Let’s go back three years again and return to the safe house…
“Hey V! I found Alexia and got her back to the safe house.”
“Good! I’m glad that you’re both safe. Now tell me the real reason why you’re calling.”
“What do you mean, Alpha?”
“I mean that Gamma Ma’Heron Denar usually doesn’t call just to say he’s okay. What happened now?”
“I… Well, I… Remember I told you that she’s my mate?”
“That was pretty clear, and you didn’t want to have anything to do with mates. I remember you saying that too.
“Well, we… happened to have… accidentally… marked… each other.”
V stood in silence for a moment, trying to make sense of what he just heard.
“So, you were walking normally, slipped and fell on top of her and marked her?”
“I know how it sounds, V…”
“Who are you, and where is the responsible, mature, focused Gamma of the Silvercrest Pack?”
At that point, Vince was not sure if he should joke around until his friend got angry, go all the way to the safe house to kick his ass personally, or maybe simply yell at him over the phone…
He kinda felt that he would do all three if it was only possible.
“V, I swear we didn’t intend for this to happen. We just lost control… We were talking about the asshole I had been, and I was apologizing… then we were making love, and I was so attracted to her neck, and when I bit her, she was biting me as well… the climax was otherworldly, by the way…”
“I can imagine. Now, how are we going to solve this situation? Our pack is bigger than both Dark Forest and Crescent Moon, but… Tell me now, how are we supposed to avoid them joining forces and attacking us if you already marked her?”
“That was kind of the reason for me calling. More than to report, I needed to ask… what are the implications of this… mate… marking… thing.”
“Thing, huh? For a lawyer, it’s quite scary at how your vocabulary has suddenly been limited by lovemaking.”
“Alpha, can you just answer my question, please? This is the one topic in our pack laws that I have almost no idea about because… well… I… you know…”
Just so V is sure he won’t have to wait forever for his Gamma to finish his statement, he just blurted out his answer,
“If you both were free and did casually find each other, then there would be no problematic issues. None, whatsoever. But because she’s from a rival pack, and was betrothed to another enemy pack, the possibilities of a war…”
As if on cue, the alarms sounded off. The pack’s perimeter had been breached, and the warriors had just a few seconds to get everyone who could not fight into the safe rooms in the basement of the packhouse before they launched a counter attack to defend their territory.
“There’s your answer, dear friend of mine. Gotta go. Stay safe.”
“V? V! VINCENT!!!”
The call was dropped.
“What happened?” asked Alexia, still naked and in bed, watching her mate as he paced the room with his phone in hand.
“The pack… Silvercrest. It’s under attack right now!”
“What?! We have to go help!”
Alexia rushed off the bed and was about to shift when M spoke, “Wait. We’ll need all of our strength for this. Let’s use the motorcycle outside to get there.”
“Right, then,” she said with determination, as she grabbed her jeans and t-shirt. “Good thing you were able to get it back here after you rescued me. Let’s move!”
He smirked at her authoritarian tone, now finding it amazingly cute. “Yes, m’lady. After you.”
+++
The warriors rushed towards the enemy, some of them already in werewolf form.
Vince and Aaron are still in human guise and are both looking for Alexia’s father within the havoc to try and negotiate while they fight. Around them, the smell of blood and the screaming started to rise as the song of the generations that had defended that land resounded in the air.
Silvercrest warriors, known for their ability on the battlefield, started barreling through the enemy’s lines. Those with their claws and fangs already out; were swiping at enemies left and right.
The fierce howling could be heard from miles away.
Arnout Van der Meer let out his hate and rage in human form initially, but the moment he saw the younger Alpha approaching, he merged with his ruthless, sadistic, and vicious wolf, Chernit, and launched himself toward V.
The latter, who at the time was merging with his unusually big and powerful wolf, Roth, went for a defensive stance. The exchange of words started and V tried his best to avoid viciously harming the man. Instead, he tried to negotiate with him, using an ability that he always kept a secret but found it to be useful and vital for desperate moments…
He opened a psychic connection with Alex’s father; since you can’t mindlink wolves in other packs. It was easier for him to do so since they were both Alphas and were also in their werewolf forms.
