Chapter 9: Chapter Nine: The Writing on the Wall

The blood-stained symbol haunted Alex’s thoughts as he and Kara made their way back to the main chamber. Every line, every jagged edge of the carving seemed to pulse in his memory, a reminder that the rogues were always a step ahead.

Kara walked beside him, her crossbow still in her hands, her expression grim. “Whoever’s helping the rogues isn’t just giving them information. They’re leaving messages, Alex. They want us to know they’re here.”

Alex nodded, his jaw tight. “And they’re not trying to scare us. They’re trying to divide us. The pack’s already on edge this is only going to make it worse.”

When they reached the main chamber, Alex paused just outside the entrance. The low hum of conversation echoed from inside, laced with tension. He could already hear the whispers, the doubt that spread like wildfire through the pack.

“They’re testing us,” he said softly. “And if we don’t figure this out fast, they’re going to break us apart.”

Kara placed a hand on his shoulder, her voice steady. “We’ll figure it out. But you need to focus. The pack is looking to you, Alex, whether you like it or not.”

Alex let out a slow breath, then squared his shoulders. “Let’s go.”

The moment Alex stepped into the chamber, the room fell silent. All eyes turned to him, the weight of their stares pressing down on him like a physical force.

“What happened?” Maya, one of the senior pack members, stepped forward, her sharp eyes narrowing. “Did you find anything?”

Alex hesitated for a moment, then nodded. “We found something,” he said. “A message.”

Murmurs rippled through the pack, their voices overlapping in anxious whispers.

“What kind of message?”

“From the rogues?”

“What does it mean?”

Alex raised a hand, silencing them. “It was carved into the tunnel wall near the eastern perimeter,” he said. “A symbol and three words. ‘The moon bleeds.’”

The room went quiet, the air growing heavy.

“The moon bleeds?” Ethan repeated, his voice trembling. “What does that mean?”

“I don’t know,” Alex admitted. “But it’s clear the rogues are trying to send a message. They want us to be afraid. They want us to turn on each other.”

Lucas’s voice cut through the silence like a blade. “And whose fault is that?”

Alex turned to see the alpha standing at the edge of the room, his arms crossed over his broad chest, his amber eyes locked on him with cold fury.

“You’re the one stirring up doubt, Alex,” Lucas continued, stepping closer. “You’re the one planting seeds of fear in the pack. And now the rogues are taking advantage of it.”

Alex bristled, his fists clenching at his sides. “This isn’t about me, Lucas. This is about the pack. The rogues are already inside our territory, and if we don’t take this seriously, we’re going to lose more lives.”

Lucas’s lips curled into a sneer. “You think you have all the answers, don’t you? But all I see is a beta who doesn’t know his place.”

The tension in the room crackled like lightning. Alex could feel the pack’s eyes shifting between them, their unease growing with every passing second.

“I’m not trying to take your place, Lucas,” Alex said, his voice steady but firm. “But the pack deserves better than empty promises. They deserve a leader who’s willing to fight for them.”

Lucas’s growl was low and dangerous, his claws flexing at his sides. “Careful, Alex. You’re starting to sound like you think you’re better than me.”

“I don’t think I’m better,” Alex shot back. “I just think we need to do better.”

The silence that followed was deafening. Alex held Lucas’s gaze, refusing to back down, even as his heart pounded in his chest.

Finally, Lucas turned away with a scoff. “You think you’re so smart? Fine. You handle it. You find the traitor. You deal with the rogues. But when you fail and you will fail the blood will be on your hands.”

He stormed out of the room, leaving the pack stunned and silent.

Alex let out a slow breath, the weight of Lucas’s words settling heavily on him. He glanced around the room, taking in the pack’s anxious faces.

“We’ll figure this out,” he said, his voice steady. “But we need to work together. The rogues want us divided, and we can’t let them win.”

Maya stepped forward, her expression sharp but not unkind. “What do you need from us?”

“Start watching,” Alex said. “Pay attention to who’s acting strange, who’s asking too many questions. And if you see or hear anything unusual anything at all tell me or Kara immediately.”

Maya nodded, and a few others murmured their agreement. The tension in the room eased slightly, though the unease still lingered like a dark cloud.

Kara leaned in close to Alex as the pack began to disperse. “Do you really think we’ll find the traitor that way?”

Alex’s jaw tightened. “It’s a start. But I have a feeling the traitor isn’t going to stay quiet for long.”

Later that night, Alex couldn’t shake the feeling that he was being watched. The den was quiet, the pack scattered throughout the tunnels, but the weight of unseen eyes followed him wherever he went.

He found himself wandering back to the eastern perimeter, where the bloody message still marked the wall. Kara had insisted on following him, her crossbow at the ready.

“You think they’ll come back?” she asked, her voice low.

“They already have,” Alex said, his eyes scanning the shadows. “We just haven’t seen them yet.”

As they rounded a corner, a faint sound reached Alex’s ears a soft scuffling, like footsteps on stone. He held up a hand, signaling for Kara to stop.

The sound grew louder, accompanied by the faint scent of something familiar.

“Someone’s here,” Alex whispered.

They moved cautiously, following the sound until they reached a narrow tunnel that split off from the main path. The scent was stronger now wolf, but laced with something sour and wrong.

Alex stepped forward, his claws extending. “Who’s there?”

For a moment, there was no response. Then a figure emerged from the shadows, their face partially obscured by the dim light.

Alex’s heart sank.

It was Ethan.

The younger wolf froze when he saw them, his eyes wide and panicked. “I-I wasn’t doing anything!” he stammered, his voice trembling.

Alex’s eyes narrowed, his heart pounding. “What are you doing here, Ethan?”

“I was just… I thought I heard something,” Ethan said quickly, his words tumbling over each other. “I wanted to check it out.”

Kara raised an eyebrow, her crossbow aimed but not drawn. “Alone? At night? Without telling anyone?”

Ethan flinched, his gaze darting between them. “I-I didn’t think it was a big deal.”

Alex took a step closer, his voice low. “Why are you lying, Ethan?”

“I’m not lying!” Ethan protested, but his voice cracked, betraying his fear.

Alex’s claws flexed, his instincts screaming that something wasn’t right. “The rogues got into the den, Ethan. They left a message on this wall. And now I find you here, alone, sneaking around? Start talking. Now.”

Ethan’s breathing quickened, his hands trembling at his sides. “I-I didn’t mean for anyone to get hurt,” he said, his voice barely above a whisper. “They said they just wanted information. I thought”

Kara stepped forward, her eyes blazing. “You’ve been helping them.”

Ethan stumbled back, his face pale. “I didn’t have a choice! They threatened me they said they’d kill me if I didn’t help them!”

Alex’s blood boiled, his claws digging into his palms. “What did you tell them?”

“Just… small things,” Ethan said, his voice shaking. “Patrol routes. Schedules. I didn’t think it would”

“They killed Derek and Lila because of you!” Kara snarled, her crossbow aimed squarely at Ethan’s chest.

“Enough!” Alex barked, stepping between them. He turned to Ethan, his voice cold. “Where are they now? What are they planning?”

Ethan hesitated, his fear overtaking him.

“Where, Ethan?!” Alex shouted.

Tears welled in Ethan’s eyes as he whispered, “They’re coming. Tomorrow night. They’re going to take the den.”