Chapter 5

"I'm Noah and these are my sons. It's a long story…we just need help" the man said with pleading eyes.

Alister stood there, his expression contorted into a frown as he listened to the man before him. The idea of offering asylum to strangers he knew nothing about was a foreign concept to him, especially since the council was supposed to be the ones responsible for assisting those in need. Why come to his pack when they could just go to the council? It didn't make any sense.

“ Then go to the council… that’s their job. To offer assistance…” he said, turning around to leave and ready to put an end to the conversation.

 But before he could take more than a few steps, the man's voice stopped him in his tracks.

"Please," Noah said, desperation lacing his tone.

Alister hesitated for a moment before turning back around to face the three wolves. The man's words had piqued his curiosity, and he couldn't help but wonder why they were so insistent on seeking asylum with his pack and not many other packs they might have gone to.

"I would go to the council if I could, but I can't," the man continued, his eyes pleading. "My pack was slaughtered last night, and we've been on the run ever since."

Alister's eyes widened in shock as he processed the information. He had never heard of a rogue pack attacking and slaughtering an entire pack before. Though it was the practice of the old days, but an entire pack?

 It was unheard of, and he couldn't help but feel a pang of sympathy for the two strangers before him.

"You've been on the run?" he asked, turning to face Elijah, his second in command. "Who's chasing you?"

"The rogue pack," the man replied. "Led by an Alpha."

This was not the first time Alister had ever heard of a rogue pack forming under the leadership of an Alpha. Rogues were usually loners, outcasts from their original packs. The fact that they had banded together under a new leader who they had accepted to lead them was concerning, to say the least.

Alister sighed, running a hand through his hair as he tried to process everything. He knew that allowing these  wolves into his pack would be a risk, but he also knew that turning them away could mean their deaths.

Alister's mind was racing as he tried to make sense of the situation. The wolves in front of him had come seeking asylum in his pack, claiming that they were being chased by a rogue pack led by an alpha. Alister had never heard of this rogue pack before, but the urgency in the man's voice made it clear that this was a serious matter.

"Wait," Alister thought to himself as the reality of the situation began to sink in. "If they were chasing them, then it meant that this rogue pack could be at our border any moment from now."

He turned slowly to face Elijah, his second in command. The two of them shared a look, both of them realizing the danger they were in.

"Shit!" Elijah cursed, his face contorted into a scowl.

Alister took a deep breath, his mind racing as he tried to come up with a plan. He knew that they needed to increase security, and fast.

"I want every corner of our border to be guarded," he barked, his voice firm and commanding. "Increase security. Nobody comes in, nobody leaves. If you hear or smell anything strange, and I mean anything strange, you sound the alarm!"

The warriors who were present nodded, some of them shifting into their wolf forms as they prepared to carry out Alister's orders.

Alister turned to Matt, one of his most trusted advisor and head warrior. "I don't know about this, but we need to be ready," he said, his voice low and urgent. "Send word to the council and let them know what we have here. Might be facing a rogue attack soon, don't tell them about the visitor … yet…"

Matt nodded and quickly left to send the message to the council. Meanwhile, Alister turned back to Noah  who was still on his knees.

He motioned for him  to stand up. He wasn't going to send them away when he knew that they could be caught by the rogue pack. 

But he also wasn't too keen on inviting them into his pack. He had no choice, though. He would have to place a guard with them to ensure that they didn't pose a threat.

"Alright," he said finally, turning to face the strangers. "We'll offer you asylum for the time being. But we'll need to discuss this with the rest of the pack before we make any permanent decisions, and I want you to tell me everything that happened."

The  wolves nodded, relief evident on their faces. 

"I'm sorry for what you've been through," he continued, his voice softening slightly. He couldn't imagine losing his pack in one night, his family.

"But I need to be sure that you're not a threat to my pack. I can't just invite you in without proper precautions."

The man and his companion nodded in understanding, but Alister could see the fear in their eyes. They were clearly terrified of being caught by the rogue pack.

"We'll place a guard with you," Alister said,  "But you need to understand that we'll be watching you closely. And if you do anything to jeopardize the safety of my pack, you'll be out of here faster than you can blink."

The three wolves nodded again, grateful for the temporary sanctuary. Alister knew that this situation was far from over, but for now, he needed to focus on protecting his pack. They were in for a long night.

As Alister scanned the area, his acute sense of smell caught a distinct odor of blood. His instincts immediately kicked in, and he turned to look at the other two men standing behind him.

 "Is anyone injured?" he asked, his voice laced with concern.

The man who had been kneeling in front of him, Noah, let out a sigh and nodded. "My eldest son... he was caught in his arm while fighting off one of the rogues who tried to harm his baby brother," he explained, his eyes filled with worry and fear.

Alister furrowed his brows, trying to make sense of the situation. "Baby brother?" he asked, confused. All he could see were grown men.

Just then, the other guy shifted, and Alister could see little feet poking out from behind him. 

"Shit," he cursed under his breath. 

"They've been with a kid all this while, and I didn't even know?" He murmured to Elijah.

As if on cue, the little boy came out from inside the other guy's black robe. He was a small child, no more than five or six years old, but he looked too petite for his age. Alister's heart went out to the boy, and he felt a sudden urge to protect him at all costs until he saw the boy's eyes.

Alister paused and sucked in air. The boy's eyes was all white. There was no mistaking it, he was a Seer.

 Now everything made fucking sense. He flicked his gaze to the boy's father first and then back to the boy.

“ Elijah…” Alister whispered.

