Page 5 of Fated to the Rogue

As soon as we walked into the place, I quickly counted every single one of the Alphas already present - there were sixteen in total. Some of them I had met in the past, but most I had never seen. Normally, my father would introduce me to the other leaders before the meeting, but we had no time for that tonight. Instead, he led me straight towards the only two empty chairs.

“Thank you all for coming, gentlemen. And thank you, Alpha Bertrand, for agreeing to host our meeting with such short notice.” The oldest man in the room addressed the table before nodding at my father. I immediately knew he was an Elder, a member of our society who was above all other ranks. They had more affinity with magic as they had lived and practiced it for nearly a century. Unlike most other positions, they were respected because of their knowledge rather than their strength, though they were still powerful beings.

“It’s an honor, Elder Aegeus.” Dad bowed curtly at the Elder before we took our seats. It was a rare occurence to see the leader of Wind Howlers lowering his head before someone else.

“Without further ado, let us begin.” The second Elder Aegeus sat back down in his chair at the head of the table, the room went completely silent. “All of you have been called here because your packs are established inside the state of Genoro, which is now considered a danger zone.” Shocked gasps could be heard, but no one dared interrupt the Elder. “Not long ago, the army of the Fallen destroyed yet another pack, and we have every reason to believe the shifters of Genoro will be their next target.” Shivers ran down my spine at the news.

The Fallen, as they were usually addressed, were an army of rogues who were supposedly stronger than normal. However, not a single one of them had been caught alive, and no one had survived one of their attacks, making it impossible to know exactly what they were. The only information we had about them was that they were vicious, sneaky creatures, who could disappear as quickly as they had shown up without leaving a trace.

In the beginning, they weren’t really considered a threat. They started by attacking small packs with less than 50 members in the country of Anadac. As they grew in numbers, they marched into the Integrated Nations, where we lived, slaughtering packs all across Hanstonwig, located just north of us. Now, it was suspected they were capable of taking down packs of more than 200 wolves.

“What course of action should we take?” one of the Alphas inquired.

“As of now, the I.N. Elder Council is still trying to gather more details about the enemy. It is too dangerous to launch an attack without knowing exactly who we’re dealing with,” the Elder informed in a low voice. “We encourage leaders to cometo us with any information they may have on the Fallen, and to those of you who do not wish to try your luck against them, we recommend you leave your lands.”

The suggestion caused whispers to burst through the crowd. Wolves were extremely territorial; they would gladly give their lives to protect their homes. Of course, most of them would never consider abandoning their territories. Without even glancing at my father, I knew we thought the same.

“The I.N. Elder Council will be offering aid to those who choose to migrate. Please let us know your decision by the end of the next week,” Elder Aegeus went on. “The topic of our debate must not be discussed until we make an official announcement. We have decided to warn you in advance to allow you the chance to prepare for what’s coming, but we do not want to incite panic. Before I declare the end of our meeting, do any of you gentlemen wish to make changes to your current political relationships and pacts?”

From the context, it was easy to interpret what would happen next. I was taught from a young age that an Alpha must be stoic, never letting others read his true emotions. Although my expression remained neutral, I was sure my rapid heartbeat could be heard as anticipation got the best of me.

There were only two other packs on the route from the last territory attacked by the Fallen to our home. Since neither of these pack leaders were present today, either because they couldn’t come on short notice or because they were able to foresee the outcome of the meeting, it meant…

“Crimson Tail would like to terminate its alliance with Wind Howlers,” one of the Alphas announced, locking eyes with my father.

“So would Lunar Pride,” another followed.

“Black Fang will take the same position.”

Out of our four present allies, three of them decided to sever our treaties. Cowards. They were choosing to hide with their tails between their legs while our common enemy destroyed our kin. Since they weren’t among the first packs standing in the way of the Fallen, they would gladly stand by and watch from a safe distance. To my displeasure, there was nothing I could do but clench my fists in silence; it wasn’t my place to speak, but even if it was, what was there to say?

Once the Elder documented the changes in relationship between packs, he declared the end of the meeting. One by one, the Alphas rose from their chairs. At the exit, my father shook each of their hands while I stood by his side, stone-faced as anger bubbled up to my throat. Two of our ex-allies even had the audacity to apologize, and wish us luck.

Luck, I scoffed. A great Alpha doesn’t need luck.

“I’m sorry about your situation, Alpha Bertrand.” A masculine voice caught my attention. Although it wasn’t too familiar, I knew I had heard it a few times before.

“Wind Howlers is in a tough spot, but we will pull through.” My father shook the man’s hand. “Thank you for remaining an ally to us through these dark times.”

“Silver Claw is grateful for all the aid your pack has offered us during the past few decades. We wouldn’t leave you to your own devices in the face of difficulty.” The other leader smiled.

“You will not regret your decision, Alpha Anders.” The words left my mouth before I even realized I was speaking; it seems I had held my tongue for too long. The two men looked at me with surprised looks on their faces, but instead of lowering my head, I raised it. “Once I officially step in as Alpha, I will direct all my efforts into defeating the Fallen. Wind Howlers will thrive, you can be sure of that.”

The leader stayed silent for a moment, but he soon grinned at my father as he patted me on the back. “Your boy’s fierce,Bertrand! Reminds me of you when you were his age.” He then turned to me. “I have no doubt you’ll make a fine Alpha, Zephyr. Know you can always count on Silver Claw for whatever you need.” I nodded at him, determination shining in my blue eyes.

After he left, the Elder approached my father to reassure him that the council would help us should we decide to leave. Despite the way Dad lowered his head and thanked the older man, I knew he would never consider abandoning our lands.

The very mountain we established ourselves on had been Wind Howlers’ home for seven generations. From the forest surrounding our borders, to the dandelion fields, every inch of our territory carried a small piece of our history. The wolves of our pack could feel a connection with these hills before they were even born; they could hear the wind calling their names.

But if we stayed, did we really stand a chance against a powerful enemy we knew so little about?

“Zephyr.” My father’s voice broke my concentration. I was so absorbed in thought I didn’t even notice we had already made it to the entrance of the pack house. Concern must have been written all over my face, because he placed both hands on my shoulders as he stood in front of me, staring straight at me. “You’ll have plenty of time to worry about our problem in the future, but tonight’s your last night as a 17-year-old. Either go out with your friends to enjoy it, or rest and get ready for tomorrow.”

I hesitated for a moment before finally sighing. “Yes, father.”

“Goodnight, son. I’ll see you tomorrow.” He flashed me a small smile, and I watched as he disappeared inside of the building.

I kept staring at the door for a few more seconds, pondering on what I should do. Hanging out with the boys would be a good distraction, but I felt like I needed to be alone with my thoughts for a while. I could follow my old man’s advice and head to myroom, but the Alpha suite was far too big and empty. Whenever I was within those four walls, the hollowness inside of me became unbearable; I doubt I would be able to get any sleep, especially when there were so many thoughts running through my mind. Diving my hand into my front pocket, I pulled out the keys of my Ferrari and headed to the garage.

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