Standoff
Standoff
Third POV
Bram focused his sharp eyes as he scanned the Shadowfang perimeter where he had run to in the north. He had cradled Tamara close to him. The pup was crying
constantly and he was getting impatient.
She was so small and so vulnerable that it was a perfect leverage. He was going to take her to his hiding place in the human town, and then trade her with Auren. Simple. He had nothing to do with the pups. Lucien could keep them. As long as Bram was concerned, it was a fantastic idea. A win–win situation.
He knew that the Shadowfang warriors were scattered. Mo
of
on the southern border, fighting off the Alphas who had launch them were focused
their attack. He
smirked at how easily he fooled the alphas. They were all fighting for him for his selfish reasons–which they didn’t know. It was the perfect distraction.
He noticed that there were a few patrolling guards here and there in the north. He
could use that.
With a deepth, he cooed the little pup, who became distracted, and then gave her
a pacifier. Distressed, she took it immediately and became calm. He shifted silently on his feet, moving like a ghost. His mind was calculating, plotting, on how to get out. He took out scent–masking herb from a small pouch in his slacks, crushed it in his palm and rubbed it against his clothes and a little over Tamara. The powerful scent Tamara. The powerful scent immediately hid his and Tamara’s scent, blending it with the natural smells of the forest. Even if a warrior passed near, he would go undetected.
He crossed the territory and started running as fast as he could, holding Tamara close to him. Her smell, though mingled with Lucien’s, soothed him a lot because it also carried Auren’s scent. He didn’t care what would happen after Auren came to him for her pup’s sake, but he was going to take her away and hide her forever. And she would be only for him.
He came across a stream, a place he knew well. He moved swiftly, keeping low. He followed the stream down. The rush of the water kept her soft cries muffled. He came across a narrow bend of the stream, crossed it, and moved as fast as possible into the forest. Luckily, he didn’t come across any of the warriors. He stayed hidden under thick foliage for a few minutes, scanning, listening carefully. Though he could hear occasional cries of the battle, there were no warriors on patrol this far into the
northern side.
It was beginning to get darker. Since he couldn’t shift into his wolf, he knew he had to spend the night in a safe place. He kept moving until he came across a path that he remembered, and which led to a secluded cave. Tamara had begun crying again. “Can you stay quiet?” he growled. He knew the pup was hungry. He had a milk formula
Standoff
ready for her to drink, but for that he needed to go to the cave. His hand tightened around Tamara as he moved, the only sound in the dark of the night was the crunch of leaves underfoot. The human town was only a few hours away, but he was going to wait before going there because he knew that Lucien would have already sent his warriors to that side.
Finally, he reached his hideout for the night. A perfect little cave. Carefully, he walked inside, checking for the beasts if any. There were none. The pup was growing restless. He checked on her, her tiny form in his arms, and she looked tired. He sat down on the floor, resting his head against the wall. He didn’t have the time to rest for now. He took out the baby formula from his bag. Adding water, he made the milk out of it and then gave it to Tamara in a bottle he had bought. She took it greedily. As he fed her, he tipped his head up, resting it against the wall.
And then he allowed himself a moment to breathe. Closing his eyes, he just imagined one thing to be with Auren again. He had no use of the pup. She was his liability only until Auren was his again. Even though he knew that he couldn’t afford to relax, sleep overcame fast. As soon as Tamara finished her bottle, he made her lie next to him and covered her with blankets. “Tomorrow…” he murmured before he went off to sleep.
At night, he couldn’t sleep well. He checked his gun and the bullets in it. They were all poisoned. Since he couldn’t get silver bullets/because they were banned in the market, he poisoned the ones he got using every poisoned herb he could get hold of. That was why Vivi died quickly. The mix of poison spread in the body with rapid speed, giving instant heart attacks.
A soft cry echoing through the cave woke him up. He got up groggily, wondering what happened. The morning light stretched inside the cave, illuminating it.
Then with a sigh, he shifted, gathering the baby into his arms. He made another milk formula for her and fed her, holding gently as she drank it greedily. As he held her, he couldn’t help smiling. What if the pup was his? He chuckled, brushing her soft hair. Then he inhaled her scent but his nose crinkled. “You’ve made a mess, little wolf!” he said and went on to change her soiled diapers removing her bottle.
The pup was just like her mother. With golden hair and gray eyes. With one tiny hand, she held his pinky finger and he froze. He felt weak. But he couldn’t allow the moment of weakness. He focused on his end game and steeled himself. If Tamara could bring him so much calmness, imagine how life would be if Auren would be with him.
Once she was content, he set out, determined to reach the human town. However, as he neared the town, he heard the sound of heavy footsteps and ferocious growls behind him. He turned, only to find himself facing Magnus, the Alpha of the bear shifters, and five of his warriors.
Bram clutched Tamara to his chest, blood draining from his face. His eyes went to a little boy beside him, who watched Tamara with wide eyes.
The standoff was inevitable.
214
“Where are you taking the little pup?” Magnus growled, his muscles bulging.
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