Chapter 1
Kaiden
I leaned on the heavy oak table, staring at the assembled alphas. Not one of them dared look me in the eye, which was just as it should be.
“This ends now,” I boomed, “enough is enough.”
They all nodded in assent.
We had remained hidden for long enough as we’d watched the human world all but destroy the planet that we shared.
They, of course, knew little of us. We had always blended in, but not in a way where we could have changed the course of events that lead us to this point in time.
Seeing the poor get poorer and the rich get richer, as mighty conglomerates raped and pillaged the natural world, pumping poisonous gases into the atmosphere, polluting the oceans, not to mention hunting many of the world's animals to the brink of extinction. All in the name of progress and profit.
One of the Alphas stood, and I nodded towards him, signalling that he may speak.
“How do you intend to do this? They won’t just hand over the reins of power,” he hesitated, “whilst I am not in disagreement that this has to be done, I am averse to the idea of bloodshed, whether it be human or were-kind,” he added before retaking his seat.
I nodded in agreement.
“I intend for there to be a minimal loss of life.”
I glanced over my shoulder at my brother Malachi. As high Alpha, my brother was my Beta. He was still Alpha-born, so he out-ranked the other Alphas.
“Malachi,” I stated.
He gave a slight bow and stepped forward.
I retook my seat, giving him the floor. It had been his plan, and whilst I wasn’t totally happy with it, I knew it was the only way to take control with minimal loss of life.
“Humans are not unlike us in some respects,” he began.
There were mumblings of descent among some of the other alphas. Some looked upon humans as a lesser species because of their weaknesses and lack of leadership.
Wounds that could lead to death, bones that could be easily snapped, leaving them incapacitated or worse, dead.
Our bones could break, and we could be wounded, but rarely was it mortally.
My brother raised his hand to silence the mumblings.
“We all have weaknesses, and those aren’t always physical,” he continued.
“For us, our weakness is our mate, and like humans, our need to protect our pups. Endanger their pups, and they will surrender their power,” he concluded.
I looked around the table. Some looks of concern, other looks of surprise at the simplicity of my brother's plan. Because it was simple.
The threat of causing death or pain to their female children or seeing that pain inflicted before their very eyes would bring them to heel.
When my brother first suggested it, I baulked at the idea. Harming innocents was never in our nature, but the planet's future hung in the balance.
As much as I hated the idea of causing pain to an innocent, in the long run, it would save thousands of lives if we could avert outright war.
I glanced down the table as one of the Alpha’s stood. My brother, having the floor, nodded in their direction allowing them to speak.
I shouldn’t be sexist, but it did not surprise me that it was the only female Alpha who stood. Not just that, but she was a feline shifter. A black panther. They had a bit of a reputation. Not many shifters trusted them, but Allegra had always been loyal to me.
“This is wrong,” she began, “in so many ways. You are purposefully targeting the weak and the innocent. How would you feel if it was them targeting your mate or your pup?”
Malachi glared at her.
“What would you prefer, Allegra? The enormous loss of life on both sides? We do not intend to kill anyone, we’re just using them as leverage.”
Allegra glanced around the table, looking for support from someone, anyone, but she found none. She huffed and threw her hands in the air.
“I don’t believe this,” she snarled, before retaking her seat.
I gestured for my brother to take a step back as I stood up.
“It’s decided then. We move forward with the plan.”
I purposefully looked at Allegra. She glanced up but didn’t hold contact with my eyes.
“Allegra, your disagreement has been noted. I hope I can rely on you to follow this through?”
She gritted her teeth.
“Yes my king,” she sighed, as she bowed her head towards me.
“Then let us proceed. I will require a team of warriors from each pack to help with the extraction. We will carry them out simultaneously, and we will hold the targets in the royal dungeons.”
I turned and left the room, closely followed by my brother.
“Everything is in place?” I questioned.
Malachi nodded.
“We already have warriors who have been inserted into the security details of the targets.”
I nodded.
“Any potential problems?”
Malachi shook his head and smirked.
“Once they realise who we are and that we have their darlings at our mercy, I don’t doubt we will have full control within the day.”
I frowned a little. Malachi appeared to be enjoying this a little too much. For me, it was a means to an end. For Malachi, it seemed far more than that, but I let it slide.
“No killing, Malachi,” I warned.
He nodded, the smirk not leaving his face.
“Of course not, brother.”
I narrowed my eyes.
“And no harming them, unless absolutely necessary,” I added.
The smirk dropped from his face.
Although the plan was solid, I was beginning to wonder if Malachi was the right person to carry it out.
