Unaware that the three men were sure the pair hadn't survived the jump, the two were at the entrance of the cave listening to the forest around them.
Ayla and her mystery man were glad that the forest seemed quiet.
That meant the pursuits weren't tracking them, and they could rest a little easier.
Even still, they didn't want to take any chances just yet.
Since they just found their safe space, they wanted to give it just a bit to see if they were followed.
The pair ventured into the cave entrance and sat for a short period of time, still trying to listen to the woods around them.
As for the other three men, they were ready to meet their fate.
After arriving back at headquarters, the group of men were on pins and needles.
They had Ayla isolated and, in a position to easily talk to her, capture her, and bring her home, yet they failed and lost her.
This was the worst they had screwed up yet.
They had never been so close.
She had always managed to stay so elusive and fox herself away and stay clear of them.
What made her so damn special anyway?
Why was their alpha so insistent on capturing her?
She was just one young woman among many.
Then they remembered the rest of the evening, and they knew that he was going to be livid.
She not only escaped them, but it was with a man, and he wasn't just any man.
He had a domineering presence, like his.
That didn't bode well for them.
They were now all apprehensive about their alpha coming into the update meeting.
'SLAM'.
Their boss came barreling through the door, making it clear he was in a foul mood.
His body, not as muscular as it had been once before, but still maintaining the form that showed he once held a formidable body.
A grey streak graced the thick head of hair the still trying to keep the black that held on fiercely, highlighting his dark brown.
The alpha's eyes were so dark brown that they were nearly black, and creepy to look at.
"WELL, I know you encountered her. Why is she not here? Why is she not with you" he demanded an answer.
The first voice came in from the leader of the group, a tall, large, the largest of the three, muscular man, without an ounce of fat visible.
His dark espresso color hair, short, but not too short, shaped his face to make him appear handsome, but dark in his own way.
"We did what we could, but sir, we can't control her. She has a mind of her own, and she is fast, smart, and tactical. She bested us".
He thought quickly and figured if he talked well about her, then maybe they would live.
Their alpha paused for a second.
"What do you mean she bested you? Are you all not the best of the best in my pack"?
The three men hesitantly nodded their heads.
"Do you not have the best minds, the best bodies, and the best tracking abilities in this pack. No, better yet, of all the packs"?
Again, they nodded their heads, with less confidence, cursing to meet his eyes.
"Yet you are telling me that she bested all of you. I want to know how. Tell me how one simple woman bested all of you" he demanded.
They looked at each other as if they knew what was about to happen.
None of the men wanted to speak because they knew he was right.
One little woman had managed to slip through their fingers over and over for years, yet they were supposed to be the best.
All of them worked hard to prove they were the best, and one small woman kept proving that she was better.
Not just in one aspect, though, but in all aspects of their training.
The men felt shame and like they were ultimately unworthy of the mission they were continuously sent on.
One man to the right went to speak, lifting his head of clean-cut, dirty blonde hair, to reveal eyes that appeared to have stolen the sky on a bright sunny day.
The man to the right had a perfectly chiseled face and was shown now to be relatively young in comparison to the man in the middle.
Thankfully, the leader put his hand up to let him know that he would continue, as he let out a silent sigh of relief.
"It was going great at first. She was finally away from the edge of the town. We know that never happens, so it was an opportunity, and we didn't take the time to investigate it properly".
"Oh. So the three of you went into the mission unprepared this time? Maybe you have gotten too comfortable over the years, and it's time to give others a chance" their Alpha said growling.
"No, sir, that isn't what happened".
"Sounds like it to me" he sneered.
"Please let me finish" the man begged.
"Proceed, General Mace" the alpha said, waving his hand.
"Yes, we were unsure of what drove her into the woods, but it was perfect because there is no sanctuary for her out there. She couldn't hide from us. That was what we assumed anyway. We quickly went after her and started to surround her at the river. Unfortunately, that's where it all started to go wrong".
Alpha looked at them, confused.
"What do you mean by it all went wrong" he asked with an even more confused tone than his face revealed.
The man to the right began to speak, "Eh, we were startled for a second because we saw a man standing between us and her".
"You are a lieutenant, what do you mean you were startled" their alpha asked.
General Mace was back to taking the heat, "She was in the middle of the river at the edge of the waterfall, and he looked like he was trying to stop her from jumping".
