Unattainable Fruit

Chapter 22: Diplomacy & Alliances

Alpha Lucas

James' POV

"Alright, everyone. Let's begin." I state, and while I try to stay calm and keep my heart rate level, I find myself dumb founded on how readily people seem to listen to me, a nineteen year old wolf still in school, and not even officially Alpha.

'Doesn't matter. You have their attention. Now let's use it.' Sloan urges me, his growing unease over the recent events pushing me on edge as well.

"As a sign of good faith, we'll kick things off. We asked you to come here today so we could discuss a rising issue within both of our borders. Both in Vollmond and Melamar there have been multiple sightings and reports of shadows stalking the lands and stirring up trouble. While the crimes started off petty and disturbing they've progressed into an outright terror. Two of my Warrior commanders, along with an unaccounted for an unknown witch found in the Rogue Lands, came across a corpse- a wolf-angel Hybrid, that was torn apart, and their blood used to write a message. 'Revenge will be had.' Our goal is to understand the extent of this threat and where the threat has infiltrated. After that, I think we should band together to fight them off. Usually I would try to down play this as much as possible but as some of you know, a prophecy was given by Lady Ciara of House of Spirits and I'm worried that whatever she was trying to warn us about, is already happening under our noses." My accidental speech seems to hold everyone's attention, but I'm still weary, specially of Alpha Lucas.

While generations of Alphas have worked together hand in hand for the most part, every hundred years or so, the two Alphas of our sister packs just can't seem to get along. Sometimes it just means a generation of estrangement and sometimes it means war.

While I don't know the specifics, Alpha Lucas and my father had a falling out years ago, back when I was still a child and my Father had yet to raise a hand to me. It ended in all trade ceasing between the two packs and the border all but closing down over the past thirteen years or so.

Alpha Lucas was young then, had only just graduated from Higher Education and taken over his fathers position of Alpha as his old man retired and passed on a chance to be an Elder Council member.

While I don't know much about the Alpha and Beta of that pack, the stories and stereotypes of the Winter Moon pack have stood the test of time and hushed tones, scared to get caught by my father. Our sister pack, founded by the twin brother of our own founder so long ago, is known for its fierce military might and nature. Almost eighty percent of all able bodied wolves in Winter Moon are on the Warrior Force. All of them are trained in hand to hand combat from the time they choose a path at ten to follow down. I've heard that while they're strong and powerful, they've lost a bit of their heart. They aren't as pack oriented as the Autumn Falls Pack and I've even heard jokes of people claiming that the Winter Moon was a nice name given has everything wolf there seemed to have a frozen stone heart. I once asked an Elder to describe them to me. He claimed that if they were humans and they had to pick a profession, they would be a cult of powerful mercenaries.

So as I sit at the same table of the man deemed capable of leading such a pack, I remind myself that while he might not be pack or wolf oriented, at the very least I should be able to count on him for nothing more than self preservation and interest. Though a part of me worried he'll suggest we let the Daemons rampage and whoever lives is strong enough and worthy to live.

Before my brain can drive me crazy with any more theories or worrisome ideas, Alpha Lucas finally speaks.

"We too have had an increase of crime. Enough that I've lost one of my commanders as he tried to protect citizens. There hasn't been a murder in our pack, outside of war, for over two hundred years. While I would be quick to decline your offer not wanting to admit any weakness, I recognize that being allied with you would allow for our Warriors to be properly used and stationed with the assurance that the South would be completed unprotected. Though I'm still unsure why you have invited Faeries here, James. They're usually too busy magically jerking each other off and looking down on the rest of us like pigs to admit to anything going wrong in their perfect country." The last of his answer isn't directed towards me but instead snarled towards Jasper and Lord Azrin who sit on the other side of the table.