Chapter 27
ALEXANDER
+25 Points
I had just stepped out of the shower, still toweling the water from my hair, when my phone rang. Cole’s name flashed on the screen.
I had been expecting his call all morning.
“Cole,” I answered, my voice still rough from the steam.
“Alpha, there’s something you need to see,” he said without preamble. No ‘good morning, no small talk. His tone was clipped, carrying the kind of edge that told me whatever it was, I wasn’t going to like it.
“Where are you now?” I asked.
“On my way to the pack house. I’ll be there in less than five minutes.”
“Alright then, go straight to the office,” I told him, tossing the towel aside. “I’ll meet you there.”
“Understood, Alpha.” He hung up.
I stood there for a moment, staring at the phone in my hand. My gut tightened, Cole didn’t rattle easily. Whatever he had to show me was either dangerous, disturbing, or both.
Earlier this morning, I’d sent him with a group of pack soldiers to check the Northern border. We’d lost contact with the wolves stationed there two days ago. No check–ins, no replies on comms. That in itself was odd–wolves didn’t just go silent. If they were injured, they’d send word. If there was trouble, they’d howl for backup. The silence was… wrong.
I dragged on a pair of dark blue jeans and a black shirt, not bothering with formal attire. This wasn’t a meeting with elders or a diplomatic visit–this was something else. I could feel it.
I took the stairs two at a time, my boots thudding against the wood. A few pack members greeted me as I passed, but I barely nodded back. My mind was already racing ahead to the office, to whatever Cole was bringing me.
When I pushed open the heavy doors, Cole was just stepping inside from the other hallway. He shut the door behind us, locking it out of habit. That was never a good sign.
“All right,” I said, heading for my desk. “What have you got?”
He didn’t answer right away. Instead, he pulled his phone from his pocket and tapped the screen. “You need to see this.”
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< Chapter 27
26 Points
I stepped around the desk to stand beside him. The first image was of dirt–at least, that’s what it looked like at first glance. But my eyes picked up on the patterns instantly. Paw prints. Wolf prints. Several sets, crossing and overlapping.
“These are from the Northern border?” I asked.
He nodded. “Near the patrol outpost.”
I scanned the image more closely. The tracks were sharp, fresh–meaning they’d been made within the last twenty–four hours. But what was missing was even more telling.
“Where are our guards?” I asked slowly.
“That’s just it,” Cole said, swiping to the next picture. “No one was there, no bodies, no signs of a fight. Just… gone.”
The next photo showed a patch of grass flattened in a circle, as if something, or someone had stood there for a while. My wolf stirred uneasily beneath my skin.
“And this,” Cole added, swiping again.
The image was of a small, metallic object lying in the dirt. It was round, engraved with a design I didn’t recognize at first…until the light caught it in the picture, revealing a stylized wolf’s head with three claw marks slashing across it.
I felt my jaw tighten. “An emblem.”
“That’s what I thought,” Cole said. “Could’ve fallen off someone. Or…”
“Or been left there deliberately,” I finished for him.
“Exactly.”
I leaned against the desk, folding my arms. “You think the border was breached.”
“I think something happened up there, Alpha. And if it was an accident or miscommunication, it wouldn’t look like this.”
My mind went over the possibilities. Rogue wolves? A rival pack? Or… something worse.
“How close were these prints to the boundary line?” I asked.
“Too close,” Cole replied grimly. “And some of them lead past it, into our territory.”
A muscle twitched in my jaw. That was all I needed to hear.
“Who else knows about this?” I asked.
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Chapter 27
+25 Points
“Just the team I took with me,” he said. “I told them to keep quiet until you decided how to
handle it.”
Good. The last thing we needed was panic spreading through the pack before we even knew what we were dealing with.
I took the phone from him, zooming in on the emblem again. The design didn’t match any of the allied packs I knew. But there was something about the style…sharp lines, bold slashes…that tickled a memory.
“I’ve seen something like this before,” I murmured.
Cole’s eyes sharpened. “Where?”
“Years ago,” I said slowly, “when my father was still Alpha. A group of wolves from beyond the northern mountains came through our territory. They weren’t hostile, but they weren’t exactly friendly either. One of them had a belt buckle with this same mark. My father warned me never to deal with them–they called themselves the Shadow Fang.”
Cole frowned. “Shadow Fang? Never heard of them.”
“You wouldn’t have. They keep to themselves, deep in the highlands. They only come down when they want something. And if they’re leaving calling cards at our border…” I let the thought trail off.
Cole didn’t need me to finish it. “It means they’re back…and they want something.”
“And they’ve taken our guards,” I said flatly.
For a moment, silence stretched between us. My wolf pressed hard against my skin, restless and on edge.
“We’ll need to send the search team,” Cole said finally. “Fast.”
I nodded. “I’ll handpick the members myself. No one inexperienced, and no one who’ll talk.”
Cole gave a short nod of agreement. “When do we move?”
“As soon as I’ve spoken to the council. They’ll want to know, but I’m not telling them everything yet. Just that we have missing patrols and need authorization for a search.”
He studied me for a moment. “You’re thinking this is more than just a breach.”
I met his gaze evenly. “If the Shadow Fang are here, Cole, they’re not here to play games. Last time, they came for trade. This time… I don’t know. But I intend to find out. I hope my instincts
are wrong.”
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< Chapter 27
$25 Points
I handed his phone back and walked to the window, looking out over the training grounds. Wolves were sparring in the sun, their laughter carrying faintly through the glass. They had no idea their world might be about to shift. And it’s my duty to protect them.
“They’ll try to hit us where it hurts,” I said quietly. “The border was just the first move.”
Cole moved to stand beside me. “Then we make sure it’s their last.”
I glanced at him, a faint smile tugging at my mouth. That was why he was my beta…steady, reliable, and ready for a fight.
“Get the warriors ready,” I said. “And keep this quiet until I give the order. If anyone asks, the patrols are on a training rotation.”
“Understood.” He turned to go, but paused at the door. “Alpha Alexander… if they’ve taken our wolves alive, do you think…”
“They’ll use them,” I said bluntly. “For leverage, for information. And if we’re too slow, we won’t get them back.”
His jaw tightened, but he nodded once and left.
When the door shut, I exhaled slowly. My father’s voice echoed in my head from years ago, warning me about the Shadow Fang. They’re not allies, Alexander. They’re opportunists, they’ll smile while they sharpen the knife.
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