Chapter 49-An Old Threat

**Catherine P.O.V**
“Do you think they’re going to find the Alpha tonight?” I hear one of the werewolves ask Leo, the Beta of the rogue pack.
“Alpha Damon invited nearly every lycan Alpha and Luna from across the country for this mate ball. His bid for power has given us the best chance to find the Alpha once and for all,” Leo tells him.
“What if the Alpha is a werewolf?” Another werewolf asks.
The lycans in the room look between each other and we all start laughing.
“As if a werewolf is going to be the chosen Alpha,” Rebecca, another lycan, sniggers.
The werewolves glare and growl at us, but Leo lets out a roar, and the room falls silent. “We have never heard of a werewolf being one of the chosen. As far as we are aware, it’s only been lycan to have been chosen by the Moon Goddess,” he explains.
“Then why are we even here? This sounds like a lycan problem,” the first werewolf says.
Leo approaches him slowly, causing the werewolf to back up.
“The chosen are a problem for us all. If the chosen Alpha comes into power, they will kill us all. No supernatural being, or human will be safe,” he says as he continues to stalk towards the werewolf until he finally backs into a wall. “You’re new here, so I’ll let this slide. But if you question our mission again, I’ll kill you myself,” Leo says, his voice low and aggressive.
The werewolf nods quickly and lets out a breath when Leo walks away. I scoff at him. Werewolves are so weak. No wonder lycans are the superior species. We should be ruling all shifters like we used to when there was lycan royalty and we were ruled by the lycan King and Queen. At least then my family would have been protected, and none of this would have happened to us. My families’ ancestors were royalty, a Duke and Duchess of a pure bloodline in the monarchy. But the last king dirtied his bloodline by mating with a werewolf, and after the lycans revolted, the Elder Council abolished the monarchy, and our laws that we live by today were passed, and my ancestors lost their titles.
“You look far away,” Leo says as he sits next to me.
“I’m just tired of waiting. When Nick found me and my dad after we were banished, I didn’t think things would move so slowly.”
“The boss has his reasons.”
“That’s another thing. Why do we call him Boss instead of Alpha?” I ask. “And why have most of us never met him?”
“He wasn’t always our Alpha, so he just prefers Boss. And as I said, he has his reasons to do things the way he does.”
“He runs it more like a military outfit than a pack.”
“He was military. He was one of the first lycan to be recruited into the human Marines.”
‘*Athena Argos is the chosen Alpha. You’re clear to enter the Blood-Moon territory and attack. Find her, and end her,*’ the boss’ cruel voice suddenly enters our minds, as if he knew we were talking about him.
“YOU’VE GOT TO BE FUCKING KIDDING ME!” I scream angrily, pure hate bubbling in my veins for what she did to my family.
“Keep your cool, Catherine,” Leo growls. “You need to focus out there, or you could get us all killed.”
“That bitch got me and my dad banished from our pack. I will kill her if it’s the last thing I do,” I growl back.
The lycans start shifting, and we watch as the werewolves take the tonics that help them shift when it isn’t a full moon. As they start to shift and look like lycans, I have to hold back my growl of disgust. I still can’t believe we’re willingly working with werewolves, and that the witches found a way to make them like us.
When everyone has finished shifting, the sprinkler system in the roof turns on and we all run through the mist being sprayed from them, and it changes our scents and hiding our species. We finally run out of the large barn doors and follow Leo through the forest, and I feel almost giddy at the thought of finally being allowed to kill Athena. For weeks I’ve been plotting the ways I would kill her, and all of them are slow and painful.
We run through the nearby forest, and finally come to the road near the Blood-Moon territory and cross it, making our way towards the secret trail that Nick found. We all start to slow down as we approach the trail, and Leo quietly leads us, sniffing the air as he goes.
‘*They’re just up ahead. Alpha squad will head in first. Bravo squad, stay back and*…’
“Rogues!” we all hear someone yell, cutting Leo off.
‘*Shit. Attack*!’ Leo yells, and as everyone runs forward to fight the warriors on guard, I take the opportunity to run to the left and hide amongst the trees to wait for Athena.
#
‘*This isn’t going to work, Catherine! She’s too strong*!’ My wolf, Bella, says.
‘*We just need to wait for the right moment*!’
‘*Look at her, Catherine! She’s even bigger now than when we sparred with her*!’
‘*We’re about to be outnumbered! We need to retreat*!’ Leo mind-links, and the pack runs back towards the road.
‘*Shit*!’ I curse inwardly and re-join the pack. As we run into the forest on the other side of the road, I look back and see Enyo and three lycan following us. So, when everyone continues to follow Leo back towards the warehouse, I stop and dive behind some thick bushes, and wait for Enyo.
I stay hidden behind the thick bushes, as I watch Enyo suddenly stop just a few steps away from us, and the three other lycans nearly crash into her. Enyo then sniffs the air, trying to find which direction the pack went in.
‘*It looks like the witch’s magic is working*,’ Bella says.
‘*They definitely seem confused*,’ I respond, smirking as the four of them sniff in the dirt. ‘*They’re going to be chasing their tails all night*.’
We continue to watch them, when suddenly Enyo let’s out an almighty roar, and I try everything to fight it, but the bitch makes my wolf submit.
