Chapter Four: The Warning Beneath the Surface

Alex and Kara returned to the den before sunrise, slipping back into the underground tunnels with the rogue’s last words echoing in Alex’s mind: “You’ll all burn.”

The pack was already stirring when they arrived. Wolves milled about in the main chamber, their movements tense and erratic. The air smelled of fear. Whispers followed Alex as he crossed the room, Kara trailing behind him.

“What happened?”

“Did they find the blood?”

“Is Lucas going to do anything about this?”

Alex ignored them and made his way straight to Lucas’s quarters. He didn’t bother knocking this time, shoving the heavy steel door open.

Lucas was seated at his desk, a map of their territory spread before him. His head snapped up, irritation flickering in his amber eyes. “You’d better have a damn good reason for barging in.”

Alex stepped inside, closing the door behind Kara. He tossed his bloodied jacket onto the desk. “Rogues,” he said, his voice clipped. “We found one near the east perimeter. It was wounded delirious. It attacked us.”

Lucas leaned back in his chair, studying Alex with a faint smirk. “And you handled it, didn’t you? Good work. Problem solved.”

Alex’s jaw tightened. “No, it’s not solved. The rogue said something before it died. A warning.”

Lucas raised an eyebrow, feigning interest. “Oh? And what exactly did it say?”

Alex hesitated, the weight of the words settling on him. “It said, ‘You’ll all burn.’”

The room went still. For a moment, Lucas didn’t respond, his expression unreadable. Then he chuckled, a low, humorless sound. “Dramatic, isn’t it? Rogues like to talk big. Empty threats, nothing more.”

Kara stepped forward, her voice sharp. “It didn’t sound empty. That rogue was half-dead, and it still wanted us to know something was coming. Are you seriously going to ignore this?”

Lucas’s gaze flicked to her, his smirk fading. “Careful, Kara. You’re stepping out of line.”

“I’m just saying what we’re all thinking,” she snapped. “The rogues aren’t just scavengers anymore. They’re organized. And they’re targeting us.”

Lucas stood, his broad frame towering over her. “I don’t need a scout telling me how to run my pack.”

Kara held his glare, unflinching. Alex stepped between them before the tension could escalate further.

“This isn’t about control,” Alex said, his voice steady but firm. “This is about survival. The pack’s scared, Lucas. And if we don’t act soon, we’re going to lose more than territory.”

Lucas’s eyes locked on Alex, and for a moment, it looked like he might argue. But then he sighed, running a hand through his hair. “Fine. I’ll call a meeting. But if you’re wrong about this, Alex…” He let the threat hang in the air.

Alex didn’t flinch. “I hope I am.”

Later that evening, the pack gathered in the den’s main hall. The chamber was packed, wolves crowding around the stone tables, their voices low and uncertain. Lucas stood at the front, his presence commanding as always.

Alex stood off to the side, Kara beside him. He could feel the weight of the pack’s eyes on him and could hear the murmurs of doubt and speculation.

“Quiet,” Lucas said, his voice cutting through the noise like a blade. The pack fell silent, their attention snapping to him.

“As you all know, we’ve been dealing with increased rogue activity near our borders,” Lucas began. “This isn’t unusual. Rogues have always been a nuisance. They don’t have the discipline or the strength to challenge a true pack.”

A murmur of agreement rippled through the room, but it was faint, hesitant.

“However,” Lucas continued, his tone sharpening, “some of you seem to think this is more than it is. Let me be clear: the Crescent Fang pack is strong. We’ve weathered worse than this, and we’ll do it again.”

Alex clenched his fists. Lucas’s words sounded confident, but they were hollow. The pack didn’t need empty reassurances they needed a plan.

Before he could stop himself, Alex stepped forward. “That’s not enough.”

All eyes turned to him. Lucas’s gaze darkened, his lips curling into a sneer. “What did you say?”

Alex swallowed hard but stood his ground. “Telling them we’re strong isn’t going to stop the rogues. We need to act. Patrols need to double. We need to strengthen the borders, work on our strategy”

“And who put you in charge?” Lucas snapped his voice like thunder.

Alex straightened, his heart pounding. “Nobody. But I’ve been out there. I’ve seen what they’re capable of. And I know that if we don’t do something now, it’ll be too late.”

The room was deathly silent. Alex could feel the tension crackling in the air, the pack holding its collective breath.

Lucas stepped closer, his movements slow and deliberate. “You think you can do better?” he asked, his voice dangerously quiet.

Alex held his gaze. “I think we all need to do better.”

The words hung in the air, heavy and unspoken. Lucas’s eyes burned with anger, but before he could respond, a voice broke the silence.

“He’s right.”

Alex turned to see Maya, one of the senior pack members, standing near the back of the room. Her expression was grim, but there was a spark of agreement in her eyes.

“The pack is scared,” she said, her voice carrying through the chamber. “We need action, not speeches.”

A few murmurs of agreement rippled through the crowd. Lucas’s jaw tightened, his fists clenching at his sides.

“Fine,” he said through gritted teeth. “We’ll increase patrols. But I’m still the alpha. And you’d all do well to remember that.”

He turned and stormed out of the room, leaving the pack in uneasy silence.

“That went well,” Kara muttered as she and Alex made their way back to their quarters.

Alex sighed, exhaustion weighing on him. “I didn’t mean to challenge him like that.”

Kara raised an eyebrow. “Didn’t you? Look, Alex, you’re saying what everyone’s thinking. Lucas is stuck in his ways, and it’s going to get us all killed.”

Alex ran a hand through his hair, his frustration bubbling to the surface. “I’m not trying to take his place. I just… I want the pack to be safe.”

“And that’s why they trust you,” Kara said, her tone softening. “Because you care. You’re not just giving orders, you’re fighting for them.”

Alex didn’t respond. He wasn’t sure if Kara’s words were reassuring or terrifying.

As they reached the entrance to their quarters, a faint sound stopped them in their tracks. It was soft, almost imperceptible, but Alex’s ears caught it in a distant, low howl.

He turned toward the sound, his body tensing. “Did you hear that?”

Kara nodded, her hand going to the crossbow at her side. “That was close.”

Too close.

Alex’s heart raced as the howl echoed through the tunnels, growing louder. Whatever was coming, it was getting closer.

And this time, it wasn’t stopping at the borders.