Caught Between Them

We piled into the alpha’s office, the tension thicker than a werewolf in yoga pants. Logan, his face grim, studied the map sprawled on his desk.

“So, deer massacre, heading south,” he growled, tracing a path with a gnarled finger. “Anything else?”

“Just the usual unsettling Sage vibe,” I muttered, earning a pointed look from the woman in question.

Sage, ever the picture of feigned innocence, shrugged. “Just saying, there wasn’t much to observe besides dead deer and some pretty messed up paw prints.”

Brock, ever the diplomat, cleared his throat. “They were definitely rogues. But the size of the pack is hard to determine.”

Logan slammed his fist on the table, making me jump. “Doesn’t matter the size. Rogue attacks are on the rise, and it’s not a coincidence. Someone’s stirring the pot.”

“Any idea who?” I asked, the question echoing my own suspicions.

Logan shook his head, a worried crease forming between his brows. “Not yet. But we’ll find out. In the meantime, we need to be prepared. Double patrols, heightened security the whole shebang.”

“What about Sage?” I blurted out before I could stop myself. “She’s practically a stranger.”

All eyes turned to Sage, who met them with an icy stare. “I may be new, but I’m more than capable of pulling my weight. Besides,” she added, a sly smile playing on her lips, “wouldn’t you want all the help you can get?”

The question hung in the air, a challenge veiled in a sugary sweetness. Brock didn’t answer, his jaw clenched tight. I, on the other hand, couldn’t resist a retort.

“Maybe,” I said, my voice laced with a steely edge, “but trust isn’t something you hand out like candy bars, sweetheart.”

Sage’s smile faltered for a split second, then returned, a touch more strained this time. “We’ll see about that, Amelia,” she purred, her voice dripping with something that felt suspiciously like a threat.

Logan slammed his fist on the table again, silencing us both. “Enough! We can squabble later. Right now, we need a plan. Brock, you and Amelia take the east patrol. Sage, you’re with-”

“Wait!” Sage interrupted, her voice sharp. “I’d actually prefer to train with Amelia. We seem to have a lot to… discuss.”

Her words were laced with a double meaning, a challenge aimed at both me and Brock. My fur bristled with irritation, but before I could object, Logan spoke.

“Fine,” he sighed, the weight of the alpha clearly showing on his face. “Just make sure it’s actual training and not some… extracurricular activity.”

A smirk played on Sage’s lips, but she simply nodded. “Wouldn’t dream of it, Alpha.”

With that, the meeting was dismissed. I stormed out, the scent of Sage’s smugness clinging to the air like a bad perfume.

“Great,” I muttered to myself. “Just what I need, a training session with Miss Mystery herself.”

Brock fell into step beside me, his voice low and concerned. “Amelia, are you okay?”

I glanced at him, the frustration bubbling over. “Peachy,” I said sarcastically. “Just thrilled about my lovely new training partner.”

He chuckled, a dry sound. “Look, I know she gets under your skin, but-”

“But what?” I snapped. “She’s a walking red flag, Brock! And the timing of these rogue attacks… it’s all too convenient.”

He stopped, his hand reaching out to grip mine. His touch sent a jolt through me, but I forced myself to focus.

“We’ll figure it out, Amelia,” he said, his voice firm yet gentle. “But for now, let’s just focus on the patrol. We need to be on top of our game, with or without a mystery woman by our side.”

I squeezed his hand back, a silent reassurance in the face of the growing storm. We had each other, for now. And that, in this uncertain time, was all that mattered.

The training grounds felt less like a place to hone skills and more like a battlefield. Sage, clad in her usual sleek outfit, stretched with a feline grace that seemed both mesmerizing and mocking.

“Ready for round two, Amelia?” she purred, her eyes gleaming with a challenge.

I rolled my shoulders, my own voice laced with steely resolve. “As ready as I’ll ever be for someone with secrets darker than a moonless night.”

Sage’s smile faltered for a second, but she recovered quickly. “Touche,” she conceded, her voice devoid of its usual sweetness.

We started with basic sparring exercises, the clang of wooden swords echoing through the clearing. Every move I made felt deliberate, a silent message that I wouldn’t be intimidated. Sage mirrored my intensity, her movements precise and deadly.

As we fought, I couldn’t shake the feeling she was holding back. It was like a predator toying with its prey, testing my limits.

“Come on, Amelia,” she taunted, deflecting a blow with a flick of her wrist. “Is that all you’ve got?”

Fueled by a mix of anger and suspicion, I lunged forward, my movements fueled by raw power. But Sage was a step ahead, her agility allowing her to effortlessly dodge my attack.

“Sloppy,” she chided, a hint of amusement in her voice. “You telegraph your moves like a nervous rabbit.”

My teeth gritted together. “Easy for you to say, with your fancy footwork and hidden agendas.”

She stopped, her eyes narrowing. “Agendas? What are you talking about?”Nôvel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive © material.

I met her gaze head-on. “Don’t play dumb, Sage. The rogue attacks, your arrival… it all feels too convenient.”

Her expression remained unreadable, a mask that hid whatever thoughts swirled beneath the surface. “Convenient for you, you mean? Having a scapegoat for your pack’s problems?”

“This isn’t about me,” I countered, my voice rising in frustration. “This is about the safety of our pack, something you seem curiously unconcerned about.”

Sage’s lips curved into a cold smile. “Safety? You wouldn’t know true danger if it bit you on the behind.”

Before I could retort, a deep voice cut through the tension. “Enough!”

Brock stood at the edge of the clearing, his face etched with a mixture of annoyance and concern. The fight had drained the last of my energy, leaving me feeling exposed and vulnerable.

“Let’s cool down,” Brock continued, his voice low and commanding. “We need to be on the same page, not tearing each other’s throats out.”

He looked at me, his eyes holding a silent apology. Then he turned to Sage, his gaze stern. “And you, Sage, a little less cryptic and a little more cooperative would be appreciated.”

Sage crossed her arms, a defiant glint in her eyes. But for the first time, I saw a flicker of something else, a hint of vulnerability that surprised me.

“Fine,” she muttered, her voice laced with a grudging acceptance. “Let’s just get this patrol over with.”

The tension remained thick in the air, but a fragile truce had been formed. As we headed back towards the pack house, a sense of unease settled in my gut. The mystery of Sage remained unsolved, but one thing was clear the storm brewing on the horizon was closer than we thought.