CHAPTER 4: Zeus

Zeus could feel a hard tinge in his chest as he looked over the dead body of the female rogue that looked about two months pregnant.

Her sides were ripped in a way that the cuts, deep and long like done by the claws, were in a way even a brush would lead to her insides spilling on the ground. Though it was heart breaking, she still looked to have had a better death than most of the wolves that littered the grass.

There were body parts lying around, literal pieces of flesh and skin around the ground like leaves fallen from the trees.

He had seen a lot of blood and gore.

He had spilled a lot of it, but it was unlike he had ever seen or done. No wolf, rogue or warrior was ever reported to do something like this. Rogues who did torture their preys did it for a minute or two, a slash here or there. Others simply go for the kill.

He crouches down next to another body. The werewolf was half shifted, his jaw elongated and furry and ear pointed and sharp. Or rather one of it, the other was missing, ripped out recently. The wolf was on his sides which made it easier for Zeus to work on the area surrounding him.

The harsh smell of death, and the metallic one of the blood had started to burn his nose, yet he continued to watch the body.

There was this inky blue liquid lining the wolf's each wound.

Zeus looked around first, to find something to touch it with, but finding nothing he took his hand forward only to find it stopping by an invisible force. A moment is all it took for him to understand what had stopped him before he let out a low growl, trying to stand up to face her.

Unable to even do that, he settled for looking over his shoulder, scowling at the witch.

All he got in response is an eye brow of hers raising before she looked around to see if anyone is watching them before she kneels next to him, his eyes on her the entire moment.

"Touching that thing without any apparatus is dangerous King Zeus."

Zeus snorts before grumbling.

"And that is supposed to stop me? Are you forgetting this substance happens to be one of the biggest mysteries and threat right now? Its unsettling my people."

"Yes," the witch next to him nods, "I do understand that. But as you said, we have no idea what it is... or if it's dangerous or not. And you would hardly be protecting your people if you get in danger, too right?"

Despite the situation, Zeus couldn't help but look at her in reluctant admiration. Not only she was being practical, she had also managed to stop him, which not a lot of people could do, but she talked to him as if he is a normal guy she has been working with.

Zeus had been raised as someone who would rule over the entire wolf population.

He had been either admired and respected, or despised through out his life. Those who respected him looked up to everything he did, bowed to him deeply and talked to him formally. Those who hated him faked their concern, talked behind his back or cursed at him under their breath.

If it were not for Kayden and Paige, he might not have known what genuine was.

This woman though, she talked to him fairly. Normally.

He gave her a brief nod, feeling his locomotive senses coming back to him almost immediately. He stood up, mind linking Kayden.

Kayden, get someone from the forensics to take sample of this substance. Make sure this is not touched without protection though.

Coming back to her, he raises one eyebrow at her in question.

"The witnesses and the Alpha are there. We should go."

The king sighs before the two start walking to the direction of the lake. This lake, half a mile away from this spot was a rather deserted part of this pack. A perfect position to get silence and privacy for the questions that they need the answer for.

The king orders everyone to scout the area but to remain close before catching up to the witch in a few long strides. Once again, he is reminded of how tall he is when the witch raises her head to look up at him once he reaches her, thus making him walk slower to match her pace.

Once a few feet away, Celeste waves her right hand in a circle with a diagonal cutting through it, black wisps seeming to emerge from her hand as it followed it.

Intrigued Zeus asked, "What was that?"

She looks up at him again before looking forward and speaking, "A shield of sorts. Basically, we can talk about anything right now, and no body will hear it even if they come to stand next to us."

The king nods, stating matter of factly, "And it is necessary because I am assuming you have something to say."

"Exactly. Alpha King-"

"-Zeus."

"Right, Zeus. I have a, let's say hypothesis. Now it may sound absolutely bizarre, but I don't think the wolves of the pack did that damage to the rogues."

Zeus sighs grimly, pinching the bridge of his nose.

"I hate to say this but your hypothesis seems to be right Celeste. No pack wolf would ever do this. And I did notice another thing, the pack wolves... they did not have that suspicious substance on them at all."

Celeste runs a hand through her hair, tousling it before looking at him again.

"So what do you say happened here?"

Zeus had a theory. When he was looking over the area, he had noted of a strange pattern. The rogues, who he had counted to be seven, three female and four male, seemed to die closer. While the pack wolves were about a yard away.

What if, the rogues had been the one to tear apart themselves? But that makes no sense, rogues for the most part are wolves who disagreed with pack laws and left the pack willingly. They are wolves that are more in tune with their wolves due to them being free and thus more protective of those who can't fight.

Which is the reason they would often form alliances or take in weaker ones. So the rogues fighting amongst themselves and even killing an expecting she wolf is suspicious... but what seems more bizarre is how the smell of death seems to be stronger than what it should have been for someone who died an hour ago.

He could feel the constant nudge from his wolf becoming stronger and stronger, but he kept it blocked. Walking quietly, he was snapped out of his thoughts when he felt a soft hand resting on his fore arm.

Looking around, he found himself at his destination.

"Celeste, go to the Alpha and get what he knows."

Commanding her like he usually did to his beta he almost walked off when he heard her voice, clear but low to keep it private. "Respect Zeus, its not that hard to give."

