Mellifuous ✔

Chapter 18: Shadows on the Horizon

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Conall sat at his desk, the weight of the day pressing down on him with each passing minute. The low hum of the pack house drifted in from the halls beyond his office, but it was distant, muffled, as if the sounds of everyday life were slowly being drowned out by the impending threat. The late afternoon sun spilled through the high windows, its golden light stretching across the wooden floors in soft, amber streaks. 

The warmth of it felt like a fleeting comfort as he sifted through the reports scattered before him. Numbers, patrol schedules, and resource logs swam together in his mind, each line blurring into the next as his thoughts circled around the growing unease along the borders. He leaned back in his chair, rubbing the bridge of his nose in an attempt to clear the tension that had been building there for hours. It wasn't the first time something like this had happened. It wouldn't be the last. But this felt different.

For years, the pack had lived in relative peace, the quiet rhythm of daily life a steady hum that he had come to cherish. It had been his pride, his greatest achievement, to ensure that peace endured. But now, shadows were creeping ever closer, pushing against the edges of that peace, threatening to unravel everything they had built. The calm that had once seemed unshakeable was now fragile, and Conall could feel the weight of that knowledge deep in his chest. 

A sharp knock at the door broke through his thoughts, pulling him back to the present.

"Enter," Conall called, his voice steady, though it carried the weight of the authority he'd been born with.

The door creaked open, and in stepped one of the senior scouts. His broad shoulders and weather-worn appearance spoke of long days spent on the move, tracking and monitoring the pack's borders. The dirt on his clothes was a stark reminder of how far from safety they all were, how thin the line between peace and chaos had become. He saluted briefly before speaking, his voice grim, laced with urgency.

"We've got a problem, Alfa," the scout said.

Conall raised an eyebrow, his pulse quickening, his senses sharpening as he braced himself for what he knew was coming.

"Supplies from the western storage unit have gone missing," the scout continued, his voice low, measured. "There are signs of skirmishes—small ones, but enough to cause concern. Tracks indicate rogue activity."

Conall's jaw tightened at the words. His eyes flickered to the reports in front of him, the papers that had seemed like mere data minutes ago now taking on a far more dangerous weight. The rogue groups had been growing bolder, more organized. For weeks, they'd been probing the borders, testing the pack's strength, but now it seemed they were pushing further, aiming to expose weaknesses in their defenses. He clenched his fist against the table, the pressure in his chest rising with each word the scout spoke.

"How many men have we lost?"

"None yet, but they're not just scavenging anymore," the scout answered. "They're testing us, pushing at the edges. They're not here to steal food or supplies—they're here to find a way in, to see where we're weakest." The scout paused, shifting uneasily. "There's also... talk. Whispers among the rogues about an omega pup in the pack."

Conall's breath caught in his throat, his blood running cold. He hadn't been prepared for that. Of all the threats they had faced in the past, none had been so personal. Eli, so young, so innocent—he was the pack's future, the one thing Conall had sworn to protect at all costs. The thought of him in danger was more than Conall could bear. His hand curled into a tight fist on the desk, the anger rising inside him like a storm.

"They know about Eli," he said, the words a quiet growl, barely controlled.

"It seems so, Alpha." The scout's voice was barely a whisper, as if speaking the truth aloud might make it too real.