Renna's Reign

Decisions.

"What are you suggesting?" Asa quirks a brow as a small crowd of us huddles in the grass. The midday sun is peeling through the canopy of trees above. I sit sandwiched between Brie and Asa, with Aaron and his mates and Nixon and his to our sides.

We gathered those of us Elric deemed trustworthy in a secluded area of forest, vacant of any homes. We have been on pins and needles for days now, awaiting Elric to deliver more info related to the government shifts and meddling. Or anything related to the unusual wolf woman they had forced into captivity here. Elric's messy hair has even more grey than usual, and his eyes are framed in a deeper series of lines.

"What I am suggesting, is we play the unexpected to our advantage. These guys expect us to pry or to be on guard, but they wouldn't expect our females to play double agent. They are leery of my presence when I come to check the girl, or deliver extra food. They might be less suspicious of one of our mates. If I am suspected of snoop, it might effect my mate's access to medical intervention. I'm over a barrel here."

"What exactly are you trying to decipher here? I'm a bit lost. What are you suspecting to happen?" Nixon inquires.

"While I don't imagine this Aislaine would lie to me, she has made bold revelations. If these revelations are legitimate. She tells me that they admitted to the destruction of her pack, and that they unearthed bodies of the fallen for DNA. From that DNA they have derived an injection to temporarily shift. They have mainly wolves. Several bears, and they have brought in bodies of a few other shifter types that she claimed to smell. They want to find a permanent way to shift. She also tells me that she believes they are acting alone, outside of the larger government. Another group of officials don't share this behavior and can't understand why she's still captive. She is monitored and cannot interact with this set. She was harshly reprimanded for linking one, he had became frightened and related what she was trying to tell him. She possibly reveals Clint's role as well. She says Clint assisted in her nabbing, under the impression that she was to be given to him. They now have told him that she will not be released to him until he has taken my rank."

"So Clint and possibly Dorin are...and were the double agents?"

"So far as we know, yes. I wish we could have had Dorin alive for interrogation, but I understand what you and Aaron had to do. I've had a few days now to think this over, and I need all of you ready to invene and claim my role should I fall to him or to anyone outside our allies here. One of us will be alpha. We cannot risk anyone unpredictable or Clint of taking position as alpha. I do not know yet, or understand fully what this overreach will mean for us or how it will impact us. Keep your families close, and continue to train throughout the evening. I will send someone in to try to communicate with Aislaine soon. I think they might let her interact better with someone besides me. Somebody they don't suspicion or view as a threat. I want to know as much as I can before tomorrow, so we do not go into this unprepared." I sit forward on my heels, Atlas crawling before me in the lush grass. I don't want to leave him with Asa, but I want to be the one who checks on this girl.

"May I be the one?" I blurt before Elric can reach his feet. Asa elbows me and Darrick simply nods in agreement with my idea.

"Absolutely not!" Asa cries.

"Actually, Renna would be perfect. She's strong enough to hold her own in an emergency, and she's much less suspicious than one of us. Officials here know that she and I have a negative history, so they wouldn't suspect her of working with me. Especially not with rumors of her mate intending to challenge me."

"She's not going in there with my-"

"Nope. I'll be watching him." Brie cuts Asa off. He narrows his eyes and Darrick raises his chin in warning.