The Alpha and His Rogue (Book 3 of Forest Wold Series)

Alpha's Meeting

Alex’s POV 

   I woke up the next morning to the alarm on my phone loudly screaming at me. I had the worst pounding headache from drinking too much last night. I grabbed my phone and turned the alarm off then set it down on the bed. I slowly got up out of the bed and looked down realizing I stripped everything off me before I fell asleep. I took a deep breath shaking my head and walked to the bathroom to relieve myself and drink some water. I had a severe case of cottonmouth at the moment and I didn’t enjoy it. Why do I always let these guys talk me into drinking too much? 

   “How’s that headache working for you this morning?” Duke asked while wagging his tail. 

   “It’s not. I don’t like it,” I whined back at him. 

   “You never learn,” He said before fading to the back of my mind. 

   I took some headache meds then got dressed so I could find some coffee and food in the manor’s kitchen. After dressing in black dress pants, a white button-up shirt, a black tie and a vest with a black and white pinstripe coat, I left my room. At meetings like this one, we all dressed in some of our best. It was tradition to show our station through how we dressed.   

   I went to the kitchen to find Dean walking around in just his boxers. I stopped and looked at him with a raised eyebrow. He was showing off his muscular frame to anyone that was walking in to find food. Dean had dark brown eyes that seemed to be up to trouble this morning and black hair that was in disorder. 

   “You know this isn’t your packhouse and there are other pack Lunas here right?” I asked. 

   “Yeah and?” he asked, letting me know he didn’t give a s**t. 

   “Well when one of the Lunas eyes linger too long, don’t come crying to me when someone beats your ass,” I tell him. 

   He scoffs at me and walks back towards his room with his breakfast and coffee in his hands. I shake my head and make a cup of coffee for myself before I get my breakfast together. I go back to my room to eat in peace and watch a little TV before the meeting starts. I flipped back and forth between the local news and Golden Girls. 

   An attendant came by my room soon after I finished eating and let me know that the Alpha’s meeting would be starting at ten. I sat in my room watching more TV until it was time to go. I was happy to find a marathon of The Flash on the CW. Yes, I’m a weirdo nerd. Let's keep that between us still.  

   I got up and walked through the halls of the manor when it was time to start the meeting, listening to the others talking in the meeting room already as I approached. I took a deep breath before entering the room of testosterone-filled Alpha’s. I hated these meetings, specifically because of the arguments that would happen. There were times when we could all agree on things, then there were times when arguments would break out and tempers would flare. I think the worst temper in the room had to be Jack. The loudest person in the room was Curt. The most commanding had to be Dave.   

   The meeting started on time today. All ten of us found our seats and Alpha Dave called the meeting to order. I was waiting along with the rest of us for Dave and Brian to step down and let their sons take over their packs. They were the oldest of the council and their sons were of age to take over. Here at the council after these two step down, there would be a power struggle between Curt and Cameron to lead the Alphas. 

   As the meeting started, Dave announced updates with the packs. Cameron had found his mate and had gotten married. We all congratulated him and he held a smug smile saying thank you. 

   “Jenn told me the two of you are also expecting your first pup. A lot has happened in the past six months since we all met,” Dave said to Cameron. 

   “That it has,” Cameron said with a nod and an even bigger smile. 

   I sat there in irritation that the meeting was about Cameron and what he had accomplished so far in the past eight months since our last meeting. Big deal, he has his Luna and he got her pregnant. Who cares, let's move on. 

   “Now to the business at hand,” Alpha Brian cut in.

   Thank the Moon Goddess, I thought. Brian was the down-to-business type that wanted to solve the problem and move on. I admired that in the old guy. I wanted to get down to try and solve a problem my pack was facing, not stroke Cameron’s ego. I’m sure his poor mate had to do enough of that. 

   “Right. We are here to discuss crops and other issues arising in our territories. We will go around the table and discuss issues while Brian takes notes,” Dave says. 

   “Duncan, go ahead and start us off,” Brian says. 

   As the meeting dragged on with everyone talking for as long as they possibly could, I started getting anxious to share the crop issues my pack was currently having. I noticed while we talked that everyone was having crop issues except for a few territories. Those territories had massive amounts of rogue attacks instead. What was going on in the world? Had a witch cursed our kind? We badly needed help out of this situation, and I don’t think we were going to figure out how to fix the issues alone. 

   I watched as Cameron and Duncan shared a look with one another. They knew something that was going on and they weren’t sharing the information with anyone. What the hell did they know that the rest of us didn’t? 

   I was about to open my mouth to call them out when the alarm in the building sounded. Everyone jumped out of their seats ready to attack whatever we could. An attendant came running into the room to talk to Dave then quickly left, leaving the door open. 

   “We are being attacked by rogues. The Lunas were in the garden. I’m not sure where they are now,” Dave said.

   I watched as Cameron, Duncan, BJ and Ivan were the first out of the room. Curt and I followed them out onto the porch of the manor with the rest of the Alpha’s following close behind us. As we stood on the porch we heard and saw rain pouring down. This wasn’t normal rain though. The puddles were made of liquid silver. What the actual f**k was going on here? There had to be witches at play but why? The silver would kill any werewolf if they were caught out in this.  

   I watched as Cameron put his hand out in the rain and listened to him hiss as it hit his skin. Did he think he would be able to go out in that crap? Why would he want to? Then I remembered his pregnant Luna was out there. How could any wolf survive in this? If the Lunas were caught in this they were all dead by now. That is unless they found cover.   

   We all scanned the area for any signs of the four Lunas but didn’t see anyone. I looked over to Curt who was scanning the area calmly. Was Nicky alright? Why weren’t Dave, Brian, Cameron and Curt losing their minds right now with their Luna’s out there unprotected? 

   Suddenly through the sound of the rain, I heard something creaking, like wood moving. Almost like it was being stepped on. That’s when I saw trees walking around with three figures under them coming towards us. 

   “What the f**k,” I said along with several others. 

   I looked over to Curt in amazement and shock at what we were witnessing. We watched patiently as the trees escorted three of the Luna’s towards us. Where was the fourth Luna? 

When the trees reached the porch the Luna’s joined us. Nicky walked up to Curt with a scowl on her face as usual. 

   He didn’t seem worried at all but still asked, “are you alright?” 

   “I’m fine other than being traumatized,” she huffed. 

   I shook my head at her and noticed that Dave and Brian’s mates had made it back. Cameron’s hadn’t. Where was she? 

   “How did the trees move to get y’all here?” Curt asked Nicky. 

   “His mate,” Nicky said, pointing at Cameron. 

   That’s when I heard Luna Jenn speak to Cameron, “Jamie’s still out there.” 

   Jamie? Duncan’s sister, Jamie? This jackass was that beautiful creature’s mate? My stomach dipped knowing she was in trouble out there and that she was fated to that asshole. Sure she had broken my nose the last time I saw her, but I deserved it after grabbing her ass. I thought she was into me. Apparently I read her wrong.  

   I stood on the porch watching as the liquid silver rain fell and started to slow down. We all stood there listening for any movement. I started contemplating if I should push Cameron out into the deadly rain like the voice in my head was telling me to do. Why was the voice back now and why was it taunting me to hurt a fellow Alpha? 

   I shook the thought off and continued to watch for Jamie to appear, hoping she was alright. The thought of anything bad happening to her made me angry and sick at the same time. I hoped to the Moon Goddess it wasn’t her out there.