Chapter Two: Cracks in the Foundation

The den was quieter than usual when Alex and Kara returned. The pack’s underground base, normally buzzing with energy, felt stifling now. Shadows clung to the corners, and the air was thick with unease.

Alex felt every gaze on him as he walked through the main chamber, his jacket torn and blood drying on his side. Whispers followed him, faint but unmistakable.

“That’s the third attack this week…”

“Do you think the rogues are planning something?”

“Why wasn’t Lucas out there?”

The last question hit harder than the rest.

Kara fell into step beside him, her crossbow slung over her shoulder. “Don’t listen to them,” she said, her voice low. “They don’t know what really happened out there.”

Alex gave her a tight smile, but he didn’t respond. He couldn’t shake the image of the rogues circling him, their leader’s mocking grin. The pack was in danger, and Lucas wasn’t doing anything to stop it.

The door to the alpha’s quarters loomed ahead, a heavy slab of steel set into the wall. Alex paused, glancing at Kara.

“You coming?” he asked.

She shook her head. “I’ll let you handle this one. Try not to start a fight.”

Alex huffed out a breath. “No promises.”

Pushing the door open, he stepped into Lucas’s chambers.

The alpha was leaning over a table covered in maps, his broad shoulders tense. His dark hair was slicked back, and his amber eyes glinted in the dim light of the single overhead bulb. He didn’t look up as Alex entered.

“You’re back,” Lucas said, his voice even. “What happened?”

“Rogues,” Alex replied. “A group of six. They were waiting for us in the industrial district.”

Lucas finally looked up, his expression sharp. “And?”

“And I handled it,” Alex said, crossing his arms. “Barely.”

Lucas straightened, his jaw tightening. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“It means they’re getting bolder,” Alex said, his frustration bubbling to the surface. “This isn’t just random attacks anymore. They’re testing us. Watching us. And if we don’t do something soon, they’re going to tear us apart.”

Lucas’s eyes narrowed. “Careful, Alex. You’re starting to sound like you think you know better than me.”

Alex stiffened. He knew he was toeing a dangerous line, but he couldn’t back down now. “I’m just saying what everyone else is thinking. The pack is scared, Lucas. They need reassurance. They need a plan.”

Lucas stepped closer, his presence dominating the room. “I am the plan,” he said, his voice low and dangerous. “The pack doesn’t need reassurance. They need to remember who we are. The Crescent Fang pack doesn’t bow to anyone, least of all a bunch of rogues.”

Alex met his gaze, refusing to back down. “You can’t keep ignoring this.”

For a moment, the tension crackled between them like a live wire. Then Lucas smirked, a cold, humorless twist of his lips. “You did well out there tonight, Alex. But don’t forget your place. You’re the beta. You follow orders. You don’t question them.”

The words were a slap in the face, but Alex forced himself to remain calm. “Understood,” he said through gritted teeth.

Lucas turned back to the map. “Good. Now get some rest. I’ll decide how to deal with the rogues.”

Alex left the room, his hands clenched into fists at his sides. He didn’t know what was worse Lucas’s arrogance or the sinking feeling that he was right.

The following day, the pack gathered in the den’s main hall. It was a large, cavernous space carved out of stone, with makeshift tables and benches scattered throughout. Normally, it was where the pack came together, but today the atmosphere was heavy with tension.

Alex sat at one of the tables, Kara beside him. Around them, the pack murmured in low voices, their unease palpable.

“I heard the rogues hit another pack last week,” someone said.

“Do you think they’ll try to take the city?”

“Why hasn’t Lucas called a meeting about this?”

Alex clenched his jaw, his frustration growing. The pack was looking for answers, but Lucas wasn’t giving them any.

Kara leaned close to him. “You need to say something,” she said softly.

Alex shook his head. “I can’t. Not without making things worse.”

“Worse than this?” Kara gestured to the pack around them. “They’re scared, Alex. And they’re looking at you, not Lucas.”

Before Alex could respond, the heavy sound of boots echoed through the hall. Lucas entered, his presence immediately silencing the room. He strode to the center, his gaze sweeping over the pack.

“I hear there’s been some… concern,” he said, his voice calm but edged with steel. “Let me make one thing clear: the Crescent Fang pack is strong. Stronger than any rogue wolves out there. They’re nothing but scavengers, picking at scraps. They can’t touch us.”

A few murmurs of agreement rippled through the crowd, but Alex could see the doubt lingering in their eyes.

“We’ll deal with the rogues when the time comes,” Lucas continued. “Until then, you follow orders. Stay in line. Trust your alpha.”

With that, he turned and walked out, leaving the pack in stunned silence.

Kara glanced at Alex, her expression grim. “That’s not going to cut it,” she said.

Alex nodded, a sinking feeling settling in his chest. Lucas’s words might have silenced the pack for now, but the cracks were still there, growing deeper with every passing day.

And Alex wasn’t sure how much longer the pack could hold together.