Ironfang Territory | Buffer Zone Bordering Nightfang | November 15, 2026 | 2:37 PM

Winter had not yet arrived, but at this elevation, the first substantial snowfall already covered the mountains, trees, paths, and slopes. Every passing thunderstorm brought more snow, as temperatures this far north in the Vale had already dropped considerably. The mountainside was steep and dangerous, making it nearly impossible to climb up or descend. However, it provided a clear view of the buffer zone, allowing any movement toward the pack borders to be spotted quickly and appropriate action to be taken.

Under normal circumstances, an Ironfang patrol would be stationed here, but not today. Instead, two vehicles were parked at one of the observation platforms situated along the border of the buffer zone: a black Q5 and a dark blue VW Touran. Three people stood near the platform's railing as the harsh wind tugged at their coats and whipped through their hair.

Soren had drawn his fur-lined collar close around his neck, his hands tucked into his coat pockets as he leaned back against the railing. His gaze drifted slightly over his right shoulder, down toward the sparsely wooded mountainside below.

Zachary stood a little distance away from Soren, leaning against the railing with his arms crossed. His black coat was fastened just below his collarbone, while the wind tugged at his man bun, sending loose strands of hair swirling wildly around his head. His attention remained on Dominique, who stood in her black, nearly knee-length coat with her hands tucked deep into her sleeves, her gaze shifting between the other two Betas.

"So why am I here?" Dominique finally asked after the other two had spent the last ten minutes in silence while they stood together on the observation platform. She looked from one to the other, visibly irritated that neither had said a word. "Okay, you can just keep ignoring me, and I'll drive back, because in case you haven't noticed, it's cold, and I have other duties as a Beta."

Another prolonged silence followed, broken only by the wind tugging at their clothing and hair. "How many Rogue sightings have you had?" Soren finally asked, pushing himself away from the railing and turning his attention directly to Dominique, who looked at him in confusion for a moment. "Are they retreating? Are their numbers increasing?" he added, watching as a frown began to form on her forehead.

It took her a moment to answer the Nightfang Beta. "Normal. Nothing unusual. They crossed our borders on the southern side, and we drove them back into the buffer zone," she replied, still unsure what Soren was getting at. "How about you stop walking on eggshells like some princess and finally spit it out?" she added with a low growl, sounding more irritated than genuinely angry. She was tired of standing out in the cold while neither of them seemed willing to explain anything.

"We've noticed that the Rogues moving across or along our borders are heading south. Do you think something up north is driving them away..." Soren began, turning his gaze toward the mountain range surrounding Nightfang.

Dominique followed his gaze, taking a few steps toward the railing before letting out a quiet sigh. "I don't know whether the humans are organizing hunting parties to go after Rogues and Ferals. Maybe the Council has authorized a large-scale hunt," she replied, drawing a deep breath that escaped her lips in a cloud of white mist.

"Sometimes I regret that the Council doesn't communicate with the Alphas..." Zachary interjected, briefly glancing toward Dominique. He folded his arms more tightly across his chest and shook his head. "...I just can't shake the feeling that something isn't right..."

His words earned him a scrutinizing look from Dominique, her eyes shifting between his as though searching for something that might tell her more than he had actually said. "Maybe the Ferals have retreated north and are driving the Rogues south. Maybe it's simply a large-scale hunt. Maybe..." She stopped herself, considering the possibilities for a moment before shaking her head. "There are a thousand possibilities and twice as many answers..." she added, shaking her head once more.

"Are you going to look into this, or do you think everything will turn out fine, Dome?" Soren asked, turning his attention away from the mountain range and looking directly at her.

Dominique could hear the concern in his voice, and it genuinely gave her something to think about. "I'll speak with Kaidan and keep an eye on the situation, but you need to talk to Nicholas. If he knows something in his position as Alpha King, he needs to be transparent about it. Frankly, I have absolutely no intention of letting us get overrun by something two weeks from now that we could have prevented. And I want you to call me if you find out anything. Both of you," she said, fixing Soren with an intensity that was rarely seen in her eyes and hardly what anyone would expect from her usual personality.

"I'll speak with Nicholas, Dome, but he's keeping things from me, too. All I know is that whenever I submit the reports, they draw him away from his mate and into his office, where he spends hours," Soren explained, looking at her pointedly before shaking his head. "I don't know what's going on, but I'm telling you, it can't be anything good..."

Dominique pulled her hands free of her coat sleeves, rubbed her face, and shook her head. "Shit..." she muttered under her breath. "Then get him to talk. If he won't talk to you, he needs to talk to the Alphas. If necessary, both of you can try talking some sense into him or something..." she added, letting out a frustrated breath.

Zachary glanced toward Soren, who briefly met his gaze before nodding after a short pause. "I'll try to speak with Nicholas, but I can't promise anything," Soren replied.

"That's enough for me. For now. If you hear anything, call me. And stop suggesting these shady little meetings before your mate starts thinking there's something going on between us..." she finally joked, attempting to ease some of the tension. "And Zach? Stop shutting yourself off. If you know something, talk to us or to Soren, but don't let us walk straight to our deaths," she added quietly, looking at Zachary with a serious expression.

He nodded without a word, briefly lowering his gaze. "If I knew anything, I'd tell you. But I'll try to get in touch with Josh. Maybe he knows more..." Zachary replied, drawing a deep breath that escaped his lips in a white cloud.

