Page 35 of Fated to the Rogue

“I will work with Delta Alex to ensure all new members will have proper accommodation for the time being. I’ll also look into Silent Rivers current defense system and develop a new one to make sure our new lands won’t be attacked by rogues.”

“Good. And I will take care of the papers. Looks like we’re all set...” Both men rose from their seats with my statement. “But before I officially end our meeting, there’s another important issue I want to discuss.”

At first, they were confused. Slowly, my Beta seemed to catch on to what I meant, and once knowing smirks lit up both our faces, my Gamma too realized what was going on.

“Don’t.” His empty threat didn’t scare me.

“We have a birthday boy today!” I chanted, watching with amusement as the frown on his face deepened. “You’re finally getting your wolf today, and we need to decide how we’re gonna celebrate.”

“I already have plans,” Zach blurted out.

“Staying in and playing video games all day is not a plan.” It was Malin’s turn to scrunch his eyebrows. A moment later, his usual smile was back on his face as he threw his arm aroundthe Gamma’s neck. “I was thinking we could hang out by the waterfall and have a guys night!”

“Great idea!” I encouraged him.

“No fucking way!” Zach struggled free from the Beta’s grasp, crossing his arms soon after. “What are you even still doing here anyway? Shouldn’t you be far away, enjoying your days off by chasing rainbows with your cupcake or something?” he mocked.

“Mystar,” my best friend corrected as I held my laughter. I was with Zach on this one; I didn’t get why mates felt the need to give each other pet names. “And well, I talked to Zephyr and we decided to put off my little vacation. I wouldn’t miss your birthday for the world, you know. Cheer up, man. It’ll be fun!”

“You know what would be fun? If a hunter stabbed you in the heart with a silver dagger. I’d make sure to be there to twist the blade,” the raven-haired man muttered gloomily.

“Wait, Zach. I think you’re missing the silver lining.” I stepped between the two, knowing just how to convince my Gamma. “It’ll be just the three of us tonight. No girls allowed. Which means…”

His eyes widened as realization hit him. “If one of the females of our pack is my mate, my wolf won’t be able to sniff her immediately.” A sinister smile crossed his face. “On a second thought, I’m down for that.”

My third-in-command had been terrified of girls for the past six years. When he was twelve, he had a crush on a girl named Simone, who used to be in our class despite being a little older than us. One day, he brought blooming dandelions to school and declared his love for her, only to be turned down in front of everyone. Since then, he got stuck with the nickname “Lame Eagle,” which was a play on the title of the warrior Zachari Skies, whom he was named after - The Great Eagle. As an introvert, he had always been quiet, but he became even more reserved after that incident.

“Awesome.” I tapped his shoulder as I walked past him. “Now, go get ready. The sooner we get this out of the way, the faster we can focus on our ‘Fallen’ problem.”

“Wait. You know what I just realized?” I turned around to find Zach with a thoughtful expression. It looked vaguely positive. “After we absorb Silent Rivers, Wind Howlers will be the largest pack in Eastern Genoro. Not only does that mean we will have more warriors to help us defend our territory against the Fallen, but it will also make it easier for us to make new alliances.”

For a moment, all I could do was stare blankly at him. Everything was happening so fast, that fact must have slipped my mind. Zach was right though. If we finally managed to find allies to fight alongside us against our common enemy, it could mean the beginning of the end of our problems.

I opened my mouth to express my relief, but Dawn caught me by surprise. “Your Gamma is a genius, I’ll give him that. He’s still hella weird though.”

“You’ve known him for what, two weeks?” I stared at her in confusion. “How come you’re only forming an opinion about him now?”

“It’s not my fault if he just mutters and mumbles around. Prior to today, I didn’t even know what he sounded like.”

This time, I couldn’t control myself. Her explanation made me burst out laughing.

“What’s so funny?” Zach’s usually barely audible voice brought me back to reality.

“Sorry. Dawn just told me a joke.” A tear slid from my eye, and I wiped it away with my finger as I tried to collect myself. Glancing at my friend, I realized he didn’t seem to buy my poor excuse, but he didn’t say anything. “You’re right. The odds might have just turned in our favor, but it’s still up to us to make surewe don’t blow our chance. Let’s hope nothing goes wrong with uniting the packs.”

The guys exchanged serious glances before nodding at me. I returned the gesture, finally exiting the office with them following right after me.

???

By the time we finished having lunch, the limousine was already waiting outside to take us to Silent Rivers territory. Alex came to wish us a safe trip, and I took the opportunity to make sure she had everything under control. It wasn’t necessary though; my Delta had always been magnificent at her job. In the meantime, Malin struggled to say goodbye to his newly-found mate. They would only be apart for a couple hours, maybe less, but I knew how dramatic my best friend could be. Usually, I would have invited Amaya to tag along, but since wolves can be wary of outsiders, we decided it would be best to avoid making the situation more complicated than it needed to be; the less people, the better.

It was only a 30-minute ride to our destination, as our territories weren’t too far apart. Still, I spent every single second of my journey wondering about how the takeover would go. From the moment I defeated Ryder, I earned the right to claim the land and men he led, but that didn’t mean I would be successful in doing so.

Since werewolves are loyal creatures by nature, it wasn’t uncommon for them to show reluctance in accepting a new leader. If some of the members didn’t deem me worthy of their respect and obedience, I would be given two choices - either force them to go rogue, or execute them. Although rare, there have been cases of entire packs being wiped out after refusing tosubmit. Like my Gamma pointed out, it was crucial for us to have as many warriors as possible on our side, which is why I was ready to put on a show if that’s what I needed to do to convince them to follow me.

My thoughts were only interrupted by the sight of the landscape as soon as we crossed the borders of my newly acquired pack. I had never set foot in these lands; all I knew was that this territory was crossed by two large rivers that ran quietly and smoothly, thus granting them their name. However, as I glanced at the trees rolling through my window from the corner of my eye, I was struck by a strange feeling of familiarity. I lifted my head up, dedicating all of my attention to studying the forest surrounding us. For some reason, it felt like I had been here before.

“It’s just a bunch of trees. You’re obviously confused,” Dawn observed, though I could feel the same estrangement emanating from her.

---