Adams’ POV
As the large heavy wooden door slowly moved and made a creaking noise, I confidently walked into the living room, making my way with a clear intention in my mind.
The details of my recent meeting were still very vivid in my thoughts. During that meeting one of the guards had brought up the topic of an unexpected visitor who might arrive.
As I walked into the room, I noticed there was some kind of tension in the air which mixed with the cozy warmth that came from the gentle crackling of the fire in the fireplace.
At the center of the space was a man standing. He looked quite shy and uncertain, almost as if he wasn’t sure of himself.
When I got closer to him, he quickly dropped to one knee. His forehead was almost touching the floor, showing just how humble he was.
“Your Highness,” he said softly, with his voice shaking a little as he bowed low, looking very respectful and full of admiration.
“Get up,” I said gently while hoping my kind tone would calm him. “You are with friends here.”
The man paused before sitting up, and I looked at him closely. The wrinkles on his rough face showed he had faced many struggles. Dirt was on his hands and the rough spots I noticed revealed years of working hard in the fields.
“Thank you Your Highness,” he said nervously with his eyes moving around.
“I’m Alfred and I come from Thornvale.” His voice trembled while showing the fear that drove him to ask for my help.
“Talk to me Alfred,” I said at the same time, motioning for him to sit down. “What’s bothering you?”
“Your Highness, we have seen some rogues near Thornvale.”
I frowned with worry. “How many are there? How far is their camp from your village?”
“Just a few miles, I think,” Alfred said with his voice shaking. “Sorry if I’m wrong, but it seems they are getting stronger. I’m afraid they plan to attack and kill us.”
I leaned in with my instincts on alert. “Did they attack? Is anyone hurt?”
“No, not that I know, but we saw them last week. My neighbors and I have spotted them at the forest’s edge. I’m worried they’re waiting for something.”
I felt a heavy weight on my chest. Losing one village was bad, but this danger was bigger than just one place. “You did a good job coming here Alfred. I won’t leave your village unguarded.”
The man went down on his knees again, bowing low in thanks. “Thank you, Your Highness. We will be very grateful! I will tell my neighbors about your kindness!”
“Get up Alfred,” I said strongly. “We need to do something now.” I shouted for Captain Kael while keeping my voice calm. “Captain come here.”
The captain showed up right away and alert in his well-worn armor. “Yes Your Highness?”
“Send a hundred soldiers to Thornvale right away.” I looked back at Alfred. “They will go home with you. Don’t worry, your village will be safe.”
“Thank you!” Alfred said with his voice full of relief as he quickly got up from his knees with his eyes shining with grateful tears.
At that moment, Ronan came into the room with his face hard to read. “What’s going on?” he asked while hearing the last part of our talk.
“Rogues have been sighted near Thornvale,” I said while feeling the burden of my duty on me. “They’ve been gathering information and might plan to attack.”
“Those troublemakers,” Ronan said while balling his hands into fists. “We should have done something earlier.”
“Get the maps,” I said. “We need to plan.”
We went to my office and laid the detailed maps on the strong wooden table. The marks showed our territory and where the intruders had struck.
“Look,” Ronan said while pointing at several places with his voice showing his annoyance. “It’s obvious they are moving slowly, kind of like a snake hunting its food.”
I nodded seriously while noticing the pattern in the rogue sightings. “They’re testing our defenses, Ronan. Each sighting seems planned-a careful try just out of our reach. They’re searching for a weakness in our guard.”
Ronan squinted at the map. “And we can’t give them any,” he said firmly. “We have to strengthen every village, not just Thornvale. We must be ready for any attack.”
“That’s a smart plan,” I said with my fingers following possible spots where Augustus and his group might be on the map.
“They’ll probably hit our weakest areas. If we can predict their actions, we may have a chance. We need to act first.”
Before we could fully develop our plan, a loud knock at the door interrupted us. I told the guard to come in.
“Your Highness,” the guard said with a small bow. “An elder from the Green Forest Pack is here to see you.”
I felt a wave of worry. I glanced at Ronan. “An elder? Why would an elder from Green Forest come here? That’s strange.”
Ronan sounded suspicious when he quietly asked “What do you think they want?”
“I’m not sure,” I said while feeling uneasy. “But we need to get them.”
We walked into the living room where the older man was waiting. He had a sense of power and control even though his dark hair had some gray in it.
“Your Highness,” he bowed his head to show respect. His voice was even and strong. “I am Elder Aurelius.”
“Hello Elder Aurelius,” I said while waving for him to sit down. “What brings you to my area?”
Aurelius looked tired and it made me feel sad. “I have important news for you, Your Highness. The whole werewolf community is counting on you. They no longer trust their leaders and are hoping you can rescue us from Augustus.”
Ronan’s anger showed, but his voice was clear. “Augustus? Is he trying to fight us directly?”
Aurelius looked serious. “Yes. People who have met him say he has bad intentions. He’s trying to gain power to take down the families that have kept us safe for years. It seems even Ben, your brother, is working with Augustus now.”
I felt tightness in my jaw when I heard about my brother’s betrayal. “He picked disloyalty.”
Aurelius let out a heavy breath slumping his shoulders. “It seems that way. The elders think that ignoring what Augustus did is dangerous. We need to be strong and stick together. You, Alpha King are our best chance!”