Chapter 1 Unplanned

The stars hid while the inky black canvas framed a full moon. No winds blew and no animal let its presence known, not the hooting of an owl nor the cacophony of crickets. It was too calm for a well-observer, and it gave off a foreboding feeling that something terrible was about to happen.

The woods showed no sign of life, but if one had exceptional hearing abilities, the thunder of paws as hundreds of beasts zoomed past the towering trees could clearly be heard. Darting in and out of the shadows and pale silver lighting, their furry bodies moved gracefully. And with superior eyesight compared to humans, the night was as clear as day.

Despite their numbers, they moved in perfect unison, never once colliding. They stayed silent, letting their excitement and anger brew inside for the meantime. Masking their scents with wolfsbane, their prey wouldn’t see them coming.

They weren’t out for a run or a practice drill. Tonight, they were on the hunt – not for a deer but for a certain prey. And the Moon Goddess would bear witness to their justified carnage.

A few miles before their destination, their Alpha commanded them to halt. Noticeably bigger than the rest of his pack, his black fur blended with the night’s shade. His eyes gleamed red and held nothing but hatred.

His pack could feel it – the surging waves of fury and pain that intensified as they drew nearer their target. And he could feel, the same emotions that bubbled inside them. Although their minds were linked in an open channel, no words were needed to be said. They all knew and understood the importance of tonight’s raid.

He spoke via the link, his voice calm. And even his warriors tensed with nervousness at his calmness. They were in no position to mess up tonight.

He ordered the Head Gamma’s unit to take down the enemy scouts ahead and some of the wolves immediately ran ahead of the pack. After a few seconds, a howl rippled through the air. The deed was done; the ball sent rolling. Warning alarms rang aloud, disrupting the quiet evening.

Without wasting a second, the pack resumed their pace and headed towards the enemy’s base. It was a rather elegant mansion, the residence of the pack’s Alpha, and his family before the rogues took over. It stood on the center of the property, conveniently allowing its residence immediate sighting of anyone who dared approach. Incandescent light spilled through the tall glass windows and the lamps outside were all turned on, illuminating a wide lawn, which also served as the pack’s training ground.

The rogues filed out into the open grounds, some in human form while others in wolf, anticipating the adrenaline rush brought by an unexpected confrontation. Their leader was inside, watching them, manipulating their strings as he deemed fit. He had promised them the fulfillment of their desires and he always delivered. And if they won tonight, they’d get to enjoy a woman of their picking, from the many tied up in the basement.

Their enemies emerged, clearly outnumbering them, but they didn’t waver. For if they return to their leader, a fate worse than death awaited them. So, with a strengthened resolve, they charged at the pack of around a hundred and fifty.

Snarls and growling were heard all around and beasts fell one after another. Silver bullets scattered in careless trajectories, hitting both ally and enemy. The smell of iron hung thickly in the air as the ground drank fresh red. But neither side was backing down and soon their numbers dwindled.

They slowly backed away to the mansion, taking steps backward as they remained on guard. As rogues, they fought for everything they wanted. They were used to fighting, and they have defeated many packs, but their enemy tonight was too strong. Especially the red-eyed wolf who easily killed their comrades on his own.

Their allies decided to join in, along with their secret weapon. It was a waste to bring them out but it was undoubtedly effective in turning the tables, as they have won numerous battles using such tactic.

The pack kept their distance, wary of their enemy’s next move. They weren’t retreating but were preparing for something. The battle was in their favor but any small thing could change the odds against them.

More rogues joined the battle, but this time, they dragged innocents with them. Women and children, with their arms and legs bound, whose cries were muffled by the gags stuffed on their mouths. The Alpha let out a dangerous growl and his pack followed – the rogues have gone too far.

The rogues moved forward, this time with their meat shields in front, and the pack hesitated to attack. One wrong move and innocents would die.

The Alpha mind-linked the detached unit, whose mission was to stealthily enter the mansion, to secure the prisoners instead. Next, he ordered the Beta’s unit to divide in half, slowly break away from the pack and regroup with the Head Gamma.

The pack backed away from the approaching rogues, drawing them in. Then, when the rogues were all gathered up, the detached unit was suddenly behind them, and the pack attacked, trapping them in a pincer attack.

In the midst of the commotion, the other half of the Beta’s unit successfully rescued the prisoners and handed them to the medics situated at the rear lines. And it didn’t take long before bodies piled up in the center of the training grounds.

His pack spared none. Every filthy rogue deserved their end.

The pack immediately shifted back to their human forms and hastened to cover themselves. Then, with the Alpha on the lead, previously assigned teams entered the mansion while the others remained on guard outside.

They gathered inside the main hall and made their way towards the different rooms. The once elegant interior showed smashed furniture, broken walls, and trails of dried blood on the marble floor.

But the bedrooms were always the worst - the blended smell of old sex, tears, cigarettes, and alcohol- sickening. They found women tied up in thick ropes, with their bodies twisted in near-impossible angles. Their once beautiful faces, beaten black and blue, and the skin crusty with semen.

“Alpha, we found more imprisoned in the basement,” his Beta mind-linked.

“Get them out,” he ordered, before cutting himself off from the open channel.

He took long strides towards the master bedroom, where his target always stayed. He was one step behind again this time, and he knew the bastard was long gone. But he had to check - what gruesome present he had left behind, exclusively for him.

It was always a woman with one foot out the door but somehow still conscious, and they’d beg for him to kill them. And every time, he complied and ended them in the swiftest way possible, simply because he had no intention of saving those who didn’t want to be saved. And it was the bastard’s way of reminding him of his sin – of the monster that he was.

He stopped in front of two large wooden doors with intricate carvings decorating the surface – the symbol of the pack that had once been. Wolfsbane laced the door’s edges, to prevent the smell inside from leaking. The bile-rising smell of helplessness and innocence taken. Slowly, he turned the knobs feeling the cylinder slide and opened the doors.

The scent hit him first – sweet and mouthwatering he could almost taste it – and his wolf stirred. “Mate,” he growled and happily howled. “Mate! Mate! Mate!”

“Shut up!” he commanded and his wolf smirked.

_____ A/N _____

A million 'Thank You' for giving this book a chance. It truly means a lot to me and I hope you enjoy reading it 🖤

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Much love,

- Caine Casann (C.C.) -