Rendered

Chapter 14

Kenny's POV

As I approached the room where Tony was located, I took the opportunity to explore the entire house. It impressed me how well-organized it was, with clear divisions serving various purposes. The kitchen was stocked with enough food to sustain everyone for a whole month, providing a sense of security in uncertain times. Moving forward, I entered a spacious open room with multiple beds, designed to accommodate the sleeping arrangements for everyone. Opposite to this room, I found the showers and toilets, ensuring basic amenities were covered efficiently. Continuing my journey through the house, I discovered a cozy sitting room, which seemed to double up as an additional sleeping area. There was also a security camera room, enhancing the safety measures taken in the safe house. The presence of a medicine supply room was reassuring, knowing that any medical needs could be met promptly. And then, the clinic area became evident, where those injured were being cared for, offering a sense of comfort in knowing that help was readily available for any emergencies, even with less staff but there were plenty people helping. Lastly, I noticed that the meeting room was placed outside, deliberately detached from the main safe house. This clever decision ensured that any discussions or planning sessions wouldn't compromise the security of the hidden safe house.

I walked into the clinic and quietly entered the small private room where Alpha Tony was lying. His complexion was pale, and exhaustion was evident in his features. A drip was hanging over his bed, indicating he was receiving necessary fluids. As I looked at him, memories flashed through my mind – not long ago, I had been in a similar situation.

Tony's sister, Tiny, was by his side, holding his hand with concern etched on her face. Sensing my presence, she stood up and closed the door behind me, creating a private space for our conversation. She handed me a razor, and with a hint of desperation in her eyes, she instructed me to cut my thumb and allow my blood to drop onto the site of Tony's injury, and even to have him drink a bit of my blood. I couldn't help but think that this approach seemed like pure madness. "I understand how much you care for your brother," I began gently, "and I'm willing to do whatever it takes to help him heal. But the method you're suggesting... it's just too extreme for me. I believe there might be other ways to aid his recovery." Tiny looked disappointed but realized I wasn't going to comply with her request. "Alright, I will do it, but I'll try something less extreme," I said. With that, I left the room, knowing that Tiny needed to stay by her brother's side during this critical time. I didn't hear her footsteps following me as I walked away; she remained with Tony.

As I left the alpha's room, an elderly lady approached me and inquired about the situation. After a moment of contemplation, an idea struck me. I realized that she could draw blood from me and then administer it to Tony using a drip. "Please bring a syringe, a blood bag, and some tape, and then follow me," I instructed her. Without any hesitation or questions, she gathered the items I requested and followed me to an unoccupied room. I settled into a chair while she stood by the door, appearing somewhat uncomfortable. "Draw my blood and take it quickly to Alpha Tony," I said firmly. She seemed surprised but promptly responded, "Yes, Alpha." In silence, I allowed her to draw my blood. A few minutes later, she had the blood ready to take to Tony. She replaced his drip with my blood.

After regaining my strength, I joined Nuzo and the other soldiers. "This is strange; no one has come yet. Something doesn't add up," Nuzo expressed, genuine worry etched on his face. "If they were planning an attack, they would have done it by now. There's been no sign of them on any of the cameras," he concluded. "It is indeed strange. I think I should go out and see if there are any signs of them," I suggested. Nuzo stood up from his seat, firmly planting his foot down. "That's not happening. If anyone is going out there, it's me. I won't allow you to put your life at risk," he declared, making a hasty decision. Instinctively, I moved closer to him, placing my hand on his back and giving it a reassuring stroke. "I've been through many wars in my time. Going out there alone is better than anyone here who lacks the experience of a battlefield. I promise I'll come back unharmed. I'll just scout and come back," I reassured him. The room was full of young stars even Charlie was young (in their early 20s). Nuzo seemed adamant, but after some discussion, he finally agreed to my plan.

A few minutes later, I found myself outside in my wolf form, ready to embark on my journey. Nuzo soon joined me, also transformed into his wolf form, perhaps allowing Grey to bid farewell to Silver as well. We nuzzled each other's snouts, exchanging a silent understanding. He wanted to come with me, but he knew it was impossible. With a heavy heart, he held back, allowing me to venture forth alone. Initially, I started following the path suggested by Charlie, but a part of me had a nagging feeling that I should take the route I used to run with the old alpha of the Nene pack. Trusting my instincts, I veered off in the opposite direction, heading towards the house instead of the border where the attack had occurred.

To me, it made perfect sense that they would make themselves comfortable in the house, either waiting for Tony and his army to attack or gathering hostages. As I neared the pack house, I decided to slow down, transforming back into my human form, and climbed up a tree. From this vantage point, I could see enough to assess the situation.

