Page 315 of Alpha Mates

The Council warrior who delivered the missive—and who currently waits outside—was one of the twenty said to be on their way to help us confront the growing force to the north, according to the letter. They received our reports of the gathering rogues and took them with the utmost seriousness.

We, along with every other pack in this region, are receiving as many warriors as the Council can spare because they aren’t willing to let the rogue population grow large enough to become a true threat.

“Don’t panic,” Aiden whispers, drawing my gaze to where he sits beside me with a grim expression that most likely matches mine.

“It’s not panic,” I reply, dropping my gaze back to the letter. “It’s dread.”

Aiden’s expression doesn’t soften, but his eyes do. He understands the feeling, because he feels it too.

“We’ll have a pack meeting tonight,” he says.

I nod, already calling for Beckett through our bond. He steps in a moment later with Emitt at his side. Their concern is palpable, but they do a good job of hiding it.

“The Council wants to deal with the rogues,” I explain, not bothering to sugarcoat it. “They see the threat, and they want to squash it early. More of their warriors will be arriving to assist before we, and at least five other packs, head out.”

“We’re leaving the pack to fight them?” Emitt echoes, eyes widening as he looks between Aiden and me. “And with other packs? That … that doesn’t happen.”

“No, it doesn’t,” I agree tightly. “Not unless it’s very serious, which means—”

“It’s very serious,” Beckett finishes for me. I nod.

“We’re all trained for this, and with the numbers we’re gathering, it’ll be fine,” Aiden states confidently.

Before I knew my mate, I would’ve thought he was being stupidly self-assured and naïve, but I can spot the slight tightening in his jaw now. He’s being strong so that others can be, too.

“We’ll need to prepare a space for the incoming warriors and get everyone ready for what’s to come,” he adds.

I nod again. “We’re calling a pack meeting tonight—no, this afternoon,” I correct. The sooner we get things rolling, the better.

“Uh, tonight might be better,” Emitt says, cutting into my already spiralling thoughts. “You guys have another visitor.”

I frown as Aiden asks, “Who?”

“The witch,” Beckett answers, and my heart immediately sinks.

I have nothing against Katerina—not anymore. For a witch, she’d been absurdly helpful, and while she is weird, that’s one of the few areas in which she was harmless.

Except she’snotharmless, and a random pop-up was not on the agenda.

When the warrior initially showed up at our border this morning, my first assumption had been that they’d somehow discovered that Aiden had been with Katerina when she’d single-handedly decimated her coven.

Thankfully, that hadn’t been the case, but it very well could be if she were here right now.

“Where is she?” I ask, already on my feet.

“The roof,” Emitt answers with a slight grimace. “She said she had to talk to you guys, but that she’d wait out of sight until you were ready.”

I glance at Aiden as he stands, scowling when I spot my alarmed confusion mirrored on his face. That isn’t good.

Aiden understands her the best. He should know why she’s here—or at least trust that it isn’t anything horrible—because I’m already preparing for the worst. And right now, the worst is that her last freebie to help with ourwolves hadn’t been a freebie at all, and she’s ready to blackmail us, knowing that the Council’s eyes are pointed our way.

I doubt the witch needs anything from us enough to blackmail us,Alex notes before humming.Though if she does, maybe this will be a lesson not to trust a witch.

Will you get over it?I groan.It worked.

Alex huffs, and as annoying as it is, I’m grateful for it—because he’s here, as a part of me, as he should be. Whether or not Alex liked me employing a witch to force him to talk to Max, it worked out for the best. And with what we’re about to face with the rogues, I’m grateful I have him at my side.

“We’ll deal with it,” Aiden says as he heads for the door. “You guys keep the warrior away and get the word out about the meeting.”