Alpha King’s Wolfless Mate by Scarlett Higgins

Chapter 47 : An Unexpected Rescue

**Nora POV

Before Helen’s goon got to me, I jumped up and kicked him in the shin.

He grabbed his shin, howling and screaming, jumping backward. The others ran to his aid.

I turned and ran from them down the road. The woods was a good idea, but I’d have better chances of them not chasing me into a populated area.

“Get her! Get away from me and get her!” the leader cried after me.

I heard their footsteps pounding against the pavement behind me. They were faster than me but I had a good head start.

How had Helen returned to Reed pack? She was supposed to be a political prisoner. Her presence in Moonery was part of a peace treaty between Reed and Moonery. If she’d been accepted back into Reed pack, that meant the peace treaty no longer existed.

All of Moonery could be in danger!

The Reed wolves were gaining on me. I was so close to the center of town. If I could just…

Someone howled behind me and then two arms curled around my legs. I tripped forward, crashing to the ground again. The guy who tackled me grabbed my legs and held them down.

I kicked at him and cried out but he was strong, keeping my legs pinned. The town square was too far for anyone to hear me struggling.

“Let me go!” I snarled.

“Get her, hold her down,” the leader shouted, limping after his cohorts.

I couldn’t fight them all off, not when they had me pinned down.

Desperate, I sat up and clawed at the guy’s face.

He growled and released my legs. I scurried away from him, staying ahead of the others. My heart was pounding in my chest, and my hands and knees were completely scraped.

“Don’t let her go!” the leader cried.

On hands and knees, I crawled away. Maybe there was a low place I could get where they couldn’t reach me.

“Back off!” A new voice growled.

I looked over my shoulder and saw Jeremy standing between me and my attackers. He had his arms held out like he was there to protect me.

“Touch her again, and I’ll have my soldiers rip you apart,” Jeremy snarled.

“We’re here on a mission! You have no authority over us,” the leader argued.

Jeremy scoffed and shook his head. He snapped his fingers and several Moonery soldiers appeared from around the nearby buildings.

They showed their teeth to Helen’s warriors.

“We’re not backing off until we get the traitor. Our lady wants her dead!” Helen’s goon shouted, pointing right at me.

“Not happening.” Jeremy argued. “Chase them out and make sure they don’t double back. I don’t want to see them again.”

“Yes, sir,” his soldiers echoed.

All at once, they rushed forward, chasing Helen’s warriors back up the road.

I sighed with relief, resting my head against the nearest wall. My heart still thumped in my chest and my hands started to shake.

“Nora, are you okay?” Jeremy asked. He dropped down to his knees in front of me.

“I… why are you here? Why is Helen after me?” I asked. still dazed.

I didn’t think I would ever see him again, but there he was; helping me, protecting me.

“Are you injured?” he asked.

I looked at my shaking hands. “My hands and knees are a little scraped, but I’m okay.”

“Good. Those will heal fast. What are you doing out here alone, Nora?” Jeremy asked. He stood and held a hand out to me.

Without even thinking, I took it and he helped me to my feet. He brushed some of the dirt off my clothes.

Jeremy sighed heavily when I got to my feet. “I’m glad to see you’re okay.” He pulled me against him in a hug.

I leaned against him for a moment and then gently pulled away. Sighing, I looped my arms around myself and turned away from Jeremy.

“Blake should know better than to let you out in a place like this by yourself. What is he even thinking?”

“This isn’t Blake’s… I came out here by myself,” I said, jumping to Blake’s defense. “He probably doesn’t even know where I am.”

“What was that?” Jeremy asked.

I shook my head. “Nothing. What is going on with Helen and Reed pack?” I turned to face him.

Jeremy groaned and shook his head. “Don’t even get me started. The treaty stated she had to remain with Moonery or Reed and Moonery would be at war. It was signed and accepted by both packs.

“I remember that. I did grow up in Moonery,” I said.

I moved around Jeremy and started walking back toward my house. Jeremy followed as I knew he would. We still had a lot to talk about in regard to this Helen situation.

“She wouldn’t be accepted back to her pack unless it was under specific circumstances,” Jeremy continued.

“I don’t understand why her goal was to marry you in the first place. If she was the daughter of the Reed Alpha and she was forced out of her own pack, marrying you wouldn’t do her any favors,” I pointed out.

Jeremy shrugged. “I never understood it. Maybe it was her way of making life better for herself in Moonery.”

“How did she get back to Reed, then?” I asked.

“There were only a few things that would allow her to return to her home pack. After my supposed death and her discovery of her “second” mate, it would free her up to return home, seeing as her “new” mate isn’t from Moonery,” Jeremv explained.

I sighed, hugging myself even tighter. We were getting closer to my house and I saw my frozen dinner in the driveway, still. It was completely smushed. Someone had stepped on it.

“I didn’t know she was an Alpha’s daughter,” I admitted, kicking the pavement with the toe of my shoe.

“On Moonery, she didn’t have an identity. Now, she has her true identity back. They probably treat her like a princess there.” Jeremy explained.

I stopped walking when I reached my mailbox, and Jeremy stopped, too, turning toward me.

He cupped his hands around my elbows. “Are you sure you’re alright?”

“I’m okay. Life on my own has been very liberating,” I said. I flashed a quick smile, but it didn’t feel convincing.

“You said you don’t know why Helen wants you dead?” Jeremy asked.

I shook my head. “No. I’m not a threat to her now. I still don’t have my wolf back and she’s not after you anymore. Unless her new mate also happens to be bonded to me..” I shrugged helplessly.

“I don’t know why she’d want to kill you either,” he admitted with a sigh.

“Well, this is where I live. I’ve got to work early tomorrow,” I said, nodding toward my house.

“Nora, wait,” Jeremy grabbed my arm the moment I tried to walk away.

“Jeremy, I don’t need your help, okay?” I asked.

“I saved you back there, you know it. Why are you out here on your own and not with Blake? Why don’t you have his soldiers or the royal army protecting You?”

I shrugged. “I just had to get out on my own for a little bit.”

Jeremy’s soldiers filtered back in around us. I could tell that Jeremy had more questions for me about what was going on with Blake, but he wasn’t going to ask them in front of his soldiers.

“We chased them out of town, but they swore they’d be back.” the leader of his soldiers said.

“They’ll regroup and get more warriors. They’ll attack in force next.” Jeremy said, nodding absently.

“I won’t go out tonight. I’ll stay locked in my house.” I said.

“Jeremy arched an eyebrow at me. “No. I’m not leaving you here alone, Nora. You couldn’t take the last attack and they’ll send more.”

“I want to be alone. I want to be able to take care of myself.” I insisted.

“And that is a great argument, if we didn’t know you had a group of trained fighters coming after you, okay? I’ll stay here with you tonight and my soldiers will keep a perimeter. Sound good?”

I glared at Jeremy and he glared right back. His eyes were set, l*ps firm. He wasn’t going to back down.

Sighing, I bowed my head. “Fine, you can stay. But I don’t want you feeling sorry for me or anything.”

“No danger of that,” Jeremy assured with a smirk.

We headed up my driveway. I was still uneasy about letting Jeremy stay. I didn’t want him to use this as a way to try and get me back. I glanced at him suspiciously as we headed up the walkway.

“Jeremy, this isn’t a way for us to get back together,” I said firmly.

Jeremy smiled and nodded. He didn’t say anything, though, and that made me even more concerned.

I looked away from him, tightening my arms around my waist.

I got the feeling we were going to be in for a long, long night.