The Alpha was now standing at his desk.
"What do you mean by jumping? She wouldn't do that. That is suicide. She would never harm herself. Why would you make up such stories just to get yourself out is punishment" he roared.
"It's not like that" General Mace said as he waved his hands.
Their alpha was getting more enraged by the minute and word.
"What is it like then"?
The General was more desperate to explain and calm him.
"I beg you to let me finish. Even if I get punished, I need you to listen".
General Mace waited for a response, and his alpha nodded, so he continued.
"She realized we were there, and she panicked, I guess. I'm not sure what they were up to. I'm not sure if all the times we attempted to bring her here before stressed her or what, but suddenly, she nodded her head, and he ran to her, hugged her, grabbed hands, and jumped together" he finished speaking and closed his eyes, waiting for the wrath he knew was coming.
There was nothing.
It was silent for more than a minute, and it made everyone in the room uncomfortable.
"She jumped and he held her and they held hands" he asked in a surprised tone.
It was like the Alpha was processing everything out loud.
"Ayla let him come to her and touch her and take her hand. She trusted him"?
He paused again.
"Why would she do that. That is so reckless and dangerous and, oh…"
It was like the thought finally made its way around in his mind.
Then, he looked at his guards, questioningly.
"Did you see her afterward" he asked, panicked.
"No, sir. We went down and searched everywhere, but she never resurfaced, and we didn't find any prints anywhere" he finished.
He was positive this was going to be his last few seconds alive.
"That means she is still alive. Do not stop searching for her. Keep a lookout. She is somewhere. Now! She is not alone, and it will be harder, but it is important that we find her now more than ever. We are on a clock. You have to find her" he said with urgency in his voice.
Just then, Luna Theresa came into the room.
She looked regal, with deeply tanned skin, onyx black hair, and green eyes with speckles of gold in them.
The Luna was wearing a dress that pulled out her best qualities, with a deep emerald color as its base, no sleeves, her breasts bunched to be perky, and gold interlaced in just the right amount to overload it.
"She found him, didn't she"?
As she finished asking, she had made her way to stand behind her alpha.
She traveled through the deep red walls that surrounded the room, and he was sitting behind the only thing that sat in the room with him.
It was like they purposely kept the room bare, with just the desk that was made of redwood, the chair of redwood and leather to match, and a black fur round rug.
Other than that, there was just a fireplace.
Alpha Theo nodded.
"It's only a matter of time now" she said.
"I know. I don't know what to do" Alpha Theo responded.
"Ayla is smart, strong, and independent, but she has a long road ahead of her. She needed to come home, or things would be hard not only for her but for her fated-mate, too".
The sound of a throat clearing could be heard.
"Yes, Dominic" she asked.
"Home? What do you mean come home"?
Luna Theresa was well aware of the bread crumbs she was leaving when she spoke.
"She has no idea what she is or who she is. If my suspicions are correct, neither does her mate. That is only going to lead to more than one problem. Please bring our daughter home ".
They heard the lead guard clear his throat as if to speak again.
"You are not to repeat any of this, to anyone, but you may speak" Alpha Theo instructed him.
"Sir, did I hear you correctly that Ayla is your daughter, and she doesn't know it? That she doesn't know she is a Werewolf and neither does her mate, which is potentially who found her" he asked.
Alpha looked at him with a pleased expression, and answered with one simple word.
" Correct".
The General didn't understand his concern.
"Sir, I don't think you should worry as much as you are".
The Alpha raised an eyebrow at his General.
"Why"?
Dominic explained.
"I believe her instincts are kicking in, and so are his. They may not know, but their wolves do. That is, if he is a werewolf too, and her mate. They found each other and trust each other already. That is more than most people and wolves they know. If anything. It will make it easier to accept us if they accept each other first".
Alpha Theo couldn't disagree with what Dominic said.
He wouldn't jump off the edge of a waterfall with Luna Theresa, but they were matched, not mated.
Would he feel differently if she had been his fated mate, he wondered.
"Is that what you observed between them, General? That they were bonding" he asked.
"Yes, sir".
Alpha Theo was curious for more.
"What else did you see"?
Dominic was more than willing to comply.
"They seem to recognize each other, and it made sense after I heard what both of you said".
Alpha thought about it for a moment and looked to his Luna for advice.
She nodded.
"Major, what do you suggest we do"?