“ already on it…” Elijah nodded, quickly understanding the situation. He pulled out his phone and began dialing a number as he moved away from the group.

But before they could leave, the boy's father let out a cry of despair. "No!" he shouted, his eyes filled with tears. "I can't lose my son!"

Alister turned to face the man, his expression one of anger and frustration. "That was a bold move," he barked. "Not protecting him in the first place. What were you thinking? You should have sent him to the council the minute his eyes turned."

The man rubbed his face, his shoulders slumping in defeat. His son whimpered and buried his face in the other man's legs, seeking comfort and protection.

"I couldn't!" the man shouted back, his voice filled with pain and regret. "There was no way I was going to send my Omega son to the council."

Alister's blood boiled at the man's words. How could he be so foolish? Didn't he understand the danger his son was in? Didn't he know that the council was the only place where he could be protected?

He growled, the alpha in him taking over. He hated that this man was disrespecting him in his own pack grounds. He hated that a kid was placed in danger because his father couldn't do the right thing.

And then he heard it. The word that made everything fall into place. "Omega." 

Did he just say Omega?

Alister froze, his mind reeling. He had always heard rumors about Omegas, but he had never encountered one before. He knew that they were rare, precious, and highly sought after by other packs. He also knew that they were delicate, vulnerable, and in need of constant protection.

He looked at the boy, his heart breaking at the sight of his fear and confusion. He knew that he needed to act fast if he wanted to keep him safe.

“ He’s an Omega?” Elijah asked, beating him to the question.

Noah nodded, moving backwards in a protective stance. He saw how the other two brothers moved too to protect the kid.

"Explain," Alister demanded, his voice cold and authoritative.

The man shifted uneasily, clearly uncomfortable with the sudden change in the alpha's demeanor. "My son is an Omega," he said, his voice barely above a whisper.

Alister felt his blood boil at the man's admission. "And you didn't tell me this before?" he snarled, his eyes flashing with anger.

The man cowered under Alister's piercing gaze, his shoulders slumping in defeat. "I was afraid," he muttered, his voice barely audible. "I didn't know how you would react."

"The council… you should still take him there…" Elijah muttered.

Noah sighed , “… it’s not safe for him there…it’s tough for a gamma or beta…my son.  He wouldn’t have survived a day there…” the man explained.

Alister sighed and ran his fingers through his hair. He was fucking exhausted. He was not ready for this kind of mess.

“ Alister, we need to get them somewhere safe which is the council, at least the kid…” Elijah said touching his shoulders.

He growled. He could tell that his eyes flashed red because Elijah removed his hand in surrender. He was committing a crime by offering them asylum but one look at the whimpering kid made him remember Keita. 

What if this was Keita, would he have turned them away. He brought Lucia into the pack the same way. But she wasn’t dangerous. This people were dangerous or perhaps were trouble waiting to happen.

Alister took a deep breath and tried to calm himself down. He knew that he couldn't afford to lose his temper, not now, not with a kid's life on the line.

"Listen," he said, his voice softening slightly. "I understand that you were scared. But hiding the truth from me was not the right thing to do. You put your son and everyone else in danger by trying to hide this."

The man nodded, his eyes downcast. "I know," he whispered. "I'm sorry."

Alister sighed and looked around, trying to figure out his next move. He knew that he couldn't leave the man and his family unprotected, not with the rogues lurking in the vicinity. He needed to act fast and decisively if he wanted to ensure their safety.

"please…” it was the injured guy that spoke.

Alister sighed and gave one final guilty look at Elijah who he knew was already mad at him for their little fight.

He knew that he had no choice but to take them all under his wing and offer them sanctuary in his pack. However, he also knew that he couldn't do it alone. He needed to place a guard with them, someone who could keep them safe while he dealt with the rogues and planned his next move.

With a heavy heart, Alister signaled to one of his pack members and asked him to watch over the man and his family. "Take them to the guest house… Make sure they are safe and comfortable," he instructed, his voice firm and authoritative.

The man nodded, relief visible in his eyes. He scooped up the boy, who clung to him like a lifeline, and followed the pack member, who was already leading the way. Alister watched them go, feeling a sense of unease settle in the pit of his stomach.

He had just taken in a potentially dangerous group, and he wasn't sure if it was the right decision. He knew that he would have to be extra vigilant from now on, and he couldn't let his guard down even for a moment. The safety of his pack was at stake, and he couldn't afford to make any mistakes.

He turned to Matt, who was walking back towards him.

“Keep an eye on them. I don't trust them,” he said, his voice low and serious.

Matt nodded, his expression grave. They both knew that this was a risky move, but Alister couldn't help but feel a sense of responsibility towards the young boy. He couldn't let him suffer the same fate as Anthony.

He turned to Elijah, "We need to talk." 

Without waiting for a response, he led the way to the woods. The tension between them was palpable, and Alister knew he had to address the issue before it spiraled out of control.

"I know you're upset with me," Alister began, "but I couldn't turn them away. They needed our help."

Elijah looked at him with a mix of frustration and concern, "I understand that, but you're putting our pack in danger. We don't know who these people are, or what they're capable of."

"I know, and that's why I'm going to make sure we get all the information we need before we make any decisions," Alister replied, "We need to tread carefully, but we also can't abandon those who need our help."

Elijah let out a deep breath, "Okay, I hear you. But we need to be careful, and make sure we're not exposing our pack to unnecessary danger."

Alister nodded, "Agreed. Let's go back to the packhouse and figure out our next steps." They turned to leave but he placed a hand on Elijah, stopping him.

" …And no, this kid is not Anthony…" he murmured before walking away