CHAPTER TWO HUNDRED & THIRTY NINE


    Talia’s POV


    The Alphas and Lunas gathered at the base of the wall as a group after the tour. Some of them were still looking back at it as they settled into position. Others were speaking quietly among themselves.


    Nn and I moved to the front to stand in front of the group. Upon seeing us, the talking stopped and the group focused on us.


    “Thank you all for making the journey,” I started. “I know it was not a short one for many of you, and I am grateful that you came and that you took the time to see this for yourselves.”


    “Building this wall was Luna Talia’s idea,” Nn added. “From the initial nning to the execution, she led this project. What you have seen today is the result of her work and the work of everyone in this pack who carried it out.”


    My wolf hummed with pride as Nn supported me. He didn’t say he was going to speak. Iposed myself, but inside I was grinning from ear to ear.


    “I am sure you all are wondering why I built the wall. Bloodmoon already had natural defenses on several sides,” I exined.” The Abyssal Forest covers a significant portion of our territory and is not something rogues can move through easily or quickly.


    Because of that, we only needed to build along the ins, which kept the scope of the project manageable.


    “It still doesn’t exin how this was possible in just a month,” one of the Alphas spoke up.


    “You’re right. Completing it in under a month during winter was not easy. It required our warriors and vigers working together consistently and without interruption,” I exined.


    “I don’t understand why this is necessary,” a Luna interjected. “This feels like too much since we have patrols.”


    “The wall changes how we handle border security,” I continued. “Right now, packs rely on constant patrols to monitor their borders. That requires significant manpower and still leaves gaps because no patrol can be everywhere at once. With the wall in ce, we have ten controlled entrances. A small rotation of warriors can manage all ten effectively, which frees up the rest of our forces for other responsibilities. The pack is safer and we are using fewer resources to maintain that safety.”


    I looked across the group.


    “We are prepared to share the blueprints with any pack that wants them,” I added.


    Maggie moved quietly through the gathered leaders, cing an instruction manual into each pair of hands. A few of them opened the covers immediately and began reading. Others held them at their sides and kept their attention on me.


    “This is something that worked for us and we believe can work for other packs as well. The basic structure can be adapted to suit different terrains, and additional defenses can beyered on top depending on what each pack needs,” Nn added.


    A short, dismissive snort came from Alpha Landon of Lonefur on the far side of the group. It didn’t surprise me that it was him who was opposed to it. Alpha Landon was notorious for being disagreeable for no reason at all.


    “Do you have something to say, Alpha Landon?” I asked.


    “With respect,” he said, though his tone carried very little of it, “Lonefur is a small pack, and we are located far from the main rogue territories. We have not had a significant rogue incident in years.” He looked around at the Alphas beside him. “I am not sure this is a problem that applies to all of us equally. Building a wall of this scale requires enormous resources. It seems to me like Bloodmoon may be overreacting to a threat that is not as widespread as they believe.”


    Several of the smaller pack Alphas murmured in agreement with what Landon had said.


    I bristled at his tone. She did not appreciate the dismissiveness any more than I did. ‘He is challenging you. Make him regret it,’ she growled.


    Solon spoke before I could. “Every pack here makes its own decisions about how to protect its people. But safety measures like this are designed for the long term, not for conditions that already exist. The question is not whether you have faced significant


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    rogue activity recently, but whether you are prepared if that changes.”


    “I want to be direct with you about why we built this when we did,” I said.


    Alpha Landon looked at me with impatience and said, “Then by all means, exin.”


    “Watch your tone, Alpha Landon,” Nn said firmly. I gripped his wrist, hoping my touch would calm him. There was no reason to be fighting about this.


    “Earlier this year, I was kidnapped,” I said. “During the investigation that followed, we encountered rogues who were not behaving like ordinary rogues. Their behavior was erratic and violent in a way that went beyond what we normally see. Testing confirmed that their blood showed signs of infection consistent with the mad rogue infection.”


    There were gasps and murmurs amongst the group. Alpha Landon scoffed again. “How are you alive then?”


    I ignored his question and continued talking, “One of them attacked me directly. I came very close to not surviving it. I am standing here today because I just got a small scratch and Healer Leslie of Silverfang once gave me her useful healing herbs,” I


    looked toward Leslie briefly and then back at the group. “Without her, I would not be here.”


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