My whole life, the Silver Valley pack has prospered. Shane and Owen are alphas from our neighboring packs,Diamond Springs and Kingsville—and they’ve enjoyed peace and success as well.
Up until six months ago.
At first, we didn’t pay much attention. It’s normal for older shifters to fade suddenly as they age, and losing their powers is unusual, but not unheard of. When it started happening rapidly, we were worried, but the last couple of weeks have sent us straight into blind panic.
Because it’s not just the old, the young, or the ordinary wolves… It’s the alphas, too.
I reach for my drink again, trying to avoid thinking about the problem, let alone talking about it.
I can shift, but only just. My healing powers are diminished, and my senses feel dull. I’ve never felt so weak and useless in my entire life.
“So, I guess I’ll ask again,” Owen says. “Are we going to the meeting?”
“Sure,” I reply, finishing my drink in one long gulp. “I can’t see any reason why not, except that it’s utterly fucking pointless.”
“They said they might have a solution,” Shane says.
I shrug. “Wouldn’t be the first time they’ve said that,” I say. “And still, here we are, with a nameless epidemic slowly taking out our packs one by one, and the three alphas wasting away until we have less power than a Pomeranian pup.”
“That’s pretty fucking depressing,” Shane mutters.
I shove back from the bar suddenly, getting to my feet in one swift move. I’m almost hoping someone picks a fight withme, because my temper is simmering right underneath my fear, ready to boil over in a righteous display of bloody violence.
I could go all out against a human in this state, too… probably barely even hurt him with the piss-weak punches I’ve got going on right now.
“Let’s go,” I say. “We’ll meet the elders and see what garbage they’ve come up with this time.”
“I’m game for almost anything,” Owen says. “I can’t lose another one.”
“I’m going to hold you to that,” I reply, chuckling. “Especially if their advice is… unpleasant.”
“Wouldn’t expect anything else from you,” Owen chuckles, slapping my shoulder.
We leave the bar without getting into a fight and split as we cross the parking lot to go to our own vehicles. My mood lifts a little when I see my old Viper waiting for me.
I spent years fixing up the old girl, and she’s still the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen.
My boys and I only became alphas fairly recently. We’ve always been friends, with our packs in Silver Valley, Diamond Springs, and Kingsville very close together, and with a long history of cooperation.
All of us knew we’d be candidates for the alpha positions, but none of us thought it would happen so fast—or all three of us at the same time.
I pull out of the lot, seeing Owen’s truck ahead of me as we take Cedar Ravine Road out of Silver Valley. The council meets at an old property out in the woods, a neutral location that is outside pack territory. Any business concerning all three packs is conducted there, and has been since the area was first settled.
As I wind down the window to let the crisp night air wash across my face, I see the faint glint of Shane’s headlights behind me. The stars above scatter pale blue light across deep black, a pretty sight that does nothing to soothe the turmoil in my soul.
Whatever plan they’ve come up with, it better fucking work.
The road narrows and becomes rougher, and eventually we turn off to a smaller dirt track. The way is guarded by thick trees that are allowed to grow naturally around the path to conceal it. As we approach the manor, the forest peels back, opening into a wide space that surrounds the old house.
It was built by the first settlers, and legend has it that witches and wolves worked together to build it. As the community of shifters and magic workers grew, they spread into the nearby towns, and the manor was left as a community base.
Until The Rift.
Gravel crunches under the wheels of the Viper as I pull up next to Owen’s truck. By the time I get out and join Owen by the door, Shane has arrived. The three of us stand together for a few moments, standing under the shadow of the great house.
Three stories high and built of timber and stone, the place is foreboding more than it is impressive. The creative architecture of towers and box balconies should add character, but it creates an unnerving effect, as if the place were chaotically thrown together instead of carefully planned.
“Ready?” Owen asks.
