The rogue took them a mile out into the cold and icy forest. Their breaths met the air in puffs of smoke. Xavier's jaw was set in a firm discomfort, his thoughts swirling full of her. Jacob and Jared walked close behind, letting out a growl anytime they felt the rogue got too close for comfort. The rogue was to lead them there, that was all. Josh tried to keep a clear mind, despite his stomach turning. Worries for two of his closest friends at the forefront of his mind; equally consumed by worries of the outcome of this all. They didn't know how many rogues Malum would have with him or hidden just out of sight. Most of them lacked scents and even the ones who did would be hard to perfectly trace through the snow. Lycer was watched carefully by the rogue and he knew what it meant. He knew what all of this meant. He had to sacrifice himself for Celestial. Even if it didn't go to the plan they wanted, he would get her back to her mate. He would fulfill his promise to her.
A man stood, leaning against a tree, a smirk upon his weathered face. "Welcome, Alpha Xavier," he said with a buoyancy that struck a nerve in the approaching members of the Paramount Pack. Xavier shot a look at Lycer, who nodded. This is Malum.
"Where is my mate?" There was a growl in Xavier's voice and Malum winced ever so slightly.
"She's around." Jacob growled, stepping forward. "Ah, ah, ah. I would back off if I were you, pup," he spit the word. "One wrong move and my rogues will kill her on my command."
"Bring her out, Malum," Lycer demands. "We're not discussing anything until we can see that she's okay."
Malum sighs and snaps his fingers. From behind several trees, the experiments emerge. Their skin is in various states of seeming decay, their hair not all there. "Christopher," he calls. "Bring the girl." There's a crunching of snow and from a further distance, Christopher emerges, his hand tight around the arm of a dazed Celeste. She's sluggish against his hold, small cuts upon her cheek and arms and a bruise forming on the side of her jaw. She has a clear sheen of sweat upon her skin despite the cold temperature. Xavier inhales sharply. "Wolfsbane really is a wonderful thing. Shuts up screaming, fighting little girls - no problem." Xavier growls, being responded to by a tsking. "You may remember, I'm the one in charge right now. Stop your growling; those games are below me."
"Let her go," Xavier growls out each word.
"I could. I will. If the boy tells me where his father is." Eyes all shoot to Lycer, none knowing anything of his lineage.
"I've told you time and time again, I don't know." Lycer's hands shake. He balls them into fists, his eyes narrowing on the man of his nightmares.
Malum cocks his head to the side and snaps his fingers. Christopher is quick to respond, moving his hand to Celeste's neck. She gasps as he squeezes down on her airway. Growls fill the area from the Paramount side while a few chuckles fill Malum's side of the clearing.
"Christopher, let her go," Josh pushes. "You don't want to hurt her. Hurt her and you'll never see your child, I can promise you that."
Christopher merely tilts his head to the side, watching on with disinterest.
Celeste shakily brings her hand up, pointing at her eyes then grasping at Christopher's hand around her throat. Xavier furrows his brows, looking closely at the man holding his mate's life in his hands. Christopher's once blue eyes are now dulled to a grey, small almost unnoticeable veins peaking out from them.
"Don't bother, Josh. Christopher is gone."
Malum chuckles. "He really was annoying. That's why I fixed him. He's more. . . useful. . . this way." He snaps again and Celeste lets out an airy gasp as the hand around her throat tightens.
"Let Celeste go and we can talk about this." Xavier's words are rushed, all logic leaving him as he sees his mate struggling to breathe.
Malum snaps again and Christopher loosens his grip. Celeste drags in several deep breaths, letting out a cough, her hand never leaving Christophers which is still wrapped around her neck.
"I'll go with you," Lycer interjects. "Let her go and I'll go back with you. It's true - I don't know where my father is but I've been working on finding him. With your resources, we could do that. Just let. Her. Go."
A smirk finds it's way to Malum's face.
"And if you hurt her, that deal is off."
"Come here, then." Lycer looks to Xavier who gives him a nod.
"Xavier," Josh whispers. "We're outnumbered."
Xavier ignores him.
'Alpha, stick to the plan,' Jared reminds him. 'We'll get Celeste back.'
Xavier tries to take a breath; the action only somewhat helps.
'Josh, the second Celeste is within our reach, you run her back to the pack house. You're faster than most of us.'
'Got it, Alpha.'
'Jacob, Jared take out the rogues as best as you can. Don't get hurt.'
"Enough mind linking!" Xavier's eyes come back into focus. Malum has a scowl on his face. "It's simple. Give me the boy and you can have back your precious mate."
