An Alpha's Duty

Chapter 57

Lenah played with her fingers, noticing how everyone else in the room seemed to wear the same anxious expression she felt on her own face. Ryan squeezed her knee to help her calm down but not even Ryan's touch could ease her nerves.

All heads rose as Callum re-entered the room.

"It's not good news." Immediately, she slumped back in her seat. Of course, it wasn't going to be easy, what else had they expected?

"What did your contact on the werewolf council say?" Ryan tried to keep his voice upbeat even as he took in Callum's guarded expression.

"Your land and most of the surrounding lands are crawling with other packs arguing over who now gets to claim it. You really did a number on those packs, didn't you?" Callum looked directly at Lenah raising his eyebrows as she just shrugged at him.

"They attacked my pack, what did you want me to do? Just sit back and let them take Poppy. Besides, I didn't kill everyone, only the ones that deserved it." She knew she'd probably thrown a lot of packs into turmoil by taking out their head pack members but then again they should have known this could happen.

Despite how much she hated it, this was war, and she would do what she had to to keep her family and pack safe.

"Well whatever you did." Callum looked at her pointedly, still unsure exactly what had happened. "The packs are arguing amongst themselves which means you have five different packs still patrolling the area."

"So that leaves out a stealth attack to retrieve the spell, so what have we got left?" Luke wondered out loud, scratching the week old stubble on his chin in thought.

The most favourable plan they'd decided on was for Lenah to sneak in a small group of people to find the spell, destroy it and leave, all before anyone even realised they were there. However, that would be difficult to accomplish with so many enemy wolves still in the area.

"A final stand." Lenah's head snapped up as she glared at Morgan who stared back at her unashamed of what she'd said.

"Absolutely not. No chance. Our best option is still to sneak on to our land." Morgan snorted at Lenah's suggestion, crossing her arms in agitation.

"You're always telling me to use my head so now it's my turn. That land is littered with wolves, all with heightened senses and a sense of smell that could detect even a small group of people a mile off. I know you've had an increase in power but you really think you can keep up an obscuring spell for an unknown period and then at the same time break a millennial old curse. Yeah, sorry to burst you bubble honey but that ain't going to happen." Morgan's voice became increasingly sarcastic as she stared at Lenah.

Lenah couldn't sit still at her friends words. Jumping to her feet, she felt her magic swirl around her.

"It's a damn sight better than your idea." Morgan barely blinked at the enraged shadow walker in front of her, although the others in the room looked uneasy with the tension rolling off them.

Ryan rose to his feet trying to comfort his mate. He could hear her heart beating wildly and he knew he wasn't the only one that was sensing her magic in the room.

"Would someone please explain what this final stand is?" Luke enquired looking around at Lenah's group of friends who had stilled at Morgan's original words. They obviously knew something more than everyone else.

"It's a good way to get many people killed, that's what it is." Lenah couldn't stand to look at Morgan for the moment so rather than allowing Ryan to calm her, she moved to look out the large window.

She watched Poppy, Connor and Sally's two youngest playing out on the grass, envious of their innocence and their playfulness.

"You're always so pessimistic." Lenah rolled her eyes at Morgan's look on life. Perhaps her friend had finally been driven mad.