Alpha Arnout, you know you’re gonna get your warriors killed! Who convinced you to attack?
The older warrior was too angry to realize what V had done just to speak with him and growled his reply via the provided link, I wasn’t convinced by anyone! I need and demand my daughter back, Alpha Vincent! I gave my word for her to be part of our pack’s merger, and that disobedient, simple-minded, selfish female made all this mess to escape her responsibilities! I’m just fixing what she has done!
But the worst consequences will be taken by your warriors due to your actions! Look around you! Besides that, your daughter is not here. What you’re doing doesn’t make any sense!
Easily, the older Alpha could already see how many of his fighters had fallen, never to get up again. For a minute, he faltered and then his heart hardened.
If this is the destiny that the Goddess has for me and my pack, then so be it! Besides, if I don’t give Alexia to Abner, who will run Dark Forest? That woman knows nothing about leading. We’re doomed either way!
Arnout’s ego and fury grew together, canceling out whatever reason he had left.
It’s not your problem how we do things in our pack, Alpha Vincent! She was taken by your Gamma, and that gives me the right to come and reclaim her. And if you are truly wise, I would take care of my own back first. That is what I would do if I was in your place.
Arnout then howled! It was a high-pitched sound that made the warriors surrounding them turn toward the two Alphas…
And they attack V all at the same time!
Unfortunately, the Beta Aaron could not help his leader.
He has been dealing with his own struggles since he was in the middle of his search for the Alpha of the Crescent Moon Pack, while avoiding fighting any of the other werewolves since he is still in human form. Not that he couldn’t take them, but his focus is on his target… And he suddenly came face to face with the maniac that he needed to talk to.
Abner de Jaager. And he has not shifted, either…
Humph, overconfident bastard, this Abner. Well, look who’s talking. Just makes my job easier!
“Oh, hello! Abner, right? I’ve heard lots about you! You’re the crazy man who’s trying to take another wolf’s mate as a wife, right? And by force too… tsk, tsk…”
“You talk too much about things that are not your problem.”
“But the fact that you’ve started a war against my pack, it kinda makes it my problem as their Beta.”
“It won’t be any more when I kill you right here and right now!”
Dream on, bitch! Onyx, Aaron’s wolf, snarled from within his human. Wait, bro… what’s that?
Suddenly, Aaron saw something shine in his enemy’s hand, as the sun’s rays reflected on it…
“Oh wow, a needle? Really? That’s a loaded syringe, right? Do you seriously think that you can win? Even with both your packs attacking us, you can’t beat us, man! Look at yourself, so weak and such a loser that you need to CHEAT to maybe, if you’re lucky, equal me. So bad, so sad,” Aaron said, as he laughed with deep disdain into his foe’s face.
Abner was now doubly furious. It was not usual for him for his enemies noticed his little tricks. Still, he held the small metallic vials, and needles out, and tried to punch Aaron with them. He got even angrier as he continued to miss, the fast Beta dodging every blow effortlessly.
“I don’t have to do this to you! We only came for Alexia. If you give her to me now, we will immediately take her and leave. No more complications, no more fighting. Just give me what is MINE!”
“She’s not even interested in you. Why in the world are you making this such a big deal?”
“Well, since you refuse to give her to me, and I will have to kill you, I’ll tell you. She is part of my plan to take your stupid, happy, and loaded pack. All of it would have been mine, first her people, then yours. Had she not found her mate at the last minute, I would be well on my way to completing that plan! NOW, DIE!”
Abner shifted into his tall and thin light gray werewolf form, as he merged with his wolf Kieran, shredding his clothes in the process.
“Sorry, no. I don’t intend to die today. I still haven’t found my mate; you see…”
Aaron’s clothes were ripped to bits as well, as Onyx and he merged into a dark brown and brawny werewolf.
Meanwhile, Silvercrest warriors had come to help V, as it seemed that Arnout’s command meant that they should attack him exclusively. As Vince’s fighters surrounded him, The Dark Forest Pack was now dying at the hands of the stronger and more numerous rivals.