The Unclaimed Human Luna
Chapter 47

Conner POV

Everyone was recalled and a full pack head count was attended, every home was visited, and all children were accounted for. It was a long afternoon and he had two dozen warriors moving through the pack. He and his unit were also out there checking the pack for missing wolves. He had Parker doing a head count inside the packhouse. And all border patrols had to confirm who they were and what zone of the border they were working. It was checked against the roster.

Nothing was going to be missed. They all knew the protocol, give your name and not the zone if you were under duress. If there was a zone that was unattended, then it was likely there were going to be more rogues in the territory. Or hunters, they were never good. Always scent masked themselves to hide the fact that they were there.

He put in a new patrol ring, just inside the forest line around the pack house and around the centre of their town. Nothing was going to be allowed to get close to the pack house. Conner had not sent out an alert to bring all the women and children in, but they were all prepped and ready to do so. He was hoping not to have to do it.

Didn’t really want El asking a million questions about what was going on. Didn’t think that the little ones would be able to keep their mouths closed around her either. So extra patrols were all he could do at this minute. His father and Jared plus half a dozen elite warriors were still off pack territory hunting for any clues as to what was going on.

They were currently far enough away that they were all out of range of being mind-linked to. Brittney had informed him El had returned to her room, and wanted an update. He’d given her the run down, she was the Luna and as he stood looking at her, a woman he’d not really gone out of his way to get to know.

He suddenly realised he was going to have to make an effort, he was mated to the woman’s daughter, not that she knew that. So, he answered all her questions, surprised his unit and her Gamma, that he did so. Though he didn’t react to their looks, this was actually the first time they were under attack with her being the Luna.

She’d left the office and found all eyes on him, only Adam’s had been amused in the way he’d responded to Brittney’s questions. That man was not so stupid, he knew what El was to him now, and his responses to Brittney were simply because she was his Mate’s mother as well as the current Luna.

“She’s the Luna.” He’d stated to those questioning eyes that were on him “I am not the Alpha, the heir. I am actually expected to report to her.” It was the actual truth, but none of them had expected it, seeing as how much he disliked humans. “Father will rip me a new one.” He muttered “If I don’t answer her questions.”

That had seemed to solve those questions. They all knew the protocols around here, he’d seen Adam bite back a laugh and refrained from glaring at him. They’d not had time to discuss what he expected of his Beta and the knowledge he now had. Which was for him to keep his mouth shut is what.

Adam likely knew this, but that man he knew, wanted to know just how long Conner had known, considering he’d asked him that very question, ‘Is El your Mate.’ He likely wanted to know if Conner had lied to him about it. That was going to cause a bit of tension, he thought, but the man would just have to get over it.

He and his whole unit were standing by the pack map in the war room, every border was covered, no-one was missing at that point. He’d heard from the most north-eastern border patroller that he’d seen their Alpha and Beta head off down a track towards the Idaho border itself. Their pack did back right on to that.

They’d all been in human form but looked to be on a mission, likely scenting something and were tracking it. He’d asked to be informed the moment they were seen coming back. They were all waiting on that.

He doubled up the night permitter border, two per section as was standard protocol, had rubbed his hand over his face a few times, was tired himself now. Adam was crashed out on the couch catching a few zee’s as well he should be, but without knowing when and where an attack was due to come from he had no choice but to be awake and in-charge.

He could sleep when his father got back, though there was still no word from him yet and it was nearly 10pm. Parker had told him to sleep he’d wake him, but that would be him being lax in his duties. And that was something he was not where the pack was concerned.

He got himself coffee and prowled around being on the move helped to keep sleep at bay. It was nearly midnight when he felt that connection re-established with his father. He could also feel him and the warriors he was with coming quite quickly. It was late and they were, in all likelihood, all in wolf form. They could move much faster in wolf form.

‘Conner is everyone safe.’ Came right down the mind-link within less than thirty seconds of feeling his father.

‘Yes, all pack members accounted for, doubled up the patrol, and put in a second line of defence.’

‘Good work Conner. Brittney?’

‘Asleep in your suite, I believe.’

‘I’ll be there soon.’

‘Father?’

‘It’s not us, we’re being distracted to prevent helping another.’

Conner frowned, that was one hell of a game plan, it wasn’t just an attack then, it was all out war and, by the sounds of it, with one of their allies, which meant that the Alpha about to start said war, knew who his target was allied with.

Random attacks over the past three days, he thought about that, what they had seen. So close to their border, it was to prevent them from seeing others in mass going by, wondered if it had happened yet or was yet to have started. Them being distracted, someone was thinking ahead about who was not only allied but who was closest and could get there quickly as well.

There were several smaller packs around here just a few hours by road. They could run it in a straight line at full wolfen speed, and get there in half the time to most of the smaller packs they were allied to. It is actually what they would do.

He woke Adam a few minutes prior to his father arriving, and met him at his office. They all looked tired to him, frowned at the welts he could see on several of the elite warriors, they’d been in a fight out there, his father and Jared were both healed up, but the Elite were still recovering.

“What happened?”

“Two dozen rogues.” His father muttered as he strode over to his desk, flicked through his rolodex and then punched in a number.

“Is it that bad?”

“Likely so.” His father nodded.

