Amira

"Are we almost there?" I huff as I struggle to follow Daniel and Caine up the slope of the large volcano that we have been hiking all morning.

"Not really," Daniel stops and turns to me, "do you need a break?"

"No, I can keep going," I shake my head, not wanting to slow us down.

"Amira, if you need a break we can take one," Caine walks back to me and pulls his backpack off as he hands me a water bottle.

"I'm fine, really." I take a drink of the water and hand it back to him. He raises an eyebrow in question.

"Come on," he says as he places his backpack on my back and crouches in front of me.

"What?"

"Get on my back," he motions with his hands.

"That's just going to slow both of us down," I cross my arms stubbornly, still trying to catch my breath.

"Amira, you're still panting and your right calf is twitching, get on my back," I suddenly realize that he's right as a cramp works it's way up my leg.

"Well then you're going to get tired," I say.

"The Moon Goddess's Hunter has unlimited stamina," Daniel pipes in from above us. After a few more seconds of hesitation, I finally crawl onto Caine's back and we begin our hike again.

"Is that why you're not tired? Are you using his talent?" I ask Daniel.

"Yes," Daniel said as he brushes his fingers across a leaf, "I have limited stamina, but I am using one of his powers and absorbing energy from the plants."

"You can absorb energy from plants?" I ask Caine.

"I can absorb energy from anything and anyone," he replies. I raise my eyebrows impressed.

"So where are we going anyways?" I ask while I cling to Caine as he effortlessly makes his way up the rocky volcano terrain.

"Some people live higher up on the volcanoes in secluded shacks. It's the perfect spot for someone who, I'm guessing, raised himself," Daniel answers.

"What if he's not up here?"

"Then we head to town."

Suddenly I felt Caine freeze underneath me as he whips his head in a separate direction. His eyes grow darker.

"I smell a wolf," he takes off to the left with me still on his back and Daniel doesn't struggle to follow.

"We aren't going to catch him in this form. Can you smell any humans anywhere nearby?" Daniel asks Caine and, after a few seconds, he shakes his head. He sets me down and quickly shifts with the rest of us following and chasing him through the forest.

Caine mind links me.

"Stay close, babe. I don't think it's Tyson we're chasing."

I roll my eyes at the nickname, but run a little closer behind him. He quickly weaves through trees but slows when he sees me struggling to follow.

"You okay?"

"Yes."

I look over and see Daniel next to Caine. Soon we reach a clearing and see a wolf across it, not even reacting to our presence. As Caine and Daniel slowly stalk closer with me following, I notice that the wolf is devouring a rotten carcass, and my stomach clenches.

"Rogue," I hear Daniel's voice in my head.

"Tyson?" Caine asks.

"No, his wolf is a rusty color, not gray. I saw it in a dream before," I respond.

"That would've been a helpful detail," Caine responds and I roll my eyes. The rogue somehow still hasn't noticed us, even though we are only twenty yards away from him.

"What is a rogue doing on the islands?" Caine asks.

"He's worse than a rogue. He's a rogue gone crazy," I try not to visibly gag at the sight and stench of what the wolf is doing.

"Whatever he's doing here, he's dangerous to the people. Considering the state he's in. I've only seen one wolf this bad before," Daniel's voice fills my head again.

Suddenly, the ravaging wolf lifts his head and turns to us, his lips raised in a snarl.

"He's not human anymore," Daniel explains. "That part of him is gone."

The rogue breaks into a sprint towards us. Caine lunges when he is twenty yards away and sinks his teeth with perfect precision into the wolf's throat. He is dead within seconds. I gasp when the wolf doesn't morph back into its human form, like we usually do seconds after dying.

"Some rogues get to the point of being so far gone, they don't even have a human side anymore," Daniel says. "Come on, I have another pack member living nearby that can provide us with clothes."

We follow him and he soon leads us to a small shack. A man who looks to be in his mid-thirties walks out of the front door and nods his head at Daniel.

"Alpha," he says, respectfully. Daniel leads us into the house and the man retrieves clothes from us. He places mine in the bathroom and closes the door after I enter. I quickly shift and change into the oversized sweatshirt and contradicting tight athletic pants and walk back out into the kitchen, where I find Daniel and Caine already changed and talking to the man.

"Amira, this is Robert, another of my pack members," Daniel introduces me and Robert sticks his hand out for me to shake.

