15

Warning: This story contains violence and abusive themes. Read with caution and at your own discretion.

Though it should have calmed down, the atmosphere in the pack seemed to grow more and more tense. No one would tell Ada anything. She knew that at least Vincent knew what was going on, but he would not tell her. Everytime she would ask he would change the subject and refuse to get back on topic.

Ada was feeling more on edge than the pack because of how tense they all were. She was distancing herself from everyone, antisipating something bad coming. It was a bad habit of hers, but it had proven to keep her alive in the past.

The first big snow storm was on it's way and while all crops were harvested and preservation of food was almost done. There were more people free so there were more in training. This didn't help. They were all on edge and Ada could taste the tension. Vincent tried to help her relax but him dodging her questions only made her feel more jumpy.

It was two days before the solstice when she finally learned what was going on. During a break in training she overheard a couple talking about the gathering rogues. They were amassing an army. Ada felt her blood run cold.

She walked away from training, dismissing the class as she headed for the main house. Her heart was hammering in her chest as she walked, panic raising. She knew Vincent could feel it and she was trying to get to the house and his parents before he got to her. She had to confirm what she heard. If all the rogue groups in the area were all coming together, that meant they were looking to wipe out an entire pack. This was worse than bad news.

She got to the steps and the door opened. Vincent stopped her before she got inside.

"What's wrong?" He asked, trying to meet her eyes but she would not look at him. She tried to get around him but he blocked her path.

"Ada! What happened? Talk to me." He said urgently and Ada sighed, leveling a disapproving look at him.

"The rogues are forming an army." It was not a question. She could see on his face that she was not supposed to find out.

"Where-" He started, bit Ada cut him off.

"It doesn't matter. What matters is that I have to talk to your parents." Vincent shook his head.

"Ada, they know what they are doing. They have this under control." He said to her. Ada shook her head.

"No. They don't." She countered, Vincent gently grabbing her shoulders.

"We have survived attacks before." He started.

"Not like this." She tried.

"We can get through this." He added, all of this happening quickly and all said almost all at once. Ada was growing angry and she growled in furstration.

"They have a plan." He said to her and she shook her head.

"It wont work! What ever their plan is, it wont work."

"Ada-"

"No! You dont understand how they work. You dont know what they want. You have no idea how to fight this."

"And you do?" He was irritated. She could hear and feel it and she narrowed her eyes.

"Yes. I do. I have been in an army like that. Rogues ONLY come together to wipe out a pack. To gather in this area to do that, it means one of the three packs in the area are in danger and the ONLY way we are going to stop them is to combine all three packs and teach them to take out the rogues." She said to him and he sighed.

"Ada, it's not as bad as all that. You're training has already improved the fighting for everyone. We will be fine. My parents are talking to the other leaders and they are going to send a few of their warriors to learn from you. Then they will go back and teach their own people." He reassured her. Ada shook her head.

"That will take too long! Once they have the numbers they will attack. They wont wait." She tried to tell him, but he just walked with her away from the house. She threw his hands off her and rounded a deep glare on him.

She knew that he could feel her anger and hurt. He put a hand on his cheat and went to say something but she stopped him.

"Out of everyone in the pack, you were supposed to be the one to trust me. I have lived through this on both sides. I'm the only one that could get all the packs through this and you brush off my advice as if I'm a pup." Her shoulders drooped and she sighed again before turning around and walking away. She blocked him from her as she walked away, picking up the pace as she made her way across pack grounds.

Eventually she stripped out of her clothing and shifted, sprinting through the orchards as fast as she could. The best part about being a wolf, was that they didn't cry. Not really. She was hurt, and she knew that everyone was in danger. She had to find out just how bad this was going to be. If the rogues were forming an army, she had to know how many she was going to have to kill to protect her new life. She was not a child this time. She was going to make sure the rogues didn't get what they wanted.

***

Getting out of the compound was a lot easier than she thought it would be. She managed to jump the gate and get out into the forest. She ran for a while away from the compound, headed in the direction of where she was supposed to meet up with the rest of the group before Kyle attacked her.