“We managed to beat information out of one, he didn’t look much like a rogue, well fed. Had clothes and all.” Jared commented as he sat down.

Conner frowned, “How far out?”

“About halfway from here to their intended destination. Though they were there to deter us from what we gathered.”

He turned his eyes to his father as he announced himself to Alpha Thomas, of The New Moon Pack. Blinked in complete surprise about that, being the pack about to be attacked, the man was a big bloody hippy, everyone liked him. Conner couldn’t for the life of him see a reason why anyone would want to start a war with Alpha Thomas.

He was listening to his father, telling him of what had gone on down here, the attacks they had been having, the rogues on their territory today, and then they’d hunted and found a band of them camped out about halfway between the two packs. He’d dispatched them all, after getting information out of one of them.

The information being that they were just a scout group to keep an eye on them here, to report back to their Alpha if they saw movement that would lead them to believe he’d sent any warriors to help with the on-coming attack on the New Moon Pack.

They couldn’t get the exact date of the impending attack, they knew was coming, it didn’t appear that was informed knowledge to the rogue, they were just there to report movement.

Stated he would send Conner and his Unit first thing in the morning with a hundred warriors and told that man to pull his allied to him, that it was Alpha Victor of the Bloodless Moon pack that was coming.

Conner’s head whipped around, everyone knew about that man’s ruthlessness, no-one wanted to go up against him. He was a full-on savage, and it was known he used rogues to do his bidding, always travelling with a band of them. Didn’t initiate them into his pack, but had their loyalty. Likely attracted to the viciousness of the man himself.

Accounted for why they were seeing so many as well, but no one knew the real extent of Victor’s rogue army. Not even the wolfen council.

Though Conner noted it never seemed to get any smaller, he also never heard that man claim to have one. Just a loyal few is how he’d heard him put it once at an Alpha’s conference a few years ago when he’d been questioned about it.

Victor had gone on about “when I can trust them, then they can be initiated into my pack. Got women and children to protect, but all deserve a second chance.” Had spoken with a calmness that came from years of dealing with other Alpha’s. He’d been in a room full of Alpha’s his allied as well as not allied.

Likely he’d prepared that statement. He had sat there all relaxed in his chair, without a care in the world. That man didn’t care who liked him and who didn’t. He had his own allies that relied on him and he was vicious in protecting those he was allied to as much as his own home pack.

Conner had asked his father later that night how Victor came to be an Alpha, how a man like him had so many allies. His father had shaken his head, “Who knows Conner, Alpha’s have dealings for all manner of reasons. It could well be fear, could well be that he’s a nice person. Though I don’t get that from him. There is just something that I don’t like about him.”

Conner had agreed with him on that. The man though was very relaxed in his position as an Alpha, sometimes when he looked around the room, or you caught his eye, there was that shiver of pure fear that shot through you. The man knew it too, liked knowing everyone feared him. His pack wasn’t all that large, from reports. But it was the unknown quantity of rogues he held that bothered most. No one really believed he only had a few, as he stated.

He would use those instead of his own warriors, therefore his pack never lost any of its strength, he was very strategic. Certainly not dumb, likely attended those Alpha Meetings just to see who was out there, size up the Alpha’s and their heirs, maybe align himself to those that were not allied or enemies to each other, pick a side if he wanted to take over one pack, use that pack as cannon fodder, and then pull the females wolves and children into his own pack after a war.

Conner didn’t have a problem going to aid with Alpha Thomas and a full show of strength when Victor turned up, might just make him realise he was out numbered and decide against the war. If his plan had been outed, and he was not going to win, get what he wanted, whatever it was. It might just deter him.

That was the plan he could hear his father discussing with Alpha Thomas, who was now on full alert, thanked him for the heads up and told him there would be plenty of space to accommodate them, he’d be ready for the assistance they were sending. That he would indeed pull in his allied to assist with numbers.

Conner looked at his father, it was never good to send anyone into the middle of a war. “Go and get sleep, all of you. I want you all gone by sunup. Did you sleep at all, Conner?”

“No,” he answered honestly. “Adam got a few, and both Brayden and Cameron are out on patrol.”

“Bring them in, son, you lot are going as full, allied assistance.” Saw his father look right at him. “I trust you can handle this Conner.”

“Of course you can, father. It is what we train for.”

“Good, I’ll stay here and protect the pack with my unit. We’ll keep an eye out for Victor’s forces, though I don’t think he’ll cross over land, he’ll travel by car, and only cross land when needed, to keep his forces hidden. I’ll call and let Thomas know of any movement we see, if we see any, a heads up, only a few hours likely, but that is better than none at all.”

“How long do you expect we will be gone?” Conner asked.

“Till it’s over son, pack properly. Don’t get yourself killed. Steer clear of Victor himself, he’s much older, let Thomas and the more experienced Alpha’s handle him. I want my Heir to come home in one piece.”

“Yes father.” He nodded.

Till it was over, better bloody be quick. The full moon was approaching them quickly now, and he wanted to be here in front of El when it set. Otherwise they were going to have to wait four more bloody weeks. Didn’t think that was likely to happen, they were barely containing themselves now, and with her having unwittingly mated herself to them, they needed to sort that out quickly.