CHAPTER 2: Zues Lando Roditti.

The huge field was filled with warriors, all age and all sizes.

To the far left, a few yards away from the whitewashed building were the new recruits all in the normal grey sweats, the females in grey sports bras while the males remained bare chested. Half of them were down in push up position with their weight resting on their knuckles, dropping down on each odd number that their trainer yelled.

The ones standing did a whole set of blocks, punches and kicks on the wooden Wing Chun dummy on each even number that the trainer yelled. Inspectors, who were part of the chief warrior branch walked between the recruits, checking stances here and there.

On the far right, a mile away from the Zero Level Training zone, worked together a group of trained fighters in different stances and forms.

Some were in their wolf forms, fighting against their opponents or weaving through the trees that surrounded them in a semi-circle as they checked their powers of tracking. The ones in their human forms were also divided, half wielding weapons on one corner and half sweating in one to one combat.

They too had warrior chiefs walking amongst them, judging and criticising them as they go.

A howl, however silences them all as everyone stops what they are doing, wolves turning back into humans as they all stand back, leaving the roughly circular training ground for the higher ups to come.

In the hushed silence, the wolves on the field could hear the powerful thuds of the men that raced their way to the grounds, their breaths faltering as they realise that they are now a few minutes away.

A tan wolf shot through the thick forest, three wolves following him as they tried their best to keep up with the tiny wolf that had them running for the past half an hour. The tan wolf, a recent prisoner, was almost across the grounds when one of the female recruits took in a sharp breath as her eyes land on the dark figure that was almost hidden under the canopy of the trees.

The eyes of the huge figure, the only part of it that can be seen by her were a bright yellow, burning as they remain focused on the smaller creature as it picked up speed.

A gasp escapes her lips as she sees the figure move, with gracefulness that shouldn't be on something of his size, the wolf in hidden in the woods launched out, his leap long as it lands on the open ground.

Seeing the black, mighty wolf leap out of the only route the tan wolf had, he tried to make a quick re- route to the whitewashed infirmary.

The black wolf pushed forward immediately, its muscled body moving with strength and valour as it covered the distance the quick wolf had acquired between them as the three previous chasers followed.

In what seems to be seconds, the black wolf lunges again, this time catching the hind leg of the tan wolf before landing swiftly on his side and turning around on the ground with the tan wolf following its arc with his leg still in between its jaw.

The black wolf took a whole circle, straightening up and standing back on his four legs while the tiny wolf laid on his side, huffing as his breath was knocked out of him. The king growled as the three wolves finally come to a stop behind him, forcing them to bring their heads down in a bow.

Zeus is hardly seen in his wolf form in front of his people, and yet due to the incompetent behaviour of his prison guards, he had to leave a meeting of royal Betas and Gammas when he was informed of the serial rapist and killer breaking through the bars.

He had already made an official judgement of having him killed, and yet for some reason this vile man still laid alive in front of him.

He let out a loud growl again, its intensity and power making the spectators bow down too.

The chief warriors and the older ones knew what was coming and yet couldn't warn the ones that saw this for the first time as their Kings eyes glow golden. They suppress their wince as the strong jaw of the huge mid night black wolf clammed on the neck of the wolf in front of him.

Zeus pressed his jaw harder, his soul or whatever of it that was left rejoicing as the sound of his neck crushing in a satisfactory crunch, however he let go only once the head falls separate from the body and the blood gushing from it started soaking the grass underneath him.

Letting the body fall from his mouth, the suppressed part of him, the animalistic part that he often denied pushed forward as his head came down to tear apart the dead wolf limb by limb, forgetting about his audience.

The spectators knew nothing about who the one lying at the feet of the king was, nor did they know about the justification of what they saw.

All they knew about how the King Of Werewolves had once again showed the world that he is not just a wolf, a creature that works protect his own, that lives in a pack and supports it, but he is a half daemon too. The creature of hell and raging evil.

Zeus stands under the shower, the warm water falling on his strung muscles making his sigh heavily in relief. The King traced the intricate pattern on his right pectoral, his mind flashing to the painful days of his life which led him to finally take the decision. He is brought out of his thoughts as a knock on his bathroom door resonates through the room.

