One week later.....

One week. One whole week since I last heared Violet's voice in my mind. I was so stupid reaching out to her but I had too. She was enjoying herself that night and she let her guard down enough that I could see the male she was talking to.

Attractive. That was how she saw this other wolf. It was all she was thinking about and those thoughts floated into my mind as soon as her guard came down. I couldn't help myself and I began to shake with venom. My wolf wanted to mark his territory and tell this werewolf to back off from our Mate. Instead, I reached out to Violet and that's where things took a turn for the worst.

One whole week she has blocked me out. I know I deserve it and I have no right to mark her as mine when I clearly knocked up another shewolf and rejected her all on the same day. I knew she was in a pack but I didn't know which one. A few Alphas sitting here were not look at me so I assumed if Violet was in one of their packs then she kept my name a secret. I was ashamed of myself but I had no rights to her now. I had to let her go. One of the newest Alphas, Alpha Liam of the Bloodstone pack sat acrost from me. I thought I caught the faintest smell of Violet from him and I instinctively growled. Alpha Liam glanced in my direction and then continued his conversation with another Alpha to his right. Oblivious to my plight.

'Concentrate now boy'.. my father said sternly sitting next to me. He was clutching his chest which he started to do lately. He often had to bring me out of my thoughts these days and he was starting to get annoyed with me. For the first time in my life he looked worn out and his position as Alpha was bearing down on him, the weight was too heavy. He didn't usually come to these meetings with me but the council insisted that all Alpha's who were free should be notified of a new potential threat. Most Alpha's in the past refused to attend on the grounds of recent territory disputes. It was usually my job as a council member to arrange meetings with the so called 'Alpha's' to allow them to openly address their grievances so the dispute could be resolved to prevent an actual all out war. However, even though some packs had resolved their differences, there were those who refused to attend just to be petty. So it wasnt a shock to see empty seats in this chamber.

In two week's time I would become an Alpha myself when my father stepped down and other Alphas would no longer be interested in having me sit in as a mediator. Especially when I would be seen as benefiting/siding with one pack over another for personal gain. I would never support these ideas but others would see it that way. That is why this would by my last meeting as a council member before werewolf politics dictated my life.

Attending the wolf council meetings was often an interesting affair. We all sat around a table that could resemble something out of King Arthur's knights. Our three head councillors were named the 'Elders' they were three brothers who created the council in order to end the great war almost 50 years ago that included all nine of our packs. 50 years of peace was nothing and the alliances we had had hung by a thread. The thread was the Elders. The lights were dimmed and everyone wore suits like mafia Don's. However, the werewolves present were quite the opposite in terms of threatening. Most of the Alphas present were bald, fat, or too old to even hear our discussions. There were 5 family packs here in total. Many of their sons or son in laws were also present. Like me, future Alpha's who would soon take their place to inherit the role as leader. Four packs were missing but this was to be expected. As was the fact that there was no shewolf representation. In all, there were nine packs here on the continent. There used to be ten. The yellowpaw pack was annihilated almost a century ago. No one spoke about the reason behind their demise as the rumours were that the three brother elders were part of that pack. It was said that when a female alpha wolf tried to challenge the 'non' elected Alpha for his seat and won, the three brothers murdered her and her entire pack in one night. It was well known that the brothers hated the thought of our women having a voice. Any female was seen as a threat and even our Luna's were treated as second class wolves. Which meant that protecting Violets identity as the first white wolf in almost 200 years was a very good idea. It would keep her alive but it would make me miserable.

Elders Vaughn, Ivan and Evon. Ruthless, cunning and insatiable when it came to power. No one challenged them accept for me of course. I would regularly question their decisions, motives and agendas behind the laws they made for us. They restricted our powers as Alphas, demanding knowledge of all issues foreign and domestic associated within our packs. They also demanded payment for their services and the equality restriction laws we had on our females to prevent them from rising against us. This was something I constantly refuted but each time I was out voted. My father warned me not to create a name for myself as the 'Rebel' Alpha and I tried to curb my comments but I couldn't. They were a bye gone era of old, sexist wolves with only their reputation to use for fear mongering. None of them could best us Alpha's in a match and they knew it. They regularly played on the elderly card. Wafting it around and demanding money and respect. I had had enough but I was smart enough to keep my mouth shut until the time was right. Looking around the room it seemed that the younger Alpha's to be like me all agreed but while the older generation reigned we could not take any action. The time was not now. But it would come. We just had to wait.