For a moment, nothing more was said. Silence settled over them once again, broken only by the howling wind that seemed to emphasize the weight of the situation. Dominique nodded in understanding before approaching Zachary and simply pulling him into a hug, without a word or any warning. She did the same with Soren, then drew her coat a little tighter around herself and made her way down from the observation platform toward the VW Touran. She climbed inside, started the engine, and gave Soren and Zachary one last look before reversing out of the parking space and driving away.

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Ironfang Territory | Drive to the Pack House | November 15, 2026 | 2:57 PM

Dominique kept her eyes on the lightly snow-covered mountain road, tapping her index finger against the steering wheel in time with the soft music playing on the radio. She sighed repeatedly before finally taking her right hand off the wheel and opening Fenric's contact on her phone. Her gaze shifted between the road and the green call button, her index finger hovering just above it. Yet, for some reason, she couldn't bring herself to press it. Instead, she returned her hand to the steering wheel and shook her head. "What am I even doing... Fenric can't tell me anything, and he isn't allowed to either..." she murmured under her breath, shaking her head once more as she continued driving, her grip on the steering wheel tightening slightly.

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Ironfang Territory | Pack House - Kaidan's Office | November 15, 2026 | 3:57 PM

Dominique stood outside the doors to the Alpha's office, having just spent some time in her own office reviewing every report of Rogue sightings before pacing back and forth for another half hour, lost in thought. Eventually, she had gathered the files beneath her arm, left her office, and made the short walk over. Now, with her right hand raised, she hesitated for another moment, letting it hover above the wooden door before finally knocking.

A moment passed before she heard Kaidan's voice. "Come in." She reached for the handle, opened the door, and stepped straight into his office. The large windows behind the rustic mahogany desk provided enough natural light that additional lighting was unnecessary, yet the simple iron desk lamp with its slightly yellowed shade was switched on. Two modest mahogany chairs with soft upholstery stood in front of the desk, accompanied by a slightly worn green rug.

Kaidan looked up from the paper he had been reading as the door closed, his gaze traveling over his Beta from head to toe before settling on the files she carried. "Dome. What have you got there?"

"Files we need to go through and questions that need answers, Kaidan," she replied matter-of-factly, taking a seat in the chair on the right without waiting for an invitation and placing the files on his desk.

"Kaidan. You're making it sound as though I've committed some kind of crime..." the Alpha murmured, setting the sheet of paper aside. Despite his attempt to lighten the mood, Dominique could hear the underlying tension in his voice.

"You haven't committed a crime... Not yet, anyway. I hope," she replied, nodding toward the files he had pulled closer, already opening the first one. "I don't know why we didn't notice it, or rather, why I didn't notice it, but most of the Rogue sightings follow a pattern. They're moving south..." she began explaining, leaning forward to rest her elbow on the desk.

"How many sightings like this have there been, Dominique?" Kaidan interrupted, reaching for the next file.

Her brief hesitation only added to the tension in the room. "The numbers are increasing, but not to a level that would normally be concerning," she answered. She drew a breath, about to continue, when Kaidan's gaze settled on her.

"Dome..." Kaidan began, attempting to keep the tension out of his voice.

"Don't 'Dome' me, Kaidan. Not now. Not when I've just come from a meeting with Soren and Zachary, and they're reporting the exact same thing from Nightfang," she replied, keeping her voice calm as she watched Kaidan closely. She took another deep breath, and this time, he didn't interrupt her.

Dominique tapped her index finger against one of the guards' border reports. "These reports. Nightfang has similar ones, and before you try to cut me off or tell me there's nothing to worry about, I met with Soren and Zachary about an hour ago, and they're both concerned. So tell me what's going on. Tell me what you know," she said, looking directly at him.

Kaidan drew a breath and leaned back, exhaling heavily as he folded his hands in his lap. "I've read your reports, Dominique, and I'm not trying to cut you off. But I barely know any more than you do. Nicholas is keeping things to himself, and we don't have much information. None of the Alphas do. I've spoken with Sophia, Eamon, and Tharvek," he began, lifting one hand from his lap to rub the back of his neck.

"They've also noticed an increase in Rogue movements, but they usually lose track of them in the buffer zones or don't pursue them beyond their own borders," he continued, running a hand over his face. His gaze shifted from Dominique to the reports before returning to her.

"Tharvek and Eamon believe we should take a proactive approach, and I agree with them," he began after a brief pause. "Since we suspect the source lies north of our borders, the Council isn't obligated to share any information with us, and Nicholas is keeping things to himself for now, the other Alphas have sent Scouts to investigate. I originally intended to send just one Scout from Ironfang to accompany them, but considering how personally invested you are in this, I think you should go with them," Kaidan concluded, looking at Dominique.

She nodded, about to respond, but Kaidan raised his hand and shook his head. "We need to keep this to ourselves, okay? I don't want to frighten the pack when we don't even know what we're dealing with yet. Nevertheless, I've instructed our warriors and Scouts to report even the slightest movement immediately," he continued, leaning forward before rising from his chair and walking around the desk.

"Meaning?"

"That..." he began, only to be interrupted by a knock at the door. A warrior entered.

"The Scouts are ready, Alpha," the long-haired blonde woman announced before stepping back out of the office, leaving the door slightly ajar.

"Come on, Dome. Let's see what the other three have sent us. Then you can brief them and head out together," he said, giving her shoulder a pat before slowly making his way toward the door.

Dominique didn't hesitate. She pushed herself to her feet and followed Kaidan out of the office, down the Pack House hallway, through the foyer, and outside.

She expected at least four Scouts: one from Ironfang, one from Ravenshadow, one from Forestshadow, and one from Shadowclaw. Among them would be , whose presence would come as quite a surprise to Dominique.