Chapter 79 New Threat
Fernando stormed out of the meeting room, his boots echoing loudly against the stone floors of the pack house. His face was a thundercloud, jaw clenched tight, eyes narrowed with barely contained rage. The elders' demands had pushed him to the edge, and his decision to call for the mate's duel had left a bitter taste in his mouth. He had bought time, but at what cost? The bond with Alberto tugged at him, a constant reminder of what he had just denied in front of the entire council.
Darius followed him immediately, his steps quick to keep up. He shook his head slowly, a mix of frustration and disbelief on his face.
"Fernando, wait," Darius called.
Fernando did not slow. "Not now."
Darius grabbed his arm and pulled him into a side corridor, away from the main halls. "Yes, now. What the hell was that in there?"
Fernando yanked his arm free. "You heard them. They want a mate declared."
Darius crossed his arms. "And you told them Alberto is just a bed warmer. A slave."
Fernando's eyes flashed. "I have my reasons."
Darius stepped closer. "Your reasons are crap. You humiliated him. You humiliated your own mate."
Fernando paced the narrow space. "The pack is not ready for him as Luna or consort. He is a former slave. The keeper. If I declare him now, challenges will come from every direction."
Darius laughed bitterly. "So you protect him by calling him a bed warmer? By saying he is nothing more than a slave who warms your bed?"
Fernando stopped. "It buys time."
Darius shook his head. "Time for what? To keep leading him on? To keep him in the shadows while you act all mighty?"
Fernando's voice rose. "You do not understand the pressure."
Darius matched his volume. "I understand plenty. You can have him in your bed, be dovey with him, arrange trips for him, but you cannot say his name in council?"
Fernando turned away. "It is complicated."
Darius grabbed his shoulder and spun him back. "Complicated? You bound your soul to his. You wear the mark. And you stand there and call him ordinary?"
Fernando shoved him off. "I did what I had to."
Darius's eyes narrowed. "You did what was easy. If you lose him because of this, I will never forgive you. You are too toxic for him."
Fernando snarled. "He is mine."
Darius stepped back. "Not if you keep treating him like this. And the mate's duel? I am opting out. I will not help with it. You made your bed."
He turned and walked away.
Fernando stood alone, the corridor empty.
Fernando walked back to his study with a heavy step, the corridor's torches casting flickering shadows on the stone walls. The meeting with the elders had left a bitter taste, their insistence on a mate and his own sharp words still ringing in his ears. He had called for the mate's duel, a desperate move to buy time, but the cost weighed on him. Alberto's face flashed in his mind, the hurt he would feel when he learned of the denial. Fernando pushed the thought down, focusing on the stack of reports waiting on his desk. Pack issues demanded his attention. Borders, supplies, training rotations. He could lose himself in work.
He entered the study and sat at the desk, pulling the first parchment toward him. It was a report from the eastern patrols, detailing increased rogue sightings. He scanned the details, making notes in the margin. The next was from the quartermaster, requesting additional grain stores for the winter. He approved it with a quick signature. The third detailed a dispute between two families over land boundaries. He rubbed his temples, deciding to delegate it to a lower council.
Hours passed as he sorted through the pile, his quill scratching across parchment. The pack ran on these details, and he buried himself in them to avoid the ache in his chest.
A knock sounded at the door.
"Enter," Fernando called, not looking up.
Kael stepped in, bowing low. His uniform was dust-covered from the borders, his face serious.
"Alpha," Kael said. "Your attention is needed at the western border."
Fernando set the quill down. "Why come directly to me? Report to who is in charge."
Kael straightened. "Samael is not around. He left with the keeper for the countryside. Darius announced that all pack related matters that are not within beta grasp should not be reported to him anymore this evening."
Fernando shook his head slowly. "Darius said that?"
Kael nodded. "Yes, Alpha. He was clear."
Fernando leaned back in his chair. "Lead the way."
Kael bowed again. "This way."
They left the study, Fernando following Kael through the corridors toward the western gate. Guards bowed as they passed, but Fernando's mind raced. Darius's announcement was a clear message. The beta was angry, distancing himself after the council meeting.
The western border lay a short ride from the pack house. They mounted horses waiting at the stables and rode out, the wind carrying the scent of pine and earth.
Kael spoke as they rode. "Scouts reported movement. Shadows in the trees. Not rogues, but organized."
Fernando nodded. "How many?"
Kael replied. "At least twenty. Armed. They avoided direct confrontation but left marks on our territory stones."
Fernando's grip tightened on the reins. "Vargus?"
Kael shook his head. "No sign of him. But the marks are deliberate. A challenge."
They reached the border outpost, a fortified tower overlooking the western forests. Patrol wolves saluted as Fernando dismounted.
The captain approached. "Alpha. The intruders left this."
He handed Fernando a dagger embedded in a tree trunk, the blade wrapped with a strip of black cloth—Vargus's colors.
Fernando's face hardened. "He tests us."
Kael stood beside him. "Orders?"
Fernando pulled the dagger free. "Double the patrols. Send scouts deeper. If they return, capture one alive."
The captain bowed. "It will be done."
Fernando mounted again. "Kael, stay here. Oversee the reinforcements."
Kael bowed. "Yes, Alpha."
Fernando rode back alone, the dagger in his hand.
The pack faced new threats.