He was not expecting to be called on.
This handsome man had skin that was dark compared to the others, but not dark at the same time.
His skin was rich with color, and his eyes beautiful caramel color; his hair was short on his head, and it was a deep black.
When he looked to his General, worry consumed his mind.
Dominic gave a quick nod, and his Major stepped forward.
"If they helped each other and left the waterfall together, then they sought shelter. How about we give them some time to bond in the forest before we try to approach them again? If she doesn't know she is a werewolf, then she has probably been terrified every time we have tried to approach her. Unless you know we are werewolves, and that you are one of us, we are a bit petrifying when we approach. Maybe having a mate will help with that".
As he finished, he stepped back behind his General.
Dominic seemed impressed with how his Major handled himself.
The Alpha mauled over the words before he spoke.
"We don't have time for that".
Luna Theresa squeezed his shoulder.
The lieutenant stepped forward to support his Major.
"Sir, it doesn't have to be long. Maybe in a day or two, we can look for her again. I know you mentioned time being an issue".
Alpha Theo listened and knew that his guard made a valid point, but he appeared impatient to have his daughter home.
If what he said was true, then she had her taken away from him, and they had finally found her.
That was understandable.
Reluctantly, he nodded his head in agreement.
Luna Theresa leaned over to grab his hand and kissed him lightly on the lips.
"I guess you do have the best guards sometimes" She said as she gave a small wink at the General standing before them.
They never got praise or recognition, so he was glad for it.
"We waited this long, what's a few more days to ensure that she is not frightened by the men that are just trying to bring her home to us, right" she added.
General Mace knew that asking too many questions, or the wrong question, was an instant death sentence, so he tried to tread lightly.
"If you don't mind me asking, why didn't you tell us you had a daughter. More so, why did you keep it a secret that it was your daughter that we were trying to bring home all this time? We would have gladly done it"
Luna Theresa thought about her words carefully.
It wasn't unusual for her, so she was always careful with her words.
Words held power, and could easily be twisted, and they both knew and used that.
"It wasn't that I didn't trust you, Dominic. Same goes for Phoenix and Raphael. Please don't think that. It was for Ayla's protection, purely for her protection".
"We would always protect her. If we knew she was the princess of the pack, we would have protected her more. It would have changed how we handled everything. Plus, we never talk about our mission, so the secret would have been safe".
She was unsure what to say at that point.
"I'm sure if you think about it long enough, you will understand why" Alpha Theo said with hesitation.
He was ready to end the conversation, and his Luna was happy not to have to keep going.
"I want to thank you for all of the work you have put into bringing her home. Hopefully, this will be the last time you have to go after her. Let me know when you head out again so I can wait for your return".
Dominic looked to his alpha and Luna, nodded and spoke one last time before they left.
"We will eat, sleep, and visit family and friends to show we are alive and well. Then we will head back out to ensure they don't get too far without us knowing. That being said, give us until tomorrow afternoon, we will leave then".
When the guards left the Alpha's office, they immediately began hushed conversations.
"Do you think that she is the one that everyone has those stories about, you know, 'the one' Phoenix" Raphael asked.
"Couldn't be, we would know" said Dominic.
General Dominic Mace was happy to be out of his Alpha's office, in one piece.
He knew that the probability was fairly high that Phoenix was right, though.
Ayla very well could be the cursed werewolf child that had been missing for over eighteen years.
He just wanted to make sure to do his best to ensure his guards were focused on the mission and not the girl from the stories.
The last thing he needed was rumors to spread that they were chasing the one girl that everyone thought would save them all.
"What do you think that she is up to right now" Phoenix asked and winked.
Dominic shook his head because he knew where this was headed.
Phoenix looked to the other two men.
"You know she has been a loner until now, so if she did stick with that man, I doubt it's purely innocent. There is no way a man like that is just sitting there. I wouldn't be if it were me" Phoenix said before chuckling.
Dominic didn't know what to say to his friend.
"Really, are you that much of a dog" he said as he pushed Phoenix and then Raph's shoulders.
"No, not at all, I'm a wolf" he started laughing, and the others joined in as they rounded the corner to find their dinner, with Phoenix letting out a howl.
Just as things were starting to level out for the guards, they were doing the same for Ayla and Alexander at the cave.
Ayla was starting to feel confident that the two were alone for the night.