Alpha's Claim

A Dangerous Mission

Morning came, and Lena stirred with an unwavering resolve. She could not wait another minute. The truth held her, and if she had to find it, she needed to go for it. False as it was, it was a rather uneasy peace between the Blackwoods and Ravenshades, and it would not last. Every moment that she hesitated further put her clan in harm's way.

Still, Lena felt she has to return to the forest where the Ravenshades had attacked. She needed clues—in fact, anything that would make sense of Rowan's strange behavior and why he had ordered retreat. But she couldn't do it alone. She needed someone she could trust completely.

She found Marcus near the edge of camp, overseeing the repair of the damaged defenses. His face lit up at the sight of her approaching but he quickly noticed the determined look in her eyes.

"What's going on, Lena?" he asked, straightening up.

"We're going on a mission," Lena said insistently, keeping her voice low so no one else could overhear. "Just the two of us. I need your help.

Marcus lifted his eyebrow but did not waver. "What sort of mission?"

Lena looked around to ensure no one could hear what she was about to say. "We are venturing into Ravenshade territory. I have to know why the attack and the reason for the fall back. Something isn't adding up, and I must know why."

The expression on Marcus's face turned serious. "Are you sure about this? It's dangerous.".

"We have to risk it," she replied to her own question with as much firmness as her voice could muster, looking Marcus straight in the eyes. "But if we're not clear on what's going on when they come back, we're going to be surprised."

Marcus nodded. He had her resolve. "All right — with you. When do we leave?"

"Now," Lena said, already turning to her weapons. "We'll move fast and quiet. We need to get in and out without being seen."

Within moments they were out the door. Lena led her group as they slipped into the forest, moving with all the skill and stealth their training since childhood had given them. The woods were eerily silent except for careful footsteps and rustling of leaves. Lena's heart was pounding in her chest, but she kept her focus sharp. No room for fear now.

The closer they got and deeper into Ravenshade territory, Lena felt the tenseness spread to what seemed like the very air. It was as if the entire forest held its breath and waited for something to happen. She gestured to Marcus that this was time to go on high alert as they went on with all five senses on maximum alert.

Hours of dragging through underbrush later, they came to the edge of a clearing. Lena got down behind a bush and motioned for Marcus to follow her example. Looking through the foliage, he could see her eyes squint as she perused the edge of the other side where there was movement.

It was a group of wolves, maybe even a group from Ravenshade, around what looked like an extremely small camp. They were talking low, voices too far for Lena to hear what they said but close enough to see something was definitively up.

"We need to get closer." Lena whispered to Marcus, "We have to hear what they are saying."

Marcus nodded, and together they inched forward, keeping low to the ground. They managed to slip close enough to pick up parts of the conversation.

"Rowan's orders were clear. We were supposed to test their defenses, not start full-scale war."

"Then why did we attack? Why didn't he tell us to pull back sooner?"

"I don't know, but something's changed. Rowan's been different lately. He's keeping secrets.".

Lena's heart skipped a beat. Secrets. Rowan was keeping one too - exactly as she had suspected. What and why did he have one for?

Quite suddenly, the voices hushed, and the wolves that had been so cacophonous only moments before stilled. Through Lena's senses, it wasn't difficult to gauge. One of the damn wolves scented them and was blatantly staring in their direction.

You're going to have to do better than that, Moniquina! Let's gooo!" Lena hissed at Marcus, and they bolted from hiding, sprinting for the trees. The Ravenshades took up the chase, menacing growls and howls accompanying their pursuit through the forest.

Lena's thoughts raced as she willed her legs to propel them even faster. They had to exit the pursuit, but the probability of escaping was too low since the Ravenshades were more familiar with the woods.

As they ran, Lena caught the noise of splashing water just ahead. She saw a narrow river piercing the forest and realized she had to make a split-second decision. "This way!" she shouted and veered toward the riverbank.

They were at the river in no time and exploded into the frigid waters this time without any delay. The current was really strong, but that was their one chance. The water would mask their scent, making it harder for the Ravenshade to be able to track them.

They swam as far as they could, allowing the water to take them downstream. Finally, they reached the other bank and crawled up onto it, landing in a pedal of exhaustion.

Lena slumped to the ground, panting. Marcus flopped himself down beside her, chest heaving.

"That was close," he said, wiping water from his face. "Yes, he was too close," Lena agreed, her heart still scared

"But we heard just enough. Rowan is hiding something, and it's huge."

Marcus nodded, his face serious. "What do we do now?"

Lena sat up, determination further hardening her resolve. "We go back to the camp. We have to prepare for whatever Rowan is planning. And I have got to face him, one-on-one."

Marcus looked mildly concerned. "You are seriously going to face Rowan alone?"

Their eyes locked, hers steely. "Yes,

"I need to know what he's hiding, and I won't stop until I find out. They were quiet for a moment, thinking about what would happen next."

Lena understood that facing Rowan might not be safe; it could, in fact, be lethal. But there was not turning back for her. Too much was at stake, her clan, her family, maybe even more than that.

Finally, Lena got to her feet, helping Marcus up as well. "Let's go," she said, her voice firm. "We have work to do."

Together, they started off on the long journey back to Blackwood camp, minds racing from the shock of what they had just discovered. With each step, it seemed that Lena's resolve would only strengthen. She was going to confront Rowan Ravenshade, and she was going to get to the bottom of it, no matter the cost.