Surrounding the house were soldiers, and to my dismay, some of them were from the Nene pack. This meant they had managed to recruit a significant number of people to execute their plan seamlessly. Alpha Lodwig was in the midst of giving instructions to one of the soldiers I had met on the day we arrived. Tony's wife was also there, standing next to Lodwig. The sight of her being cozy with him was unsettling. However, I couldn't spot Carlos anywhere in my line of sight. From observing Tony's mate, she didn't appear dead nor did she show signs of being a hostage to Lodwig. It seemed like they were merely strengthening the packhouse defenses, making it impenetrable. No one would be able to get close to the house. In the field, I noticed an abundance of soldiers, far more than we currently had in our group. A majority of these soldiers were unmistakably from the Nene pack. At this point, I had no doubt that Carlos and the Luna had assisted Lodwig in infiltrating the pack. The betrayal was real, and the situation seemed dire.

It became evident that we didn't stand a chance against the overwhelming number of enemies. Engaging them directly would put us at a severe disadvantage. Even if we tried to lure them towards the pond, they could still surround us easily. It seemed that their primary objective was to draw Tony into their trap, and considering Tony's impulsive nature, he would likely fall right into it. It was fortunate that Tony was currently incapacitated, as his reckless actions could have made the situation worse. Realizing that staying in the vicinity for too long wasn't a wise option, I decided to return to the safe house. Going back there seemed like the best course of action for the moment, as it provided us with some semblance of security and a chance to regroup and strategize.

As I arrived, Nuzo stood by the door, clearly anxious and preoccupied. However, his expression changed to relief when he saw me, and he managed to muster a faint smile. Meeting me halfway, he handed me clothes to wear, understanding that I needed to shift back into my human form. After getting dressed, I looked at Nuzo, sharing my concerns about the situation. "They want to lure Tony into their trap," I informed him, my voice filled with worry. "If he were okay, he would have fallen for it. The Luna and a dozen Nene soldiers are working with them. We're heavily outnumbered, and winning a direct confrontation is unlikely unless we find a way to reduce their numbers. How is Tony?" "That's not good news to hear. Even if we request backup, we don't have enough time. They could attack at any moment," Nuzo replied. "Alpha Tony is awake now, and he looks better, but he's still weak. With a few more days of rest, he should recover."

Nuzo smiled at me, and I sensed there was more he wanted to say. "It turns out my mate's blood does have healing powers. I guess I made the right choice in choosing you," he said, gratitude evident in his eyes. However, before we could dwell on the moment, a loud bang echoed in the distance, not far from the safe house. Fear gripped my heart, and instinctively, I embraced Nuzo. Chaos erupted as the others started screaming and running around, panicking at the sound of the disturbance. This was a critical moment, and we needed to act swiftly. I knew we had to calm everyone down and execute the initial plan to buy ourselves some time. Taking a deep breath, I mustered my resolve and called out to the pack, urging them to come together and follow the strategy we had devised earlier. We couldn't afford to lose our focus amidst the chaos; the pack's future depended on everyone here.

"Charlie, get the scared people inside the house. Leave a few female and child trainees who aren't scared out here. The trained soldiers must move to the basement. Tiny will show you the way. In fact, move the Alpha to the basement too. We'll join you shortly. Right now, Nuzo and I will position everyone outside and scout the area before coming in," I commanded, my voice firm and urgent.

"Keep two people in the camera room," I continued, addressing Charlie. "Ask Tiny if there's a way to access the main pack's security cameras for a wider view. Currently, we can only see the surroundings of the safe house, which isn't good enough." As I spoke, I noticed Charlie looking somewhat confused, but there was no time for hesitation. "Charlie, we don't have time to waste. Get things going now," I emphasized. Turning to the other two soldiers standing beside him, I pointed directly at them. "You two, help him immediately. We need to get moving, and I mean now!" I shouted with intensity, urging them to take immediate action. There was no room for delays or uncertainties. The safety of your pack depended on us being proactive and organized in our response to the imminent threat. As Charlie and the others started to mobilize, Nuzo and I quickly moved to position everyone outside the safe house. Time was of the essence, and we had to act swiftly and efficiently to protect the pack and thwart the enemy's plans.

"Let's go, Nuzo. You take the east and north side, and I'll scout the west and south. Don't take longer than 15 minutes. We'll meet back here in 20 minutes," I instructed Nuzo, determined to cover as much ground as possible. "Alright, let's get this over with," Nuzo replied, his voice echoing a mix of determination and concern. As we separated to our designated areas, I couldn't help but wish I wasn't so worried about him. Nuzo was skilled and capable, able to take care of himself, yet the fear lingered at the back of my mind. Adding to my worries was the thought of Tony still being down. He might have been impulsive, but his strength was undeniable. We needed him and Tiny to increase our chances of winning this impending battle. They were both crucial assets to the pack’s defense.

But there was no time to dwell on these thoughts. I needed to stay focused on the task at hand, scouting the area for potential threats or any signs of the enemy's movements. Every minute counted, and with the safety of the Nene pack hanging in the balance, I pushed my worries aside and focused on the mission. I had to do everything in my power to ensure the pack's survival and protect those Tiny and Tony cared about.