War. It's one hell of a drug. We might plead and cry for its end, but then we're right back at it with the next bloody massacre. There's a darkness in us that craves that destruction. Add supernatural creatures to the mix and it's absolute chaos. Pure fucking carnage. It's a good thing I was made for it.

____________

I feel a hand wrap tightly around my throat. Any more pressure and that hand can rip my head from my neck. I can't let that happen. I swing my head back as forcefully as I can, breaking the nose of my captor and providing enough distraction to break myself free of his hold. Assessing the man in front of me, I note that he's about four inches taller than me and has at least eighty pounds on me. No problem. What I lack in height and weight, I make up for in speed. I barrel towards him, not allowing myself a single moment of hesitation.

He believes I'm going to attack him head on, so at the last possible moment, when I am just out of reach of the fist he has ready for me, I juke to the left and swing behind him, positioning myself on his back before he even has time to process what's happened. Baring my teeth, I place my mouth on his jugular and I know I have him right where I want him.

"Not bad, Rey," a voice laughs out.

I turn to the voice, jumping off Samuel's back as I do so.

"Not bad? I could wipe out your entire army on my own and all I get is 'not bad'?"

I reach out to hug General Sage, a smirk on my face.

"You're the absolute best, my dear. A true warrior," he smirks back.

We both turn back to Samuel, the other warrior I was training with.

"I trust she didn't hurt you too much?" He nods to Samuel's nose, bloody and slightly crooked.

He shrugs and responds, "Nothing the pack doctor can't fix. You're unstoppable, Rey."

We give each other a quick handshake and I follow General Sage down a series of long hallways to his office. Making myself comfortable, I plop down into one of the black leather chairs and prop my feet up on his desk.

"So, is there a reason you tore me away from my very important training?"

Most wolves wouldn't talk to the General of the most powerful warrior wolves like that, and they certainly wouldn't put their dirty training boots up on his desk, but when you're as good as me, they let those kinds of things slide.

"We need you for a mission, Rey. It's going to be tricky and dangerous. I can't trust anyone but you for this."

"Consider my interest piqued."

I remove my feet from the desk and place my arms there instead, supporting my head with my hands.

"There are whispers of a war. Alpha Killian is recruiting other packs as we speak and setting up defenses against Alpha Lucas."

"You need me to gather intel," I surmise.

He nods and rubs a frustrated hand across his face. Werewolves may not age the way humans do, but, looking upon his tired features, the beginnings of grey in that jet black hair and the weary look in his eyes that no amount of sleep can seem to cure, it's obvious that years of trying to maintain the peace amongst our race was starting to get to him.

"He's been very good at keeping this whole thing under wraps and out of the ear of the council. We need to know why he's taken up arms against Alpha Lucas, how many packs he's recruited, what his next move is..." he trails off, lost in thought.

"But he'll know I'm a warrior the second I step foot on pack grounds."

"It's not uncommon for a warrior to be present when this many alphas congregate in one place. Alpha Killian is smart enough to know we're suspicious of him, but you'll make sure he doesn't know to what extent."

"And I'm just pretty enough to distract him from our snooping," I finish his unspoken thoughts.

I'm not stupid. I know I'm attractive. I know guys are usually too preoccupied with my curves to understand I can snap their necks without breaking a sweat, but that only helps me in the end and I use it to my advantage.

I'll get what I need from Alpha Killian and he'll be none the wiser.

"So when do I leave?"