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17

Devon

Watching the wolves line up in front of the Council Headquarters, I try my best to plug my nose. Everyone here is a rogue waiting to board the buses the Council provided for us. We’ll all be leaving to join either Shadow Moon or Ivory Fangs within the hour, and part of me is excited about the change.

I turned rogue three weeks ago. Alpha Ramos had needed someone who could infiltrate Ivory Fangs when news of his son being part of the pack reached him. At first, I had considered refusing the job, but the prospect of leaving Oak Fur for a bit and possibly finding my mate had won. I’d agreed to become a spy for my alpha.

I’d made a Blood Pact that I would join Ivory Fangs and report to Alpha Ramos on the identity of its alpha and beta and confirm if his son Lucas was there. Once I’ve done that, the Blood Pact will dissolve, and I’ll be free to leave Oak Fur for good.

I know that if Ivory Fangs finds out I’m a spy, they’ll try to destroy me. I’ll need to leave before they do if I want to survive in this world. I’ll need to find a new pack that hopefully has my mate.

Alpha Ramos had been happy when he’d learned I was one of the applicants accepted into Ivory Fangs, chosen by the beta and alpha themselves to join. He was curious about the two she-wolves who had taken over Silver Paw following the attack on it. Then, my alpha became wary of the two when rumors spread that Ivory Fangs had helped Alpha Titus take down the previous Alpha of Shadow Moon.

I’d asked him about his worries when he recruited me to become his spy and was told that Alpha Jordan had taken Kaylee Kingsley, intending to mark and mate her against her will. It was a plot he and Marilyn had set out to separate Lucas from Kaylee for good. I thought it was appalling, but I kept my mouth shut. It seems their plot didn’t work, and now here I am, climbing onto a bus and heading for a pack no one has been able to gain information on. Well, except for Alpha Titus of Shadow Moon and the Council.

“Hey, Dev, are you ready to join a new pack?”

Taking my seat beside a chatty she-wolf named Carolyn, I take in her appearance and suppress a sigh. She’s one of the rogues I met on my way to the Council Headquarters, and she’s stuck to me like glue. I should have known better and scanned the bus for someone I could sit beside who would leave me alone.

“Hi, Carolyn,” I greet dryly, cursing my stupidity. “Yes, I am excited. I just hope this new alpha is nice. My last one was a tyrant,” I answer truthfully, watching as understanding and sympathy pass through her eyes. She reaches out for me, taking my hand in hers, and I fight the urge to snatch my hand back and snarl at this lowly she-wolf.

“I get that. My last alpha tried to force himself on me, and I had to flee for my life,” the auburn-haired girl says with a sigh, squeezing my hand. “I think this new alpha will be nice, considering they’re a she-wolf. We can rest easy as soon as we reach Ivory Fangs,” she continues, her enthusiasm a little catchy.

I nod in agreement, slowly taking my hand from hers and leaning back in the seat. It will be a few days before we reach our new pack, and I intend to take these days to rest and learn as much information as possible from the Council wolves driving us.

***

“Dev, wake up.”

A hand shaking my shoulder forces me awake. The grogginess still clings to me as I shrug off whoever interrupted my sleep. My elbow connects with something and makes me wince. Turning to the left, I find Carolyn looking at me with a pout, her brown eyes glaring at me. I open my mouth, ready to ask her why she is glaring at me, but I stop when I see that she’s holding her right shoulder.

“Did I hurt you?” I ask, feeling slightly guilty for harming this she-wolf, even if she annoys me to no end.

“You did,” she answers curtly as she pouts in the seat beside me.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to,” I apologized, looking around the bus to see what was happening.

Wolves were climbing off the bus, their chatter full of excitement to get a break from sitting for six hours. I see that we’ve stopped at a buffet place in one of the human cities. Walking into the restaurant, I follow the lead of the Council wolves and line up with the twenty-nine other rogues, Carolyn quickly taking a spot beside me as we await instructions.

“Listen up, everyone,” one of the Council wolves calls out, smiling. “This restaurant was booked in advance, thanks to Miss Rose. You have one hour to eat as much as you’d like before we’re back on the road.”

Turning to Carolyn in confusion, she smirks before motioning for me to follow.

“Who is Miss Rose?” I ask, the two of us grabbing plates and going to the nearest food selection.

“That’s the alias our new alpha chose. Because Ivory Fangs is new, she and the beta chose aliases to protect their identities. Our new beta goes by Beta Lilac, and when we get to Ivory Fangs, we’ll learn their real names,” Carolyn answers.

Shocked, I hurriedly follow the she-wolf to a nearby table, place my plate down and excuse myself to the bathroom. After ensuring no one was inside any of the stalls, I took out the cell phone Alpha Ramos had given me and pulled up his number. For a moment, I hesitate, not knowing if this information is useful to him, until a sudden sharp pain in my chest breaks my train of thought. Apparently, the Blood Pact I made deems what I learned useful enough to share.

Without any doubt left, I press the call button and press the phone to my ear, guilt creeping in.

“Devon, any news?”