She's The Lone Wolf

~18~

Amaris

We get to the house, and an older man opens the door for us. Anton smiles at him and he bows his head in response. Everyone seems to still be sleeping, the house is quiet. Anton is the first to break the silence.

"You should get some rest, you've been up all night." He doesn't turn to face me, but keeps walking to the kitchen at a brisk pace.

"I'm alright." I keep following him into the kitchen, hoping that the fruit bowl is full.

"Seriously Amaris you've been up all night go get some rest." It's a nice gesture but his voice is dark and daunting again. I'm getting tired of him bossing me around.

"You've been up all night as well. Are you going to go get some sleep?"

"I can't." He's trying not to lose his temper at me, I can tell.

"Well why not?" I know I'm pushing him but I can't help it

"Because I'm an Alpha and I have work to do, I can't spend every morning sleeping in. I have meetings and paperwork and a massive rogue problem on my hands." Anton's voice raised, and we had reached the kitchen.

"You can't tell me to go to sleep when you-" His fists slammed onto the counter top, and a large crack drifted through the middle.

"I can." He yells. "I am the Alpha of this pack you are on my land and if I tell you to go get some damn sleep you will." His large voice carries throughout the house, no doubt waking up everyone. I take in a breath and compose myself. I walk past the flaming Alpha and to the cracked countertop, reaching for a fresh plum. I look back at him, staying calm.

"You are not my Alpha. This is not my pack. You do not control me." His eyes shoot daggers into mine, as his chest heaves and a rich growl erupts from the back of his throat. But, I stand my ground and don't blink away from him. I keep my stance tall, my eyes bore into his, mimicking the emotionless gaze I had grown used to. Feet began to trot down the stairs and an alert Vance made his way to us, clearing his throat to gain Anton's attention.

"The Chief is on her way."

"Tell her to meet me in my office." Anton didn't break our eye contact, Vance stays still for a moment, not being able to decipher if he's dismissed. "You can go now." Anton barks, Vance does as he's told and walks toward Anton's wing of the house.

Anton takes in a breath, and his muscles visibly tense under his shirt, his eyes wander away from mine and I feel my tense body relax a bit. "Stay up, go to sleep, I do not care. But do not disruppt my meetings today, and do not leave the house." His voice is thick, and power soars from his body. I realize he's attempting to use his Alpha tone to command me.

"That won't work on me, I'm not a pack wolf." I spit the words out of my mouth, and I'm disgusted. Anton growls at me, his last warning before he pushes me to the side and retreats up the long staircase. As he disappears, Emi, Laura, and Monday make their way down from their rooms and into the kitchen. Laura eyes saucer when she sees the broken countertop, she races over and her hand cups her mouth,

"My kitchen!" She cries out as she scans the damage. "What happened?"

"Anton happened."

"Anton did this?" Monday's eyebrows came together in confusion. "That's not like him." She spoke more to herself than the group. Laura's eyes couldn't be torn from the broken counter, but Monday kisses her forehead anyway and retreats in the direction of Anton and Vance.

Anton

A knock at the door signals Cecilia's arrival. "Come in," I grunt, my annoyance from this morning was still present and I was having difficulty shaking it.

The door knob turns and Cecilia steps into the room. I sit behind my desk with Monday and Vance standing to the side. I motion for Cecilia to take a seat in the leather chair across from me.

Formalities were not something I bothered with in my inner circle, it seemed useless and frivolous, but today was not a day I wanted to be pressed. Today, I was to be treated like an Alpha.

"The rogues are pushing us." I state. "They have acted violently and have made a way onto the pack land, they have killed one of our own, and have put the entirety of the pack in danger." I lay the facts out, and Cecilia looks at me with caution in her eyes. "I would like to know, Chief," I'm spitting my words at her now, "what the hell is your excuse." Cecilia draws in a breath, knowing she's walking on thin ice here.

"I do not have one Alpha. We were unprepared for the number of rogues. I will add more guards, further our training. It will not happen again." I sigh knowing the situation isn't all her fault.

"We need to find out the motive," Vance speaks up, "this is bigger than just pesky rogues. I nod agreeing with him. "For the past few weeks they have been lining the border, most not quite crossing it." Vance reaches down to the map on my desk tracing the eastern lines with his finger. "This where most of the incidents have occurred, by the training grounds. It's where," Vance pauses a beat, "Ravi was killed as well."

"Okay, I'll place more guards on the eastern border, move out the less experienced." Cecilia strategizes. I shake my head.

"No , they'll only find that they can easily break through the other sides of the border that way."

"Do you really think they've thought that much into it?" Monday asks. "They're just rogues, probably looking for a fight to pick or food to steal."

"They killed a pack member Monday." Anton, "This isn't just any group of rogues. It has to be something better than, they have a purpose or reason. We just need to figure out what it is." I look to Cecilia, her mind running a million miles a minute by the look on her face. "Keep a heavier rotation throughout all the borders. Other than that we'll wait it out, see if they reveal something to us before we make drastic decisions. We'll enforce a curfew for pack members to ensure safety. Get a list of every family who has a house next to the border edge on my desk by tonight." I let out a deep breath. "You're dismissed." Cecilia shoots up from her seat, bows her head to me, and leaves without another word.

I put my head into my hands and groan at the situation, and realize who I need to turn to for help. "Monday?"

"Yes Alpha?"

"Get Amaris in my office."

"Oh, why?." I growl at her for questioning me, but it turns into a murmur. She doesn't mean anything by it.

"She's lived in the woods like a rogue her whole life. Maybe she has a clue to why all this is happening?"

The real question was, would she tell me if she did.

a/n

early chapter update today because I'm out of school. I hope you all enjoy :)

What do you think the rogues are planning?

Do you think Amaris will help them?

Will Laura get over the counter tops?

Until next time!

xoxo,

EA♥️🌻