Tapping into his senses, Zeus feels annoyance build up inside of him as once again the one to disturb him is his close friend. More often than not, he had wondered why exactly has he been putting up with his tactics for so long.

"You coming out King, or should I come in?"

He turns the shower off, getting out of the glass cubicle, he takes the towel off the rack and wraps it around himself. Opening up the bathroom door, he finds his friend right outside, leaning next to the now open door.

"This is the reason maids and the courtiers wonder about our relationship Kayden."

The King walks on, walking into his closet as he takes out another pant and button up shirt and starts dressing. As far as he knew of his friend, Kayden is likely to try and enter the closet if he tries to close it just to spite him. This way, Zeus is more likely to get privacy. Something that his friend fails to understand at times.

"Well I won't worry about something like that right now, we have more pressing matters to deal with. Firstly, let's start off with the show you put up in front of warriors today."

Raising an eyebrow in curiosity, Zeus leaves the closet with his pants on and his shirt not buttoned. He couldn't, for the life of him, understand what has he done now for Kayden to start again.

The tall man sitting on the edge of his bed throws his hand up in exasperation before he stood up, "Did you or did you not kill a someone in front of all the warriors today?"

"A serial rapist and killer that just broke out of the prison, yes. Yes I did."

The king starts buttoning up his shirt, his muscles bulging up as his hands move with the buttons. Kayden at times wondered how can he not notice the intimidating aura that he had, or be affected that most of the werewolf population as well as the other species who viewed him as a psychotic murderer.

"Zeus, The people there didn't know that the man you killed was an offender. They think that you killed... Sorry, tore apart a seemingly normal wolf for the heck of it. Why are you so hell bent on making them think of you as such an unapproachable King?"

Kayden could sense his friend closing up, tensing as his jaw clenched in anger. He knew why Zeus does it, but he refuses to find logic in it. He had been next to Zeus for as long as he can remember, and he knew of the capabilities he had, of how he could be the best King in the history of the werewolf kingdom.

But he keeps that image locked in, not letting a single soul know about the things that he does.

Kayden sighs, nodding before resorting to do his job right now as his friend looks each bit of a king that he is.

"SpringFare pack as requested immediate help for the Royal Palace against some... unrecognizable threat. The threat is physical or not is still not sure, the pack however is unsettled and now cannot be comforted by the Alpha family."

"What is the reason for this... discomfort in the pack?"

Kayden struggles to make him explain what he himself is failing to understand. How can he explain to his friend that the pack is extremely worried about the behaviour of the rogues around them? That the only evidence is a few not properly given descriptions and a couple of photos, that too taken in extreme darkness.

So unable to help himself, he opens his mind link to his king, blocking everyone out as he shows him everything he knows.

Once the two cut off the link, Kayden watches his friend as he too looks deep in thought about what to do next. It a strange matter, and there is hardly something that can be done when you have no idea what you are up against. But as a king, Zeus cannot ignore the distress of his people.

Finally a few minutes later, he asks Kayden to mind link everyone to assemble in his office immediately as he strides forward to do the same.

Zeus had a lot on his mind, yet as he walked on, he thought of each practical way that he can take right now. He can send one of his beta with a few warriors and trackers, but that would mean he would have to receive second hand reports and they may miss out something, not to mention they would look at him for permission for everything.

He could send Kayden to lead them, but why would the wolves listen to Kayden when he has no official position on them. It was times like this that Zeus regretted not giving Kayden a proper position in the wolf hierarchy, but they had mutually decided to not do so, because that way, Kayden would be bound to that position. Making it difficult for the two of them to go about things as they usually do.

Zeus could go himself, but he would have to leave the Palace, something that he has done not even once in the past decade. He is not sure if he should, considering the view that his people had of him. However, he was in a position of advantage if he were the one to investigate.

But then, who would manage the Palace?

Zeus enters his office, halting when he finds Madam sitting on the settee as she reads a newspaper.

The middle aged woman looks up from the headlines, her lips pulling into the familiar smile that has been there to greet Zeus every single day of his life. With her greying blonde hair tied up in an elegant bun, Madam was dressed in her usual outfit of office pants and blouse, both in pastel shades and her gold specs.