‘*This is bullshit*!’ I scream internally to my wolf. ‘*How is this mutt, the chosen Alpha? She shouldn’t have this kind of control*!’
‘*Maybe this is a bad idea. If she’s the chosen Alpha, then this is the Goddess's work*,’ Bella whimpers at the thought of going against the Moon Goddess.
‘*The Goddess had to have made a mistake. Why would she choose a bitch like her*?’
We watch as Enyo and the other lycans run back towards the Blood-Moon territory, and I wait a moment before following them.
‘*Catherine, please, I really don’t think we should do this*,’ Bella pleads.
‘*We have to. This is for Dad*.’
#
**Athena P.O.V**
We slow as we get back to where the attack happened, and I look around at the fallen warriors on the ground around us and Enyo whimpers. Grief overtakes her, and she lifts her head to the moon and releases a long, sorrow filled howl. Others join us, and we all howl to the Moon Goddess, begging her to ease our pain.
When we’re finished, Enyo retreats to the back of our mind, and I decide to shift back. I walk to a nearby drop spot that holds clothing for us and quickly dress in a simple t-shirt and sweats. I grab all the clothes that are left, and I walk back towards Uncle Alex, as everyone else shifts back as well, lowering their heads to me as I walk past them. I realize when everyone’s shifted, that there are Alphas and Lunas from other packs out here as well, and as I look around, I lock eyes with Cassia, and she gives me a small smile and walks towards me. The surrounding silence is almost eery, the only sound is Cassias’ feet moving through the leaves, as everyone stops to watch what Luna Cassia is going to do.
When she stands in front of me, she kneels at my feet and says loudly, “Alpha,” and lowers her head.
I tense at her actions and look around the small clearing as others in the pack follow her lead, and one by one, they kneel all around me. My heart pounds rapidly as I continue to look around, and then I see my mother. She’s towards the back of the group and she’s sobbing, pride filling her eyes as she kneels, too.
I gulp and try to clear my racing mind. I look down to Cassia, who is steel kneeling at my feet, and I crouch down in front of her, placing the clothes I was holding on the ground. “Luna Cassia, please stand. You are the Luna to this pack,” I say nervously, unsure of what to say or do, but she stays kneeling.
“You saved this pack from my terrible mate. You have the respect of your Crescent Warriors, and you have my respect. You should be the one to lead.”
“You killed the Alpha, Athena,” Elder Laskaris says, and I stand to look around, and find him at the back of the pack near my Mom. He stands from his kneeling position and walks towards me. “By our laws, you have the right to lead this pack. We were interrupted earlier, however,” he says, and I see a slight smirk on his face as he winks at me and turns to everyone. “Is there anyone here tonight that wishes to challenge her for Alpha of the Blood-Moon pack?” His voice bellows over the group.
There’s a growl from the direction of the pack hall, and a dark figure comes down the hill towards everyone.
“I, Alpha Costas of the Shadow Rock pack, hereby challenge her!” He yells as he gets closer.
There’s low growls and grumbles from different lycan in the pack, and surprisingly, from some of the other Alphas and Lunas, as we all watch Alpha Costas and his men walk towards us.
“Alpha Costas. What makes you think you have a right to challenge Athena for this pack?” Elder Laskaris asks. “This is not your pack.”
“I am invoking my right as Alpha to challenge this… girl, for the Blood-Moon pack. My pack is the closest neighbouring pack, and I am staking my claim on this territory,” he says as he stands in front of me, looking down at me, smirking.
“You need cause to take over a pack’s territory, Alpha,” another Elder states as he joins Elder Laskaris.
“That would usually be the case, Elder Andino. But as her pack hasn’t accepted her as their Alpha and the ceremony hasn’t taken place, I need no cause. It is open for all to try to take it,” Alpha Costas smirks.
I stare Alpha Costas down as I hear the two Elders discussing something quietly. I glare at him, trying to get my racing heart to slow down. Alpha Costas is one of the most viscous Alphas I’ve ever known, but I refuse to show him fear.
“Alpha Costas is right. As there has been no acceptance or ceremony, anyone can have their chance to take over the territory,” Elder Andino says.
“This isn’t right! Luna Cassia has stated Athena should be Alpha! And we haven’t even had a chance to discuss this as a pack!” Uncle Alex says angrily.
“That’s not my problem, Gamma. I’m here now, and I am challenging her.”
“And if I refuse?” I ask, crossing my arms across my chest.
“You were the one that killed your Alpha. If you refuse to accept Alpha Costas’ challenge, then the challenge will default to Luna Cassia. If she refuses, the pack automatically becomes his,” Elder Andino explains.
Elder Laskaris takes me by the arm and pulls me away from Alpha Costas. “I’m so sorry Athena. I didn’t think anyone would be stupid enough to challenge you after your power to command others was shown,” he says, his brows scrunched with worry.
“Did you know I could do that?” I ask him, eyeing him suspiciously.
His face changes into a knowing grin. “I suspected you could.”
“We need to have a big discussion after this, Elder,” I say, and turn back to Alpha Costas. “I, Athena Argos, Delta of the Blood-Moon pack, accept your challenge, Alpha Costas.”