Blessed By The Moon

Chapter 6

Alpha's POV :

A few hours ago - morning time ..

I leaned over the table, my fingers tracing the worn wood, studying the map spread out before us. Marked with red and black lines, it detailed every inch of our territory and the areas where the neighboring pack had been skirting our borders. I raised my head and took in the faces around me—Nick, calm and wise, his gaze as sharp as a wolf's, sometimes I think he's a thousand years old, and sometimes he acts like a 5 year old at the Fair; Kaiden, our ruthless yet effective head guard, still smelling faintly of pine and the night air from his rounds; and, of course, Mick, who slouched with his arms crossed, the ghost of a scowl on his face, along with Uriah, who's been keeping quiet with a semi-broken jaw, I almost asked him about it but I didn't want him to mistake my amusement at his pain for caring.

"Look, I don't care how long they've been watching or that they're just testing our defenses,'" Uriah growled through gritted teeth. "They're practically on top of us! They set one paw over that line, we don't hesitate, we rip them apart."

"Yes, because starting a full-blown war sounds like a strategic marvel," I shot back, my tone a little more cutting than I'd intended. Uriah's mate—my sister—was expecting his son any day now, and while the pack had grown accustomed to his tough front, I knew he'd be useless in a real fight if things spiraled out of control before his pup arrived. "This is why you're not in charge of diplomacy."

Nick let out a low chuckle, leaning forward. "It's not like we can ignore them either, Alpha. If they sense weakness, they'll start to believe they can take over. We need a show of strength—without giving them reason to call in reinforcements, without bloodshed."

"Exactly," I nodded. "They're trying to feel us out, test for weak points. But I want them second-guessing every step onto our land like it's full of landmines. Kaiden," I turned to him, "where did you last see their scouts?"

Kaiden, who'd been holding back a smirk at my jab to Uriah, straightened. "Near the northeast border. They're moving just out of sight, using the ravine as cover. It's smart; they're counting on the terrain to hide them." He pointed at the area marked in red. "We can double patrols there, maybe even set traps that'll hold up if they try again."

Mick grunted. "Or we could just ambush them there, get rid of this problem once and for all, and send their heads to the neighboring Alpha as a present."

"We're not jumping to ambushes," I replied, giving him a steady look. "Nick's right. We push back firmly without escalation."

Nicolas added, "And strategically. That ravine's a perfect choke point for an ambush... if they're dumb enough to make the first move."

Kaiden smirked, catching Uriah's eye. "Some of us prefer to outthink our opponents rather than just out-brawl them."

Mick rolled his eyes, crossing his arms tighter. "Just remember who the best fighter here is. Nicole."

Nicolas laughed and retorted almost immediately "Literally anyone but you, Mikky."

I refused to entertain the dumb taunting and got us back on track. "So, here's what we'll do. We reinforce the northeast with added patrols—quietly. No howling about it, just making sure we're seen when we want to be seen. Keep our scouts watching the ravine. "

Nicolas raised a brow, his tone thoughtful. "And the rogues? That makes five this week, not counting the ones we already offed." His expression softened, if only slightly. "They're getting desperate, probably running low on supplies." Nick feels bad for them, he treats all werewolves like they are his friends, and for someone with such a soft heart.. he's the strongest Beta I have.