Meet the Moon

05 - The Problem With Rogues

It was late September when there was an issue where a neighboring pack was dealing with rogue wolves harassing their small group.

Pack Reed, being the ruling Ancient Pack in the area, often oversaw and provided protection and resources to the nearby packs that swore loyalty to them.

It came to a head the previous night when their Pack Alpha was ganged up on and mauled. Small packs didn't own land or massive territories the way Ancient Packs did, which also meant that they didn't have the same means of establishing powerful protection barriers.

Nite was more than familiar with this – wolves without a pack were known as rogues, sometimes called mutts in a derogatory sense. There were some rogues that were on their own for so long that they grew to resent packs, sometimes these rogues would team up and exact revenge on these packs whether they be big or small. Taking out their years of pent-up loneliness and frustration on innocent wolves whose only crime was that they found a home. Other times actively seeking a fight with other magical creatures.

Rogues were creatures that were often slaves to the instincts and impulse, refusing to tame their wolves into co-existence with their human side. Refusing to exercise restraint and control because they were never taught these things growing up. Turning to the dark underbelly of the magical community to make a living.

Something Nite had done herself to survive in a world that wouldn't blink twice if you ended up dead on the side of the road somewhere.

A lot of how she viewed the world around her changed when she met Ophelia and Oliver - they brought out a side that Nite thought she would never have.

Atlas was bent on getting a group together to sniff out these rogue wolves and deal with them in a permanent matter.

There was an issue, however. Atlas wanted at least one more experienced fighter to go along with the group – the neighboring pack reported that the group of rogue wolves numbered half a dozen and that a one or two had an alpha scent to them. Alphas were naturally stronger than most wolves, but not all alphas were made the same. Atlas had faith in Athena Black, the other female alpha in the pack that Nite had met in passing. But he wanted to make sure she had the backup she needed – or else suffer her mate's wrath if Athena got hurt. Madison Black could give a few wolves a good run if she deemed it necessary.

The other alphas within the pack were too young, too green, never have experienced an actual fight – let alone kill another. Sure, they had grown up training in the warrior ways of the wolf, but the werewolves had been at relative peace since the end of the last major Pack War that Atlas and Julius had fought in.

Atlas pondered if he had been too soft since taking over as the Pack Alpha after his father passed away. He and Julius had grown up in bloodshed and hardline traditions – one of those traditions being the reason for Ophelia running away in the first place.

"I can go." Nite told Atlas while the man was in his study late at night. She had just put August down for the night.

Atlas studied the Alpha, "How can we know you can be trusted out there to protect my pack members?" There were two more pack members going with Athena for the mission.

Nite closed her eyes, "For August's sake, I'll swear an oath to you and this pack to protect it."

"I don't take lip service." Atlas crossed his huge arms and stood from where he sat. Stormy blue eyes sizing up Nite up and down.

Nite looked up at the man with conviction, something that impressed Atlas because lesser wolves would have cowered before his dominating presence, "It's not lip service, I'll die for this pack if it means August will have a home."