Filed To Story: Destined Bond with My Forbidden Alpha Novel (Alpha Alexander & Selene)
“Summer, Winter, and Frostbite, we suspect because of their proximity to Winter, are the only packs that haven’t at least reported sightings near their borders.”
“Is there anywhere that is being hit harder?” Alexander asked.
“There seems to be a large force heading east. As of this morning, Galen has taken many of the remaining Summer forces to go after them. Most of the packs still left in the east are not prepared to deal with an attack this size. He hopes to either draw the attention back on his men or take them out before they reach their destination.”
Alexander let out a frustrated sigh.
“What about Summer?” Selene asked. “Who is left to defend Summer if there is an attack.”
“Fiona stayed with a small defense party. She was confident that she, and all of the electronic defenses, would be able to hold Summer if there was an attack,” Corrine replied.
“Can we call on any of our allies to help head off the eastern attack?” Alexander asked.
Axel shook his head.
“Jonas already has his own trouble in the west. And most others are reporting the same problems developing in their territories,” he replied.
“Can’t Winter send a party of Cold Warriors to help Galen?” Selene asked.
“We have already sent our men in all directions,” Axel replied. “Right now, we are receiving multiple reports from scouts from all over the territories. Our men are needed out there. We can’t pull them back.”
“Frostbite and the Nomads have done us a great service by reinforcing our borders,” Corrine added. “They have also sent search parties for the fleeing survivors that are coming from everywhere.”
Alexander took a deep breath and shook his head.
“It’s not ideal, but it’s maintainable for now.”
Axel sighed.
“Yesterday, I would have agreed with you.”
Alexander clenched his jaw and looked at Axel, trying to gauge his expression.
“What happened?” he asked.
Axel licked his lips and cleared his throat.
“We have kept scouts on a permanent watch of Burning Ember for a while now. Sofia has assured us that she has not seen or heard anything that has given her cause for concern. Even yesterday morning, I spoke with her, and she reassured me again that her people were safe and nearing completion of the weapons she promised.”
“What happened, Axel?” Selene asked.
“Our scouts reported they had seen strange lights miles in the distance late last night. They requested permission to investigate, knowing it would take them hours away from the pack,” Axel began. “I granted them permission.”
Selene swallowed. Her heart was racing now.
“Two hours ago, we got another report,” Axel continued. “The lights they had seen were fires. An attacking party was gathering roughly fifteen miles from Burning Ember. They said that even as they left to return to the pack, more and more creatures were gathering. Treants, hybrids, monsters they had never seen before.”
Alexander closed his eyes.
“They weren’t on the move yet, nor did it seem like the attack was happening right away,” Axel said. “But it will happen, and as it stands right now, Burning Ember will not survive.”
Selene sat on the bed. She chewed her nails as she waited for Alexander’s return.
The meeting with Axel had been cut short when word of a new group of survivors escorted by a team from Frostwolf came to the door. Corrine and Axel both hurried to ensure they were immediately guided to the safe zone.
Alexander had said that he needed to check in with Galen and Fiona and find out what was happening at home.
She could have insisted that he take the call with her present and that she be allowed to participate in the tactics and strategy being discussed. She was the Luna of Summer; she had every right to be a part of that conversation.
But she just kept hearing the words of the original Lunas, telling her that her place was not on the battlefield. That her mission needed to be her only focus.
Selene sighed, laying back on the bed.
She hated this.
Hated knowing that she could be out there helping to save lives, defending her fellow wolves, whether from Winter or Summer. But instead, she was here, ignoring the battle and planning to continue to do so.
Knowing that it was the right thing to do, did not make it any easier.
The door opened. Selene gasped and quickly sat forward.
Alexander walked in with his eyes turned downward. He was guarded. She couldn’t feel anything coming off of him that might tell her what he was thinking or how the conversation went.
“Well?” she asked. “Is it as bad as Axel made it sound?”
