Page 82 of Alpha Wolf's Arranged Bride
It’s not an unusual thing to do. Hell, it’s pretty much expected that you prank a retiring commander.
“What are you so happy about?” I ask, greeting my boys with handshakes and arm punches.
“We’ve got some news,” Brad says. “But I think I’ll let the top brass pass it on.”
“Sounds serious,” I mutter.
Brad shrugs. “Potentially.”
I frown at him, then the others, but all of them stay quiet.
“Alright, then, keep your secrets,” I say, sighing. “Let’s get this done so we can go join the fun.”
Scarlett and the guild leaders organized a market fair in honor of the two packs joining, and she and Jarrod have been out since early this morning, setting up with the others. I’m itching to get there and support her. She’s been working so hard to bring us together.
We are currently the leaders of both Rose Hollow and Eccles. After the incursion, everyone in the Eccles pack was completely shell-shocked. Many had not liked Azarian or Vanessa, but they never guessed he was attempting to tap the ancient power of the stone. In the aftermath of the incursion, their council fell apart in the power vacuum, and I was forced to step in to keep the peace. Nobody objected.
The elders shared their knowledge with us, the stories that had been handed down to them as warnings about the Old Gods and their power. It wasn’t much, but it gave WS’s head office a research lead and reassured us that the situation was resolved for the time being.
Except that the snake has never been free before…
“Private Stanton!” a sharp voice cracks through my thoughts, making me snap to attention and salute.
“Yes, sir!”
“That’s ma’am,” my commanding officer laughs.
“Apologies, Agent Sloan,” I say. “I was expecting Commander Gent.”
“He’s been reassigned. For heaven’s sake, soldier, at ease.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
Sloan rolls her eyes, waving her hand to invite me over to the table where a map is stretched out in front of her. Behind me, the rest of my squad enters the tent, and she tips her forehead in a light salute.
“Thank you for coming out,” Sloan says. “I know you’re retired, so this was a favor from you, and I appreciate it.”
“I wouldn’t want to get court-martialled,” I laugh. “Since I’m a civilian now, I can get carded if I don’t cooperate.”
“True,” she says, winking. “But I’d rather not lock you up if I don’t have to. How are things going between the packs?”
I know this isn’t just a casual question. Relations between Eccles and Rose Hollow have been simmering for years, and after the incursion, you’d expect incidents to occur, frightened people blaming and attacking each other.
“It’s been extremely quiet,” I say. “So far, the Eccles are just happy to go along with anything I say. I know that could be suspicious, but I genuinely don’t believe they’re playing us. The elders are too shocked by what Azarian did, and that he almost destroyed the entire town without them knowing about it.”
“It’s interesting he didn’t use his own town for sacrifices,” Sloan considers, tapping her finger on the table thoughtfully.
“He actually had some feeling for his own people, if you can believe that,” I answer. “He told the town there was going to be an exercise to test the warriors that day, and that he wanted everyone to act as if the town were being attacked. Everyone washunkered down. He expected to walk back into town, glowing like he had gold bars up his ass, and have everyone kneel and worship him.”
“Interesting strategy,” Sloan says, raising an eyebrow.
I shrug. “He was going to use his defeat over Rose Hollow as part of his hook. ‘Here I am, check me out, I embodied the spirit, and I demolished our enemies.’”
“Okay,” Sloan says, shaking her head a little. “The main reason I called you here is because our satellite detected a thick cloud moving from the site out to nearby mountains. From here, to here.”
Sloan runs her finger across the map, showing me a straight line between the two points.
“You think it’s the snake?”
