Chapter Five

War never began on the battlefield.

It began on paper. Numbers. Rations. Supplies. Lives were reduced to ink and decisions that had to be made before a single drop of blood was spilled.

Damon dragged a hand through his face, eyes scanning the reports spread across his desk. Most of this should be handled by his Luna.

He scoffed at that thought.

The elders thought he was a madman begrudged by the idea of love.

He didn’t disagree.

His parents… they had worked so well in sync and made it seem so easy. Too easy. Most who found their mates say the same.

Well, in the end, it wasn’t all that easy for his parents, was it?

He moved the papers away. A sharp craving hit him.

Drink.

Ralph would be back from his scout soon.

Leaning back in his chair, his eyes drifted over his study. But his mind stayed sharp.

Always did.

He reached for the scotch. Not for comfort, but the way a soldier checks his weapon before a long night. Something to do with his hands while the rest of his mind stormed.

War had a way of filling silences with the wrong things.

He poured. Drank. Poured again.

Not every alpha carried a name that made others flinch.

He’d seen it too many times – men going quiet when he entered, warriors lowering their gaze, enemies retreating when he appeared.

Mad alpha, they called him.

His jaw tightened. Some of the stories were exaggerated. Most weren’t.

None of them bothered him.

Ralph was a bad influence when it came to alcohol. His words; “problems are easier to swallow than drown in.”

That was utter bullshit of course. Damon knew better.

But–war. The letter. The goddess’s slave. The elder’s time was almost up.

He downed a glass and crushed his glass down on his desk.

“Alpha!” The door to his study collapsed.

With enough irritation, he burnt a glare at the panting delta before him.

“Somewhere better be on fire.”

“They are here.” She sounded out of breath, and clearly terrified.

He knew Skylar. Nothing fazed her.

“Who?” He forgot his drink and bolted out the door.

His every intention was to meet the enemy head-on and inflict great harm.

“The omega. She sensed them.” Her breathing was still quick. “They’re coming from every corner.”

Suddenly he paused.

What the hell did she mean by the omega?

“Explain yourself.”

He was sparingly patient for her to move from behind him to his line of sight. Her feet stood at attention and her eyes remained low as she spoke.

“Y-your rejected, she sensed enemies coming from the woods. Even my wolf couldn’t sense them at that distance but she knows something’s wrong. The slave seemed to see them and she says they’re moving from the—”

“You come running like your life depends on it because an omega tells you to?”

His teeth ground in disgust.

What exactly was happening in his pack?

First, the goddess gives him dirt for a mate.

Now, one of his best deltas was panicking because an omega, of all things, said so.

“Alpha, I swear to you on my house and that of my father. She heard them and has no reason to raise a false alarm.”

Her tone was confident. “We are at a time that is crucial and vulnerable. The pack should be safer than sorry.”

Nothing about what she said was untrue. Every warning had to be taken seriously. He knew they’d start coming the moment his name appeared on that list.

But an alpha never acted on a slave’s word.

“Find Ralph.” He ordered.

“He should use the secret routes and watch out for intruders. Send word back the moment anything feels off.”

She bowed, then turned to obey.

“Skylar.”

She stopped dead in her tracks. “Yes, alpha?”

“Say no word of the slave’s warning.”

She nodded. “Of course.”

Then left as soon as he turned to his study.

Damon walked straight to his abandoned glass, downing every drop as he unmasked the motion going on in his mind.

Days ago his men came from one of the longest battles they’d ever fought. They came victorious–but there were heavy casualties.

No one, outside of his pack, knew of his return. He made sure of that. For his men to heal, and for him and Ralph to prepare their new defense.

If Skylar’s words were true, then these intruders knew the right time to strike was now.

Then why choose to sneak into his pack?

Why not attack head-on if you knew your enemy was unprepared?

That was what he would do.

Although… he’d always attacked regardless of his enemy’s strength.

His enemies knew this.

Maybe this was their reason to hide first.

“Alpha.”

“Ralph. How many?”

His beta, and the elders, were the only ones who had a direct mind link to him.

“We estimate over a hundred. They are divided into groups and positioned strategically around our perimeter.”

His knuckles clenched.

Ready for blood.

“Leave a delta behind. We’ll meet in the battle room. Bring every available delta you find.”

“Okay.”

And just like that. The air turned cold and tense.

He stormed out of his study, heading down the passage. The battle room was secluded from other wings and well hidden.

By the time he got there, Rosalind was seated. She rose and bowed as he walked to his seat at the head of the large, oval table.

“You heard.”

“Ralph called. How bad do you think it is?”

He shook his head, dismissing her worry.

“Make sure you get everyone inside their homes, but raise no alarm. Ralph mentioned they were in groups. I don’t want anyone in the pack running into them.”

“Alright.” She headed for the door.

As she left, Ralph and Skylar walked in. Three male enforcers and two female deltas followed. They bowed to the Alpha and stood ready for instructions.

“How do we look?” Damon questioned Ralph.

“Others are on their way here. They’ve been told to be quiet with their movement not to alarm the pack. Two guards are keeping watch on the secret route. Once the others arrive we’ll attack.”

“No.” Damon moved from his chair.

“No?” Ralph frowned. “You want us to wait. They might not hide till nightfall.”

Damon nodded. He understood his beta’s plan.

But right now, he had a sense of rage in him.

There were intruders in his territory. And somehow, they were delusional enough to think his home would be an easy target.

He wanted to destroy them in the most brutal way.

“We won’t wait. And we don’t go with many.”

Ralph stepped forward. “What do you mean?”

“Get all the deltas and enforcers back to their posts.” He directed. “Only the people in this room come with me.”

His gaze was cold and filled with menace.

“They think they have the element of surprise, but now, so do we.”

Ralph grinned. The expression on his alpha’s eyes reflected in his. “We destroy many with a few.”

The others nodded. The rage in their alpha boiled in their veins as well. Just like him, they let their wolves rise. Eyes glowed and fangs stretched.

“We move in silence.. And we leave none alive.” The alpha’s blue eyes were gone. It was deep red and glowed like the sun.

His sharp fangs gritted. His wolf sought to kill.

On his command, they advanced–moving as light as a feather.

“Skylar,” Damon called as the others left.

“Yes, Alpha.”

“Get the slave. Bring her with you.”

She frowned. An omega was useless in battle.

Except this was about something else.

“Will she be punished?”

“It depends.”

“If I might ask Alpha,” Skylar muttered. “On what?”

He didn’t answer.

But as she turned and reached for the door handle, his voice cut through the air.

“No omega sees what she saw.”

She paused.

“I want to know how.”

His tone fell cold, and certain. “Or she dies before war begins.”