THE BLOODLINES: SHANICE

CHAPTER 1

 "So, what you are saying is they vanished from pack territory.... without a trace?" 

Shanice Williams was having a bad day. Make that a bad week. Nothing was working out. She liked control and when things didn't work out, she always felt like she was losing the one thing that kept her sane. She eyed her best tracker, working overtime to keep her composure, and not snap. She noticed the omega was twitching now. That small tell gave her a little satisfaction. It was the third time that she had asked that question and the answer was always the same. She wanted her to change that fucking answer. If she said it again, Shanice was likely to lose her fucking cool. 

Her emotions were all over the place. As emotions went, as an Alpha, she had them all on a level not many could understand. However, anger and confusion were what she felt the most. The anger she was familiar with. Confusion was an emotion she didn't do well. Confusion did not mix well with control. Shanice lived for control. She failed to see how it was possible for six. Six! pack members to have disappeared without a trace.

They were a large pack, predominantly women, but they were strong. She, along with her sisters, Imani and Raven, worked collectively as alphas for over 100 wolves. All under their protection. Now six women were missing when it was damn near impossible to penetrate their territory. They had top-of-the-line security, cameras, guards, and defenses. Their warriors came second to none, and yet six omegas were missing.

"Yes, Alpha Shanice." Ansel, the omega, replied, twisting her fingers. "All of their belongings are intact. There were no notes, and the rest of the women have not seen them. The pack is getting nervous."

Shanice nodded her head and glanced at the sister on her left, Imani. Her eyes were hard as she glared at the wall over the head of the omega. Yes, she was pissed. Imani was the peacekeeper of their Alpha trio. She handled disputes within the pack and always seemed calm. However, she was a woman of few words and came off as gentle and sweet. But right now, she mirrored Shanice's inner emotions.

She then shifted her attention to Raven. She sat slouched in her chair, one leg thrown over the arm of the chair as she leisurely sharpened her throwing knives. It looked as if she was uninterested in the conversation, but Shanice knew she was taking it all in and she would not show emotion or say anything until the omega left. Raven was the Warrior Alpha. She rarely spoke at all, and if she did, it was probably not nice. She commanded their troops and was hard as nails, not to mention she had a bit of a temper.

Shanice prided herself on being the brains and the strategist. She was great with computers and hardware. She designed their security system herself. She was the social Alpha, always mellow and laid back. Most pack members came to her for questions. She was also the interrogator, mostly because it was rare that she lost her cool. She was also the eldest, followed by Imani, and their baby sister, Raven.

Their parents had been alphas of their pack, The Louvre Pack. Until they were viciously attacked by hunters six years ago. The men had gone to fight while the women and children were hidden away. That was their first mistake. After the men were killed or captured, the women told the children to run while they held the hunters back. With Shanice in the lead, she had taken the children to safety, only to return days later to find everyone dead. At the tender age of seventeen, she became the alpha of a pack of children, mostly girls. 

She had vowed to protect them with her life. They had moved the pack deep into the mountains of Colorado, where they rebuilt, planted food, and learned to take care of themselves. When her sisters came of age they blooded, so that instead of one alpha they all shared the load. After what happened to their parents, they knew strength was in numbers and made sure that everyone could stand up and fight. No one was exempt from training, except pregnant women.

Over the years they had been through a lot. In the first year, they were attacked by hunters, and they all banded together. Anyone who could shift, and anyone who could wield a weapon, had fought, and they had won. They lost no one. The location of their village made it hard for anyone to sneak up on them. After that fight, Shanice made sure security was top-notch. They had guards in the trees that protected the borders, and they had wolves prowling the territory day and night. So how the hell did these people walk away, or were they taken?

"Thank you, Ansel, you may go. Please spread the word to the pack to be on their guard. Now more than ever we have to watch out for each other." Shanice said, way calmer than she felt.

"Yes, Alpha Shanice," Ansel tilted her head to the other Alphas and backed out of the room. She was a shy girl and very quiet, but also sweet as pie. She was also one of the best spies and trackers they had.

As soon as Ansel left, Raven sent three knives into the bullseye on the wall. Imani got up and started pacing and Shanice, well, she got up and poured them all a glass of vodkas.

"Sisters, we have a serious problem." She said as she handed them all a glass.