From a Grave to a Cradle

Have You Tried-- Intimidation?

 ~ Zavian ~

Three whole weeks. That is exactly how long it had been since the first attack. 

Zavian knew Ahren's gut feeling was his biggest asset ; so much so that he relied on it more than Ahren himself. So when three weeks ago his best friend had merely even uttered that that wasn't the last they'd seen of the too massive wolves, Zavian swore off resting until his pack was completely and totally safe. And now, three weeks later, it still wasn't.

The first few days after the attack were silent as a starless night, almost as if those attacking his pack knew he didn't usually stay this long. But he'd stayed, silent and just waiting for them to make that one mistake. Today, it had been a day over two weeks since they'd made that mistake- a day over two weeks that he had been burning intruders to dust. He wasn't tired, oh not at all. His magic could go on for days, and so could his legion. But he had a point to make here and now. 

A rare sneer was etched on his face, beautiful in it's cruelty, his hands threw fire in places his eyes didn't have to look. Wolves fell left and right- some even in front of his feet, but his steps didn't falter once. He walked straight to the commander of these rogues, pushing away the wolves that tried to stop him as if they were nothing but pieces of furniture and throwing them right at Ahren to deal with. 

The commander shifted and took a single step backwards, but Zavian wasn't having any of it. He grabbed the commander by the collar and held him in place. "ah ah  not so soon--" he said as he fished out his dagger and plummeted it in the commanders gut. Chokes and gasps filled the air as Ahren and his wolves finished off the rest of the rogues. A minute later, Ahren joined his alpha and they looked down upon the rogue commander. 

"Name." Zavian simply demanded, his voice that of an alpha- hence, a command not even other alphas could disobey.

The commander looked down, as if he was disappointed in himself for getting caught. After a second, he replied "Rafael." 

Zavian flashed his brightest smile. "Welcome to the Alecto pack, Rafael. You know- the one that literally means 'unceasing'. The one you've been trying to breach for three weeks now?"

"I know what pack I'm at" Rafael spat.

Zavian's smile dropped entirely -- "Then you're surely aware of the protocol too," he said as he nodded at Ahren and took a step back. "The longest any infiltrator could withstand my commander's -- methods-- was 42 minutes. Let's see if we get a new record today, or you turn out to be just as pathetic as your breaching methods, hm?" 

A free grin etched itself onto Ahren's face as he crouched down in front of Rafael. "Do tell me if you have any kinks, commander." He said. 

~~~~~~~

Eighteen minutes and thirty eight seconds later, Ahren showed up at Zavian's office. 

"Already?" Zavian asked, to which he just shrugged. "Man, that's fucking pathetic."

"No, Alpha. I'm just that good--" he said as he slid into a chair right across of Zavian. "--you need to leave for the Amethyst pack immediately. Or the Capital-- I don't know, you're the Alpha"

"What information did Rafael puke out?" He asked as he dusted off a wooden music box.

"They knew they'd never win here-- I mean, obviously. They were testing their waters, checking their resources. They are planning to make a move on Amethyst--- sooner than we think."

"And why is it that my commander is pimping me off to help other packs?" He held the music box up in the air. He remembered this-- it had belonged to his mother once.

Ahren's eyes softened as he looked at the music box- he remembered it too. "Because you are the good guy. Those calm doodoo heads won't see the attack coming until it's on them anyways."

Zavian chuckled and placed the music box on his desk. "I'll tell the doodoo head Alpha and Luna of Amethyst that you send your regards."

~~~~~~~~

~Elysia~

Sweat trickled down Elysia's back as she punched and punched the bag Verena was holding in place. 

"Come on, you weak ass bitch. Don't tell me this is all that you've got." Verena bellowed, even though her own face was contorted in concentration to block Elysia's attacks. A grunt left her as she used all her strength to place a very calculated punch, making Verena finally - finally- buckle a step. 

The door to the training room opened and Gavin, their trainer, walked in. "Off to the office you go, lucky little weaklings. Training is cancelled today." With that, he turned on his heel and left without a word, awakening a sigh of utter relief from the others training with her. Kenneth and Joshua walked towards them and the latter clapped Elysia's back with a heavy hand. She hissed and slapped him right across the face---and amidst the collective oohs and aahs  everyone uttered, she asked "Why the office suddenly? Does this mean alpha Zavian is back?"

Verena raised a skeptical brow and her lip curled up in the most cunning of smirks "Nooo, but I'm sure he missed you just as much as you did."

There was no use arguing or even responding to that. Truth be told, she was missing him; but no one had to know that. At least not right now. "Vee I think I have something for you--" she said, pretending to search her pockets. "--ah! here," she held up her middle finger right in front of Vee's face. Amidst scattered laughing, she out of the training room, knowing her friends followed. 

~~~~~~~~~~

Elysia stood amongst seven other Attunes looking down on what had to be the map of the Amethyst pack. Seven highly trained Attunes, including Kenneth, she noted. She just didn't understand why she was here.

"Easy come and easy go-- don't linger, don't make small talks and head straight to the borders. Cover as much ground as possible, be alert. Don't attack first, let the rogues make their mistakes. Use as much magic as you want to, burn the rogues to the ground for all I care--" The instructions of the operation went on and on. Apparently, Amethyst was under the threat of a rogue attack-- and apparently the wolves were massive. "I'd prefer no shifting at all-- at least not until absolutely necessary. I'm obviously implying life and death situation. Although, if you do come close to dying, I'd say its pathetic on your part."

After the chief was done and everybody left to get ready, Elysia approached him. "Why am I going on missions when I only just started training?"

The chief didn't look up from the map he was still studying. "Believe me, kid, you wouldn't have been my first choice either. But it doesn't operate like that. I just got the list and your name was on it," he said, passing on a piece of paper to her. She took the paper and read the list of Attunes who were meant to go on this mission, her name included. Her eyes drifted down and she noticed the signatures. The chief's signature to the right; a signature of someone she didn't know on the left. She noticed Zavian's name in the centre-- but the space for his signature was blank. 

He still wasn't here. Did he even know?

" The alpha's signature---" she started. 

"The alpha doesn't get here until later in the evening. You guys can't wait that long. He'll just have to sign when he gets here. Now go and get ready,kid"

She argued no more. It must really be an easy come and easy go mission. Besides she could talk about it later. Face to face. With Zavian. 

Just as she was about to leave the room, the chief called out. "Oh and I'm serious," He looked up from the map to regard her-- "Don't die. We're severely underpopulated."

"Will do." she said, and left to get ready for something she had no idea what to expect out of. 

~~~~~

A/N : hmm. 

x. 

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