THE RISE OF AN OMEGA-Chapter 30: The rogue’s warning

Kira’s POV

I woke up before daybreak; it was around three in the morning. I sat up on my bed, and my body tensed as if it was sensing something, something invisible hanging around, hovering over the horizon.

The night air was cold; the winds flowed through the window, carrying with it a strange calmness that made me feel uneasy. It felt so strange.

What could this be?

Something felt off, different. I had spent the past days effortlessly and tirelessly preparing Ryker’s pack members for the battle to come, but, now, as the pre-dawn darkness spread over the sky, an overwhelming sense of dread filled my chest.

I rose from the bed and made my way outside with the hope of training after scanning the area. When I got outside my sharp eyes scanned the environs. All the wolves that had been training for days were resting their best slow and steady.

But I couldn’t rest, not when the battle was still ahead of us, not when I just felt a presence pressing against the edges of our territory, not when I knew that Asher could attack us anytime, not when I knew our territory could be under something like an unspoken threat.

As I got to the training grounds, I was surprised to see Ryker standing there, his arms crossed; from the way he stood and the way his face looked, his expression mirrored my concern; he had felt it, too.

Without saying anything to each other we both understood that time was running out. We had done everything we could to prepare, but we knew who our enemy was, he was a very unpredictable human, and the true battle was only just beginning.

I took in a deep breath, breathing out almost immediately. I stood firm. The day was going to be a turning point, but I refused to let the fear in me control me.

I was the moonkeeper and I had to live up to the name.

*****

The morning atmosphere was brisk, but also heavy with anticipation. As I stood next to Ryker, I watched the initial group of warriors begin their training drills.

This time, their movements were sharper than before, and their reflexes too were faster, but they still weren’t a United force, and this was a major problem.

For us to be able to defeat Asher and his pack, we had to be united and fight as one. There was still a lot of hesitations in their coordination. They were strong, no doubt about that, but they still weren’t united.

Brute force alone wasn’t going to help us in defeating Asher and his men. We needed something more than brute force, like a well-structured strategy and teamwork. These were the things we needed to work on to ensure our survival.

I moved forward, addressing the warriors with a firm voice. "You’ve all made progress, no doubt about that but the truth remains that we aren’t there yet. Our strength is meaningless if we can’t work together. Asher’s forces will not give you the opportunity and the luxury of a one-on-one fight. They’ll outnumber you and attack you in the most unexpected places."

A few of the warriors began to exchange looks, unsure. My eyes narrowed in Isabella’s direction. She stood by the side, arms crossed. She was still angry about my leadership, "and what would you have us do, moonkeeper?" she asked mockingly.

I disregarded her tone, replying, "We need to find a way to focus on coordinated assaults, move as one, and cover each other vulnerabilities. Today, we are going to move beyond personal abilities and train collectively as a pack."

"Oh wow what a really good plan you’ve got?" She said mockingly, clapping her hands. "Have you forgotten that you tried to train them the same way, and you barely had any progress?"

I exhaled, trying to calm myself so as not to lash out. "Look, Isabella, that was the first time; this is a second time; it’s going to be quite different. All they need to do is follow my instructions."

"Follow your instructions?" She scoffed.

"Isabella, let Kira do what she wants to do!" Ryker shot at her, his voice laced with a low growl.

Isabella frowned, then moved away to the far end of the training ground.

She wasn’t joining in the training, but I certainly wasn’t bothered about that; she’s strong, a female alpha, and she can take care of herself.

I quickly organized the warriors into smaller groups, each featuring a combination of seasoned fighters and those requiring further development. The secret to survival lay not only in personal strength but in their ability to operate collectively as a unit. I matched the strongest with the weakest, making certain that no one was excluded. The fighters faltered initially, unmistakably uneasy with the transition, but I stood my ground.

I reminded them, pacing between the groups, "Asher’s pack battles as one. They don’t battle for individual honour; they battle to conquer. If you cannot foresee your partner’s actions and do not support one another, you will fail. This isn’t about demonstrating who has more strength—it’s about making sure we all survive the upcoming fight."

I demonstrated fast, tactical actions, illustrating how to defend and retaliate while safeguarding a partner. The fighters copied my movement their defiance gradually diminishing. Before long, they started collaborating, understanding one another’s rhythm.

I observed them, nodding in agreement. They were making progress, yet there remained a lot to accomplish. I wanted them to be more than merely combatants. I needed them to become an unstoppable force, prepared for anything Asher sent their way.

The training session was interrupted by a sharp howl from one of the patrol wolves we assigned to patrol duties signalling a stranger, an intruder at the border.

I and Ryker looked at each other before heading in the direction of the commotion. Getting there, we found a wolf; he seemed to be a rogue wolf; he was badly injured and was barely able to stand on his feet.

His fur was soaked in blood, his breathing was unsteady. From his breath, I could tell that life was slowly seeping out of him.

All the warriors came around him cautiously; some of them, their fangs and claws were out, some their eye colour had changed, while few maintained.

I was glad to see how prepared they looked for anything that could happen. Right there at that moment, they all looked at this injured and battered wolf with suspicion.

"Who are you?" Ryker questioned, moving forward.

The wolf winced, he had turned into his human form now, and all we saw was a badly injured man. He managed to lift his head.. "I mean no harm. I... I... escaped from Asher’s pack," he paused, catching his breath. "I have something to tell you guys, the information you would need to know if you intend to win this battle with Asher."

"How are we sure you are not lying to us just so you could infiltrate our pack" Marcus asked, his voice laced with a growl.

"There’s no way you could know; you just have to trust me,", the rogue said, coughing out blood.

From the way he coughed out blood, he seemed like he didn’t give enough time; we either take him and treat him, then hear what he had to say or leave him to die.

I fixed my gaze on him; this could be a trap; he could have been sent by the enemy to mislead us. But there was also something real and truthful. In his voice, there was this strong urge from within me that wanted me to save him and listen to what he had to say.

"What kind of information?" I asked

"I will only tell you on one condition?"

An ominous laughter came from behind me. It was none other than Isabella. "A dying man like you wants to strike a bargain? Forgetting that he could die any moment from now?" She scoffed, stepping closer and bending in front of him. "Look here, wolf, if you die, your death is going to mean nothing to us, we don’t know you" Her Gaze was Icy.

"Then you will all lose the battle too," he said

Isabella tilted forward, her hands pressed against her knees, It was as if the weight of her own words were too much for her to carry. Her gaze rested on me for a brief moment, I could see the hesitation in her eyes and her expression.

I knew that what she was about to say was hard to accept but she had to say it either way. She took in a deep breath, slow, calculated before she finally spoke. "You think we will lose? We can’t lose when the moonkeeper is on our side."

My eyes widened in bewilderment. Isabella-Almigty Isabella, the fierce female alpha, had just acknowledged me as the moon keeper.

I wasn’t the only one who was surprised, Ryker and every other person in the pack who knew about the relationship I had with her were all astonished by her words.

"So it’s true" the rogue wolf voice brought us back to realisation.

My gaze rested on him once more.

"So it’s true that the moon keeper is here?" his voice became shaky, tears in his eyes "Where is she."

At first, I was sceptical about showing myself to him, but I eventually came out. "I am the moonkeeper"

He tried to reach for my foot, but the pain he felt didn’t allow him to, so I moved closer and there he pledged his loyalty to Me.

This got me confused and wondering why he pledged his loyalty to me. Why did Isabella suddenly acknowledge me as the moonkeeper? And above all what was the information this rogue wolf had for us?