Upon entering my office, I took a few moments to survey my surroundings. I hadn't spent much time here after Olivia's passing. It was very much the same as before, except for a few subtle changes that I couldn't help but notice. The room that used to be saturated with my scent now smelled more like Griffin, which wasn't surprising with all the time he was now spending here. Also, my desk, usually neatly organized, was now cluttered with scattered papers and forgotten cups coffee.
Slowly, I pulled out the familiar leather chair, hesitant to sit in it. This chair had been the same one my father had used when he was alpha. I remember the first time I sat in it after his death. I had been so scared of what it meant to sit in his seat and try to fill his shoes. Apprehension again took root in my gut. I wasn't sure if I could do this, not without my mate by my side. She had been there when my parents had passed, helping me to leads this pack.
Now, I was alone and, even more, unsure of my ability to be the alpha Silent River needed me to be. I sat down leaning against the cold leather, that I had once been so accustomed to. Soon I was flipping through the paperwork as if I had never left when in fact it was the first time in almost three years since I had been in here. Not that I hadn't tried to come back before, but each attempt ended worse than the previous one.
Sitting behind the large cherry wood desk to find a way to control the latest rogue problem was frustrating, to say the least. I kept reading and rereading the same report tapping my fingers against the hardwood, trying to find something I might have missed. According to the reports, there had been a rogue sighting every night between midnight and four in the morning for the last four days. The wolves were slowly testing our southern border, making their way from East to West. They were looking for a weak spot of this I was sure. Thankfully, thus far they weren't having any success, but it was only a matter of time until our luck would eventually run out.
We simply didn't have the people to keep us well guarded. After the attack three years ago, our pack's numbers dropped drastically. Most wolves were already pulling double shifts, and the sightings were increasing at an alarming rate. That fact had me very apprehensive. It was my job to keep Silent River safe, but I just wasn't sure how to do that just yet.
They seemed to be organized, almost calculated. It was like no rogue activity I had ever witnessed or even heard of. Typically, rogues lived in tiny groups, if in a group at all, and they didn't tend to stay in one place for any extended length of time.
Most wolves were scared of rogues, which was wise, but many feared them for the wrong reasons. For those who didn't know any rogues or have any interaction with them, they believed them to be rabid, bloodthirsty savages. The truth was the majority weren't. Every wolf had different reasons behind their decision to go rogue. Some did so because they couldn't handle the responsibility of being part of a pack, others hated the rules and restrictions in which some packs had to live. Honestly, there were a million different reasons.
My father had taught me not to fear rogues, but always be extremely cautious when dealing with them. I learned that though many of them weren't vicious, they did tend to become less civilized after a while. They would spend the majority of their time in wolf form, slowly becoming more animal than human.
'Logan, you have a visitor at the gates,' Griffin informed me through the mind link.
'I am occupied at the moment.' I replied, somewhat annoyed. I was determined to come up with a plan before I left my office, even if I currently had nothing.
'I have Alpha Davidson here requesting a sit down with you.' That caught my attention.
'Did he mention what this is about?'
'Only that it was an urgent matter.' I wasn't sure what to think. It was highly irregular behavior for an alpha to trespass into another pack's territory without any forewarning. An aggressive alpha could have taken it as a sign of war. I, on the other hand, knew it must have been something life threatening for him just to show up like this. He had always been a by the book kind of guy.
'Alright, please show him to my study. I'm sure you'll want to hear this too.'
'You know I love me some juicy gossip,' he tried to do his best impression of a woman's voice, which was not even close to being good. I sat there shaking my head at his attempt at being funny.
Davidson was in charge of the pack on my land's southeast border. His pack was slightly bigger than my own though my property was nearly double the size of his. They had also sustained losses in the same battle that had ended my mate's life.
We had fought alongside each other trying to fend off a bigger invading pack. To this day, neither of us knew the reason behind Alpha Hendrix's unwarranted attack. Although his pack outnumbered either of our packs on their own, his downfall had been attacking both of us simultaneously. Either Hendrix's didn't anticipate our packs joining forces, or he vastly overestimated his pack's abilities.
"Good morning, Alpha Blackmore. I apologize for my brassiness, but the urgency of the matter called for no delay," my fellow alpha huffed out, as he walked into my office, slightly out of breath.
"Davidson, to what do I owe the pleasure?" I asked, shaking his hand.
Looking at him, most people would have never guessed he was a kind and gentle man. His massive six-foot-nine-inch frame made him seem daunting to those who didn't know him. He was much older than my twenty-eight years of age, probably nearing his early to mid-forties. Grays peppered his neatly trimmed sandy brown hair.
"Well, as you may know, there has been an increase in rogue activity between our borders." He paused waiting for me to confirm his statement. I merely nodded, even though I hadn't considered that he might be having the same problems. He took a seat on the chair across from me. After taking a closer look, I noticed his unshaven face and the dark circles under his eyes. He was worried for his pack's safety as much as I was for mine.
"It appeared to be simply a momentary annoyance. None of them seemed interested in crossing into our territory. That was until last night when three young she-wolves went missing." His statement shocked me. As he waited for my response to his news, I considered what this could mean for Silent River. Losing she-wolves would be a massive blow to my already dwindling pack. Fewer she-wolves resulted in fewer pups to help our pack grow.
"And you're certain these rogues are behind it?" I needed the confirmation.
"Their scent was tracked from the ladies' residence to our northeast border. I don't have any doubt that this is their doing." His eyes began turning from their usual hazel to black; his fists began to clench until his knuckles turned white.
"Well, whatever assistance Silent River and I can be to you, just ask. And thank you for informing us of the danger."
"I was hoping, with your permission, to send a group of my trackers a few miles into your territory to see if they can scent anything."
"Of course," I responded without hesitation. "Griffin, please inform our guards that are patrolling that area," I said aloud for Davidson's benefit. With a short nod, Griffin left the study.
"Thank you, I appreciate your help," he said getting up from his chair. I stood up and shook his hand as I reached over the desk. As I went to pull my hand away, he tightened his grip and covered it with his other hand.
"I never really got to say this before, but I am very sorry for your loss," he spoke quietly. The look in his eyes was one of pity, a look I knew well and despised more than anything. His words, although kind and respectful, angered me. I didn't need people feeling sorry for me or constantly reminding me that I was alone. Why didn't they realize some things were better left unsaid?
Without another word Alpha Davidson left, and I took some time to decide what my next action would be. Having gotten nowhere thirty minutes later, I decided to call my beta and third in command into my study.
Because Griffin had already heard my conversation with Alpha Davidson, he had time to process the information. Asher, my third in command, didn't hide his shock upon learning of this latest development.
"We can't lose any more pack members." His words reflected what we were all thinking. The tension in the room was palpable as we all grew silent. Each of us was deep in thought. This new threat could be the thing to break our already struggling pack.
"I think we should look to the other three surrounding packs for help," Griffin thought out loud. It was possibly our best if not the only option to prevent any further loss. We all exchanged glances, silently coming to an understanding. They stood there waiting for me to give the order.
"Bring me the other alphas' numbers."
ns 15.158.61.23da2
