The Arrangement

That woman!

She got under his skin like no other had, not even Abigail. At least she had a sense to be careful how she pushed him, though she was teasing half the time.

Madeline, however, made him want to wring her neck or throw the nearest object in sight. She frustrated him beyond belief.

What was his father thinking when he set this up? What was he thinking to agree to this?

He had done this for his pack, so his father wouldn’t go running to the council. But, he should have found a loophole. He should have tried harder. Instead, he gave up. He gave into his father. He seemed to be doing that more and more each day. And while he knew he should care, he couldn’t bring himself to. He didn’t care about anything really, not without Abigail.

The Alpha came to a skidded stop and howled again. It had been five years, five years since he lost his true mate. Five years and he still hadn’t gotten over her death. He doubted he ever really would.

His wolf took off at run, falling into patrol. When grief began to consume him, like now, he threw himself into work. He ran the border for hours.

By the time he had shifted back, the sun was beginning to set.

Had he really been out that long?

Apparently, he had.

Emerson ignored the strange looks he got from his Pack and went straight up to his Wing. Of course they would look at him strange. Most newly mated locked themselves in a room for at least a week. Alpha’s normally even longer, their Beta’s taking over during it.

Madeline wasn’t in the Wing when he arrived. Judging about how faded her scent was, she hadn’t been there for a few hours. He didn’t care where she was but his wolf was going crazy. He wanted to be with her. He wanted to mate with her and cover her body with his scent.

Emerson stepped into the cold, cold water, hoping that it would help calm his raging hormones.

It did not.

If anything, it got worse.

His wolf was pacing within him. The Alpha wanted his mate. It was driving Emerson insane. He needed to find Madeline, for the sake of his wolf. He would crazy if he couldn’t calm down the beast in him.

Luckily, he didn’t have to.

Madeline walked in through the door just as he was lacing his shoes up in the living room. She stopped in her tracks, gasping softly.

She stilled as Emerson was up and pulling her into his arms. He buried his face in her neck, breathing in her scent. His wolf settled, but something else woke up and now pressed up against her belly.

She slowly relaxed in his arms when he did nothing. Nothing but held her. Damn his wolf for making him feel this way, for wanting her.

But as much as the Alpha wanted to take them back into that bedroom, he reframed from doing so.

He closed his eyes as Madeline’s arms wrapped around his waist loosely.

They stood in each other’s arms for minutes. The clock just kept ticking but neither of them moved. Neither of them spoke, not even of their argument that occurred earlier that morning, after the you know what. Not until his phone.

A sigh left Emerson’s lips and he reluctantly pulled away, his nose brushing along her jaw. He left his mate to grab his phone in his bedroom. He answered the call while walking back to where his mate still stood, blinking.

“This better be good.” He growled to his Beta.

“There was an attack on the border. At least a dozen Rogues ambushed the wolves on patrol. They killed one of ours and injured several more.”

Emerson froze where he stood, his face of cold rage. “Tell me that we killed them all.”

“No Alpha, most got away. Once patrol managed to kill, they ran.”

“I’ll be there in five.”

Emerson hung up.

He dialed a number. “Ricardo, you and Isaiah need to get your asses up to my Wing.”

He hung up before he got an answer. He walked to the bedroom and strapped on his Glock to his jeans. By the time he walked back to where Madeline was standing, Ricardo and Isaiah were there.

“Emerson, what the hell is going on?” She demanded.

He ignored her. Instead he turned to the two guards. “No one comes in or leaves until I get back. Understood?”

They nodded and positioned themselves in the room.

“Emerson! What is going on?”

He breathed sharply and turned to her. He gripped her arms tight. “There was an attack. You stay here and until I’m back. I don’t need to be worrying about you as well.”

She dropped her crossed arms. “Fine, but when you get back, you’re going to tell me what’s going on.” When he started to speak, she cut him off. “This is my pack now too. I need to know what’s going.”

“Fine.” He bit out. “Don’t leave.”

