The Sanctuary and Kings

This obscure patrol route is never used by visitors or rogues. There is nothing this far north of our territory, yet now, today of all days, trouble is found here. I groan, eyeing the rogue that our scouts spotted further south a few days ago.

"*Alpha, we finally corner that black rogue near the northern territory, but there is a problem.*" I speak through the packlink hastily.

"*What kind of problem? Just end the rogue and move on. We don't have enough time to waste on such things.*"

"*Alpha, just get over here. Before any more warriors are injured.*"

"*Is the rogue that dangerous, Beta Jon? You can't even handle it?*"

"*Indeed...*"

"*Stay put and don't let them escape.*"

Yeah, as if she would even try to escape. I glance at the female wolf. Her feral snarls echo loudly around us, but they aren't enough to drown out the terrified whimpers of pups. They are currently hiding beneath her massive, blackened body.

I stare into her deep blue eyes. Blinding fury storms rampant in them, flecked with steady swirls of silver. I can't see a way to take her down without hurting the children. Flicking my eyes downward, I can barely make out two small white snouts sticking out near her back legs. Her dense coat hides them almost perfectly.

She snaps her muzzle loudly, forcing my attention back to her face. Daring me to come closer, she steps forward slightly. A few low grumbles roll from her throat, and she slowly starts to back up, keeping her rear against the rocky cliffside as she edges towards the forest.

The sheer range of vocals and sounds she uses is astounding, and I am fairly certain she is signaling her pups. My team moves in unison with her movements, keeping her in the center of our formation. No matter where she turns, there are no gaps for her to rush through. Especially not if she plans on keeping the pups tucked beneath her.

"Listen, why don't you just give up? There is no way you can escape this situation." I take a step towards her, crossing my arms.

She lowers her head, fluffs her tail, and exposes her vicious fangs. A deep, threatening growl rolls from her muzzle, utterly feral. Suddenly, she launches herself sideways, slamming into the wolves closest to the forest edge. I watch, momentarily paralyzed, as two white blurs sprint over her back. The moment the two pups clear the line, she follows them instantly.

Shaking off the shock of her speed, I shift into my wolf and give chase. Her body no longer needs to hold down the guards. Shaking my head of the shock, I shift and give chase once more. It doesn't take long before we catch up to her again.

It doesn't take long to catch up. The two small children cling tightly to the black fur on her back, their tiny hands gripping her coat. If they shift back to human, it won't be long before their mother does too. Catching the scent of my Alpha closing in, I back off a bit, knowing I’ll only be in his way.

Jackson slams into her body hard, sending all three rogues flying sideways. The pups hit the ground with a sickening thud, tumbling into their wolf forms a few feet away. They lie motionless and quiet now. The sharp metallic scent of fresh blood fills the air; the pups are injured from the impact, it seems. But in that exact moment, the rogue lets out a fearsome noise, pulling my attention instantly.

I thought this female rogue was fierce before, but as she stands to face my Alpha, a wave of pure terror floods me. Her eyes are glowing a pure silver, no trace of calmness present. She lunges for Jackson, snapping at him wildly. He jumps over her, avoiding the assault. He locks eyes with me, then flicks his gaze to the children.

Understanding his silent order, I send the warriors to retrieve them while Alpha Jackson has her complete attention. It has been 30 minutes and the she wolf is holding her own evenly with my Alpha. It is pure insanity how powerful the rogue female is overall. I glance at the two unconscious pups; their fur is pure white and shows signs of good health.

The only difference between them is their whiskers, one has black and the other white. As a shift in wind occurs, their mother finally realizes we already have her pups. She freezes mid-stride and locks eyes on the two young ones. Determination fills her gaze instantly, a ripple of blue starting to return. As she sprints towards me, her growls and snarls rise rapidly. I watch with slight pity building as Alpha Jackson jumps her from behind.

His muzzle clamps down on the back of the female's neck; finally, she lets her guard down. She drops under his weight instantly, her legs buckle as they skid to a stop just mere feet away from me. Jackson releases his bite but keeps her firmly suppressed. I shift and pick the pups up by their scruff, holding them out in front of me.

"Shift now, female!" I demand. Hatred fills her eyes, another storm starting to brew.

She growls and flicks her head sideways. I watch bewildered as she fights against Jackson's wolf, slowly getting to her feet. My Alpha growls angrily and bites into her nape hard once more, trying to force her submission.

I shake the two pups lightly, their whimpers catch her attention. "Submit now and shift!" I demand more sternly.

This time her growls are wild, yet she lies down willingly. Her demeanor changes from hostile to acceptance. The pups, now both fully awake, squirm anxiously in my grip. Their wolves fade and human children now face me. I set them down, letting them stand before my Alpha and their mother.

