The Lost One

Chapter 1

It was close to one in the morning when Kaiden was shoved awake by a voice in his head, if it hadn't been for the urgent tone in his friend's voice he would have slammed the mind-link closed and rolled over. However, the tone meant - that instead of blissful ignorant sleep, he was forced awake, his wolf was on edge and snapping, and he was far too alert for his liking. 

Heir to the Salvatori pack, Kaiden Salvatori, was the firstborn son of Alpha Sergio Salvatori, and as such, problems were often brought to him first to be addressed. As alpha-to-be he was tasked with sorting out what he could before anything had to reach his father. It was a known and adhered to policy that problems should avoid being brought before the attention of the Salvatori Alpha as much as possible. Kaiden's father was a strong leader, powerful, and respected - however everyone knew not to anger him. It was also understood that problems his son could not handle was an easy way to do just that.

Leaping from his bed Kaiden reached for the nearest pair of pants that littered the floor of his room, hastily throwing them over his boxers. He didn't bother with a shirt knowing he would need to run possibly even shift soon, any extra clothing or fabric would become only a hassle and burden. Pulling on the dark jeans he headed out the door, barking questions the entire time through the mind link to Blair. As his third in command, and the gamma-to-be of the Salvatori Pack, he had been charged with overseeing the border patrol for the night.

Kaiden's mind was a blur as he tried to focus in on the pictures that Blair and the guards were sending him. Sorting through the information and flashes he worked to not only pinpoint their current location within pack territory but also simultaneously trying to question his third about what was happening, and coordinate guards, all of which was disrupted with the echoes of the words that had awoken him.

"Kaiden! Kaid man!! Rogues! North East border."

It wasn't the presence of a rogue trespassing on their lands that had sent the guards and subsequently Kaiden into a state of urgency and anxiety, no that was commonplace enough. The word 'Rogues', as in more than one – was not.

As a rule, rogues did not work together. It was part of why they did not belong to one of the eight packs that dotted across the North American continent. They did not like rules. Did not like to work with others. And refused to follow a leader. Kaiden understood his friends alarm at the current situation; there hadn't been more than a single rogue on the Salvatori territory in over fifteen years.

"How many scents?" Kaiden asked as he made his way to the thick forest that surrounded his father's house. Trying to imagine how the guards would need to change tactics to deal with two or three rogues instead of one.

"Kaiden the trackers ...." Blair's voice trailed off as if he almost couldn't, or even more alarmingly - didn't want to answer - his friend and leader's question.

"Blair how many scents? Two or three?" Kaiden's voice was hard, an Alpha command slipping through as his anger and anxiety began to leak into his mind. How could this happen? More than one rogue impossible! He briefly considered waking his father, but just as quickly dismissed the thought. Better to tell him the news after they had solved the problem. He did however send a command to his beta's mind. Forcing his best friend awake, his wolf instantly reacting to the command from his alpha. Austin was up and moving before fully conscious. His mind link instantly open to his Alpha's and Third's conversation.

"More than one rogue are you sure Blair? Maybe it's a mistake? Another pack crossing through?" Austin asked, thoughts still tinged with the huskiness of sleep.

"Alpha." Blair's addressed Kaiden, who subsequently paused momentarily at the title and the blatant hesitancy in his friend's voice but did not comment, instead waiting for the man to continue. It took barely a thought before he was shifting into his second form, that of a large black wolf. Standing nearly to a full-grown man's shoulder, Kaiden shook out his midnight black coat, the fur so dark that it picked up tinges of blue, blending and melting seamlessly into the dark shadows of the night.