Chapter 162 - 161. Meeting

The dominants knocked on the door and Krasny Licht's voice immediately invited them in. Silver Bloodhood, who had made use of the other leader's presence to request this emergency meeting, lowered the handle and preceded the other leaders into the room.

All were surprised to find the werewolf sitting at his desk, a pile of folders in front of him. The alpha raised an eyebrow at their puzzled expression and closed the folder he was holding with one hand.

Once again since the dead-end, each of the werewolves had the same thought. Krasny Licht wasn't what the rumors said about him.

Ruthless rogue, brute, nag, cruel. That's what tongues often raved about the red-haired alpha.

The first thing that surprised Silver and Glen when they first met him was how young he was. Eden who had researched the man had subsequently informed him and his mate that Red Orbs' leader was only twenty-one years old.

However, with eighteen out of those twenty-one years spent in the callous world of rogues, there is one thing the Dominant was without a doubt. Determined. Determined to survive, determined to beat his past, determined to rise despite prejudice.

He had become alpha at only eighteen years old. Krasny got that spot not because he was the strongest of the old group of rogues who had just lost their tyrannical leader, but because he was the only one who had dared to dream of a place in the world of werewolves that wouldn't ask them to bow their heads.

Red Orbs. The pack created by Krasny Licht had kept the same name as the gang of rogues, not by defiance, nor to inspire fear, but so they never forget their roots and the cruelty of the world they succeeded to escape from.

Even if it meant being forever stigmatized, they never wanted to forget how far they had come. This was even truer now that the pack was going to merge with White Sage.

When they joined a pack, rogues always lowered their head in shame for the way they had lived in the wildlands. However, what werewolves often forgot and what Red Orbs intended to remind was that rogues didn't choose to be so for fun.

Refusal to be looked down on by joining another pack, leader punishment, or, as with Krasny Licht, misfortune from birth… The reasons were multiple but none of them were the will of the werewolves to choose a path that would break them.

The rogues the werewolves pointed to were victims of the relentlessness of their world. Of course, they were far from innocent cherubim. However, it was hypocritical to blame lone wolves for what they did to survive after exclusion and had pushed them to their limits. Nobody knows what one can do when adversity hit.

Krasny's attitude and leadership aimed to make everyone understand this statement.

The dominants took their seats and the Red Orbs' alpha placed one hand under his chin while the other rested on the folder he had just closed and placed on his desk. A glance revealed the WIA logo to Glen. He also noticed the stack of similar folders and couldn't hold back his curiosity.

"What is it for?"

"The WIA guidelines regarding a merger between two packs based on the different aspects. Finances, geopolitics, human resources, land management, mandatory population census for an update with the WIA…"

Caius Blackbones snorted and eyed the dominant on the other side of the desk.

"Said the leader who never graduated."

He crossed his arms and put on a smug expression for his defiant jab expecting the young leader to explode in anger at him. However, Krasny merely typed his fingers in rhythm on top of the folder placed under his palm. The long, slender index finger of his other hand passed over his cupid's bow and he narrowed his eyes at the beta.

"You know Beta Caius or should I say, Father-in-law? Having just attended the WIA centers and quitting school after junior high school doesn't prevent me from learning. Even today, I'm still learning. I strongly advise you to do the same. Who knows what you might learn?

For my part, instead of stubbornly going to school to graduate, I joined the WIA's public program which allows werewolves to study the cogs of our system as closely as possible and know all the devices that are accessible. It's thanks to this knowledge that I was able to give birth to my pack. Also thanks to this, all the young people of Red Orbs are schooled and have scholarships at Red Creek to benefit from the best possible education. If they want, they can even go to university so that they don't end up like me. An uneducated werewolf who didn't graduate… Do you want to share other remarks?"

"No. We'll stop here," replied Cyrus Blackbones in a firm voice, throwing a side-glare at his brother who sank back into his seat.

Silver decided to address the reason for their meeting and nip in the bud the animosity of the beta who still didn't digest his son's choice.

"I requested this meeting after a short talk with Atticus Blackbones who is principal at Black Moon High School. He told me about something which, at first glance, seems problematic but without any real consequence, except when we cross-check it with other elements… We might have found Wyatt's whereabouts. And I think he's up to a very bad shot."

Silver could speak freely. Just as he had done with Krasny, the leader had made the Green Lake pack aware of the threat to their kind.

"Where would he be?" Glen asked, crossing his arms gravely.

"Inside Crescent Moon's territory."

Silver let the werewolves in the room greet the news. The leader of Bloodhood could see all the questions of his son's mate flashing across his face and he resumed his talk.

"From the coming to power of Alpha Draken, there is an unsettled animosity of Crescent Moon towards us which has given rise to indirect clashes. A few months ago, I was even targeted directly by a very sneaky plan but Eden's intervention crushed them."

Glen's eyes darkened upon hearing Silver's words and the leader shook his head slightly to let him know that the details will wait until they were alone.

"After that, we have several minor clashes at our common border, but nothing that deserved our attention. However…"

The alpha looked at Atticus Blackbones. The dominant who was a high-rank without comparison with his two little beta and alpha brothers had yet the most imposing stature. Each of his muscular limbs overflowed from the seat he was sitting on. He crossed his arms over his chest and his shirt stretched out, causing multiple folds to converge at each of the buttons.