Mentally wincing at his folly and her obvious anger, he was about to add a 'please' when she walked off to the Alpha who looked quite distressed. Grunting, Zeus simply moved to the patrol guards that had been on spot with the late ones before they left.

The two greeted him with respectful bows.

Soon enough Zeus had every information that he needed. To make it strong enough, and to confirm it, Zeus had even let open a link of his to witness the event as it happened in their memories. He let them go along with their Alpha, with a Royal Command of not to let any of this leak into the pack.

Until and unless Zeus and the others could tell the sense of it, there is no need to create panic across the species.

They were walking back to the teams when Celeste stops them, with the shield back on.

"Why do I have this feeling that you are not as shocked as you should have been with this news?"

Zeus sighs, running his hand through his beard before looking down at her.

"I saw what I actually expected. The rogues had no plan to attack the pack as the patrol assumed. They, the rogues had lost their... senses I guess. I don't think they had even realized that they had crossed the pack line and entered the Silvette pack. Whatever it was, the rogues seemed to be desperately clawing out from something inside themselves."

Finding Celeste looking at him in confusion, Zeus realized she had not seen the how things had unfolded like he had.

"The patrol wolves were running around the border as usual when they saw the group of rogues, some bleeding and some attacking the other, and assumed it was a berserk group that is here to attack. The two ran back to get the pack ready while three stayed back to fight them off.

If I were to guess, seeing everything. The rogues were in pain or uncomfortable about something, something that triggered them to lose their senses. They were trying to take it out by clawing it out either by themselves or helping each other, but whatever it was had blocked out their logical side that would have stopped it. When the remaining patrol saw them claw the pregnant rogue, they must have jumped in to help."

The king shakes his head sadly before continuing, "The rogues in their weakened state must have taken it as a threat and attacked. The patrol lost, and the rogues scumbled to their self-inflicted injuries.

Celeste looks at him with her head tilted.

"You suspect it has something to do with that substance we found?"

"I can't say for sure, but let's say, I won't exactly be shocked if it turns out to be it."

With that Zeus left it at that. He knew or rather suspected all of this to lead back to what happened in the week twelve years ago, but until and unless the event that led them to that time, he won't raise it.

His heart ached at the thought of all that he lost twelve years ago.

His heart, his love, his faith.

His only hope, his mate.

And god help them, if he is led back to it, if he is led to them... he will make them pay for each and every tear he shed on her loss. For each night he stayed awake hearing her voice in his mind until it faded away from there too.

The two of them reach their initial spot, finding everyone lurking around.

Anderson pack members, including the other creatures stood on one side, while his crew stood across them. Knowing he will have to tell them all on what had actually happened here.

Heaving a sigh, he bellows out to capture everyone's attention.

"We have found a peculiar aspect to what happened here. The rogues had gone berserk, fighting and clawing themselves and the others, they had not been in their right heads to note they had crossed a pack line. The patrol wolves simply got caught in what was happening here. And we suspect it to be something that we may be encountering again, sooner than later."

The tall brute of the king looked each and everyone in their eyes, commanding in every aspect of his words.

"And until and unless things are made clear, no one... I repeat No one is to say a word about it to anyone."

"Yes, King."

The voices of each wolf that stood there sounded, while Celeste's team of species nods their affirmation.

"Any questions?"

Zeus asks in a much humbler voice. He knew he couldn't rule over the wolves with a tight fist. He needs to hear their opinions and questions. Sure it won't change his decision, but it will help them understand him better. After all, his mate had told him, that 'Firmness not always goes hand in hand with roughness.'

Seeing his gamma raise his hand, he nods his permission to speak.

"Sir, won't the packs be better prepared if they knew about this incident? We can even raise awareness about it personally."

Zeus looks around to see how many have the same question to see his beta seeming to be distracted. Letting it slide, and keeping it at the back of his mind to ask her about this later, he answers everyone.

"Because what are we going to warn them against?"

When silence follows his question, he continues, his voice bold and deep, "We have an estimate of the threat. That too it being a substance that we only know the colour of. No nature, no source and no interference. We are not even sure this is what affected the rogues this way. So what will we warning everyone about?"

Zeus continues as he sees everyone with their eyes on him.

"We can't tell them that we know nothing, it will raise their feelings of panic and hysteria. Not only that, remember that unlike older times all species now live together and in harmony. Wolves getting paranoid will create problems not in their daily lives but also their interactions inter species. Panic in one will lead to panic in all."

The witch next to him steps forward in tune, as if hearing and catching the way his volume and aggression was increasing just slightly with each word.

He couldn't control it. All he could think of was how this may be bigger than a threat to only the wolves, or how many may already be affected by it. Not to mention, how are they going to evaluate the causes of the peculiar behaviour of the rogues and what the blue unknown substance is.

Wolves are better species when it come to usage of brute force or tracking. Science and others are still a field they struggle in.

"I hope everyone understands that until we confirm what is happening, we can not leak a word out. It will only result in mass hysteria. Something that could later become a problem for all of us."

"Yes, Ma'am."

Everyone echoed.

Zeus watched in fascination as the witch took the lead, working with wolves as if she was one too. He couldn't help but think over to how a witch became a part of not only Anderson family, but also their pack.

Anderson's are a strong pack, reliable and trustworthy.

But they were not known to be affiliated with so many species. So, how and why is there a team of so many different species working together and since when?