Cruel Alpha

Chapter 32

“Finally, took you long enough,” Wilder grumbled as he stepped back into the office. “It was 15 minutes,” Robin said and settled back on her seat. Wilder took the only other empty chair and looked at Axel. “Can we move to more pressing matters now, Alpha?” Axel took one last look at Robin and nodded. “What’s the state of his war preparations?” Axel asked Robin. She shared a look with Wilder and spoke. “Done, he plans on attacking in a week. Right after… right after I bring over Wren.”

Axel’s growl filled the room, his wolf didn’t take the threat of his family and pack lightly. Wilder was also unhappy with the situation but he has come to the realization that growling about it wasn’t going to help anyone. “There is another problem,” Robin tried to test the waters before speaking. “I am expected to come back with Wren in 3 days. Lucien is sending a team of 20 fighters to accompany us.” To this even Wilder growled. “You are going back? Again?” Which was followed by “when and where are they coming? I can’t have unknown wolves tailing my borders.” From Axel. 

Robin ignored Wilder’s concern and gave a detailed account of the plan to Axel. It was hard to speak Lucien’s words out loud while still not letting them take control of her. Leave with the girl, kill anyone that interferes. They are worthless, Robin, do not trust them.

Wilder noticed how Robin's hand was forming a fist every few seconds, it was unusual, even for her. Wilder remembered the way she looked when she talked about Lucien that night, she was quiet, frightened. Now she was angry and looked like she might fight Lucien on her own if she had to. “You have any of his plans? Attack structures or clear timeline of the attack?” Axel’s voice forced Wilder to focus back on the problem at hand. Robin shook her head. “Nothing new. He is preparing them right now. When I am back, we are supposed to do the briefing and last training with the pack.” 

Axel shook his head, “this is not good. The pack and the size of the attack are too big, I need to use all the resources we can get our hands to.” Axel looked at Robin and she nodded. “I know, but I don’t know what will happen if I get there without Wren.” Wilder looked from one to the other. Axel was going to use Robin as an agent; sending her to the enemy's side and Robin was agreeing knowing full well how she could just not come back. “Are you all really planning what I think you are planning?” he exclaimed. 

Both Axel and Robin sighed and turned to him, why are you still here? Axel wanted to ask, but he already knew the answer. “We also should consider bringing in allies, Lucien is a threat to all the packs. What packs should I contact first?” Axel said, deciding to stir the conversation away and got up to get the map of the forest. 

“Imperial pride. It’s the second on Lucien’s list of attacking and has the strength to win against him.” Robin spoke almost immediately. She has already given it a thought, Axel realized. What he didn’t expect was an immediate “Not them, there are plenty of other packs," from Wilder. 

Robin and Wilder kept looking at each other, both angry in their own right. “You know I am right,” Robin said but Wilder shook his head. “The last I checked Roland wanted you dead. We won’t form an alliance with them.” Wilder spoke the last part to Axel, trying to convince him as well. Robin growled. “His problem is with Oak Tails, so let him fight them. He is the best candidate.” Robin tried to convince Axel in her own way. Axel looked from left to right. “Alpha Roland wants to kill Robin?” he asked with confusion. Wilder nodded with a wave of the hand. “yeah, yeah. Sorry, brother you were being initiated to Alpha kind of too busy to be told about a death threat.” 

Robin shook her head, “it wasn’t a death threat more of a threat of wiping away the pack. He knows way more about Oak Tails, he could be your ally.” Robin said and Wilder snorted. “yeah, a clever metaphor about the mark and how he wished to ‘wipe it out of existence or some bullshit.” Robin rolled her eyes though she remembered the threat too vividly. Wilder shot her a look, remembering the way she was scared and anxious and how it called him through the mate bond. 

They kept staring at each other, their silent communication was broken when Axel slammed his hand on the table. Their attention switched to the Alpha, he was out of patience. “Now, tell this to me from the start, calmly.” He looked at Wilder when saying the last part. They are children, Axel thought, literal children.

Axel listened quietly as Wilder explained how the mate’s mark took the shape fitting Robin’s family. He eyed the girl sitting in front of him, from the first glance she and Wilder looked of exactly the same strength, but he had heard her voice change and seen her fight. Still, the notion of her bloodline being stronger than Axel’s made Axel feel uneasy. He glanced at Wilder who was retelling the fact that Roland cornered him and kept asking about Robin. He was very calm about the notion of being the weaker one. 

After they finished the explanation, both looked at Axel expecting him to say something. Axel sighed and looked from his brother who was shaking his head to sign ‘no’ to Robin who rolled her eyes at Wilder. “Imperial Pride is the strongest pack in this area. They should definitely know about the Oak Tails…. issue.” Axel didn’t know how to phrase things to not offend Robin. Robin sighed and leaned back on her chair while Wilder scoffed. “But, we will only join forces if the war is inevitable. First, we still have opportunities to end it before even beginning.” 

Axel looked at Robin. “We have 3 days to come up and rehearse a plan that will make sure that you can go back to Oak Tails safely and a plan to get you and the new plans out of there.”

After what felt like 2 hours of talking, Axel dismissed both of them, they have done enough for the day. The rest was about informing the right people and getting the word of the plan out. As soon as Wilder and Robin stepped out, Wilder looked at Robin as if she was mad. “Roland? Really??” Robin sighed, apparently, he was still not over it. They kept walking and Robin only spoke when they were outside. “You can’t deny that he is the best ally you could get.” Wilder jogged to catch up with her. “Yes, but he is also blinded by his hate for Oak Tails and will definitely want to kill you too. I am good at convincing people but this is beyond my abilities.” He said with a chuckle and Robin shook her head with a smile. 

“Maybe, there will be a need to kill me after all. Who knows?” Robin said with a bitter chuckle and headed towards the forest. The sun was annoying her. “You can’t be serious,” Wilder mumbled as he followed her. “I am miles away from the pack and him. Still, Lucien’s voice is in my head. Taunting me, telling how I should not trust you, or... or that I should grab Wren and make a run for it.” Robin lifted her arms and dropped them with defeat. She looked at Wilder and shook her head. “I don’t know how much longer I can keep fighting it.” 

Wilder stepped towards her and Robin just took in a deep breath and sighed. “How many people know of the whole thing with Oak Tails?” she asked him and Wilder looked down. “Well, Axel forbid me to tell anyone but the family,” Robin’s mood got worse, her friends were still unaware, she still has to keep the fake act going around them. “So, I only told Iris and made her promise to not share it with her mate,” Wilder said the second part and looked at Robin who had a smile spreading on her face. Suddenly Robin’s arms were wrapped around him. “Wo-oh, Robin, you sure you are not possessed right now?” He joked and breathed in her scent. Robin laughed, “not yet, Wilder. Not yet.”