Warrior Wolf (Complete)

18. Disband

"Bring me the files, Ronald," Chris ordered, his voice clipped with tension.

Rose hurriedly handed over the files, trying to keep her hands steady. Chris flipped open the top one and quickly scanned her summary. His brow furrowed, and then he slammed the file shut.

"What does this mean?!" he barked, his voice echoing in the tent. "We've been training hard for six months now. What do they mean by disbanding everyone and sending them home? The vampires are still out there!"

"It's a royal order," Rose replied, trying to keep her voice calm. "They supposedly have enough werewolves for the war."

"Enough?" Chris's voice rose, and his nails elongated into claws as his anger surged. "How can they say that? They haven't even finished the war yet!" His eyes flashed bloodshot, and his muscles tensed as if he were on the brink of fully transforming.

"Alpha, please calm down," Captain Garruk interjected, stepping forward cautiously. "We need to think this through."

"Deep breaths, Alpha," Rose added quickly, her heart pounding. She watched in both fear and fascination as Chris's half-transformation made him look terrifyingly powerful. She found herself taking deep breaths along with him, hoping to calm her own racing pulse.

Chris, still on edge, took a moment before he slowly retracted his claws and his eyes returned to normal. "This isn't over," he muttered, more to himself than anyone else. "We can't let them disband us while the vampires still roam free."

"Captain Garruk," Chris began, his tone steadying as he regained control, "do you have any ideas to overcome this hurdle?"

Garruk hesitated for a moment, then nodded. "I do, Alpha, but you might not like it."

"Let's worry about whether I like it or not later. What's your plan?" Chris demanded.

"Alpha," Garruk began cautiously, "messages aren't always delivered as intended."

Chris frowned. "That's not possible. Their messenger delivered it directly, and he returned to report," Jhon interjected, his voice laced with skepticism.

Rose, trying to hide the tremor in her voice, spoke up. "I could have misplaced the file... this information might've never reached you."

Captain Garruk's eyes lit up. "That's a good idea," he said, a hint of approval in his tone.

Jhon, however, wasn't convinced. "Why would you misplace the file?"

Rose hesitated, then gave a plausible explanation. "A simple reason could be incompetence. But if it were intentional... it could be because of a strong urge to go to the frontlines, to find and save my brother from vampire slavery."

Garruk nodded, appreciating the quick thinking. Chris's gaze shifted to Rose, a mix of curiosity and something deeper crossing his features. "It's a risky move, but it just might work," he admitted. "We'll go with it."

As everyone else filed out of the tent, Chris lingered behind, his gaze fixed on Rose. Once they were alone, he turned to her, his expression serious. "Ronald," he began, his voice softer but filled with a quiet intensity, "is it true? Is your brother captured by vampires?"

Rose's breath caught in her throat. She had kept this truth buried deep, not wanting to expose such a personal vulnerability. But now, standing under Chris's penetrating gaze, she could feel the walls she had built around herself start to crumble. With a slow nod, she admitted, "Yes, Alpha. My brother... he's been missing for months. The last anyone saw of him, he was taken by vampires."

Chris's eyes narrowed, and for a moment, the softness in his expression was replaced by something fierce. "I had no idea," he said quietly, but there was a determined edge to his voice. "We'll find him, Ronald. I promise you that."

Rose looked at him, her heart swelling with a mix of gratitude and hope. There was something about the way Chris said those words, a sincerity that made her believe him. For the first time in a long while, she felt like she wasn't alone in her struggle. "Thank you, Alpha," she murmured, her voice thick with emotion.