-Alex’s POV-


    I stood at the entrance of the facility waiting for them to prepare him to be seen. I knew once I stepped into that room and asked for his help. there would


    -Three days earlier-


    The news crackled over and over in my head, and I couldn’t stop grinding my teeth in anger. Land im. Mynd.


    The territory that had been in my pack’s possession for generations, the one bordering his damn forest, was now apparently “up for grabs” ording to


    My fingers tightened around the phone, the stic digging into my palm. This wasn’t some corporate takeover, some hostile bid I could counter withwy


    and financial maneuvering. This was a primal challenge, and grab rooted in the oldest werewolf traditions. I’d tried the civilized route, the boardroom b


    “Mr. Thorne?” The voice on the other end of the phone, my secretary Ruth’s, cut through the haze of anger clouding my mind. “Are you still


    there?”


    “I am,” I forced out, my voice tight. “Cancel all my meetings for the rest of the day and tomorrow.”


    The silence on the other end stretched for a beat before Ruth spoke again, her voiceced with concern. “Mr. Thorne, are you sure? You have a


    very important presentation tomorrow with the Miller Group.”


    N?velDrama.Org owns ? this.


    “Cancel it.” I repeated, my tone leaving no room for argument. “Everything. I need to handle something… urgent.”


    There was another pause, then a sigh. “Very well, sir, Will you be back in the office today?”


    I nced out the expansive window of my office. The city skyline shimmered under the soft glow of dusk, the construction that seemed to follow me ever


    at the pack and I hadn’t stopped thinking about it. The more I did, the more I forced myself to


    believe that I had made no mistake because if the truth was that they were indeed fabricated then my whole world would be ruined.


    “No. I won’t be back today.”


    Pushing back from my desk, I grabbed my coat. Stepping out of my office, I found myself drawn towards the renovation zone. The entrance was blocked


    With a sigh, so turned around and left. The news of Daniel Stone’snd grab hung heavy in the air. No more dys. No more corporate niceties. It was t


    With a final nce at the construction zone, I turned and headed towards the elevators. The battle was on, and this time, I was not going to suppress my


    1:|:???


    The city air clung to me, heavy and stale even after the ten–minute drive. Moonlight sliced through the gaps in the old Victorian house’s overgrown


    hedges, illuminating faces gathered around a crackling fire pit in the backyard. It wasn’t their usual hangout –


    most nights were spent in their own apartments, plugged into the digital world. But tonight, the vibe was different. Noughter, no takeout boxes scattere


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    around. Just worried faces flickering in the firelight.


    They weren’t expecting me. Pack meetings these days were a sterile exchange of texts and video calls, a far cry from the old days of smoky dens and fa


    to–face meetings. Something that imitated me more than anything else in the world. Being Alpha wasn’t a job


    description 1 ever signed up for, but some nights, the responsibility mmed into you harder than a car door,


    And tonight was one of those nights.


    I had sent out word asking everyone within the city to be present at the pack house. Some wolves still liked to embrace the old ways, living amongst them


    I scanned the faces searching for two people


    specifically, the most likely to undermine my authority but Vargas and Raze were seated amongst the high ranking members of the pack.


    Clearing my throat, I forced myself to


    focus on the task at hand. “Alright everyone,” I began, my voice cutting through the tense silence. “Thanks foring here on such short notice. You all


    Murmurs rippled through the pack, a low growl echoing from the side. I recognized the source –


    Vargas.. His smug smirk ignited a fresh wave of anger within me.


    “But tonight,” I continued, my voice rising a notch, “I have news of a different kind. News that should concern us all.” I paused, letting the silence stretch f


    im to a portion of our bordends.”


    A collective gasp escaped the pack.


    “This,” I stated, my voice firm, “is uneptable. Thisnd has been ours for generations. Stone’s im is baseless and reeks of opportunism.”


    A low growl rumbled through the pack, a chorus of agreement. Good. The anger was raw, the need to defend what was rightfully theirs burning bright in t


    could boil over, Vargas voice cut through, “Perhaps,” he drawled, his voiceced with a smugness that grated on my nerves, “this could have been avoid


    He didn’t need to say my name but it was implied and wanted everyone to know that he hade to me with the way his eyes danced around. I chose t


    A ripple of agreement ran through a section of the pack, mostly the younger wolves who craved battle glory, pressure was


    immense. My wolf stirred within me, its primal instincts urging me to meet force with force.


    the thrill of the hunt. The


    1. pl. assess our


    “We will not surrender what’s rightfully ours,” I dered,


    “But we will not be provoked into a reckless fight. We’ll gather intel, options, and strike when the time is right but if they do much as make another y, th


    My words were met with a mixture of growls and nods. One of the high ranking members stepped forward, her gaze steady. “We trust your judgment, Alp


    A smug smile graced my lips when I saw Vargas‘ re and then suddenly, the clearing was bathed in an eerie red light. A high–


    pitched beeping sound filled the air, growing louder by the second and before I could react, a deafening explosion ripped through the night.


    The force of the st sent me flying backward. My head mmed against the rough bark of a nearby tree, stars exploding behind my eyes. A ringing fille


    my ears, drowning out the screams and howls around me.


    vision. The once lively clearing was now a scene of utter chaos. Gasps and whimpers filled Disoriented, I blinked away the spots clouding my the air, a h


    burnt flesh and gunpowder hung heavy in the air.


    My wolf surged to the surface and a primal growl ripped from my throat, a sound raw


    with rage and despair. Men were trying to protect the women while some were shifting to heal. It was a sea of chaos. Dazed and injured, I scrambled to


    had a look of agreement.


    There was no second guessing who was responsible for this. I looked around the bleeding bodies and my wolf let out an angry growl in my


    head.


    I had let it slide over. No more corporate battles. It was a werewolf fight and as of this moment…


    We were at war.