Tate's POV

The boy was so small in my arms. He was just a kid. How he ended up here or with the gash was beyond me. Hadley's face was fixed on the boy. Her body was frozen and stiff.

"Hadley," I said, snapping her out of the haze her eyes met mine. "Shift and run ahead, grab whoever you can. I'll run back with him,"

She nodded shifting and sprinting ahead into the direction of the pack house. I tightened my grip on the boy and ran. His gash on his side was pretty deep and not healing. The scent was off. I knew he belonged to Nolan from it but there was something bitter laced in the mix. His breathing was coming in rapidly, he was still unconscious.

I was most of the way back when I spotted Hadley's copper wolf and Braxton's jet black wolf headed towards us. Once they got to us Braxton shifted back.

"Your pack doctor is waiting for you inside the house. He knows there's a gash and some type of poison from what Hadley told me," Braxton said. Hadley had stayed in her wolf form.

"We need to get him back quickly, he's not doing great," I said.

We continued running as fast as we could. Thankfully the boy was light in my arms. We approached the pack house and made our way to the small infirmary. I laid the boy on the bed where Mason got to work right away. Hadley, Braxton, and I stood off to the side helping as needed. Handing Mason needles and vials of clear liquid that he injected into the boy.

"No. No. No. This shouldn't be happening. Braxton! Start compressions," Mason directed.

"Braxton now!" Mason said. Braxton was frozen in the corner staring at the boy unable to move. Hadley said his name trying to snap him out of it. She ran over to the boy on the bed and began giving him cpr.

My wolf could hear it. We all could. His last strained breath. The moment the small boy's heart stopped beating in his chest.

Hadley was still giving compressions. I came up behind her taking her hands back off of the boy. Turning her to face me. Her eyes were rimmed with tears but she held them in. Mason had his head down, his hands grasping at his black hair.

"What kind of poison was that?" I asked Mason.

Mason raised his hazel eyes to meet mine. They were filled with as much defeat as the rest of us. "I have no idea... It was unlike anything I have ever seen before. It completely wiped out his ability to self heal while also attacking the heart,"

"Do you think Nolan is responsible for this if he's from his pack?" Hadley asked me. She slowly moved towards the boy pulling the blanket over his wounds and taking a seat next to him. She grabbed his hand and gently held onto it.

"I don't know it's one thing to kill a member from your own pack but a child," I said shaking my head. It was too cruel to imagine.

"What's your next move," Braxton asked, breaking his silence.

"Normal alpha protocol would be to give Nolan a call and let him know that his pack member is dead. It would be foolish to outright accuse him of it. He may be more inclined to tell us more of what we need if we place blame on rogues," I said contemplating what I would all say to Nolan.

"Are you going to mention the poison?" Braxton asked.

"No not yet. I'll just say that we found him dead on our border... That there was nothing we could do," I said watching my mate holding onto the small hand of the boy.

"We should bury him," She said quietly.

"Hads. It isn't our call just yet. Nolan might want to have him brought back to Fenris Moon and be buried there. For now we have to leave him," I said.

"So he'll just be all alone?" She asked.

"I'll stay with him," Mason said, reaching out to gently touch Hadley's shoulder. My wolf was slightly annoyed but it comforted her so I pushed that thought down. Mason turned his head to meet my gaze. "I'm going to see if I can get a sample of the poison. Maybe see what compounds it's made up of,".

I nodded my head. "I'm going to call Nolan then," I said, leaving the infirmary and heading to my office. Hadley had followed me out the door grabbing my arm, pulling me to face her.

"We can't let this happen again," She said, meeting my gaze.

"I won't let it," I said, placing a kiss on her freckle dusted cheek. "Trust me I have a plan," I said trying to assure her.

"Are we supposed to just go on normal with our day then. With this bonfire. He was killed. He's just a little kid," She said a tear finally slipping down her cheek.

I wiped it away, grabbing her face gently to meet mine. "I know this is horrible but trust me the best thing we can do is give the illusion to Nolan and the rogues that we don't think much of this. If he knows we suspect him who knows what he'll do. We need him to think we are on his side. We need him to think that we are putting all the blame of this on rogues," I explained.

"It just seems wrong," she said.

"Nolan doesn't know that you're my mate. He just thinks you're a pack member. If I appear to be on good terms with him he may reveal more of his plans to me. Or at least not come after us. I hate this choice as much as I do but it's the choice that right now will keep you and the pack safe,".

"Ok I trust you. I don't like it but I trust you," she said kissing me. It took everything in me not to scoop her up and take her back to my room. Place the claim on her. It was the distraction we both needed after today. She pulled back giving me a small smile.

"I'll see you at the bonfire. I'm sure Devin has an endless list of things to keep me busy till then,"she said, giving me one last kiss before heading down the hall.

I entered the office and picked up the phone.

"Tate. What do I owe to have the pleasure of you calling me today?" he asked.

"We found the body of a small boy on our border today. His scent is Fenris Moon. It looks like he was attacked by rogues," I said trying to keep my voice neutral. Not letting the rage seep through.

"You think rogues did this?" he asked.

"Are you accusing my pack of killing a small child?" I asked coldly.

"No of course not," Nolan said. We sat in silence for a moment.

"I of course will be coming to collect the body of the boy. He needs to be brought back and properly identified and buried," Nolan said.

"I can have some of my pack warriors bring him to you," I said.

"With all due respect this is my member. I will be personally coming to get him today and bringing him back. With your permission to enter your lands," Nolan said.

There it was. The reason a body had ended up on our land in the first place. Nolan didn't care about his pack member. Or that a small boy was murdered. He wanted access to our territory. Access to Hadley.

"Of course. We have a bonfire tonight to induct our newest pack member. You are welcome to attend if you would like," I said allowing Nolan to bait me. Let him think he had pulled one over me.

"Perfect. I will let you know when my beta and I are crossing onto your land. See you tonight," Nolan said. I could practically sense his grin through the phone.

"See you then".