"A few weeks ago, all of the kids enrolled at Black Moon High School stopped coming to class. I found it strange so I called the principal of Junior High school but also the director of elementary school and it was the same. No child of the pack had set foot in class and that's not all."

Cyrus took over and heads turned to him. "We got a concerned call from the WIA, asking if there were any signs of any commotion on Crescent Moon's side. They said Alpha Draken have suddenly dismissed their liaison officer and closed the pack's borders. When I say border closure I mean a hermetic closure including to members of the pack who live elsewhere because they are external."

"They were all declared rogues."

Silver announced bluntly and paused to let everyone appreciate the magnitude of what that meant. Glen then verbalized the unspoken problem for the packs as well as for the WIA.

"So, officially, there are dozens of rogues in multiple pack territories."

"That's right. For now, the WIA has asked the leaders not to expel them until they have clarified the situation but, Draken Hook is unreachable. The pack has completely closed off and the WIA is increasingly concerned."

"What does it have to do with Wyatt? Why do you think it's something to do with him?"

"Silphie found runes all along the border between our territory and that of Crescent Moon. She said these are the ones used in the ritual to renew the blessing but also several others that she had never seen.

"Runes she had never seen."

Glen repeated softly and a bad feeling came over him. Silphie had told them how difficult it was for a witch to change clans and how she had to study to learn moon magic. It was beyond strange that someone who had been so dedicated to the study of magic didn't have an answer to give them. Black's name crossed his mind and he was pulled out of his thoughts by Alpha Silver's voice.

"We asked the two other packs that have a common border with Crescent Moon to check along and from their border and they confirmed the presence of runes on their side."

"So there are runes that surround the entire territory?" Glen asked to confirm his deduction.

"We can't be sure since we don't have access to parts of their territory that they don't share with any packs," Silver replied.

"There is something else. Just before they all stopped going to class, one of our teachers confiscated this from one of the Crescent Moon students who started acting strangely." He retrieved a tiny sample bottle filled with an ink-black liquid from his pocket and moved to place it on Krasny Licht's desk.

Glen immediately thought of Winnie and the events in Green Lake's territory.

"It was as if his whole personality has changed or rather like a trait of his personality has been magnified to stifle all the others to the point of becoming unhealthy and harmful. This student was a member of the track team with a very competitive spirit. But for a few days, what he was doing was no longer called competitiveness. He injured one of his teammates who had managed to beat him despite his efforts. His coach stopped him before it was severe, but he was vociferating that once he had his potion he would beat everyone."

No doubts were allowed. It was more than similar to what had happened to them. It was way too close to be a coincidence.

"Glen already knows what happened with…" Cyrus Blackbones suddenly looked uneasy and his gaze shifted from Silver to Krasny.

"The omega of your pack. Yes, indeed," Glen cut in and he shook his head imperceptibly to ask the leader of Green Lake not to speak in front of Krasny.

If the omega wasn't at fault, there was no reason to mention the incident in front of his future mate, especially since they were in the middle of the ritual. Cyrus understood his intentions and continued immediately.

"This is just the sample we kept for analysis on our end. We handed over the original vial to the WIA for them to study with their resource."

Krasny moved forward in his seat to reach out and grab the tiny bottle, squinting his eyes. Just as he put it down, they heard two faint knocks on the door. Krasny settled into his seat and answered.

"Come in."

The door moved slowly and the alpha frowned, wondering which of his men acted so timidly. Winnie appeared in the doorway and the red-haired dominant froze. Just like the male omega who panicked when he saw all the werewolves gathered together.

"I-I didn't know you were busy. I'm sorry!"

He was already turning on his heels but Cyrus held him back.

"Don't go, Winnie." He exchanged a look with the other werewolves in the room and a glare with his beta who gritted his teeth. "We'll stop here for today, you can come in." He smiled and watched as the omega swung from leg to leg with his head down before peeking at his alpha. His face beamed at the sight.

Cyrus silently chuckled and he got up, setting an example for the other werewolves who rose to their feet and walked to the exit. Green Lake's alpha gripped one arm of his beta tightly and Atticus took care of the other side. The three brothers thus left the room, one more reluctant than the other two, and Krasny was for the first time alone with his omega.

Winnie stared at the alpha in silence for a moment, his mouth opening and closing in a speaking attempt, then he lowered his head. His fingers tugged nervously on the bottom of the shirt he was wearing and Krasny swallowed. He didn't want to miss this chance.

"Hi…"

Winnie looked up at the sound of his voice and for the first time, Krasny saw his face light up at the sight of him. A light blush, sparkling eyes, and lips that hesitated but eventually curved into a smile. The male omega lowered his head again to hide his expression and his sand-colored hair fell in front of his eyes. His heart was pounding so hard, resonating in his head, that he didn't hear the dominant walking over to him.

The blood-red-haired alpha's hand lifted his chin so their gaze locked.

"Never, ever, bow your head in front of me," he said in a firm tone but his voice was soft, almost tickling the male omega's ears.

He stared blankly at Winnie and added with a hint of insecurity in his voice.

"We have a lot to talk about but I need to tell you.... I want you as my mate Winnie Blackbones, will you be my Luna?"