries."

Kaden was satisfied as the thick, tangy smell of fear overcame her nostrils.She smiled at Bree, "Well?"

"I know what's going on with Lucas and everything, but you have to promise to leave. Both of you. You keep hurting Mason and Axel. You keep bringing death into our Packs."

Kaden flinched at the accusation; more so because Bree was right.

If it hadn't been for the pair of them, the two packs would be safe and sound in their respective territories.

Now thanks to them, there had been blood, destruction, and danger brought upon the Kansas packs.

"You also can't tell anyone except Taylor. I will tell my Alpha what we have done when he awakens. Do we have a deal?"

"Deal," Kaden responded around a dry mouth, still feeling guilty about the Pack's situations.

She wasn't sure if she'd go through with leaving or not, but she needed to hear what the She-Wolf had to say.

Bree smirked in satisfaction, "So, Luke set you up to get sent