Folding the news paper, the she wolf gets up to greet her King, bowing at him formally only to stop mid bow when Zeus speaks, "How many times have I told you not to bow at me Madam?"

She stands up straighter, the smile ever present there as she speaks, "And no matter how many times you do, it won't change the fact that you are above me, King Zeus."

Zeus sighs, before nodding. He walks up to his desk, leaning against it.

"I apologize Madam, but I think we having our session today won't be possible. We are having a meeting here in a few minutes."

"A meeting? I had no idea you have started taking meetings on this time my son?"

The door slams open before either could speak, Kayden entering as he huffs and puffs dramatically. Beta Samuel, Beta Paige, along with the four Gammas stride in right behind Kayden, Paige's eyebrow raising at her brother's theatrics.

"My, What is wrong Kayden Darling?"

Madam asks in worry, a bit of annoyance sweeping in her tone that she couldn't hide.

Not wanting to hear another word battle where Zeus is bound to lose his control, Paige butts in, "Nothing at all Madam. Kayden here just decided to race till here with Ryan, despite Ryan being a few feet away from the office. As you can see, Kayden is the only one who had to actually run to win."

The lame lie was apparent to all, but no one calls out the Beta as Madam nods her head, before bowing at the King and leaving the office.

Not wasting any more time, Zeus chooses to ignore the play that his two friends played and heads first into the pressing matter.

"I am assuming Kayden has given you the detail regarding why this meeting needs to be held?"

The break of dawn announced their arrival at the SpringFare Pack border.

The royal team were led in from there to the pack guesthouse by the patrol guards and their Gamma, all struggling to walk straight with the aura of authority and power sweeping through the huge and magnificent black wolf that trailed leisurely ahead of everyone.

Though it was the duty of the Gamma to lead the visiting members, the long steps of the black wolf left the gamma's wolf almost running to stay by him for a while before giving up and walking with the rest of the crew.

When the Gamma saw his King standing along with the crew that was visiting, the wolf almost ran back to his alpha to confirm it. After all, the king coming was not something anyone of them expected when they asked for help from the Palace. And just like the rumours he had hear, the wolf of his king was mighty and intimidating.

Not to mention graceful as it walked over the fallen branches and overgrown roots without a hitch in his trot.

Kayden almost snorted, his dark brown wolf walking next to the wolf of his sister, his attention focused on the Gamma of the Pack as he looked over to the king before falling a step back each time. He could almost hear the thoughts the poor guy must be having when he realised the king is here.

Paige nudges him to keep quite when they reach the clearing where the guesthouse stood.

All the wolves walk up to the porch before the females, Paige and the two warriors from the royal crew moved to the shed to change their forms while the males changed into humans, grabbing shorts and pants from the wardrobe there.

Every species in the world has been living in harmony, but each had made some changes in their living styles to make it easy for them. Like the fae people have made it their style of living in wooden log houses with climbers of one sort or the other growing from different parts of their walls.

The werewolves have wardrobes at places a human couldn't even think about installing.

The crew soon gathered around in the living room before moving to their assigned rooms, the warriors of the royal crew and trackers getting the third floor, half of it anyway for the other half remained unoccupied for the other team that would reach the pack in half an hour or something.

The king, his shadow or protector namely Kayden, the Beta Paige and Gammas Caleb and Evan got the second floor. Everyone departed in order to freshen up before they had to gather at the pack hall to address the pack members.

It took Zeus merely minutes to freshen up, his inner self restless as he thought of addressing the members of this pack. He wasn't sure what made him choose to come here, because he could hardly find logic in doing so, yet deep inside of him, he knew he had to step into his role more properly.

And because he knew what fear was.

He knew fear so well, that he could still remember the taste it left in his mouth as well as smell its tinge every time he thought of that time. Fear was truly a gut wrenching feeling, but if its fear of something particular, something recognizable and known, it is hand able.

But the fear of something unperceivable, or unknown is truly what makes everyone give up the fight. Nothing scares men more that the prospect of the unknown.

