The Rogue Alpha ✔️✅ [Under Edit 5/17/22]

XV

"Let me clear something up," Dallas growled as his wrists were clamped into leather bound silver cuffs. "My name is Prince Dallas Royal. Gamma Phoenix is my brother. I don't think he'll be happy when he learns of this."

"Look out, boys!" his jailor joked. "We have royalty among us!" The other guards laughed as they all left the trespassers alone in the single-room building.

"I don't think this is Rogue Pack, Prince," Rickard stated from his corner of the room. "They are too unconcerned of consequences, too sure they have the upper hand."

"What are the chances that the rogues camper between our territories hoping to catch anyone fleeing after the attack?" Draven added.

"Ric would probably tell us 'very likely' before launching into a ten minute explanation of how she knew," Dallas responded. "All we can hope is that someone notices we've been gone too long before it gets worse."

*****

Alpha, there's a wolf at the border. Says he's GreyClaw Beta, but his alpha isn't with him. What should we do? one of the border patrol asked Ric through their newly established Pack link.

I'm on my way, she answered before she linked to Baine and Phoenix. GreyClaw Beta at the border; Draven isn't with him. My instincts have been screaming all day that something is wrong. Meet me there.

The three met up and approached the border guards who had the alleged beta in cuffs for security. He was torn and bloodied wearing borrowed sweats after his shift.

"Beta," Ric started.

"Ry?" Baine interrupted shocked.

"What?" she said before she realized he wasn't talking to her, but to the panting wolf her guards had found.

"Baine, thank the Goddess," the wolf gasped. "You gotta get the alpha. We need help. Alpha Draven has been missing for two days and rogues attacked at dawn. Anyone that could escape was headed this way; I left our Gamma behind to come warn y'all."

"Bear, you know him?" Ric asked gently. Her giant seemed stuck in shock with his eyes locked into the other beta.

"That's his cousin, Ryland," Phoenix explained. "They were close before Baine was exiled; the pack told Baine he'd been killed in a rogue attack. It sent him into a berserker rage until they sedated and exiled him."

"Let him free," Ric ordered. "Beta Ryland, I am Alpha Lyric. Welcome to Rogue Pack. Now, tell me more about Draven being missing?"

The GreyClaw Beta stumbled over his words as he rushed to get the story out, grateful that he'd found the alpha his had ordered him to find in an emergency.

"We tracked their scents until a few miles from here before they just vanish," he finished. "He left orders to find you if there was an emergency and he wasn't there. I was going to come see you today before the raid even happened."

"Nix, round up two dozen warriors and go defend GreyClaw. Send another dozen to find the pack members heading this way and give them an escort in," Ric ordered and turned to her Theta. "Martin, get the pack together and have them get ready for refugees. Water, blankets, food, clothing, or whatever they think they'll need. There will be pups in the group, too, so don't forget them."

"What will I do?" Baine asked.

"You and I are going hunting, Bear," she snarled. Her chest was rattling with a battle roar. "Ry, too, once he's healed. These wolves just picked the wrong wolf to make an enemy of."