Page 97 of Fated to the Rogue

“I can’t imagine what you’re going through,” I said at last.

It was her turn to sigh as she opened her eyes again to face the floor. “It is exhausting. I’m constantly trying to figure out who I am, yet it feels like the more I learn about my past, the less I know.” She inhaled deeply, raising her head to look into my eyes again. At the same time, her hands reached out to mine and she interlaced our fingers. “But it’s not your fault, Zephyr. Just like it isn’t your fault that Rhys managed to break free. None of us knew about the Fallen’s resistance to silver.” I furrowed my brows in confusion. She was my mate, and she knew me better than anyone else. But it still surprised me every time she read my thoughts. “You don’t have to take the blame alone today. Like you said, we’re both leaders of Wind Howlers. We share the joys and the pains that come with the position.”

“I guess you’re right,” I chuckled, leaning closer to allow our noses to touch.

After a few more just taking in each other’s presence, Valentina and I got up to change into work clothes. I was hoping to get a few more seconds alone with her to fully clear my mind, but plans changed. We were just putting on our shoes when I heard Malin’s voice inside my head.

“The Council has just crossed the borders. They should be up front in five.”

“Coming.” Instead of immediately closing our connection, I made a brief pause. “Let’s see what they’ll do to me once they find out about the suicidal mutt.”

“At least you figured out another one of their weaknesses. Or non-weaknesses, I guess.” Classic Malin. Always seeing the bright side.

“Someone needs to make up for your lack of positivity, Mr. Gloom,” Dawn joked. As much as I hated to admit it, her silliness made me feel a little lighter. “You said I was your ray of sunshine. I suppose I do balance your twilight-bleak essence.”

“I said that about Valentina. Not you,” I corrected her, huffing playfully.

"Potatoes, potahtos.” She shrugged, retreating to the back of my mind.

Once I told my mate about the arrival of our guests, she accompanied me downstairs, where the rest of my team was. The Elders were just hopping out of the car when we stepped outside. I sucked in a deep breath, blocking my feelings to face them with nothing but neutrality. After greeting each of them, I proceeded to tell them everything that happened up until the moment we left the destroyed Raven Woods. They analyzed the bodies of the four Fallen we had taken down, searching for new evidence. When they were done, the head of the council asked the million dollar question.

“Where is the Fallen you managed to capture alive?” His tone was emotionless as he stared at me with nothing but seriousness.

“Funny story,” Cassiopeia deadpanned, earning a glare from me.

“We took him to our dungeons and kept him chained with silver cuffs in a cell.” I held my head high. Not too long ago, I had learned it was foolish to try and run from the consequences of my actions. “Unfortunately, we were underprepared. It seems the Fallen are resistant to silver. Rhys managed to set himself free when we lowered our guards. He ripped his own heart out, killing himself.”

For long seconds, there was only silence. I was ready for the head of the council to yank my head off, but in the end, all he did was sigh.

“That’s truly unfortunate. Having one of them alive could finally lead to the end of this massacre.” I bit my lip, realizing how stupid I had been to underestimate Rhys. “Either way, the corpses should be of great help for our research as well.”

“We will be heading to Raven Woods territory as soon as we’re done here, so we can investigate what happened. We need to verify if the pack has been wiped so we can take it off our registers,” another member of the council continued. Elders were known to be even more expressionless than Alphas, but at that moment, I swore I saw a flicker of sorrow in his eyes.

“There’s also another issue we would like to discuss with you, Alpha Zephyr.” The head of the council took a step forward, and my blood ran cold. Then, I noticed him shoot a side glance at the witch, who was right behind me, before his eyes landed on me again. “Cassiopeia insists that you and your Luna are the Switched Pair mentioned in the prophecy, and we trust her judgment.” I fought the urge to raise my eyebrows in surprise.Elders seldom believed in magic. They were the wisest of our kind, and they usually relied on science or religion.

“It is believed that Wind Howlers will be the Fallen’s next target,” a third Elder chimed in. “I’m sure you have done your fair share of preparing, Alpha Zephyr. As the National Council, we’ve been encouraging other packs to fight by your side. Sadly, no incentive has been enough to convince any of them. We are enforcers of Werewolf Law, but we cannot use our power to force any leaders to join you in this fight. Nonetheless, we thought of another way to help you defend your pack when the time comes…” He gestured for the witch to come forth, which she gladly did, with a pleased smile. “Over the past few days, Cassiopeia has been reporting the development of your abilities to us. She’s impressed by your growth, and she’s adamant about training you until the time comes for you to face the enemy. For that reason, we’ve decided to suspend her from her duties at the council to stay at Wind Howlers and focus on helping you progress.”

I quickly looked at my Luna, then at Cass. But we barely had time to process the information before the head of the council spoke again.

“Furthermore, Cassiopeia has decided to directly assist you during the war. We all believe the skills of a witch can be of great assistance. Work with her to come up with new battle strategies; take advantage of her magic.” He made a brief pause before revealing, “Of course, we will be covering the costs of her service.”

“This is the best way in which we can support you, Alpha Zephyr,” a fourth Elder added.

This time, I couldn’t prevent my eyes from widening. Having Cass to shine a light on the confusing situation my mate and I found ourselves tangled in was already very helpful, but having a witch to aid us in such a big battle… It was monumental.The possibilities of offensive and defensive methods we could combine with her magic were infinite. If seeing the mass destruction at Raven Woods had made me lose hope, Cass’ promised help replenished that hope once again.

“Thank you so much.” I lowered my head before the Elders, recomposing my neutral expression. “We will undoubtedly make the most of your kindness.”

“Just win the war, Alpha Zephyr,” the head of the Council said with a serious expression. As if it was that simple.

After everything was settled, Cass was asked to put a cloaking spell on the bodies of the Fallen we had brought to our territory. That would ensure the Elders would be able to transport them to their headquarters without major problems. We accompanied them to their vehicle, and before they left for the now desolate Raven Woods territory, they reminded me that, this time, the enemy had waited less time in-between attacks. Instead of the usual one month and a half, they showed up again only four weeks after the destruction of Nightwalkers.

Four weeks. That was a short amount of time left for me to ensure the safety of my pack - or less, considering they seemed to be growing quite quickly in power. What if they were ready to come for us sooner than we were all anticipating?

I couldn’t afford to lose another second.

“Okay. Since this is taken care of, let’s get going.” Cassiopeia’s voice pulled me from my dreadful thoughts, as if she was reading my mind.

“Going…where?” My Luna arched an eyebrow at her.

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