62 - Ben


    We made our way into the kitchen, where she chatted casually, as if this was just another ordinary day. Together, we gathered a generous amount of food-not only for ourselves but also for the other warriors, the two witches residing in the basement, and anyone else who might need sustenance. Our arms were piled high with provisions by the time we headed back downstairs. When we reached the cage room, the door was ajar, and there sat Junior, slumped and disheveled in the storage nook. Though he looked worn and beaten, he was alive-breathing steadily and fully conscious as I approached him. It took him a long moment before he met my gaze when I crouched down in front of him. His eyes were heavy with sadness and worry.


    "What the hell happened, man?" he asked, voice low and raw. "I was out on a run like any other day, and then... nothing. I don''t remember a thing after that. Next thing I know, I wake up locked in a cage with my own pack, surrounded by strangers chanting and throwing things at me." His tone dropped to a whisper, vulnerable and youthful. “Tell me, what happened? What the hell happened, man?” His eyes locked onto mine, desperate for answers only I might have.


    I nced over at Owen and Damon, silently asking, “What did you find?" The tension in the room was palpable; everyone seemed to be holding their breath, waiting for an exnation.


    Owen produced arge, gleaming stone and handed it to me. The moment I touched it, a sharp itch spread across my hand, forcing me to recoil and hand it back as if it were burning me. Owen seemed to anticipate my reaction, staying close and flipping the stone over to reveal a familiar sigil etched into its surface. It was the same mark we had seen on all the Shadow Markers, but with several additional strokes, more intricate and ominous.


    Damon''s voice cut through the silence. "This isn''t good. It''s specific-and it was wedged right in the center of the ceiling above Junior''s head." He turned to Luna Sam. "Is this the only cell you have for detaining someone, or are there more?"


    Sam straightened, her posture firm. "This is the only one. Our pack is small; we don''t have a need for more cages in the packhouse.”


    "I don''t know if these stones were meant specifically for your alpha or for any wolf locked in the cage," Damon continued. "But they''re definitely designed to agitate and suppress the human side of whoever''s inside. We''ll need to do more research, but any rogue witch using this kind of magic is dangerous. What happened to Junior is horrible, but if this wasn''t targeted just at your alpha, then someone is recklessly casting spells without caring who gets caught in the crossfire. That''s even worse than a targeted attack-it''s innocent lives being affected." He paused, then added, "We need to consult with our High Priestess. Junior needs rest, and I want your healers to work alongside ours to tend to him. He must be protected just as carefully as we protect Ben."


    Damon and Owen moved to assist Junior, but a low growling erupted behind me. Junior''s closest friends stepped forward, their expressions fierce and mistrustful. The witches had possessed their Alpha, and now, they didn''t trust the two men helping him. They weren''t going to stop Damon and Owen from doing what was best for Junior, but the tension was thick-this was likely part of the n: to make us turn on each other, to sow chaos within our ranks.


    I released my beta aura, a silentmand that halted everyone in their tracks. More growls followed, waves of animosity radiating from the wolves behind me. I had to give credit to Damon and Owen-they were on high alert, ready for a fight if necessary, but their stance wasn''t defensive; they had no desire to escte the situation any further than I did.


    Gwen turned toward me, her face set to unleash some angry teenage rant about letting the others do their jobs because they supposedly knew better. I raised my hand to silence her, not caring if I offended her. I may have only been a few years older, but I hoped I had never been as impulsive as she was in moments like this.


    "I''ve done nothing that any beta wouldn''t do,” I said firmly. "Put your aggression away. We will find the right way to handle this. These witches are in the same boat as our two packs-they''re threatened just like we are. They won''t harm your alpha or anyone in your pack. You need to learn to stand down and follow orders." I could see the tension ripple beneath her skin. She wanted to argue, but she wouldn''t win. Still, I sensed there was a fierce fight in many of them, and the stone in Damon''s hand might be influencing their emotions.


    I turned to Luna Sam for support. She stepped forward and ced a steady hand on Gwen''s shoulder. "Now is not the time," she said calmly. "I trust Ben''s judgment-he hase to our aid more times than we could have hoped. These witches are our guests. They freed your alpha from a trance that held him captive for nearly a month. Don''t let your anger cloud your judgment. Not all witches are bad, just as not all wolves are good. We will get to the bottom of this, but you must keep your emotions in check." She nodded toward Owen and Damon, who returned the gesture with quiet understanding.


    Though the tension lingered, the group allowed us to pass. We helped Junior up to his room, where his friends refused to leave his side, which I weed. Luna Sam gave strict orders for checks every thirty minutes, even if there was nothing new to report. The rest of us returned to the office. As we rounded the stairs, I spotted Jason standing in the doorway. The sight of him immediately eased the weight on my shoulders. He nodded at me as I passed and gave my shoulder a reassuring pat.


    We all followed Luna Sam into her office. She took a seat at her desk, and Sebastian closed the door behind us. The sound of thetch clicking into ce made Luna Sam look each of us in the eye. "All right," she began, "I want to know exactly what''s going on. We all deserve a full exnation for why the Beta, Delta, and former Beta of the ck w Pack, the Delta of the Blue Crescent Pack, and two witches—who just happen to know that our Alpha is under some kind of possession and how to fix it-arrived here just in the nick of time." Her words immediately had us standing at attention, ready to report like the soldiers we were.