Chapter 8

I climb the steps to the pack house, I had left my bike at my aunts and walked the short distance. Nico glances up at me as I shut the door behind me and he smiles, he looks exhausted, his hair ruffled like he’s been running his fingers through it to disperse his stress. I nod at him before taking a seat while we wait for the rest of the group to show up.

“Listen, we have some disturbing news..” Nico starts as the last person sits down “a rogue was captured alive in the silver dawn pack shortly after we arrived. All interrogations in the past have left us empty handed but this wolf..” his eyes get dark “we broke him”

A murmur runs through our small group before he continues, “For the last 20 years this pack of rogues has been hell bent on bringing down all packs, wanting to destroy our hierarchy and bring about chaos. A large number of them have been kidnapping she-wolves” I can see the pain on his face and my stomach drops, “they’ve been taken so sporadically that no one noticed a pattern, but they have been using these she-wolves for breeding”

Collectively you could feel everyone still at this information, the silence was deafening as we sat and processed.

“It’s as bad as you’re imagining” he answers before anyone can ask, “the rogue didn’t have exact numbers but they’ve been growing in size because they’ve been creating their own army.. Even she-wolves that were rogue to begin with have been held captive and used..”

He met my gaze now, I could see so much rage and pain in his eyes, “they have thousands of warriors that they bred and have trained them from birth. A new wave of pups are being trained as we speak, pups as old as 9”

“The attacks 10 years ago? They took she-wolves?” I ask, the horror not hidden from my voice

“They did, the original collection of females they had were getting older.. The other Alphas I’ve been working with have agreed that we need to strike, there’s no waiting for the younger pups to mature and shift, starting tomorrow I’m sending the top 10 ranking wolves to train other packs, you will spend two weeks with a pack before traveling to another. As we are known for our warrior skills, we are obligated to aid other packs in preparation.”

I barely hear him, my ears ringing with shock of the news, the impending war, and despite my years of training, I am terrified.

“We have finally received word from the Blood Dawn pack” Nico says, this was a new pack that had risen in the last 5 years, they were stealthy and secretive and there had been speculation on whether or not they were rogue or in alliance with us. They seemed to have taken all the normal hierarchy approaches but their alpha refused to meet or form alliances. With the impending war, it seems he’s finally showing face.

“I will be flying to his pack and taking two of you with me, the rest please pack up and prepare for travel tomorrow, Liam will provide your travel schedules in the morning, and this goes without saying but just in case, everything you’ve heard here is to stay within these walls, we can’t risk it.”

I don’t stand with everyone else, I bite my lip and watch Nico, he looks like he’s on the verge of breaking down and I wait for everyone else to leave. He flops down onto the leather sofa, his head leaning back and brings a hand to pinch the bridge of his nose. I move to sit beside him, placing a hand on his knee and squeezing gently in an effort to tell him that I am here for him.

“Jess..” he’s so quiet it’s nearly a whisper, “I have to take a mate before my birthday”

“I know-“

“I mean like now” his eyes are closed still, not wanting to face me, “I know I said we had until my birthday, that you had time to decide..”

“We can’t fight a war with you an unmated alpha” I whisper, “can.. can I think about it while I’m out training other packs?”

“Well you’ll be coming with me to Blood Dawn” he says lifting his head and looking at me, “but yeah, I can wait until after”

“Can I ask, who-“

“Who will it be if it’s not you?” He looks pained as he says it “my father has been making arrangements with other unmated females in neighboring packs, so i don’t even know”

I purse my lips, I hate knowing how much pressure he is under, and I know Nico and I would be good together, great honestly, but am I ready for this? “If-” I emphasize “I agree, I’ll still be fighting along side you..”

He lets out a huff of air and leans his head back again, “Jess..” he doesn’t want to say the words

“Nico, I need to know what all of this will entail if I’m going to even consider it”

“You’re going to hate it” he cringes “you’ll be expected to be.. carrying the next alpha, and with how soon the war is coming there’s no putting it off”

“Oh” i can’t breathe, an image of myself fat and pregnant, waving my mate off to war while I stay home and play a little housewife makes my skin crawl, but leaving Nico to mate an unknown she-wolf, leaving myself to potentially end up old and alone.. we have chemistry, but is it enough? I grind my teeth, angry at the moon goddess for the positions she put us in, “I need to pack” I stand before looking at him “I’ll let you know what I decide after Blood Dawn”

He nods solemnly at me before standing and pulling me into a hug, his arm wrapping around my waist while his other snakes it’s way up my back around the nape of my neck.

“Do you want to stay here tonight?” He asks as my face is buried in his chest, he smells like cedar and honey, I wrap my arms around him, I should really go home and clear my head but I know deep down that at the end of the next couple of weeks there’s a good chance I’ll say yes. I resign myself to spending time trying to come to terms with the only decision I feel I can make. I can’t abandon another friend.. I nod, “Ill grab my things and be right back”