Chapter Nine

CHRIS

After the attack that led to the death of one of my pack members, I summoned an emergency meeting with all the elders and guards at the great hall, Lothar was also present.

"Last night, as we all know, our dear pack was attacked by our enemies, the rogues," I said.

"This is something that has never happened in our city before," Orvyn snapped at me.

"Shut your filthy mouth and allow our Alpha to finish his statement," Lothar snapped back at him.

"Need I remind you that you have no right to speak where noblemen are present," Orvyn said. "This meeting is for all council elders and the guards which you belong to none, leave here else I'll have your head on a platter."

"I guess you haven't heard then, I'll do the honor of breaking the news to you. I, Lothar have been reinstated as a member of this noble council," he said as a smile smoothened on his lips. He seemed to enjoy himself as Orvyn and the rest stood in shock.

"This must be a joke," Kazmir screamed. "You have no right to appoint anyone as a member without the consent of the others."

I tried to hold the smirk on my face as I watched how miserable they had become because of the news. 

"I don't need your consent to reinstate anybody into the council besides he has always been a member of this council," I snapped. "Now back to why we are here,  I know that one of you is behind the attack last night. Someone led those rogues into our home and it's only a matter of time before I find out who it was."

There was a loud murmur at the great hall and they all turned to one another in shock. 

"Who could that fellow be?" one of the guards muttered.

"This is not the time or place to blame anyone, instead you should be out there looking for those outcasts that insulted our pack and people!" Orvyn yelled. 

I scoffed. "What would you have me do my elders?" I asked.  

They mumbled between themselves and finally, Orvyn rose to speak. "You must find those rogues that invaded our pack and end their lives, this is going to be your first test to prove to us that you're worthy to be called our alpha," he said.

"Let's see how you make it out there alive," he also mumbled.

I knew they would come up with such an idea. No one had ever gone into the woods in search of the rogues and lived to tell the story which was the same with my father that led to his untimely death, but I didn't decline which wasn't what they expected me to do.

"I'll do as you have requested, I and my men will go out there and make sure those rogues pay for what they have done."

"My lord, it's too dangerous outside these walls. Let me go with the men while you stay here," Lothar suggested. 

"It is my duty to the people to protect them and if this is what they want to prove my worth, so be it," I said to him. Turning to face the rest of the elders I said. "You may leave, that'll be all. I'd like to have a word with the guards."

They rose and left but I asked Lothar to stay back while I questioned them. 

"You!" I pointed to a guard. "What happened last night? Who and who were supposed to guard the gates?" I asked.

He pointed at three other guards who stepped forward with their heads bowed. "I found them asleep when the raid began," he said

I walked to them as they shivered in fear, they could lose their lives for their incompetence. "What happened last night?" I asked again.

"I-I-I'm sorry," they stuttered. 

"That's not what I want to hear! What happened?" I growled as my eyes suddenly turned red. 

They jolted and fell to the ground with their faces buried. "We don't know exactly how it happened, we only found ourselves on the floor when the raid began, we're deeply sorry my Lord. Spare our lives we beg of you," one of the guards who spoke on their behalf pleaded.

I knew there was something amiss, my guards wouldn't fall asleep like that if they hadn't been drugged so I decided to let them go. 

"At nightfall tomorrow, we are going to invade the rogue's pack, we are going to burn it to the ground and slay anyone that crosses our path," I said with so much rage. 

How dare they invade my home? Whoever let them in would pay dearly with their lives, I thought as I stormed out of the great hall and into the courtyard. 

Lothar still thought it was a bad idea for me to go out in search of the rogues and tried his best to convince me but I was adamant and insisted on going.

"I need to go, if anything happens to me I need you to protect this pack and my mother please," I said. 

While we were still discussing, one of the guards who had fallen asleep on duty last night came running to us.

"What is the issue this time?" Lothar asked.

"I remember what happened last night," the guard said.

"What do you remember?" I asked curiously.

AT NIGHTFALL THE NEXT DAY, we marched to the rogue's pack fully prepared and ready for battle. When we arrived at the gate of the pack it wasn't quite what I expected it to be. The rogues had built a mini-pack of their own and probably had a ruler over them.

They weren't expecting us to invade else they would've stayed alert. The whole pack was quiet when we wriggled in through the fence. 

"Burn down their homes, slay all the men. Take the women and children as captives," I said. 

Suddenly I heard a man scream from behind us. "Intruders! Intruders!!! We are being invaded." 

We took our stance as they charged at us with clubs and swords. 

"Slay every one of them, spare no one," I said to my soldiers. We set fire to their huts and tents, destroyed everything they owned

I and my Beta charged forward, slitting the throat of anyone that crossed our path. Their leader was who I was after, I wanted him alive. I know he had a connection with whoever led them into my pack and I was going to make sure he and whoever it was suffered greatly for what they did.

A sudden aroma distracted me, I was beginning to feel hot and felt my wolf taking charge of my being. I turned to where the aroma came from but I saw no one that could fit into that aura. 

"Our mate is here, we've found our mate," Gavin my wolf growled pacing restlessly in my head.

I turned again to see if I could find this mate but there was no one. From nowhere some came at me but I was quick enough to prevent the sword from cutting me, I was about to pierce her heart when my wolf howled at me.

"That's our mate, Chris, don't hurt her,"  Gavin said.

I looked at her face and immediately recognized who she was.

"It can't be," I muttered as I slowly dropped the sword.