Alpha Rowland slammed his fist on the table so hard the scattered maps jumped.
"What are we still waiting for?" he barked. "We have the bigger army. We should storm that damn pack house right now and kill every single one of them, so you," he jabbed a finger at Cane, "can take charge."
Alpha Cane sat at the head of the table, surrounded by the two alphas he "felt" he trusted. The irony wasnāt lost on him considering trust was a joke among the west pack wolves.
He didnāt delude himself into thinking they were friends or that they liked him. They were together today because of ambition and blood, nothing more.
After all, they had used and betrayed Marlow, one of their own. This alliance would end the same way. Except heād be smart enough not to fall victim.
Alpha Drake, the oldest among them, said with his raspy voice, "You cannot touch the East Alpha or the South Alpha," he warned. "Especially not without Alpha King Elijahās permission. If you strike without his blessing, heāll come for all our heads."
He went on to say, "For starters, we eliminate Ezra King. Heās the glue holding the others together. Once heās gone, the pack members will realize they stand alone. Then theyāll fall in line behind you especially now that Asher Nightshade is missing..." His lips curled. "Or, if the goddess favors us, already dead."
The room fell into a heavy silence.
The circumstances surrounding Asherās disappearance were baffling to everyone, especially after the failed assassination attempt. Not just his, but the rest of the cardinal alphas as well.
Rumors were spreading that some girl had kidnapped them. It was absurd to imagine the cardinal alphas, with all their power, being taken by a single girl, but for now the rumor served their purpose, and they hoped it stayed that way.
If Asher returned, well, theyād would deal with that problem permanently.
Rowland let out a harsh, humorless laugh.
"Youāre joking, right?" he snapped at Drake. "So weāre supposed to sit here with our thumbs up our asses, waiting for them to gather support and back Ezra? Thatās your strategy?"
He scoffed loudly, then turned to Cane, sneering openly.
"I didnāt help unseat Henryās son just to crown a coward."
The insult snapped something visceral in Cane. Before Rowland even registered the danger, the wolf moved fast and grabbed him by the throat.
He slammed Rowlan into the wall so hard dust rained from the beams. Rowland choked, his feet kicking weakly against the ground.
Caneās voice was ice. "If you speak to me like that again," he hissed, "Iāll show you exactly how cowardly I can be when I rip your throat out."
Rowland, despite his legendary temper, couldnāt break free as Caneās strength pinned him like a child.
After a long, dangerous moment, Cane released him roughly and Rowland staggered, clutching his throat, eyes bloodshot with humiliation.
Cane straightened his clothes with chilling calm before turning back to Drake.
"Iām not waiting for Elijah," he said coldly. "His heir is missing. He canāt expect the West Pack to remain stagnant. The strongest rules, and I am taking whatās mine."
"Moreover...." he trailed his fingers along the table,"I just received Intel that reinforcements are coming from the East. Theyāll arrive by tomorrow morning."
Drakeās jaw dropped. "That fast?"
Cane said, "The East alphas are resilient fighters, and nearly match us in skill. If they get here, weāre screwed."
The Alphas nodded their heads in acknowledgment.
"So," Cane continued, "we move by midnight before they arrive."
He pointed at the location of the west pack house on the map.
"Once we overtake the palace, Alpha Irene and Alpha Leon will be given the chance to walk away alive. But if they resistā" A dark glint entered his eyes, "āthere will be casualties."
Rowlandās earlier humiliation melted into savage pride. "Finally," he grunted. "About damn time."
Caneās chest swelled not from Rowlandās approval, but from the certainty of victory blooming inside him. Eveything was going according to as planned.
He stepped back from the table. "Prepare our men. By midnight, we march and take what should have been mine from the beginning."
Immediately, Rowland wiped his bleeding lip and stormed out, muttering curses but already barking orders at the men he found at the door. It was time.
Meanwhile...
Two wolves guarded the entrance of the compound, leaning lazily against the wall, sharing a cigarette between shifts.
Suddenly they heard a rustle and both men froze. They stomped out the cigarette instantly and lifted their weapons, vigilant.
"Who goes there?" one barked.
A lone figure stepped out of the darkness, cloaked from head to toe. The wolves tensed, fingers brushing their triggers.
Then the stranger slowly lifted his hands and lowered his hood.
"No, no, please donāt shoot," he said, voice trembling just the right amount. "I come peacefully."
The guards exchanged a confused look. No one simply walked up to Caneās temporary fortress. Still, they didnāt lower their weapons. However, their hesitation was all Micah needed.
"Gentlemen," he said with a silky tone as he lifted one hand casually, tracing invisible patterns in the air. "Surely you wouldnāt mind letting me in. Itās considered rude, after all, to leave a guest standing at the door."
Shadow swirled around him, too subtle in the darkness for untrained eyes to notice yet the effect was immediate.
A warm, unnatural fog slipped into the wolvesā minds and their eyes softened with instant, unblinking adoration. They lowered their weapons.
"Yes," Micah crooned, stepping forward like a king being escorted into his own palace. "Thatās the way you welcome a guest."
The wolves nodded eagerly, eager to please and serve him.
"Anything you need," one of them murmured dreamily.
"Good boys," Micah praised, patting one gently on the cheek.
He straightened his cloak confidently.
"Now, you wouldnāt mind taking me safely to see your new Alpha, Cane, would you?"
Both wolves bowed their heads, utterly enthralled.
"Of course," they said in unison.