'Alphas'... Vaughn said.

All Alphas in the room nodded their heads in a sign of outward respect. I did the same.

Vaughn cleared his throat and looked uneasy.

'It is a shame we cannot meet under better circumstances, however, it has been brought to my attention that their has been a rebellion of sorts from our rogue friends in the East.'

I caught Elders Ivan and Evon give one another a slide glance. That was odd,

Nothing unnerved the elders so whatever information was coming wasn't good.

Vaughn looked at the four empty chairs on our table and looked down at his brothers who were seated before addressing us again.

'It appears to be an orchestrated movement led by one wolf and one only. He attacked all four of the missing Alpha's packs not present here today. This attack took place not three days past and there appears to be no survivors'.

Gasps and shock rang out through the chamber. I looked to my father and his jaw was slack. This was bad. Really bad.

'What happened to them'? Cried Alpha forester of the IronThorn pack. His son Byrant looked over at me. There was an unspoken message there that passed between us and we both knew that war was coming. Byrant and I had never been close as both of our packs were rivals but when he met his luna Farah last spring his arrogance seemed to have dissipated and every now and then we would converse over political matters, we weren't friends but I knew we both shared a kinship when it came to the responsibility that would be given to us both in a matter of weeks.'

Vaughn continued..

'It appears that this savage Rogue has given himself a name. His blood followers call him the Rogue King. Our scouts sent a letter of invitation to the Alphas to attend this meeting today.

When there was no response our scouts sent a messenger. What they found there was horror, murder and bones. If there are any survivors they will make their way to your packs soon. You should provide them with medical assistance if necessary'.

Vaughn went to sit down. Obviously thinking that his explanation was enough. Not if I had anything to say about it....

'Elder Vaughn, you mention that all of the pack members were murdered but what did your trackers find about how they died'?

Elder Evon intervened.

'Councillor Demitri, the investigation is still ongoing but from as far as what we can tell, the packs did not put up a fight'.

I was outraged... and they were lying, I knew they were....

'So you are telling us that this 'Rogue King' and his Rogues attacked these four well trained warrior packs of more than 300 werewolves and not one warrior fought against them in defence????... Not even the Alpha's? They just let their people die'?

All the alphas looked from me and then back to Elder Evon in almost a quiet withdrawn stupor waiting for his response.

'Yes Demitri, that is exactly what I am saying'.

SHIT!!!

Within seconds the chamber blew up into a storm. A frenzy of threats and shouting could be heard. The different packs vile profanities and promise of war reverberated around the chamber whilst the Elders faintly attempted to pacify those present. It was fear pure and simple. This was unheard of that , not one, but four well known packs were obliterated in one weekend. All of them going down without a fight suggested foul play and I needed to find out as much as I could about this so called Rogue King before all of us ended up dead. The older Alphas started accusing others of siding with the rogues to bring down their allied friends who had fallen. It was chaos.

Alpha Liam whom I saw earlier slipped out of the chamber and obviously decided to leave before things escalated. I decided it was time to do the same when my father grabbed my arm as I turned to him I could see his face had turned red. He clutched his chest and struggled to breathe. The realisation hit me all too soon that he was having a heart attack in the middle of the hall. My heart was thumping so loud that I could hear it beating in my ears. I clutched him to my chest as he passed out.

'Dad!!! Stay with me, open your eyes'!.

I was panicking and I froze. Byrant ran over to me and started CPR but I tuned it all out. I was in shock and couldn't focus with all of the shouting and fighting around me until my father grabbed my arm and pulled my ear to his face where he whispered 'Take care of the pack and your mate, protect her from them'. He pointed to the Elders who were still seated. They looked over at my father lying on the floor. They had their arms crossed and it was like they were not at all bothered by the commotion around them. Not one of them moved to help my father. An affront I wasnt likely to forget. The smirked...

It was a warning from them for speaking out against them earlier. They were watching me, silently.

I turned back to look at my father and then

.. he was gone.

That's when I knew I was Alpha.