In her way, she rolled in a rotting carcass and in any piles of dung that she could find to cover her scent. Most of the rogues in the area knew her scent, so she had to cover it in order to sneak in.

It was past midnight when she found the sentries that were guarding the gathering. She watched them for a bit before she managed.to sneak past them and on toward the main group. She was almost horrified of what she saw.

There were easily close to twenty camps all mashed together. Almost three hundred rogues were all gathered here. This was a war camp. They were gathering for war. Of course they were. She knew they were.

Sneaking in more, she hid among the tents until she was able to find the leader huts. They were all gathered in the center of camp. She was pushing her luck, but she had to know. They never wrote anything down, but she could listen.

Most of the conversation was stupid small talk as they attempted to be pleasant toward one another. She eventually heard them mention the packs. They were going to try and attack all of the packs. They were going to take them out and take over their lands. Rogues never did things like that. Something was wrong and Ada hated all of it.

She made her way back out of camp and toward home. She slipped past the sentries and ran back through the forest. No one in the pack was going to believe her. She had to make them see, and the only way to do that was to show Vincent. How was she going to do that without getting them caught.

She got back inside and went to the bathroom to shower. She stood under the hot water and sighed, her eyes closed. This was going to shit. She had finally found a place where she could eventually make a home. Now, there was an army building and it was coming for them all.

After she had scrubbed the stink off her, she got out of the shower and dried off. She dressed and lay in her own bed. Sje could not bring herself to sleep in the same room as Vincent. She could feel his worry, but she was too upset to go and comfort him. He treated her like she had no idea what she was talking about. This made her feel worthless, and inadequate. How could the one person who was supposed to be there for her treat her like she was nothing but a child.

She didn't get any sleep. The next morning, when Vincent walked in with food for her she sat up and sighed. He walked over quickly and put the food try down, sitting on the bed. Ada moved away from him and she felt the pain that shot through him.

She felt bad, but she had to resist.

"Ada..." He said to her and she snapped a glare on him. He winced in pain and grabbed his chest.

"I went into the forest." She told him, watching the surprised look on his face.

"I found the war camp. Almost three hundred rogues out there." His face turned pale.

"They are going to wipe out all three packs. Which makes no sense because they want to take over the territory. Rogues dont normally do that, so something bigger is going on. It spells trouble either way and the packs won't survive this. Ours will hold our own, but most of the pack still refuses the training. We wont survive an attack like that." With that she got out of bed and walked to her closet to change.

"Are you sure?" He asked, Ada letting out a sigh.

"Yes. I wouldn't lie to you, Vincent. I went to the camp. I saw the numbers, I heard the plans." She snapped, then turned toward him. She looked tired.

"Show me." He demanded and she narrowed her eyes at him. The look on his face softened and he walked over to her, pulling her into his arms.

"I'm sorry. It's just, I dont see how this could be happening." Ada leaned against him heavily and closed her eyes.

"Someone is pulling the strings and getting the other rogue groups to do this. They will never turn down a good fight or the chance to kill pack wolves. What ever their plan is, it's not good for any of us." She explained to him.

Gently Vincent stroked her black hair and held her firmly. She relaxed in his arms and she eventually fell asleep. She knew that she should not be enjoying being in his arms as much as she was since she was mad at him, but he was comfortable and safe and warm.

She woke hours later to more food and a note from Vincent. He took Zack and Jessie to see the camp she had found. She could feel that he was far away so it was possible that he already found it, but she could feel that he was confident. Either he had found out more, or he had not yet found the camp. Either way there was nothing she could do until he got back.

She ate her food and changed. She had to stay inside because she had no one to keep herself outside of the house. She was okay with that for now. She wanted to go out, but she knew it was just inviting someone in the pack to attack her.

She was not dumb enough to invite them to attack her again. She returned to the bed after she had eaten and she lay back down. With a sigh she closed her eyes to go back to sleep. Fear creeped into her cheat and she knew that Vincent had finally found the camp. Or at least part of it. He would now have to at least consider what it was that she was talking about.