Logan snapped out of his reverie and picked up the history book, walking out of the library. These days were giving him more and more reasons to doubt everything his mate did. 

"Damn, damn, damn!" He cursed under his breath. The hopeless feeling was back, spreading across his chest like a deadly virus. He had found the answer he was looking for, but at what price? He still did not feel any peace, neither did it make him regain his trust for Aella. If anything, he was even more wary of her.

So many questions raged through his head. Where did she come from? Was she part of this rogue pack? What was she not telling him? Were his mother and his mate somehow related? 

All these questions and more were raging through his head. He was confused and angry. At Aella, at the rogue wolf pack, at himself, at the Goddess. He did not know what unforgivable sin he had committed for him to be punished like this,  but he felt that it was extremely unfair. He had been all a good alpha should be to this pack. Why did it have to be him of all alphas?

He had a lot of questions for the Goddess, and by God she would answer all.

He tried to mind link Casper again and the beta answered shortly after. Are the wolves seated yet? He asked.

Yes, alpha. Casper replied.

Please, if they seem agitated, try to calm them down. He said. We would not want a repetition of what happened at the last meeting.

Of course, alpha. I will do just that. Casper answered in the affirmative and closed up the mind link.

Logan knew that the head wolves would have to be calm when he arrived at the strategy room because he knew just how agitated they were. He remembered the last meeting when they had tried to brainstorm on how to increase security around the border. He remembered how close to violence the head wolves had been, how quick to rise against each other over such a small matter as security and patrol. He wondered how they would react if he told them about the tattoos and the possibility of a killer in their midst.

On his way to the strategy and meeting room, he passed his wing and again thought of Aella, running free among his people when she could belong to a group of rabid killers. What if their leader, whoever he was, decided to instruct her to murder him? Or worse, start to kill his pack members from within?

Logan shuddered at the thought and continued walking. The thought alone was scary. And to think that he was beginning to feel guilty about doubting her and she was beginning to regain his trust again. The most frustrating thing was that he could not send her away because of the mating bond that had been made permanent by their having sex. He could never reject her as his mate now even if he tried hard. They were joined together forever.

He got to the strategy room within a few minutes and opened the door, walking in. The head wolves were already seated around the large rectangular table, but Casper and Jesse were on their feet, addressing the wolves. Jesse stopped talking as Logan walked in and all the wolves around the table stood up and bowed to the alpha, murmuring greetings.

Logan gestured to them to have their seats and took his too. Then he motioned to Casper and Jesse to sit too. After all were seated, he looked at everyone with what he hoped was a calm expression. Deep down within him, his emotions and thoughts were at a riot but he tried to keep a straight face. He didn't want to overreact the way he did in the forest and in the presence of the patrol team.

"Good morning gentlemen." He started after clearing his throat. "I hope we all had a nice evening?"

The men murmured their assent and he continued. "I called this meeting here today to discuss an issue that is of utmost concern to the entire pack." He paused, gauging the expression of each man around the table.

The whole room was deathly silent as the alpha talked. Logan could feel the emotion of each man in the room. Some were scared that Logan was about to deliver more bad news, while others were eager to hear the news.

"So, I am sure we have all heard the news about the rogue wolf that was captured, right?" He asked and they all nodded in the affirmative. Then he continued. "Well, while I was torturing the wolf for information about where he came from and why he was found so close to our border, I saw something on his body that really piqued my interest because...because I had seen it before." He paused again. The information he was giving to them had to be fed to them in small quantities or he knew that they would overreact.

"And then? Alpha, what happened with the rogue wolf?" One man asked impatiently. It was the same wolf who had insisted that they kill the rogue wolf in the last Council meeting.

Casper stood up to talk back at the man. "Can't you calm down for a second and hear the alpha out? Must you be so impatient?" He said but Logan gestured at him to calm down.

"That's alright, Casper. Thank you." He said and continued as Casper sat back down. "The rogue wolf had a tattoo on his neck. It was shaped like a crescent with a circle around it. And when I saw it, I knew I had seen it somewhere else before. But it wasn't until shortly after when I went to my...to the former alpha's room and saw the picture frame of my aunt's engagement that I knew for sure where I had seen it before." He paused and swallowed before continuing. "The same tattoo used to be on my mother's wrist before she died."

There was a scary silence immediately he said that, then a large uproar started, with each wolf asking a lot of questions. Logan sighed and settled back on his chair. He knew that this was what was going to happen in the end. 

He had also deliberately left Aella's involvement in the whole issue as he knew that they would turn on her for revenge and there would be little to nothing he would be able to do about it.

Casper and Jesse immediately stood up and tried to calm the wolves down. "Men, men!" Jesse yelled until they all kept quiet with only a few among them still muttering with mutiny. 

Logan said. "Can I continue now? Or do all of you still want to bicker like little pups?" They all kept silent after then.

"Now, I think my mother and this rogue wolf belong to the same pack, or as I have learnt, the same tribe. I was reading this book" He raised the history book up for all to see. "And I learnt that they are more of a tribe than a pack. I want to know what you all think we should take as the next step."

"Alpha, if this tribe is as ferocious as we've seen them to be, then I don't think there's any hope of any of us surviving the onslaught that is coming. They would wipe us from the face of the earth before we can even think of fighting back." A wolf said gloomily.

Logan stood up and towered over them in all his alpha's might. In his black ponytail that shone like obsidian, he looked regal, like a wolf god. "We are a proud pack. We do not run in the face of challenges." He said. "We would stand and fight, and we would conquer."

"Kill them all!" One wolf shouted in support, but that was all the support he got. The rest of the Council still looked unconvinced. One person raised his hand and said. "Alpha, have you seen how few our men are? We have about fifty able-bodied men, about two dozen teenage male wolves and only thirty women and children. We are severely depleted, and unless we can get help soon, there would be no hope for us."

Immediately the wolf said that, the doors of the strategy room swung open and Louve walked in confidently. She didn't stop until she was by her cousin's side. She looked around at the table as all the men stared at her with gaping mouths.

"I'll help." She said.