He turned and walked out.

The first thing that Emerson noticed was the smell. The stench of blood was so strong he smelled it from two miles back.

When he arrived he saw blood everywhere. The bodies had already been taken form the clearing and the wounded to the infirmary. The others on patrol that were relatively unharmed were still there.

Emerson walked over to his Beta and the Border Patrol’s commanding officer.

“What the hell happened?” He demanded.

The patrol squad leader stepped forward. “We were running patrol as normal when they slammed into our flank, killing Mason. Frank and William were severely injured. By the time we had gathered ourselves and managed to kill a couple, they were gone. We got Frank and William to the infirmary as quickly as possible. Danial, Ethan, and Samuel had severe enough injuries that they had to be sent back too.”

“Shit. Shit.” Emerson growled. “God Damnit. I thought they had moved on.”

His fist slammed into the nearest tree. Blood gushed out of his busted knuckles but he paid no mind to it. He would be healed in an hour tops.

“I want patrol doubled, as well as the guards. Jayden!” He called forth his training officer. “Start pushing for the new shifters to join the Epsilon. And start recruiting around the pack. we need as many shifters as possible if the Rogues are turning their attention back on us.

“Everyone needs to be prepared. We are not having a repeat of last time. Set up a curfew at dusk. No wolves are to be out past dark. There will be consequences if any are found outside.” Emerson barked out orders.

“General Grayson.” The wolf stepped forward.

“Yes Alpha?”

“Send out a recon squad. Follow the scent of the Rogue and see if they find out their whereabouts. But make it very clear they are not to engage in any sorts. We need to know what we’re dealing with first.”

“Yes Alpha.” Grayson turned on his heel ran back to the Pack.

“Commanders, the council room in twenty minutes. Inform the others.”

Emerson left the border. He ran back to the Pack House. He stormed into his living room, startling Madeline, who seemed to have been in the middle of a Monopoly game with the boys, and winning.

And while he normally would have laughed or rolled his eyes, the sight of them made him growl. His canines elongated and his claws pierced his palm.

Madeline was up and cupping his cheeks. “Hey what happened?”

Her voice was soft and gentle. It made him groan and a certain anatomy awoke. His hands were suddenly on her hip and he pulled her up against him. He dug his nose in her neck, breathing in her calming scent.

“Emerson?” She was more uncertain now.

A few more moments passed before he finally spoke. “We lost a wolf, and maybe two more if William and Frank don’t pull through.”

He sighed as her hands ran through his hair.

“You’ll get the full story soon. You’re coming with me to the council room.” He murmured into her skin.

“Who did this?”

“Rogues.”

She stiffened in his arms. “I thought they had moved on. I-I thought this was over.”

“So did I. We all did. But I’m afraid not.”

She swallowed and nodded. Emerson pulled back and cupped her face, checking her over.

“I’m fine.” She said, but that didn’t stop him from inspecting her.

“I’m putting two more wolves on you. You are not to leave the Pack. If you are to go on a run, I will accompany you. If you want to go anywhere, they will go with you. They will be posted outside our Wing while I’m not here.”

Madeline nodded. “Okay.”

Emerson nodded. “Get dressed. You have ten minutes to be ready or I’m having the meeting without you.”

She nodded again and left the room.

“You two may go. Guard the council room doors. No one is allowed in once the meeting starts.”

They nodded and left.

He went into his room and dressed into some slacks and a button up. He combed his brunette hair back and slid on some shoes.

His mate was thankfully waiting for him when he stepped back into the living room. She wore a pencil skirt and button up. The top couple buttons were unbuttoned, exposing her cleavage.

Damnit damnit damnit.

He couldn’t wait until his mating hormones subsided. He hated having a boner every five minutes he looked at her. He swallowed and subtly adjusted his pants.

“Come on. Let’s get going.”

Madeline followed him through the halls until they reached the council room. He held the door open for. He gave the two guards a look. “No one comes in.”

