I watched April and her siblings disappear down the stairwell before I made my way outside. All the Enforcers, Trackers, and Lookouts of her pack stood in a protective line throughout the yard.

I joined them just as a rogue in human form walked out of the woods and came up to the line. He scanned it and laughed, "You really think this puny line is going to hold us back?"

Alpha Anderson let out a thunderous growl, making everyone flinch. He was stronger than he looked, and he was making sure the rogues got that message. The man took a step back, glancing over his shoulder.

I faintly heard the Alpha whisper to the Luna to call the Crescent Moon Pack. She stepped back and hid behind her mate to make the call.

"Emerald! We have a rogue situation. Send help fast." I heard her whisper very quietly.

The rogue scanned the line of warriors. "Alright, where is she?"

April's father growled, "who?"

The rogue folded his arms, "You know exactly who! The little fox you've worked so hard to protect. Where is she?!"

I snarled, "why?"

"Aw, did the big bad Alpha find a mate in Little Red?" He sneered.

I snarled again, getting closer and closer to shifting.

"Just hand her over and no one gets hurt. It's as simple as that." He gave me a smirk. I was about to run after him, but Alpha Anderson put his hand in my way.

"You're not taking her," he said.

The rogue laughed. "Fine. You had your chance."

He shifted, ripping his clothes. Everyone else around me shifted as well. I growled and joined them, ready to charge.

Suddenly, hundreds more ragged wolves poured out of the woods behind the rogue. I widened my eyes and licked my lips nervously as I took a step back. There was no way we could fight these guys off!

Alpha Anderson must have been thinking the same thing as me, but he didn't show any hesitation as he leapt at the first rogue. They disappeared into a roll of fur, claws, and teeth.

It didn't take long for a howl to ring out through the clearing and for the rest of the wolves to charge. I ran alongside the Waning Moon Pack's Beta as we met the rogues. We matched each other swipe for swipe, fighting off wolf after wolf. We made sure not to kill them, only wind them.

A few years ago, when Queen Natalia took the werewolf throne, she made a proclamation to the Packs of America that it was wrong to kill a wolf just because you are fighting them. If you need to kill another wolf for self defense, that's different. But when in battle, aim for getting them out of your way, not killing them.

I knew not every pack agreed with this, as some believed in fighting to the death. I also knew the rogues would never follow the Queen's order specifically like that; they were rogues for a reason. But I always made sure my pack followed this simple rule. I agreed wholeheartedly with it and wanted to run my pack in a wise, civil way.

A wolf suddenly rammed into my side, separating me from the Beta and forcing me to focus my thoughts on the fight in front of me. I lashed out with my paws, catching my opponent on the nose. They retaliated immediately, their teeth snapping near my throat. I growled and tried to kick their paws out from under them.

I missed, and they latched onto my ear. I howled in pain and they just drove their teeth deeper. I thrashed and thrashed, catching their side a few times, but it did little. I was losing.

Just when I thought I might die here, a battle cry rang out and the wolf was shoved off, taking a piece of my ear with them. I shook myself off and looked around the yard in amazement.

The amount of wolves around the house had suddenly doubled. I didn't recognize the incoming, but their pelts were sleek and multicolored, telling me they were on our side.

When a wolf became exiled and turned rogue, the Moon Goddess cursed their appearance, to help the loyal Packs set them apart. Rogues were dirty, mangy and all their pelts were timber-wolf grey, and their eyes changed to red. It was quite scary, but it helped us determine who we were fighting and which side people were on.

My mind went back to the call Luna Anderson had made before the fighting had begun. These wolves must be part of the Crescent Moon Pack, run by Alpha and Luna Williams. I had never met them, as our territories didn't touch so I had never felt the need to.

I howled with them and plunged back into the fight. Claws scraped my side and left a stinging sensation. I turned on my attacker and growled furiously. The rogue bared his teeth and snapped in my face.

I leaped high, landing on his shoulders. I dug my claws into the wolf's tough skin until I drew blood. Unfortunately, he twisted under me, throwing me to the hard ground. With my breath knocked out of me, he used it to his advantage and pounced on my chest.

He scraped at my exposed belly with his hind paws viciously. Snarling, I thrust my forelegs up into his chest, heaving him off me. I jumped back on him and we rolled around, snapping and clawing each other until I was able to get a good grip on his neck. I sunk my fangs into his flesh until he fell limp in submission under my grasp. I let go and he slunk off into the trees. I hoped he learned his lesson.

Ignoring my injuries to my back and belly, which stung like fury, I scanned the yard. Wolves were howling and snarling as they fought. I was horrified to see many already lay mangled and lifeless on the bloodstained grass.

I shook my black fur out and hurdled at a nearby enemy. Taken by surprise, the wolf crumpled underneath my weight and I easily won the fight.

Not a moment later, I was tackled to the ground by a female rogue a little smaller than me. I let myself go limp, pretending to be defeated. The she-wolf fell for the trick and relaxed her grip ever so slightly. I took this chance and sprang up, knocking her backward. She skidded across the slick turf, hitting a tree.

I left her there and searched for another opponent. It wasn't long before I spotted Everleigh's caramel wolf struggling against two huge rogues trying to corner her.

I bounded over to her rescue and matched her blows, paw for paw. Driving off one wolf, I let her handle the other. She licked my cheek to say thank you and then flung herself into the mass of writhing wolves. I was about to follow when a ear-shattering shriek made me stop short. They'd found April.