When the Wolves Howl

13. "You can be brave, right Lyssa?"

Chapter XIII: "You can be brave, right Lyssa?"

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CW: This chapter contains mentions of blood, some gore and child negligence

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"What?" Alyssa breathed out. Freya had mentioned them before. Alyssa felt like an idiot for never asking about them. "Why would they do that?"

Farah stood and motioned for Alyssa to follow. Haaris got up and offered her his arm. Alyssa took it. Farah led them deeper into the house, into a room Alyssa had previously never visited. She hadn't seen most of the house really. She'd been so caught up in everything else since the day she'd arrived.

It was as big as the living room and kitchen combined, like a lecture hall almost with steps leading further down. Seats went round every level and at the front of the room was a small podium with a huge screen behind it.

"What is this room?"

"Our conference room," Haaris responded. He looked rather proud of it. It was nice, Alyssa supposed, with its navy seats and cream walls. "We use it when the Order convenes and we have to host. Or whenever there's an issue big enough to summon most of us in the area. The war room is just through that door." Haaris pointed to a plain looking brown door near the podium. "That's for the important decisions and plans whenever conflicts break out."

Alyssa nodded mutely. She silently hoped she'd never have to be in there. The conference room was mostly empty, save Cassie and some other witches Alyssa had seen around the house.

Haaris led her to a seat in the front row while Farah took to the podium. She didn't turn on the big screen behind her, only stood tiredly and nodded to the other witches who greeted her.

"So," she began, holding onto the podium with whitened knuckles. "We have a shit-show heading our way. Four witches from the Valos were on Stone land. They were apprehended some time ago. Two days ago they were killed in Alpha Isaac Stone's own office by Alpha Cornelius Kingsley and his successor, Lucas Kingsley."

There was a murmur of fury. The five other witches kept their cool surprisingly well, given the shift in the air. Alyssa could feel static energy humming from them. Magic, she thought. That's how magic felt when the witches were powerful, and angry enough; like suffocating, oppressive heat bearing down on her from all sides.

Haaris patted her hand gently and muttered something softly. All at once the oppressive wave disappeared and she could feel her chest expanding with every breath. She nodded to him gratefully.

"What now?" Cassie asked. "Is this not considered a breach of the Covenant?"

Farah sighed and shrugged her shoulders exasperatedly. "Who the hell even knows? Technically the witches were there without permission. Isaac has every opportunity to claim it was done in defence of his pack. But then again, those witches were seeking asylum. The bad news is all of Valos has been exterminated. There is no longer a single Valos witch alive."

The outrage was immediate. Farah didn't quieten the noise. Haaris seethed silently beside Alyssa, the air taking on a distinct buzz of electricity. That was the first she'd heard of a coven being wiped out. Freya hadn't known that little bit of information either. Alyssa wondered if she'd stayed, would she have been able to help them somehow? Would she have been able to make a difference?

She doubted it, but the guilt never lessened. She hadn't even tried. She'd never know if things could have been different.

Farah raised her hand and slowly the noise trickled to soft whispers then silence. She sighed again and rubbed her temples as she spoke, "Things have gotten worse. This is the third report of mass attacks on covens by unidentifiable packs. The last time an entire coven was wiped out was the Asteri and we still don't know who was behind that. The packs deny any involvement with the Valos but a formal investigation is yet to take place."