Give them a pack

Give them a pack
Bella was awakened by her father. She sighed and got ready for the meeting. Bastian meet her outside her office, bringing her breakfast.

“Thank you, Bastian,” she smiled.

“My pleasure, luna. You need to eat,” he told her.

“I can’t be eating during the debriefing,” Bella objected.

“You have ten minutes. You can finish at least half that bowl by then,” he challenged her.

“Gray put you up to this, didn’t he?” Bella said as she started eating. She was hungry.

“He might have mentioned that he was worried that you weren’t eating,” Bastian confessed. Bella rolled her eyes.

“Once. I said I didn’t have and apatite once, after watching that thing last night. Were you hungry after that?” she asked Bastian, irritated.

“No,” he said hesitantly.

“And you don’t see anyone wondering if you are starving, do you?” she huffed.

“You don’t need to eat the breakfast if you don’t want to, luna,” Bastian said, sounding worried. Bella sighed.

“Sorry, Bastian. Too little sleep, being away from Gray and being worried about the pack has got me in a bad mood. I am grateful for the food. I was hungry,” she smiled.

“It’s understandable. You have a lot on your plate,” he said.

“My plate is actually quite empty,” Bella laughed and pointed at her empty bowl. “But seriously, I shouldn’t take it out on you. I’m sorry,” she added. Logan chuckled at her empty bowl.

“It’s fine, luna. I can take it. You should have seen the boss when he got stressed. You’re in the minor league,” he continued to chuckle.

“Gray? I don’t think I have ever seen him lose his temper,” she said, surprised.

“Of course you haven’t. Since he met you, he never goes off. You are his personal stress reliever,” Bastian smiled.

“I think that’s the best compliment I have ever gotten,” she said as they logged on to the alpha meeting.

The meeting started with reading out loud all the pack members that had lost their lives. Forty-two in total. It sounded like a lot, but out of almost two-thousand warriors, it was a minor loss.

They had over five hundred rogues captured. The question was what they should do with them. Even the fiercest alphas had a hard time wrapping their head around executing five hundred wolves. But leaving them could be dangerous. What if they picked up and started a new rebellion?

“I think we need to determine how much of Devon’s plan they knew about. From what we have found, most of them just think they would be able to re-join a pack,” alpha Mikael said.

“Our biggest concern is that this nonsense with taking over the human world doesn’t live on,” alpha Noa agreed.

“What do we do if they aren’t aware of the grand plan?” a luna asked. There was silence as everyone thought about it.

“We give them what they want,” Bella blurted out. All eyes looked at her.

“I don’t mean that we let them back into our packs or let them take one over. We let them create a pack of their own, choose their own alpha and fix them up with some land,” she explained.

“I don’t see what that will solve,” alpha Greg said.

“It’s actually brilliant,” an older alpha smiled.

“If we do as the Blackmoon luna suggests, then we have all the rogues in one spot. It will be much easier to monitor them. And alpha Brutus may correct me if I’m wrong, but it’s easier to spy on someone you know where they are,” the alpha said.

“You are correct, old friend. The issue we had when trying to gather information about the rebellion was that we didn’t know where the rogues were,” alpha Brutus agreed.

“Well, we will have to consider that then,” alpha Sam smiled.

After discussing how to interrogate the rogues they discussed how to withdraw the warriors, and how many should remain until all the rogues were taken care of.

“I’ll be leaving for home once we are finished here. I’ll leave five of our warriors under alpha Mikael’s command. I’m worried that Devon is headed to our pack. We hold his mate,” Graham said. No one objected. They all understood the need to protect the pack and his pregnant mate.

They decided that alpha Mikael and alpha Noa would remain behind for now to assist the Blueridge pack in handling the rogues. All the wounded warriors were to be sent home. Each pack could withdraw further warriors as well, but leave at least five behind.

The search for Devon was of highest priority, as they didn’t know what his next move was. He could try to expose them to humans and by doing so, force a war. They set up a coordinated search effort.

As the meeting ended, Bella took a moment to make a list of things that needed to be done. The patrols needed to be looked over. She could ask George to do that. Someone needed to take a point of being their contact person for the search after Devon. She could leave that to Bastian.

Bella needed to tell the warrior’s mates who would come home and who would stay for a while. She also wanted to talk to Delilah. She might have insights into what Devon was up to.

“Bastian, can you handle coordinating the search for Devon with the other packs? I’ll talk to the warriors’ mates and then talk to Delilah,” Mary asked him.

“I can handle it. But I don’t like that you are going to talk to her alone. Let me come with you,” he said.

“No, you need to be on top of the search. And I won’t be alone. I’ll take my horde of warriors and there are warriors in the cells as well,” Bella pointed out.

