Ignite | ✔

01

Chapter 01 - In The Cold

HADEN

Today was supposed to be a quiet day.

"Is it handled?"

The detached tone in my voice didn't come as a surprise to my Beta as he stood in front of my office desk. I didn't look up at him as I asked, my eyes focused on the massive pile of paperwork on my desk.

"Of course, Alpha," James answered confidently.

James Beckham had been my second in command since I became Alpha at the age of 17. We have been practically best friends since birth, and our brotherly bond is unbreakable. Throughout all the challenges and obstacles, we faced them together and have always been there to support each other. Given that we went through the same rigorous training as young pups, I knew I could trust his judgment on the battlefield.

The one thing I knew we both wished for was time. Inheriting the Alpha title at such a young age, and him inheriting the Beta title right after, didn't allow much free time because we had to ensure the pack was stable and secure. Being the largest pack in the country, the responsibility of the safety and stability of my pack fell on my shoulders and, because of our size, constant battles for power were always on the horizon - case in point being the rogue attack we faced this morning.

"Casualties?" I followed up, this time glancing up at him. Styled in a classic white T-shirt and ripped jeans, with his hand clasped in front of him, he met my gaze with no hesitation or fear.

He shook his head.

"Logan managed a break a few fingers but he'll live. The rogues are all dead. From what I heard, it was a pretty boring fight and it was done by the time I got there," he said then he dropped a golden necklace on top of the papers I had been signing, "dug this off of one of the women. The symbol is something we've been seeing for the past few months, but we have no idea what it really means yet. We tried doing some research and, well..."

"Well?" I repeated, continuing to sign the documents I had and not sparing another glance at the jewelry piece.

"Abigale says it may be connected to the Rogue King."

At that, I froze mid-signature.

I had hoped I would live a lifetime without hearing that name again. The Rogue King, the leader of the rogues and a true traitor to the werewolf colonies, was a sadistic and cruel man whose sole mission was to disband the ideals of pack leadership. In his mind, packs and their rules shouldn't exist. He revelled in the chaos and the confusion.

But that wasn't the reason I hated the bastard.

In his thirst for power and territory, in his "quest" to end the pack system, he crossed into our lands with thousands of men, fully equipped for war. Our pack was unprepared but despite being severely outnumbered, we fought hard to protect our people and our territory. What we didn't realize was the Rogue King's strategic plan. He sent his thousands to attack us head first while he sought out my father in secret, poisoned him with an injection laced with silver, then disappeared in the crowds.

I will never forget my father's screams or the look in his eyes as I saw him fall to the floor in agony. The dose didn't kill my father, but the doctors said it killed his wolf from the inside; the connection with his wolf was almost non-existent and he was paralyzed from the waist down because of it. He was never the same. Weeks after that attack, the role of Alpha was passed down to me and I swore on that day that I would protect the members of this pack at all costs.