Chapter 138 Plans
Coban's POV
The war room hasn't felt this full in years. It took us two weeks to get some alphas together from our most closest allies to the crown all in one room. We need to hit these enemies and start knocking them down. We need to remove these threats. Trixie's bump is showing now. Caden and I can't keep our hands off her stomach, off our pups.
The long obsidian table stretches nearly the length of the room. Maps and Intel spreads across its surface and also projected on a screen behind where Caden and I sit. Pack borders marked in ink and pins. Movement routes drawn and redraw until nothing is left to chance.
I sit at the head of the table. Trixie is on my lap. I need her there to ground me with her warmth and steady presence. One of my arms is wrapped securely around her waist with my fingers resting against her hip. She's quiet, but she's alert. Her eyes tracking every voice and every shift in tone. She's a queen in every sense of the word.
Caden sits beside us. His posture is relaxed, but coiled. Across from us, Benjamin sits with Trinity on his lap, her back against his chest, his hands loosely folded around her middle.
Kevan and Mark flank the tables right side. Darien and Lucian stand just behind them with their arms crossed and their eyes are on their queen.
Elliott has also joined our meeting today. He has Brandy on his lap. She is proudly showing off her fresh mark that he put there. Benjamin looks over at his sister and shakes his head. But deep down he is very happy. She is finally marked and found her mate.
Further down the table are where all our allies sit. Alpha Morice of the Shining Star Pack. He is always calm and calculating. His pack is very strong. He has highly trained warriors.
Alpha Draven of Dark Couds Pack he is wearing a grim look, but he's always battle hardened.
Alpha Rudolph of Fading light Pack is sitting there quiet and observant. He is not saying too much but when he does, we all listen. He's very informative.
Alpha Larry of Rising Tide Pack is there as well. We were also finally able to get Alpha Torrence of the Glowing River Pack. He brings the numbers as his pack is one of the largest packs we have.
This isn't a council. It's a war machine being assembled.
I tap the map once, drawing everyone's attention. "Two days from now." I say as my eyes flicker across all of the men in the room. No one reacts. They all know that's where this is heading. We all know exactly why we're here. To neutralize threats.
Morice leans forward. "Shining star will strike dark forest at dawn. We will bring full force. We don't hold ground. We will dismantle leadership and supply routes." he said, as he looked up from the map scattered on the table.
Draven nods as he looked over at Morice. "Dark Clouds will hit simultaneously from the west. They won't see it coming from both sides." he finished saying as he looked up at me with a grin.
"Dark Forest relies on dense terrain and ambush." Caden says evenly. "They won't adapt fast enough to a two pronged assault. That is very good thinking." he nodded at the two Alpha's.
Rudolph speaks next. His voice, deep and calm. "Fading Light and Rising Tide will move together against raging rapids. They are aggressive and undisciplined. We will draw them out. Then we will collapse the line." he said as he looked over at Alpha Larry for a confirmation.
Larry nods. "We want them chasing shadows while we cut off retreat." he says as he leans back in his chair.
Torrence rumbles from the far end. "Glowing River will take black moon. Kings could you spare some of your lycan warriors as we will hit them alone. It will be an element of surprise." he said with a huge grin on his face.
I nod my head. "We will have 20 lycan warriors go back with you when you leave here. I agree with the element of surprise. They definitely won't adjust to that." I said, as I gripped Trixie's waist a tad tighter.
"Then it's settled. We will take out black moon with 20 Lycan warriors with us. It will be fast and brutal. It will be over before they understand what's happening." he said with a sharp nod towards me.
Mark smiles, grimly. "Simultaneous strikes no time for a coordination. No reinforcements. That's the shit right there." he said, as he ran his hand through his hair with a huge grin on his face.
Benjamin folds his hands. "Which leaves one." he said as he looked right at Caden with a shit eating grin on his face.
Norman
The name doesn't need to be said out loud for the tension to tighten.
Kevan leans back slightly. "Dark Star remains untouched." he says as he arches a brow.
"Exactly" I say knowingly. Draven's brow furrows. "That leaves Norman nervous." he says, as he is staring at a map in front of him. "Paranoid" Lucian adds quietly. "And isolated." Darien finishes. I nod. "We want him, wondering why he was spared. We want him looking over his shoulder. He will be making a lot of mistakes. He will practically take himself out." I laughed as the room chuckles.
Caden's voice is cold. "Norman doesn't get the courtesy of an open war." he spits out. Irritation at his name alone, obvious in his tone. Benjamin meets my gaze. "He gets removed. Clean and separate. I like that." he nods once.
Halfway through our meeting, I feel Trixie shift slightly in my lap. A second later the door opens as all conversations pause. A few from the kitchen staff moving quietly. They place trays of food, pictures of water, fresh bread, meat and fruit on the table without disrupting the flow.
Morice glances at Trixie, amusement is clear on his face. "Good timing, my queen."
She smiles faintly. "You all we're going to forget to eat." a few low chuckles ripple around the table. We break briefly still talking strategy between bites.
"Timing is everything." Rudolph says. "If one strike lags..." he was saying until he got interrupted. "it won't." mark cut in. "Each force moves independently, but hits all at once."
Torrence wiped his hands. "Black moon won't survive first contact." he says as he looks up from his plate.
"Once those packs fall." Benjamin says. "The rest will scatter." he said, as he placed a piece of fruit in Trinity's mouth.
"Except Norman." Kevan says.
I look down at Trixie then back to the table. "He wanted to play the long game. He hid and smiled and played neutral. He played everyone. We will let him watch his allies burn first." I say with a smirk creeping up on my face.
Caden nods once. "Then we end it."