“Still, it might be better that you coordinate the search and I’ll talk to Delilah,” he said.

“Bastian, I appreciate you trying to keep me safe. But I’ll be safe,” she said, placing a hand on his shoulder.

“If you insist, luna,” he muttered.

“I do,” she smiled.

Bella asked Mickey to join her as she talked to the mates of the warriors, in the cases the warriors didn’t have mates, she talked to their family.

“Bee, have you noticed that there aren’t almost any chosen mates in this pack,” Mickey said as they were walking back to the pack house with Mavis happily snoozing in a stroller.

“Yeah, I have noticed that. Maybe because they don’t live as close to the humans as our old pack. Or maybe they are more patient up here,” she mused.

“I know you have always been set on the whole true mate thing, but I was losing faith. I was ready to just scoop up first best hunky wolf that was interested,” Mickey confessed.

“I didn’t know that,” Bella said, surprised.

“If I had, I would have lost Logan and Mavis,” Mickey sighed, sounding heart broken.

“But you didn’t. No need to feel bad for what could have happened. You have both Logan and Mavis. And when Logan comes home in about an hour, the three of you will finally get some time together as a family. Then Gray will announce to the pack about the adoption at dinner,” Bella smiled.

“You are right. And Lotte has already volunteered to babysit for a couple of hours this afternoon, so Logan and I can say hello,” Mickey smirked.

“Oh my,” Bella laughed.

It had taken longer than Bella thought to speak to the warriors’ families. Bella stopped by the kitchen for a quick snack before she headed for the cells. Betty joined her with four other warriors. For once, Bella was grateful for their presence.

As they walked, Bella mind linked George and Bastian to check in. Everything was going smoothly. They both asked her to take it easy and rest. George threatened to send Lilly after her, and Bastian threatened to send her father. Bella promised she would be back in time for lunch as Graham, Logan and the warriors would be back around then.

As they reached the cells, Bella asked four of the warriors to remain and guard the entrance as she and Betty went down. The warriors in the cells had already moved Delilah to the interrogation room. Bella and Betty headed straight there after greeting the warrior by the entrance.

Delilah sat in the metal chair with silver shackles. She looked quizzical when Bella and Betty stepped into the room.

“Why are you here? Where is that alpha mate of yours?” Delilah smiled.

“He has just finished tearing down your headquarters,” Bella smiled back.

“Lies,” the traitor hissed.

Bella was prepared for this. She wasn’t naïve enough to think that Delilah would buy her story and start spilling the beans. She took her phone out and started playing clips of last night’s battle. She started with battle scenes and ended with the surrender. Delilah couldn’t take her eyes off the screen.

“There you go,” Bella said and put away her mobile.

“Devon would never surrender,” Delilah said proudly. “And he isn’t dead, I would know,” she added.

“You are so right. Your mate didn’t surrender. He’s a coward and fled. He left his beta to pick up the pieces,” Bella scoffed. Delilah Growled and Bella raised her eyebrow.

“He would never flee. He is regrouping and preparing to come and get me,” Delilah happily said.

Bella laughed, earning her another growl and a death glare from Delilah. Bella knew that the only thing holding Betty back from hurting the traitor was that Bella had made her promise not to do anything until Bella asked her.

“Your mate has put a price on your head,” Bella told her.

“You are lying!” Delilah shouted.

“I’m not. If he is heading this way, it isn’t to rescue you,” Bella said. She pitied the woman in front of her.

“Lies,” Delilah mumbled.

‘Luna, I don’t think she will be useful,’ Betty mind linked Bella. Bella sighed and looked at the she-wolf that was now rocking back and forth in the chair.

‘I think you are right. Gray will use his alpha command. This is of no use,’ Bella agreed.

They had turned around and were about to leave when the alarm sounded and the mind link came.

‘Breach at the southern border, ETA to pack house approximately five minutes.’

Bella looked at Betty. Betty put her hand on Bella’s back and guided her out of the room, into the hallway.

‘Where are you luna?’ Bastian mind linked.

‘In the cells with Betty,’ she answered.

‘Stay there. It’s fortified. I will head out to join the warriors. The others are on their way to the shelters,’ Bastian said.

‘Okay, stay safe. Have you heard from Gray?’ she asked.

‘Not since he got off the plane. He should be here in the next thirty minutes,’ Bastian told her.

Bella retold the information to Betty.

“The beta is right. We are safer here. Please join me in the observation room. It has two exits. I will make sure the warriors on top secure the entrance,” Betty said.

Bella nodded and did as she was asked. Betty had her sit on a chair in the observation room, both of them silent, waiting on news.