Lycer gives a weary look to Xavier, taking a step forward. His foot breaks through the layers of snow, cold seeping into him as dread consumes him. What if this doesn't work? What if he's back in hell already? His stomach turns and his heart thumps. As long as she's safe.
Celeste, pupils wide and breaths labored, shakes her head. She too looks to Xavier, pleading with him.
"Bring her to me," Lycer demands.
Malum rolls his eyes but gives a small nod towards Christopher.
Christopher drags Celeste forward by her neck. When she's within arms reach, Lycer takes her from him. "It's okay, I got you."
"I - I fought," her words are slurred, her breathing harsh. "I fought-"
"I know. I know."
Malum snaps his fingers again. Christopher and another rogue step forward, grabbing Lycer by the arms.
"Lycer!" Celeste stumbled back, reaching for her friend. Xavier is quick to grab her, pulling her to his chest. She struggled in his hold. "Xavier, he-" she sucks in a large gulp of air, "-help him!"
"Josh," Xavier calls. "Go with him." Celeste grasps at Xavier as she's pushed into Josh's arms. It breaks Xavier's heart to see her so distraught and send her away from him but it's for her safety, even his wolf agrees with him on that.
Josh is quick to lead her away only to be stopped by a rogue who had moved behind them. He growls at them and is backed by a snarling Jacob.
"Let them go," Xavier presses, his eyes on Malum.
"Not so fast."
Lycer begins to struggle against the rogues, his legs getting kicked out from the back of the knees.
"You really thought it would be that easy?" Malum snaps and the rogues lunge.
Two descend on Jared who snaps at them, holding them back and also forming a protective circle around Celeste who struggles to stand in Josh's hold.
Another three step forward, beginning to circle the Alpha who growls at them.
"You see, I can't let this pack continue. You know too much and that just won't do."
"Hurt them and I'll never help you." Lycer's breathing is harsh, his eyes darting between the circling rogues and Celeste slumped against her friend.
"Take the girl alive."
One of the rogues lunge for Jared and the other goes for Jacob, swiping claws across his face. Jacob bites at the paw, lodging his teeth deep into the veiny flesh and pulling the rogue down to the snow. Jared lunges at the one trailing him, locking paws.
From the trees, a rogue in human form stepped out and past the Alpha towards Celeste and Josh. Xavier tries to step to them only to be stopped by a rogue growling at his heel. He growls back, the sound reverberating around the snowy forest.
No time to shift, Xavier grabs at one of the rogues, flinging it in the direction of another. They both tumble down, righting themself and lunging right back at Xavier. The third rogue had never left, instead going for Xavier's ankle and biting down with all it's strength. He lets out a groan, raising his elbow to smash back down on it's head. Dazed, it takes a step back yet the other two are right there. One lunges up, striking it's claws down Xavier's side, spilling blood on the white snow.
"Xavier!" Celeste stumbles against Josh, trying to make her way to her mate. Josh tightens his hold.
The second rogue lunges for his other side and Xavier tumbles down.
Jared pushes the rogue down only to receive a claw to the ear, slicing the tip of the flesh off. He winces and it gives the rogue the opportunity it needs, pushing Jared back down into the snow and snarling above him.
The rogue that was thrown by Jacob catches itself and runs forward, barelling into Jacob who falls back against a tree with a whine.
Josh flinches, everything in him telling him to help his partner, but he has Celeste to worry about. The rogue - experiment - steps closer to them. "Hand her over and you get to live."
"Not a chance," Josh snarls.
The experiment leaps forward, his fist going straight towards Josh who dodges, pulling Celeste down with him. The pair lands in the snow, Celeste groaning.
From the ground, she sees Xavier kicking a rogue off of him as the other two growl, seemingly debating when to lunge. She reaches for him. "Xavier-"
A hand yanks her up and she crashes into Josh's side. He pulls her behind him, the experiment watching them with blacked out eyes.
A loud sound echoes around the forest, all action stopping at the crackling buzzing noise. Heads, rogues and Paramount pack members alike, turn towards the noise coming from the pack grounds.
The rogue on Jared falls back and Xavier kicks the one near him away, all eyes on a beaming blue light shooting up from the center of the pack.
Malum, who had been watching in amusement, speaks for the first time since launching his experiments, "What the hell is that?"
A form makes it's way up inside the beam of blue, an unmistakable figure to the members of The Paramount Pack.
"That," Xavier interjects, pushing his way towards Celeste, "would be our magi."