He shut the door behind him and walked to the head of the table where his mate waited for him. He stood, looking at all his officers. He sat down and nodded, signally for them to sit.

He waited until everyone was seated. “Officers, the Rogues have begun to turn their attention back on us. About a dozen attack out border patrol, killing Mason outright. William and Frank are in the infirmary. If we’re lucky, they’ll live.”

“How were they not scented?” An officer towards the back asked.

His Beta, Brandon, spoke up. “We believe they used something to cloak their scent from us. I already have some wolves on working on a concoction to try and replicate whatever they used. Though, it may take some time, as we had nothing to give them to recreate.”

A murmur rippled through the wolves. Another spoke. “How did they know where we were? After reading the report, it looks like they knew where we would be and where to hit us. How? Either they had been scouting us out for days, weeks even, or they have an inside man.”

“There is no one here that would betray the Night Walker Pack.” His father pipped up from his right. “While we have all been struggling, no one here would sell out the pack. They must have been studying us, using whatever they made to block their scents from us. Which isn’t good. It means they are getting smarter. Or they follow a leader. A wolf that is cunning and smart, and calling all the shots.”

“Neither options are in our favor.” His Beta pointed out.

Emerson glared at him. He didn’t need the obvious to be pointed out.

Of course neither option was in their favor. If the Rogues were gathering, growing smarter, then they were all in trouble. The last time the Rogues had gotten bolder, smarter, there was a horrendous war. The Packs won, barely. Many wolves had been lost, several Packs had collapsed. Few were on the verge, an example would Mystic Peak. It was a miracle they had not fallen.

“If they are gathering, we need to prepare ourselves.” Said his soft, but firm mate.

“For what?”

“For another war.” Madeline said without hesitation. “And if you think the last one was bad, this one will be ten times worse.”

Emerson could see the wheels turning in her head. “What are you thinking?” He asked her.

“I’m thinking that the last war was not a war at all. I’m thinking that it was to test us. To test how well us Packs work together. To test how we work under pressure. To test our weaknesses, our strengths. To test what made us buckle: mates, children, Packs. I’m thinking that they’ve been watching us, all of us. They have been striking not only at my home Pack, but other weaker ones as well, to weaken them further. I’m thinking that it is so we stretch ourselves thin to help them.” She looked first at her mate, then at the rest of those seated in the room. “Rogues have not bothered this Pack in years. I’m thinking that the attack today is only the start of what is to come.” Emerson dreaded her next words. “I’m thinking that this is it. That they are going to strike us hard. And they will not stop until they get what they want.”

“And what is it you think they want?” Brandon inquired.

“The world.” She answered. “Revenge from the Alpha’s who kicked them out. Death to

those that did them wrong. Power to make all their enemies suffer.”

“And how would you know all of this?” Lawrence, his spymaster, asked.

She leveled a stare at him. “Because after they killed my true mate, I began to study them.

Study their behavior, study their changes, study past attacks. I stole my brother’s reports and made copies of all the Rogue activities.” She said. “Besides the fact that I want revenge, I also had lots of free time on my hands.”

Almost everyone gave her an incredulous look.

Madeline rolled her eyes at them.

She stood.

She grabbed some paper and a pen. She laid it out on the table and began scribbling on it.

Many officers leaned forward to see what there Luna was doing, but she had her body angled in a way that blocked their view. But not his view, as his eyes were on her rear end. Nobody seemed to notice, or at least no pointed it out.

When she stood at full height again, they all seemed to lean forward even more. Emerson

shifted his gaze to the papers. She had written charts of the Rogue activity. She had terribly outlined the Packs’ territories and scribbled on it. She marked where the Rogues had attacked, noting where they hit harder and where they hit lighter.

“I’ll need to get in contact with other Alpha’s, see if they have had any attacks themselves. But off the top of my head, this is pretty updated.”

Emerson turned to Lawrence. “Check to see if these are correct. Add or correct anything if you find something. Make neater charts and maps. The rest of you have your orders. You’re dismissed.”