'You can stay strong when you know your fight, but you lose the moment you lose the enemy.'

He was walking down the stairs when his ear picked up the sound of other people in the foyer. Distaste for the pack members and the lack of their knowledge about privacy made him clench his jaw, as he strides towards the voices. The moment he turns the corner to reach the foyer that opens into the waiting room, his eyes focus on the arrows that are suddenly suspended into the air, all aimed at his head.

Before it can even register in his head, his instinct had taken over as his eyes glow like molten gold, his fangs elongate and his chest reverts in a growl of warning, right as the arrows stop in the middle of their path as his eyes pick the slight wisps of black mist around them.

He follows the path of the mists that lead his eyes to the five and a half feet tall, petite female that stood alert with one of her arms stretched in his direction with her fists close as if holding an unseen string that has the arrows stopped. Her long ebony hair were tied in an elaborate style while her grey eyes look over him in intrigue before it seems to register in her head who she was.

An inaudible groan leaves her, that is picked up by his ears despite the others in the room not being able to hear.

Zeus forced his powers back, closing his eyes as they go back to his light brown ones before opening them again and addressing the group that stood around her. There stood six wolves around her, a lean and short female wolf while a tall, lean male wolf that he assume are the trackers. The other four look stockier, a short red haired female whose species Zeus couldn't seem to guess, and two tall, lean men - one pale- a vampire and a daemon.

He almost let out another growl at the species he despised, but he was cut off by the woman who had attacked him, her voice low enough that most of the supernatural in the room couldn't hear it, save for the vampire next to her and Zeus himself.

Though Zeus was sure that the woman had no idea about his more heightened sense, or she wouldn't have risked it.

"Who forgot to mention that the royal giant was coming? Because if Zack knew before hand and didn't tell me, we are going to have some serious issues to talk about when I reach home."

A tinge of amusement flashed through Zeus, a tinge that was not enough to change his expression, but enough for him to know she would be great friends with Kayden. Thus leaving the incident of a few minutes ago alone, he walks forward to introduce himself formally, and find out who these people are.

"King Zeus Lando Roditti," Zeus gives a formal nod to the wolf of highest rank he could sense, ignoring the others when the woman speaks again, addressing him directly and confidently this time.

"Celestine Elaire Mavross Anderson, the team head of the Anderson pack. This is my team," the woman looks at the vampire next to her, "Seth, Alan and Willow," she points at the short female and the daemon before going to the wolves, "Jason, Earl, Mac, Dylan, our warriors and the trackers, Ed and Zoe."

Zeus gives everyone a once over before finding himself looking at Celestine again, "May I say what a diverse team you have, Miss Anderson. Any reason behind it?"

The woman gives her team a nod, making everyone give him a bow before taking leave and going towards the stairs he had just come down from. Zeus raises an eyebrow at the silent yet comfortable communication between them when she looks back at him with a formal smile, "Why yes King Roditti. After all what would be a better way of working about something than having a diverse set of minds working together?"

Impressed he nods, "Sure Miss. Anderson. Though I would like to know the reason why you happen to be here with your team?"

"May be the same reason that you are here for," She gives him a shrug before adding, "Now do excuse me, I have to change before meeting the pack, thank you."

Not waiting for any type of reply, she turns around before walking the same way as her team.

Zeus couldn't help himself as intrigue about who this girl was fills his mind. Something about her was familiar, but there was something about her that made the hair at the back of his head rise. There was something dark and sinister about her.

Zeus soon found himself in the kitchen, leaning at the island as Paige and Kayden joined him. Once they had a cup of fresh brewed coffee in their hands did Zeus decide to speak, "Paige, get Samuel to tell me about what is happening in the Anderson pack by tonight."

"On it," she nods before her eyes mist over.

"Why? What happened? Same?" Kayden asks, but Zeus waits for Paige to finish before he speaks, "No. They have sent a team here too. A team that has a vampire, a daemon and two unknown species in it. One of them is surnamed Anderson."

The two know full well what their king meant.

No species is ever that accepting to the other species normally, so why does one pack has four entirely different species in it? And how are the other species working on such high scale positions? What is Anderson pack hiding?