1. Claude Phoebe(ManxMan)

•Chapter 5✓

A single bus rolled into the pack yard seven days later. Our men completely defeated despite the victory and I turned to Theodore who stayed calm, collected and barely a smile on his face, his long white hair dun up in a tight bun and his mate beside him.

I clenched my hands into fists, my jaw clenched so hard I developed a headache until I felt warmth cover them. I looked down to see Danielle staring onwards, the 12 year girl looked strong and sad all at once and I frowned.

Travis, Trent, Kathryn, Christian and even Xavier lined up beside me then, each taking the hand of the other, together we stood and we watched. I unclenched the hand Danielle had covered to hold her smaller hand.

They were still kids and yet they were more collected than I ever could be.

There was crying at the sight of the thirty-five men exiting the bus, without word everyone knew the other sixty-five that left would never be seen again. They gathered around me, nodding their heads low.

"Alpha." I knowledged them, going as far as hugging each of them, silently thanking them and feeling pressured by the fact that I knew and so did Theo and Winston and still I didn't, couldn't stop it.

Before they could get to see their families we went to the office for a briefing, among them they had elected a mission leader along with a second after the fighting ended because the original one had passed. The room was heavy with grief and as much as I wanted to hide it, I couldn't stop myself from the few tears which escaped.

"You can start." Winston took the lead then and I was grateful.

They explained how they got to the pack lands and the meeting with the warriors and Beta and Gemma who lead the group, they were given weapons and they had gone up against 90 lone wolves, some of which had been rogues once upon a time.

"The battle was brutal, Alpha." I looked up at Mark who pursed his lips and clenched his teeth. "The Beta was arrogant due to the number since we outnumbered them by sixty, they failed to account for the group's secret weapon."

"Secret weapon?"

"We didn't see her very well, she was only discovered once we killed the leader." Paul supplied wide eyed. "When it started, it looked like we had the upper hand due to number but once we got closer to them..." He shook his head. "It felt like we were running through quick sand, slowing us so much that even our arms felt like lead."

"It took us only a second to realise they had magic on their team." Winston and I exchanged looks then before looking back at Paul and Mark. "It gave them the upper hand, especially since the leader stayed back for as long as possible."

"How did you get to him then?"

"Paul and I were in the last lines, we were able to figure out that he probably had something to do with the way we all seemed so still, ready for the kill."

They each had reached behind their backs and pulled out a cloth which they set on the table for all of us to see.

"We had this with us from the beginning, took a while but the magic stopped working...on us anyway, we ran right for the leader and ripped his head off." Paul explained. "The girl appeared out of thin air just beside him, she had a scarf wrapped around her face, I only caught her eye before she raised her hands mumbling something about freedom and ran."

"You didn't go after her."

"By the time we helped enough to go look, she was gone."

I stared at the cloths then and touched one. "Where did you get this?" Paul and Mark exchanged looks then.