"You believe it's worth destroying this pack to expose Victor's lies?" Rogan's rage was hardly contained as his voice roared across the room.
A large man toward the rear of the group answered, "It's not lies, Alpha," in a tone that was defiant but his voice calm. "You're too scared to face the truth."
Every muscle in my body tensed, I stood next to Rogan and looked across the room. This emergency meeting was attended by about half of the pack, and the atmosphere was anything but cohesive. The sharp edge of displeasure cut through the air, and whispers scuttled through the gathering like irate bees.
"You believe Victor is interested in this pack?" Rogan stepped forward and challenged. He is responsible for planning these assaults, putting our puppies in risk, and siding with... whatever those shadow creatures are. How are any of you able to stand here and wonder where your allegiance should be?
"That's how you tell it," remarked Jarek, the same man. His eyes shone with a perilous mixture of resentment and conviction. However, Victor claims that you are the one who put us in danger. We are now a target because of your stubbornness to resign.
My chest constricted as his remarks were followed by a wave of muttering.
With my voice cutting through the background din, I declared, "This isn't about power." I could feel the weight of their gazes as the room turned to face me. It has to do with surviving. Victor wants to dominate the pack, not defend it. And in order to accomplish it, he is prepared to sacrifice all of you.
While some heads turned away, unable to look at me, others nodded. I could feel the uncertainty, and it made me shiver.
In a quiet comfort, Rogan's palm touched mine, yet I could sense his anxiety. "Go now if you think Victor is real," Rogan stated in a chilly, low voice. But be aware that you shouldn't rush back to me for safety if he betrays you or abandons this pack in order to defend himself.
There was an uncomfortable hush in the room. Rogan's remarks appeared to have struck a chord for a brief instant. Then a woman called Lysandra, who was standing close to the front, spoke up.
"Under your leadership, Rogan, we've lost too much," she remarked, her voice shaking with sorrow. "Our pups are gone, my mate hasn't slept in weeks, and my sibling passed away at the northern border. Perhaps Victor is what we require.
Rogan's jaw tightened as a sharp intake of air reverberated around the room.
"You believe your brother will return if you turn to Victor?" His tone was severe but not cruel as he inquired. "You believe that you will be safer if you side with someone who abducts children?"
Lysandra hesitated, but Jarek moved in with an aggressive posture before she could react.
"This is enough," he said. "Perhaps a new Alpha is needed if you're too blind to see what's best for the pack."
My heart stopped beating. Rogan tightened his hold on my hand, and I briefly feared that he would attack Jarek. Instead, he took a step back, his face unreadable and icy.
"Want to put me to the test?" Rogan's voice was dangerously calm as he asked.
Although Jarek didn't respond, the way he looked at Rogan and straightened his shoulders was sufficient.
I intervened before things got out of hand, saying, "Now isn't the time for fighting." "The pack is already split, and Victor is growing stronger with each argument we waste. Instead of tearing each other apart, we must unite.
With a pause, Jarek glanced at me. What do you know about the requirements for this pack? You are not among us. You are simply his friend.
I didn't let it show, even though the words hurt more than I wanted to acknowledge. "You're correct," I replied. "This pack wasn't my birthplace. But like all of you, I have battled and bled for it. And since this pack is now my home, I will continue to fight for it.
The stress was so great that it was impossible to breathe. I briefly believed that perhaps, just possibly, what I had said had been understood. Jarek's voice rose as he turned to face the audience.
He remarked, "You know where to find me if you're with me." "When this so-called Alpha kills us all, we'll be waiting for you."
A few more trailed behind him as he walked from the room. I felt sick to my stomach as I watched them leave.
After the room had mostly departed, Rogan observed sardonically, "That could have gone worse."
I raised an eyebrow as I turned to face him. "Really? because, from my vantage point, it appeared very awful.
With a groan, he combed through his hair. "Victor wants precisely this. Split up the flock and undermine us from within. We're allowing him to take advantage of us.
"We'll fix this," I stated firmly. "We must."
Rogan's face softened as he turned to face me. "Are you sure you're not giving up?"
"No chance," I replied.
He grinned, a tiny but sincere smile that broke my heart. "All right. since I doubt I could accomplish this without you.
A loud knock on the door cut us off before I could reply. A young fighter entered, his face white.
"Alpha, Luna," he uttered in a quivering voice. "We discovered something."
"What is it?" Rogan inquired.
After a moment of hesitation, the warrior raised a piece of bloody cloth. I felt sick to my stomach.
He said, "It's from one of the missing pups." "We discovered it close to the southern border."
I had to steady myself by grabbing the edge of the table because the room seemed to be tilting.
"Victor," Rogan said in a steely voice.
The warrior said, "Perhaps." "But... something else was there."
He produced a tiny black medallion with strange symbols engraved on it.
"What is that?" With a shiver down my spine, I asked.
The warrior shook his head. “We don’t know. But it was left where we found the cloth. Almost like... like they wanted us to find it.”
Rogan and I exchanged a look, and for the first time, I saw fear in his eyes. Not for himself, but for the pack.
“This isn’t just Victor,” he said quietly. “This is something bigger.”
Before I could respond, the lights flickered, and a low, guttural growl echoed from outside.
“What was that?” I whispered, my pulse racing.
Rogan’s eyes darkened, his body tensing. “Stay close to me,” he said.
The growl came again, louder this time, and the shadows outside the window seemed to shift and move, as if alive.
“We’re not alone,” Rogan said, his voice barely above a whisper.
I reached for his hand, gripping it tightly as the shadows pressed closer, their shapes becoming disturbingly human.
And then, just as suddenly as it had started, the growling stopped. The shadows retreated, leaving behind a chilling silence.
But the medallion on the table began to glow.
“Rogan,” I said, my voice shaking. "What's going on?"
His eyes locked onto mine, his jaw clenched. “I don’t know,” he said. “But whatever it is, it’s not over.”
The medallion pulsed once, twice, and then shattered, filling the room with an eerie light.
And in the distance, the sound of a child’s cry pierced the night.