Chapter 29: Priorities
Nathaniel
"This isn't right! This isn't right at all!" My wolf screamed in my head as we ran back to the pack.
"There's an attack now, and we have to leave mate alone?! We shouldn't leave her! Especially not after last night!" Hunter kept yelling.
But what could we do? I had to choose... and I chose my pack. Hunter was just thinking about our mate. "The pack... if there was danger, how can we not be there... how can we not help prevent a disaster?" I kept telling him as he growled. I knew we faced an impossible choice. I didn't want to leave her after the best night of my life, knowing that she was having doubts, and now my actions were not going to help me in this situation.
Roger had called me in an emergency. As soon as I approached the borders of our territory, I knew we were in trouble. The rogue had a rotten smell, and I could smell it miles away from my position. My wolf accelerated, and soon, I joined the fight with a roar.
"Alpha! The Alpha is here!" I heard the warriors of my pack through the mind link. I dove in, burying my claws in the fur of the enemies, tearing necks, hearing screams.
"Alpha! They've entered the territory!" Michael shouted at me, looking exhausted and strained. He was older and had fought bravely.
This was my duty... I couldn't leave the pack behind.
"I'll take care of it! You guys, come with me!" I ordered the twins, who rushed to my side.
The protocol had been put in place to protect anyone who couldn't fight, and I knew they were hiding and that would be the enemy's first target.
"To the pack house!" I shouted, and on my way, I finished off the rogues who were attacking my warriors. The twins were strong and acted as one, smashing enemies wherever they went.
I was extremely violent, practically crushing anyone who came my way with a force I didn't think I'd ever experienced before.
My roar shook the earth, and at times, I saw the desperation of the rogues. I pounced on several of them, and some fled in fear. There was blood, screams, and death. In a few minutes, I had finished all those who tried to enter the pack house, our main house.
When I reached the rogue, who seemed to be the one who had brought them here, I anchored him to the ground, put a paw on his neck, and cut off his breath.
I knew that the whole pack was watching me, attentive to what I was doing. But we immediately turned into a human. I could see that he was a young man, wounded, and had undoubtedly been through a lot.
"We'll take him as prisoner. We need information. He will tell us what's going on. Take him to the dungeon!" I shouted, and my warriors took him away.
I spent several hours checking that everything was in order and assessing the damage. Luckily, I had arrived in time. I felt the adrenaline all over my body, and... I missed my mate.
My warriors and everyone in the pack looked at me in amazement. I felt more powerful and authoritative. It was... hard to explain.
When I called a meeting later that night, I asked for an explanation of what had happened. I listened to all, not judging... just trying to understand.
"They took us by surprise... it's not even that our sentinels were unaware... they just attacked us with a force we could not have predicted," one of the warriors told me.
"They are extremely organized for rogues. I saw how they had different tactics to attack in different parts of our territory," said a worried young she-wolf, one of the most skilled warriors.
"And the time... in the morning... it's as if they seemed to know..." Michael said, and I understood.
"As if they seemed to know I wasn't here..." I finished as I stood near my desk and watched my warriors. As much as we had discussed the matter, I knew it wasn't their fault.
"There is something else here that we need to investigate. Michael, you can send explorers deep into the forest to see if there are any settlements or if we can find any clues. Roger, we need to go to the nearby towns to see if anything similar has happened," I said.
"Keep an eye on our prisoner... and get some answers out of him. I'll take care of him myself soon."
"Yes, Alpha!" they said, and my team took care of everything I asked without hesitation.
"How are we going to be with Mate and here at the same time?" asked Hunter.
"We have to find a solution... and also find out who was following us," I answered. Suddenly, a voice startled me as I was on my way to my room after a long and tiring day.
"Son... you handled that very well, I must say. It was impressive." It was my mother, standing in the corridor, welcoming me home.
She was a regal woman, and while my father gave her almost no power or let her act, she also knew how to influence the pack.
"Are you okay, Mom? Did something else happen that I didn't see?" I didn't have the most loving parents, but they were always willing to help me, and that was saying something.
"It's all right, dear. What I mean is that something has changed in you. I've seen it; you've always been a very strong wolf, but today... today, the enemies must have feared what they saw in you. An extremely powerful Alpha," she said, taking my arm and smiling proudly.
"Thanks, Mom..."
"I think big things are coming for Moonstone; I feel it deep inside me. I think the Moon Goddess has blessed us. Are you sure there isn't something else, son?" she asked me, smiling. Suddenly, another voice joined us.
"Ruth, the boy knows what it's like to be an Alpha and doesn't need your advice," my father told her grumpily. She gave me a sad smile and left after wishing me good night.
They had been chosen mates, so their bond wasn't as strong. How would things look if they had been destined mates?
"Mom just wanted to see if I was okay; you didn't have to tell her that," I blurted out. I never stood up to my father, but maybe I was different today. He didn't pay any attention to me.
"I assume you've already given orders to find out what's going on?"
“That's right, everyone agrees that rogues are behaving unusually, and we need information. That's why I kept the prisoner."
"You have done well, son. Although I think the evil is coming from somewhere else..."
"What do you mean?" I asked. Any information was useful to me right now.
"It all has to do with the humans."
"The humans?" I asked.
"That's right; they have taken over territory that affects us, which helps rogues attack us more easily. If this was all wolf territory, we'd be safer."
"You sound like Alpha Marco..." I responded.
"Well, I think the Alpha has a point. I know what he's trying to bring up at the council, and it seems to me that you should support him."
"I won't; the humans didn't hurt us," I said. That upset him.
"Are you forgetting that it was a human who brought us the most misfortune? They died! Fellow members, friends, innocent men and women! How can you say such a thing?!" he roared at me.
I approached him and showcased all my size and Alpha power. He was also an Alpha, but I was the one currently leading the pack and the most powerful.
"I don't go against innocents. I think there's more going on here than meets the eye. And I will take care of it. I would prefer to have your support, Father... but believe me, I will do it without you," I told him. He was astonished, but in a few seconds, he regained his composure.
"Of course, you have my support..." he said, not very convincingly. When I turned around, he called me back.
"You need a Luna. You need an heir. You were strong today, but you could be even better if you had her. Your mate will make you stronger... don't forget that." I heard him but didn't answer.
"We are strong because we are with her. The longer we are with Penelope, and the closer we get, the stronger our bond will be and the stronger we'll become. Right now, none of the Alphas have a destined mate. We could be invincible, the most powerful Alpha in the region!" Hunter told me ecstatically.
He's probably right. We were truly blessed.
"I think... the only way to take care of her and keep the pack together... is to bring her here," I said.
But how could I bring her here when my own father was against humans? Not to mention that she won't even want to come, not so easily. I'd have to convince her somehow. Suddenly, I got a mind link from my Beta.
"Nate... Marco intends to call an extraordinary meeting of the Council. He's going to bring up the human issue, and he has the support of several Alphas," he said. Damn Marco! "When will it be?" This had been such a long day, yet I still had problems. And the worst thing was that all I could think about was seeing Penelope. "Tomorrow morning," Roger said.
"We'll be there... whatever it is, we have to stop it... and I have to bring my mate back with me."