Chapter 201
ALPHA JAKE
The moment I saw Ayla lying in that bed, bruised and barely conscious, something inside me snapped.
My wolf was pacing, howling, clawing for release. But I couldn't let him out. Not yet. I had to stay focused. I had to think. Because if I acted on instinct alone, I'd tear through Arnold's pack and leave nothing but blood and ash in my wake. And that wasn’t what my people needed. Not now. They needed strategy. They needed a leader.
They needed their Alpha.
I stood outside the medical wing, arms crossed, eyes narrowed, watching the sunrise cut across the land. My mate. My unborn child. My family.
He had gone too far.
Chris stood beside me, waiting in silence until I spoke. Sophie and Fatima were tending to the pack members injured in the surprise attack. And Ayla... she was resting, finally breathing normally again.
"He struck when our defenses were just beginning to regroup," I said finally, voice low. "It wasn’t random. Arnold’s been watching. Studying. He knew the schedule. He knew where to hit."
Chris nodded grimly. "We underestimated him."
"No," I growled. "I underestimated him. I thought he'd stew in his bitterness forever, hiding behind excuses and fear. But this... this is war."
I turned to face him fully. "Gather the inner circle. Beta, Gamma, Head Warriors. I want everyone who’s loyal in that war room within the next twenty minutes."
"Yes, Alpha," Chris said, and took off without hesitation.
I needed to see Ayla. Just for a moment. I needed her strength.
When I slipped into the room, it smelled like healing herbs and fresh linen. Ayla's skin was pale, but color was returning to her cheeks. Her hand was resting over her stomach. I moved closer and sat down beside her, brushing a strand of hair from her face.
She stirred. Her eyes fluttered open, hazy and warm. "Jake..."
"I'm here, love."
She blinked up at me, the barest smile tugging at her lips. "You're going to make them regret ever touching us."
I chuckled softly, kissing her forehead. "Damn right I will."
Her hand reached for mine, fingers threading together. "Be careful. Promise me."
I nodded solemnly. "For you. For our baby."
Her eyes widened with the word, and I leaned in close, letting our foreheads touch.
"Rest now," I whispered. "Let me take care of this."
The war room buzzed with quiet tension as I entered. Maps covered the main table. Markers for borders, attack paths, and territories we controlled versus contested zones. Chris, Sophie, Fatima, and the others rose when I walked in.
"We're at war," I said simply. "Arnold wants to destroy us not just because he's bitter. He wants power. He wants to prove that the weak can rise by making the strong fall. He sent that message loud and clear."
I looked around the room, meeting every eye. "He forgot one thing. We don’t fall. Not without dragging hell down with us."
Sophie was the first to speak. "What do you need us to do, Alpha?"
"We retaliate," I said. "But smartly. Strategically. I want surveillance run along every inch of the eastern border. Chris, double the patrols. Sophie, I want your best spies infiltrating the outer sectors of Arnold’s territory. Not close enough to raise alarms, but close enough to listen. Every whisper matters."
Fatima leaned forward. "And the inner territory?"
"That’s where the fun begins," I said, pulling a folded paper from my jacket. It was an old map. One Prisca and I had studied back in the day when Arnold still pretended to be our ally.
"There's a weak point here," I said, tapping an area north of the Bloodhounds’ base. "There used to be an old mine. It was sealed off years ago, but if it's still intact, we can use it to get in. We go in with a small, elite team. Disrupt from the inside. And while they’re dealing with that, our warriors move in on their outer defenses."
Chris frowned. "Sounds risky."
"It is," I agreed. "But this time, we hit him where it hurts."
Sophie looked at me curiously. "And what about the people in his pack? Not all of them are loyal to him. Some might be innocent."
I nodded. "Which is why we’ll offer sanctuary. Anyone willing to surrender and join under new leadership will be protected. But make no mistake, those who attack our people, those who burn our homes and endanger our Luna..."
I let the sentence hang in the air, the silence that followed heavier than any scream.
Chris clenched his fists. "Then we fight."
"Then we fight," I echoed.
Preparations began immediately. The pack moved like a well-oiled machine, despite the emotional weight of what had happened. Ayla stayed in the main house, watched over carefully, though I could see the fire in her eyes even as she rested.
Every time I passed her room, I made sure to check in. Just a moment. Just enough to see her smile, to kiss her cheek. Her strength gave me mine.
On the third day, we were ready.
Chris, Sophie, and I would lead the infiltration team. Fatima would oversee defense back at home, commanding our warriors and ensuring Ayla was safe. We left under the cover of night, using the old forest trails that had once connected our two packs before the rift tore everything apart.
The mine entrance was half-buried under moss and stone. It took time, patience, and a few suppressed curses to break through without raising alarms. But once inside, it was like time had frozen. Dust. Silence. Shadows.
We moved swiftly through the tunnels, navigating by scent and memory.
"Jake," Sophie whispered, holding up a hand.
We paused. Distant footsteps echoed. Not many. Just two guards.
I shifted partially, letting my claws extend. Chris did the same. In a blur of movement, we dropped them silently. No blood. Just unconscious bodies.
The next chambers would be trickier. More guards. Maybe traps.
But we were ready.
It wasn’t until we reached what used to be a strategy room that we found what we needed. Maps. Communications logs. Plans. A full report of our pack’s routines, schedules, vulnerabilities.
My blood ran cold.
"Someone fed him this," I muttered.
Chris nodded grimly. "We have a mole."
I didn't respond. I couldn’t. My rage was too loud.
We took everything and retreated, leaving false traces to confuse Arnold’s people. We returned just before dawn. As soon as I saw the packhouse rise against the horizon, relief flooded through me.
Ayla was waiting at the gates. Pale, but smiling.
I rushed to her and pulled her into my arms, kissing her deeply, one hand resting gently over her stomach.
"You're safe," she whispered.
"I promised I would be."
She looked up at me, fire in her gaze. "And now?"
"Now," I said, voice steady, "we end this."
That night, I sat with her beside the fire in our room. The moonlight danced through the window, casting silver over her skin.
She rested her head on my shoulder, fingers tracing idle patterns over my hand. "You think we’re ready?"
I smiled faintly. "We’ve survived every blow so far. Now we strike back."
Her hand moved to her stomach, protective and fierce.
"For them and the twins .For all of us," she said softly.
I looked at her, my Luna. My mate. My reason.
"For all of us," I whispered.
And the fire crackled quietly as we prepared for the storm that would come with the morning light.
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