Zale
2 months later
Before I even walked in, the meeting room was already full of tension. The tall, arched windows let in strips of golden light that fell on the dark oak floor, but the light didn't help with the heaviness in my chest. When I walked in, Devon was the first to look up. He got up from his seat and bowed slightly. His sharp grey eyes looked over my face to see how I was feeling.
"Alpha," he said in greeting.
I nodded once, my jaw tight. "Let's get started."
The other people were already there. Elder Marcus, with his silver beard brushing his chest as he adjusted his robe; Huxley, the wizard and my most trusted advisor, with deep violet eyes that flickered like stormlight; Andros, our Omega, who was quiet but noticed every detail; and Grate, my lead warrior, who had his arms crossed and looked impatient.
Devon shut the door, and the soft hum of power from Huxley's protective wards made the room quiet. Nothing would get out, not sound, smell, or thought.
"Reports first," I said as I sat down at the head of the long table. "Grate."
The warrior leaned forward and put his hands on the smooth surface. "We've doubled the number of patrols along the eastern ridge." There have been no rogue sightings in the last 48 hours. But the southern border is a different story. Two of our scouts saw shadows moving near the ravine. We followed them and found nothing but scent trails and some burned leaves.
"Burned?" I frowned.
Huxley's head turned quickly. "Witchcraft." His voice was deep, smooth, and uncomfortably calm. "The rogues aren't going alone anymore." Someone is leading them and hiding their trail.
Old Marcus grunted, and his voice was full of disapproval. "Witches shouldn't get involved in wolf business. Not since the Accord was broken.
Devon snorted. "Say that to the bodies that are piling up near the borders."
I leaned back in my chair and tapped my fingers once on the armrest. "We can't depend on luck or superstition any longer. If the witches are helping the rogues, we're in danger from a group of people. "What have you learnt, Huxley?"
The wizard stood up straight, and as he spoke, the silver tip of his staff shone. "The spells used on the southern line were basic concealment charms, not anything fancy. But there is a hint of blood magic in them. Someone who is strong enough to tie up rogues but not strong enough to hide their smell from me.
"Can you follow it?"
"Not yet," Huxley said, his face showing signs of frustration. "But if I had a claw, a piece of clothing, or a weapon that belonged to their leader, I could find them."
My throat got tight. "We had something once," I said in a low voice. I stopped when I heard "The night Emily." The room became quiet. I saw Devon's eyes flick towards me, but I didn't look at him. "We lost it in the fire."
No one said anything for a heartbeat. The only noise was the soft crackling of the torches on the walls.
Grate was the first to break the silence. "We should be out there looking for them, not sitting here talking."
Devon said calmly, "You'll get your fight soon enough." "But if you just charge in without thinking, you'll be feeding them instead of killing them."
Grate grumbled under his breath, but he didn't argue.
Elder Marcus put his hands together. "Alpha, we've made our patrols stronger, our borders stronger, and we've buried too many of our dead." What else can we do until we know where to look for them?
The doors flew open before I could answer.
Two warriors came in, their faces covered in dirt and sweat. Dale and Toss. They fell to one knee, their chests heaving and the smell of blood strong on their skin.
"Alpha!" Dale was out of breath. "We found the rogue den to the east of the valley."
I was up and moving before he finished speaking. "And the head?"
Toss looked at Dale and then stopped. "We... we had him, Alpha." We trapped him by the river. But...
"But?" My voice got sharper and filled the room like a growl.
Finally, Dale said, "He got away," looking down. "The witches came out of nowhere." Fire, smoke, and spells that we couldn't see through. We lost three men who were trying to hold the queue. He was gone by the time it was clear.
The silence that came after was deafening. I could hear my blood pounding in my ears.
Devon slowly got up next to me. "Did you at least check to see who he was?"
Dale nodded weakly. "That was him, Beta. The scar on his jaw was the same one that was there when he was attacked. The person who planned the ambush on Luna Emily.
