Turning Tides
Williams’ POV
The whole pack was bustling with several activities and different squads taking their respective positions when I arrived in my wolf form.
I had to run through the woods after the accident that nearly delayed me. A truck from nowhere ran straight into me, causing my car to spiral out of control and off the road.
I ignored the sirens and concerned looks on the faces of the crowd that had gathered and sprinted off into the forest.
“Where is he?” I growled at Renee the moment I laid eyes on her. She lead me straight to the store house at the right wing, her mate walking right next to her.
Good for them, I thought, the scene stirring the emotions I had tried to get rid of.
As Renee opened the door, I lunged at the man who was once my friend. Someone I thought would never betray me. Marcus.
“What game are you playing now, Marcus?” I barked furiously. He remained still, as though letting me vent my frustration on him and I did just that.
“Just listen to me, Alpha. We don't have much time,” he said in a raspy voice.
“Why should I believe you? How do I know that you're not setting us up? You don't want to be Alpha anymore? You don't want my position anymore?” I demanded angrily, still clutching his throat.
“Just listen to him, Williams. If he's right, then we are running out of time,” Renee said pleadingly. I let him go after hesitating briefly and he coughed, taking in a deep breath.
“Speak,” I ordered.
“I'm sorry Williams but I never betrayed you. I wanted to help you get to the root of all the breach in security we've been having. So when Alpha Dylan approached me with his stupid lies, I pretended to believe him,” he stopped and looked at me as though to see if his words were sinking in but my doubts were evident.
“Williams, I know the place of my family in this pack, do you really think I would be that gullible? I can't deny that I was tempted at first but you were my friend first before you became my Alpha, I would never think of betraying you,” he said softly.
I stared directly into his eyes and studied his expressions carefully as he spoke. He was telling the truth. Wait, Dylan? Of all the packs that could dream of attacking me it has to be one of the smallest packs?
Have I really been soft these days?
“So Dylan thinks he can attack my pack and succeed?” I asked mockingly.
“No. The Silverfang pack and the rogues should already be on their way here. Dylan's plan is to land the last blow when both our pack and that of Alpha Kane’s are weakened,” Marcus finished, his voice hoarse but steady.
My grip tightened involuntarily before I let my hands drop to my side, and a low growl rumbled in my chest. That sly bastard.
Renee paced around furious beside me, her eyes darting between Marcus and me. She must be on edge now that her mate is here. She wouldn't want him to be in any sort of danger.
“Why didn't you come to me sooner?” I demanded, still skeptical of Marcus's intentions.
Marcus rubbed his neck, the marks from my grip visible. “Because I wanted to gather enough information. Dylan is paranoid, and if I had shown any suspicion, we might be worse off right now. I had to wait for the right moment. Now I know all that I need to know about the conspiracies.”
I turned to Renee, “Do you believe him?”
She hesitated, but then nodded. “I do. If Marcus really wanted to betray us, he could have done so already without informing us. What's the worst that could happen, Williams?” Her voice was soft but unwavering.
My thoughts raced. Dylan and Kane had underestimated me, but this plan of theirs would be their downfall.
“We can't afford to wait for their attack,” I said, pacing back and forth. “If Kane and the rogues are already moving, we need to prepare every squad. This is not just another attack, it's war.”
I stopped pacing and turned back to Marcus. “How long do you think we have?”
“A few hours at most,” Marcus replied. “Alpha Dylan will alert me when he's ready to move in with his own warriors. But there's something Dylan hasn't accounted for.”
I raised a brow. “And what's that?”
“He doesn't know that I've been feeding false information back to him. He probably thinks we're unprepared for this. But if we play this right, we can turn the tables.”
I felt a glimmer of hope flicker in my chest but then, a thought struck me. “Why is Dylan doing this? And why is Kane attacking all of a sudden?”
These are packs I've never had any conflicts with. In fact they are under my jurisdiction. Why all of a sudden?
“I don't know how to say this,” he whispered, lowering his eyes.
“What?” I demanded.
He took a deep breath before he answered. “I heard all these from Alpha Dylan while discussing the attack. Alpha Kane is pissed about Cleopatra finding her mate, so he's trying to use the guise of retrieving her to wage war on our pack,” he said, his tone laced with a hint of urgency.
“There is no time for all these stories, Alpha,” Renee interrupted. “We need to make sure everything is in place. They are already on their way, remember?” She said sharply, grabbing her mate's hands and pulling him to her side protectively.
She is right. We can always catch up on the story later. But I couldn't help the nagging thoughts at the back of my mind. Where does Dylan fit in all of these? What does Kane hope to gain from all these?
I turned to Renee. “Mobilize the warriors. Make sure the defenses around the perimeter are in position, and send a small force to the west border to stand watch. We'll need our best fighters in position.”
She nodded and immediately pulled out her phone.
“Marcus,” I said, my voice low but firm, “if you're lying to me, I'll kill you myself.”
He met my gaze without flinching. “I wouldn't expect anything less.”
“Let's move,” I ordered, but then stopped, a nagging thought slipping into my mind. “Where's Cleopatra?” I asked, trying to sound unperturbed about her.
Renee's expression shifted, confusion flashing across her face. “You didn't get my message?” she asked, her brows furrowed.
“What message?” I asked, feeling tension creep up my spine.
“She's gone,” Renee replied, her voice almost a whisper, but the words echoed like a thunderclap in my mind.
Gone?
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