They are mere tots, barely six years old. One of the white haired boys starts crying, falling to his knees and clinging to his brother’s side as he sobs. His brother, on the other hand, looks enraged. His small hands are balled tightly into fists, his blue eyes locked dead on Jackson.

The female wolf looks at them with profound sorrow, whimpering softly as Jackson holds her down. Finally, he meets my gaze and steps backward, shifting into his human form. Fury still burns hot in his eyes; he stands next to the female, glancing between her and the kids.

"You heard my Beta! Shift now, rogue!" Jackson throws his hands up angrily.

The she wolf just lies still and shakes her head. She whimpers again, looking at the boys. The braver twin takes a step forward, his crying brother moving seamlessly with him. To my amazement, the brave boy lets out a tiny, threatening growl.

Defying my Alpha, the boy speaks. "Mother wolf won't shift! Stop bullying her, you mean wolves!"

Jackson flicks his gaze to the brave pup, the smaller boy clings tighter to the side of his leg now. I watch as my Alpha steps up to the bravest pup I have ever seen. Before Jackson can grab him, the female lunges forward with movement I can't track. Her body lands over the twins just like before, hiding them beneath her. She keeps herself low to the ground defensively, yet not threateningly.

Jackson straightens up. "Do you wish for them to join you in the cells, rogue?"

Her growl is different, but she does rise up a little, letting the boys climb out from under her. She lies down next to them and wraps her tail over the little bodies; another hush of grumbles lowly echoes from her chest. I watch the weaker boy inch closer to his mother, his body climbing up onto her back.

"What are your names?" Jackson asks the twin brothers.

"We don't have names." The braver one states.

"How can both of you shift already?" the Alpha questions curtly.

"We don't know."

"Why won't your mother shift?" Alpha Jackson growls, staring her down.

"We have never seen her shift like us."

"What happened to your pack?" he asks next.

"It has always been us since we can remember." The boy shrugs slightly as he fidgets with his fingers.

To everyone's shock, a strange and hoarse voice speaks very brokenly, completely throwing off the conversation between the pups and Jackson.

"Pup.....get....neck." The female growls brokenly and with great effort, her eyes locked on the brave boy.

"Um, what!?" I can't stop the words as they force themselves from my stunned lips. I blink a few times, dumbfounded by this rogue once more.

"How long have you been a wolf?" the Alpha questions over me, ignoring the bewilderment the rest of us are feeling.

A puzzled expression flickers across the rogue's features before she looks at my Alpha. She shakes her head pointedly, though I'm not sure what she is trying to convey.

"Do you ever remember being in human form?" Jackson snaps out.

She shakes her head sideways again.

"These pups.. are they really related to you?" He continues to question the rogue.

She shakes her head again, I can't tell if she is giving answers or a plain refusals.

"You found them?"

She nudges the braver boy with her snout, lifting her head to expose the underside of her neck. The boy reaches into her thick fur, searching for a moment before pulling out a small satchel. He tosses it toward us hastily, wiping his hands on the wolf's black coat.

"What is this?" Jackson walks toward it, reaching down.

The moment his hand nears the bag, the she wolf throws her head back and unleashes a howl so powerful it reverberates for miles. Before anyone can react, the sickening sound of snapping bones and tearing flesh echoes through the trees.

Jackson and I jump backward as the rogue begins to shift, but not into anything we have ever seen before.

She expands, growing three times her size until she stands nearly eight feet tall at the shoulders. The boys are already safely on her once more before she even finishes the process. The monstrous wolf leaps over our heads with terrifying ease and vanishes into the darkness before we have time to register. Not even a scent trail is left behind.

Silently, Jackson walks over and picks up the abandoned satchel, examining it carefully. "Do you recognize this insignia?" he asks, turning it toward me.

I take it from his hands. Embossed on the leather is an image of a full moon with two crossed swords. A raven's head sits to the left, and a howling wolf to the right.

"It isn't one I recognize." I admit, my mind racing.

"What's inside?"

I unclamp the clasp and sniff. "It smells of wolfsbane, silver... and something else. There’s a gemstone of some sort in here, too."

"Sounds like witchcraft." Jackson's face is long, he runs a hand through his hair, exhausted. "It has just been one giant mess after another. Do you think it's possible that female is actually a Lycan trying to hide as a wolf? The conflicts that are spiking... Could she be a part of it?"

"Those two boys are definitely werewolves, Alpha Jackson, and I have to say they must be of alpha blood. Do you think they are pup napped?" I question quickly.

"Seems unlikely, Beta. She protects them as kin. I think we should investigate deeper into this." He shakes the bag about. "As well as send Lucas and Charles with the witch to track the rogue down, but to keep out of detection."

"As you command, Alpha Jackson."

Alpha Jackson turns to leave, and the rest of us fall into step behind him, for we still have a long night ahead of us.

The second scouting patrol is able to capture one of the rogues that are launching assaults at the southern border. They are waiting for us at the prison cells.