"I understand you already met my brother-in-law. I promise I'm easier to handle," he winks at me and crows feet sprout around his eyes. I scrunch my eyebrows in confusion before realizing he is talking about Pekelo.

"Robert also has the gift of prophecy," Daniel tells me and my interest is suddenly spiked as I look back to Robert.

"I haven't been seeing much lately, but the rogue that you just ran into, that's just the beginning."

"What do you mean?" Caine asks.

"I mean, a war among the packs is the least of our worries. There's a bigger war coming, and it can't be avoided." Silence fills the room, no one knowing how to respond to his news.

"Have you ever seen him?" I ask, not knowing if Daniel has filled him in on who we are searching for.

"You've seen him?" Robert asked, shocked. "The scar-faced boy?" I nod my head frantically. "I've seen him. Not only in my visions, but I've seen him here once as well. I haven't been able to figure out why the Moon Goddess is showing him to me. I've reached out to him, he seemed as if he needed help, but he just gave me a wide-eyed look and flead. I haven't seen him since."

"Where have you seen him?" Caine asks.

"On the pier at a fish market a few weeks ago. Why?"

"Well, Robert, that is the reason we are here. We're looking for him," Daniel says.

"Do you know who he is?" Robert directs this question towards me, and I look to Daniel for help.

"The specifics are not important, we just need to find him as soon as we can."

"Well, I did grab his shirt with one of my fish skinning gloves. I've tried to catch his scent off of it again, but the overwhelming smell of fish makes it near impossible. The Moon Goddess's Hunter may be able to give it a try, though," Caine nods at him and he exits the room only to return a few seconds later with a glove. Caine raises it to his nose and breathes in.

He pulls his scrunched face away in disgust, "It's very faint, but I think I may have gotten something. Can I take this?" Robert nods and Caine shoves the glove in his shorts pockets.

"Why are you tracking down a rogue?" Robert asks.

"Because he's not a rogue," Daniel answers, then looks to me, giving me the okay to explain.

"The Moon Goddess has given me clear signs to explain who he is," I begin, "he is Tyson, the rightful alpha to the Malignity Pack." Robert's eyes widen.

"The red eyes," he says, not even questioning my reasoning as he realizes that I am right and I nod. "I should've gotten that," he says, frustrated.

"Which pier did you see him at?" Daniel asks.

"Bayport, just outside of the seafood restaurant over the water." Daniel nods.

"Thank you, Robert. We should be going now." Robert nods at his Alpha.

"I'll drive you back to your hotel."

He drives us back and we scramble out of the car once he pulls up to the hotel doors.

"Amira, wait," I nod to Caine and he and Daniel walk inside as I turn back to Robert.

"Yes?" He leans out the window and lowers his voice.

"Have you seen him?" he asks, in a serious tone.

"Who? Who else is there?" I ask, confused.

"No one, nevermind. Good luck!" and with that he drives off.

*********************************

"I am not wearing this. Couldn't Daniel have provided options?" I yell to Caine from behind the closed bathroom door. The dress that Daniel has given me to wear to the restaurant is very slim-fitting. The red, silky material clings to my waist before flowing gracefully around my feet. The neckline plunges a little too low for my liking and I'm not realizing that the curled sideswept hairstyle and bright red lipstick that I have paired with it were bad calls.

"Come on, it cannot be that bad. Just come out and let me see," Caine's voice is right on the other side of the door and I sigh before reluctantly opening it and stepping out.

His eyes rake me up and down and a sharpened tooth pulls his lip into his mouth before releasing it again.

"Damn, sweetheart. I knew red was your color," he winks and I roll my eyes before taking his appearance in.

His black bow tie is tight around his large neck, but it contrasts against the sharp white of his shirt while also complimenting his obsidian black jacket. I have to admit that he looks good.

"Why couldn't I get black?" I huff.

"Because," he places an arm around my waist and pulls me into his hip, "Red is your color."

"My color is blue, as is yours, Alpha," he lowly growls unpleasantly at my name for him as I pull away.

"I prefer black," he mumbles.

"Tell that to your eyes."

"I find your feistiness a turn on, Amira, so we can keep going at this or we can go meet Daniel for dinner. I prefer the former." I roll my eyes and grab my small clutch before exiting out the door that he pulls open for me. He follows and lightly places his hand on the small of my back.

"Let's get to work," he winks.