Emily.
Her name cut through me like a knife.
The air in the room changed. Power flowed through my body, barely contained by my skin. My wolf was angry and hungry for blood, and it clawed at the edges of my control.
Devon got closer. "Zale"
"Don't." My voice sounded harsher than I meant it to. "Don't say it."
Huxley stood up and spoke in a calm, measured voice. "Alpha, anger doesn't help anyone right now. Let's make a plan. "…use this information"
"Make a plan?" I yelled, my eyes burning with anger. "We've been making plans for months, Huxley!" While rogues set fire to our land and witches play with our borders. Emily has died. My friend is dead. And the jerk who did it gets away with it because of more spells and shadows!
The torches flared up when I yelled, reacting to the rush of energy in my blood.
Huxley's look softened, but his voice stayed the same. "Then make good use of that anger. You are Alpha not just in name, but also in fate. Your anger is not what the pack needs right now.
Devon stepped in with a low but firm voice. "You're right, brother. We will find him. But if you lose control now, Taros wins two times.
I turned away, breathing heavily and clenching my hands at my sides. The smell of pine and dirt from the woods outside the room drew me in. There were too many walls, eyes, and words in here. It was too much.
Elder Marcus got up. "Alpha, maybe we should call it a night. There are a lot of emotions in the air. "We'll meet again at dawn."
I didn't say anything. I stared out the window at the faint glow of moonlight spreading over the forest below.
Devon moved closer to me, but I raised my hand to stop him. I said softly, "End the meeting." "Make the patrols in the east stronger." Put twice as many guards near the valley. We won't sleep until we find a lead on where they are. Also, torture Raft more until he agrees to take us to them."
I pushed open the chamber doors without waiting for an answer.
The cold night air hit me like a wave of fire and clarity. I walked down the stone steps quietly, and the sound of my boots echoed softly in the courtyard. As I walked by, the guards stiffened and bowed their heads, but I didn't see them very well.
The moon was low in the sky, a pale guard over the dark forest. Every breath hurt my chest, and I couldn't shake the weight. Emily's laughter echoed in my head, light and far away, cruel in its memory.
As I got to the edge of the woods, the smell of pine and wet dirt filled my lungs. My wolf pushed harder now, restless and wanting to be free.
"Fine," I said under my breath. "You want out?" Then go ahead and take it.
Cracked bones. Muscles got all twisted up. The change ripped through me like a storm of pain and power, taking away the last bit of calm I had.
I was standing on four paws instead of two when it was over. The world made every smell, heartbeat, and whisper of wind stronger until it was almost too much. Under the moonlight, my pitch-black fur sparkled. The ground shook when I started to move.
Faster.
Faster.
The forest blurred by in green and silver streaks. My paws hit the ground hard as I ran through paths I knew well, but I had never run them with peace before. Not since that night.
Emily's grave was deep in the woods, where the trees were tallest and the air was always still. The smell of dirt and wildflowers on the wind made me slow down as I got closer.
The moonlight came through the trees and lit up the clearing in soft silver. The silver pendant had her name perfectly carved into it.
In memory of Emily Valery Blackthorn with love
Luna of the Legion Pack
My love, heart, and soul. Mother, daughter, sister, and friend.
Gone too soon, but always remembered.
I moved back halfway, still a person, still a wolf, something in between, and knelt in front of the grave.
The anger was still there, but there was something worse underneath it. Nothingness.
"I swear I'll find him," I said in a rough voice. "All of them." And I'll make him feel what I felt when you died.
The wind blew through the trees, soft and sad, like an answer I couldn't hear.
I dug my claws into the ground next to the stone. The forest held its breath, and the air was thick with the promise and revenge I made.
A wolf howled low, long, and hollow in the distance.
And I raised my head, my eyes glowing red in the dark, and let the sound come out of my throat in response.
A promise.
A warning.
A start.