Alpha Liam is a stormtrooper

"Did you find the bottle of virus sample?" Howl Wolf Thor asked me, his voice low. I could see the wisdom in his black eyes and the calmness that surrounded him, despite the tension in the air. His short silver hair and the grayish tint of his beard added to his middle-aged demeanor, and I noticed his pierced ears glinting in the dim light.

We were the werewolves of the Vanara Pack. I was Triple Changer Oz, an assassin and trainer of the scout wolves, known for my ability to transform into three forms: human, werecat, and werewolf. Howl Wolf Thor, second-in-command of the wolves, always stood by Alpha Lowell, except when his decisions endangered our pack. Despite his calm exterior, he had a reputation for being hard-headed when it mattered.

"No, I didn't get that bottle," I replied, keeping my voice low. In my human form, I considered myself handsome, with black hair and striking black eyes. A scar ran beneath my right eye down to my cheek, and a hidden mole under my left eye made my expressions more intense, giving me an air of mystery.

We sat in the room, speaking quietly as Alpha Lowell rested nearby.

"I can't believe this happened," said Theta Wolf Azeil, his curly short hair catching the light as he shook his head. His beautiful brown eyes, reminiscent of a sunset, were fixed on Alpha Lowell. "We were supposed to be prepared for everything."

"I know," I said, my voice heavy with sadness. "But we couldn't have predicted the ambush. They caught us off guard."

"Now we need to focus on him. He's our Alpha, and he needs our help," Azeil insisted, his determination clear.

We both turned our attention back to Alpha Lowell, who lay still on the bed. His breathing was shallow, and his wounds were severe.

"You answer me first, Triple Changer Oz," Azeil said, looking at Alpha Lowell. I could see the concern etched on his face as he straightened up and repeated Howl Wolf Thor's question: "I could not find the bottle."

"What do you mean by no? Do you know how important it is to us?" Howl Wolf Thor barely controlled his anger.

"I had seen..."

I was about to explain when the sound of the door interrupted us. We all looked up to see Beta Geri enter the room. His black wavy hair framed his pale face, and his bluish-green eyes were filled with concern as he stared at our Alpha.

"What is the condition of Alpha Lowell now?" he asked, worry evident in his voice.

"The claw marks are gone, but it will take a while to fully recover," Howl Wolf Thor replied, glancing at me again with questioning eyes.

"I saw their whole pack house, but I couldn't find the bottle anywhere," I added.

"I told Alpha Lowell to let me go. Alpha Liam of the Gravefur Pack saw me stealing that bottle of virus in a police uniform. If anything happened, it would be on me." Tears welled in Beta Geri's eyes as he looked at Alpha Lowell. "But he said I wasn't strong enough to confront Alpha Liam."

Frustration surged within me. I had always respected Lowell as a strong leader, but now I felt the need to speak up. "Alpha Lowell, I understand that you want to protect me, but I can't just sit back and watch Alpha Liam hurt you."

I turned to Azeil. "We need to stand up to him and put an end to his tyranny. Are you with me?" I saw Azeil approach Geri, grabbing him by the arm and pulling him toward the table where Howl Wolf Thor and I were sitting.

"Where can it go?" Howl Wolf Thor slammed his hand on the table, making the objects on it clatter. "If it wasn't there," he said, looking at Geri, "did you take a good look at Nagosia forest? Was there anyone else besides Alpha Liam and Alpha Lowell?"

"No, as far as I remember, there was only Alpha Lowell and Alpha Liam. I couldn’t notice anything else because Alpha Lowell was in bad condition," Geri replied, wiping away a tear that threatened to fall.

"We have to find that bottle and return it to humans. We were so close to victory; I don’t know how the Gravefur Pack got the upper hand," Howl Wolf Thor said, anger evident in his tone.

"I think they just saw the bottle now," Azeil added, placing a hand on Howl Wolf Thor's shoulder. "The truth is yet to be revealed to them, and by the time it is, we will find the bottle ourselves."

"And even if we don’t, we won’t let it fall into the hands of the Gravefur Pack," Geri said, his eyes distant as if staring into the future.

"One thing that has been bugging me for a long time," I said, feigning confusion. Howl Wolf Thor looked at me, his black eyes sharp. "What?"

"I looked all over the Gravefur Pack's house for the bottle, but I didn't see three werewolves there."

"Which ones?" Howl Wolf Thor asked.

"Alpha Liam O'Connor, Beta Osiris Kenzo, and Zeta Eli Ryker," I replied.

"They must be somewhere. Maybe you just missed them," Azeil said lightly.

"No, they weren't in the pack house. I overheard Ultima Wolf Edric telling assassin Eta Wolf Suzette that Zeta Eli and Beta Osiris went to get Alpha Liam from Nagosia forest, but..."

"But?" Howl Wolf Thor pressed, listening intently.

"But later, Zeta Eli returned alone, saying he left Alpha Liam with a healer in town and that Beta Osiris would stay with him tonight."

"How can this happen when Alpha Lowell was healed without a healer? Why does Alpha Liam need a healer or a hospital for his recovery?" Azeil questioned, frowning.

"Alpha Liam must have died, who knows?" Howl Wolf Thor said with a sarcastic laugh. "They’re probably burying him in the darkness of the night."

As we returned to the pack house, I couldn't shake the feeling of unease. Zeta Eli had pretended to be with a healer.

"Alpha Liam is a stormtrooper. If he were so easy to kill, we wouldn't need to join hands with these mortals who are nothing less than insects," Beta Geri added, his voice steady but filled with resolve.