Alexander took a deep breath and crossed the room. He sat down on the bed still without looking at her.
“It’s worse,” he replied quietly.
“What do you mean?” she asked. “How could it be worse? Clara didn’t say anything….”
“Clara isn’t usually privy to the knowledge of our troop movements unless necessary,” he sighed.
“Alexander, what’s going on?” Selene asked, touching his arm.
He took a deep breath before answering her.
“Galen is, as Axel said, leading a Summer attack south,” he said. “But it’s not exactly as Axel described.”
“What do you mean?”
“Summer, just like Winter, has spread itself too thin. We have soldiers in small numbers everywhere. But the reports Galen just got through telling me about… many of our soldiers are trapped. Whether by a significant attacking force or because they are the only ones available to defend a civilian settlement in a danger zone.
“Galen has sent a small group ahead to follow the fae Axel mentioned. But his move south primarily aims to recover our forces and rescue the civilians scattered across those lands.”
Selene was shocked.
Summer was always the natural leading military force. Winter had the numbers, but it was common knowledge that Summer would always have the upper hand through training, strategy, and preparedness. So the idea that they could be pinned down, needing help… baffled her.
“Why hide this from Axel?” she asked. “It’s not like he wouldn’t understand.”
“It’s not about hiding it from him,” Alexander replied. “Galen still plans to do exactly as he said, take out the fae threatening the south. But letting our allies, even our closest ones, know that we are struggling is dangerous.”
“I don’t see how,” Selene said. “Winter or someone else could support us. They could help us extract our men and gather our strength again.”
“Yes, and while they turn their backs to help us, the fae, the hybrid, Roman, will stab them from behind.”
Selene swallowed; she understood his point.
Alexander sighed.
“I’m sorry,” he whispered, touching her knee. “I was just caught off guard by all this. I haven’t had a chance to process it and calm my anger.”
“It’s ok,” she whispered, leaning her head on his shoulder. “I understand.”
Alexander nodded.
“I have to join the fight,” he whispered. “No matter how much I want to stay by your side and see this thing through… I can’t ignore what is happening out there.”
“I know,” she smiled.
Alexander pulled away and looked at her.
“You know?” he asked.
Selene nodded, still smiling. Alexander raised one of his brows.
“Why do you seem so relieved?” he asked. “Are you that happy to be rid of me?”
Selene let out a gentle laugh and put her head back on his shoulder.
“I knew you were going as soon as Axel mentioned the reports from the scouts,” she said. “You brought Burning Ember into this alliance with one promise….”
Alexander nodded and smiled. He was touched that she remembered and knew him so well.
“To keep her people safe,” he replied.
Selene nodded.
“Saving Burning Ember, that’s your mission. Destroying the ley line connections is mine,” she said. “We both have work to do.”
“Yes,” he said. “We do.”
Selene took a deep breath and stood up, looking back at Alexander.
“And I have someone to recruit.”
***
After Myka was officially released from the hospital, he took to spending most of his time within the safety zone. He volunteered for whatever task was needed, but his favorite was spending time with the children and teenagers labeled as the ‘Survivors’.
They were a blending of the remaining Eclipse wolves and the last of the Blue Reef pack. When the children from the lab arrived, they struggled to adapt to the new environment and the people that looked at them with suspicion or pity. But eventually, these Survivors found them.
And in turn, Myka found them all.
It was Alice and Peter that first recommended the activity to him.
Alice claimed she was concerned for Sadie and Stefan, the two children with whom she had felt a kinship. But she felt that her attentions would seem intrusive or pushy. So, she asked Myka to look in on them for her.
New Book: Veiled Desires of the Alpha King Novel
Dayson was the alpha of the largest pack in North America. Powerful figures from other packs sought to offer gorgeous girls as potential mates for Dayson. He steadfastly rejected these advances, he was not a pawn to be manipulated. But eventually there came a mysterious girl he could hardly say No. Who was she?