HADES PIERSON

The saying "you don't miss someone until you lose them " resonated within me. I was disappointed, angry and sad Jade wasn't at the Rovin's hideout. It felt like a thousand silver knives were stabbing my heart repeatedly which was quite shocking because I got over my mate's death pretty quickly.

Getting back to the pack empty handed, seeing the sad looks on Jade's friends and cousin threw a wrench into my heart. I was so mad that I didn't react fast to kill Rovin. He already escaped after I recovered from the shock of his news.

Immediately I got back to the pack, I isolated myself because my wolf was on edge. He was itching for blood.

By day 7, Luke practically came to drag me from my room and to say I didn't take it well would be an understatement.

We wrestled and as I was about snapping his neck, he made a statement that resonated within me "Hades, she's not dead. By a slim chance she's not dead, is this how you're going to present yourself to Jade when we find her? Your pack also needs you Hades. The Red Rogues are attacking again. They pick our brothers and sisters, killing them. You have to wake up Hades".

I realised my pack really needs me. The Red Rogues have taken a lot from me. This thought made me really angry. "Call every warrior and training warrior to meet me in 10 at the meeting room" I said giving my wolf total control.

Luke was startled and he immediately bowed his head in submission "Yes Alpha"

Immediately he stepped out of the room, I went on to have a much needed bath, dressed up and went to the meeting room.

My mood must be reflected on my face because as the heads of the 5 teams of warriors stepped into the room, there wasn't a chatter. I finally looked up at my warrior heads after an uncomfortable amount of silence.

"The Red Rogues have been attacking our family and we're not going to leave this lying anymore" They nodded.

"I want you kill any trespasser that steps into our radar. Any and every trespasser must be killed on the spot"

"But Alpha, some of the trespassers might be innocent " Derek, the warrior head of the West team said.

I looked towards him with a death stare. Before I could snap at him, a hurried knock on the door sounded. Jesse quickly answered the person at the door.

He turned towards me with a very pained look. "Alpha, you have to come see this".

"What is it?" I asked already worried that Jade was found dead.

"You have to see it yourself Alpha" Jesse said already crying.

"WHAT THE HELL JESSE, WHAT IS IT?" I shouted, my patience already spread far too thin. I was so close to shifting that if Jesse tries my patience again, I would gorge him with my claws.

Jesse said shakily " It's Lun-" I didn't wait for him to complete his sentence before I burst out of the room, followed the pack guard to the park grounds close to a construction site my mum was supervising. Pack members were huddled around two figures. One laying really still and the other figure trying her best to revive the still figure.

It took a few seconds to realize my mum was dead. Luke passed me the paper that was stuck to her chest with a broken arrow end. The doctor probably broke it off while trying to treat her.

I became numb after reading the letter and squeezing it in anger. My wolf automatically took over, raced to the border to search for any intruders. Unfortunately, they left for a while and I howled in frustration.

We buried my mum the next day, may her soul rest in perfect peace.

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FIVE YEARS LATER

"Alpha, we found a rogue at the border" Lucas, the new head warrior entered my office." I suppose you know what to do Lucas" I told him, not looking up from my paperwork. Paperwork has always and is always still a chore for me.

Over the years, the pack has learned to move on from the deaths that plagued us.

John left to look for Jade. Jeanine relocated to another country. Lucas trained really hard everyday, staying beside me to fulfill my goal of eradicating the Red Rogues. Luke and Jesse, I don't know what I would've done without them. I think we've all gotten a lot more mature.

As for me, I kill any trespasser on sight. Our pack is now known as the merciless pack. The Red Rogues finally left us after we killed almost all of them.

Every time I kill a rogue, I think that I could've handled the situation this way when I was 18. If I had killed every rogue on sight, Jade, my mum and other pack members would still be alive.

That's why I was wondering why Lucas came to me with this rogue story. He also killed rogues on sight.

" The rogue is a toddler Alpha"

I finally looked at Lucas "What?"

And he nodded.

"Then you have to leave the toddler, it might be a trap."

"Ummmmm Alpha, we already brought the toddler into the pack"

I looked at Lucas with a death stare and Luke came in. "Did you know about this?" I turned towards him.

"I'm really sorry Alpha but we couldn't leave the baby out in the forest" Luke said

It didn't take a second for me to Luke by the scruff.

"Alpha, I..... I .....I know what you think but what if it isn't a trap, are we going to leave a toddler to die out in the forest?"

A lot of emotions were playing in my head, on one hand, I didn't care, on the other hand I realistically can't kill every rogue, all situations are not black and white, there would always be a grey area. I pushed Luke rather aggressively and walked out of the office. I guess I need more growing up to do.

I shifted into my wolf and ran out into the woods. I hope the child doesn't get killed like the one that got killed 5 years ago. I ran and ran and got to my parents graves. We laid my mum beside my dad, that's what she would've wanted.

Few graves after was my mate's grave. Thinking about it, everybody close to me got killed that period.

We also marked an empty grave for Jade right beside her parents.... Just in case.

"Alpha, the elders are here to see you" Luke mind linked me.

I huffed and ran back towards the pack house. The elders are retired warriors and historians who give the Alphas and Luna's solid advice. They really helped me throughout the darkest time of my life. But now they're disturbing me to get a mate, a helpmate, to help run the pack.

When I got to the edge of the woods, I shifted and I wore some clothes stashed in the tree. I need to put more clothes out, this top is practically a crop top.

I got into the pack house and changed my whole outfit.

"Good afternoon Elders" I said as I walked in.

"Good afternoon Alpha" they chorused.

" So is there a problem with the neighboring packs?" I asked.

"5 long years have passed, so we want to install a new tradition or continue a tradition" Elder Brown said. I nodded for him to continue.

"Due to what happened, youths and even elders alike have relocated, as a result, our pack is turning to a degenerate pack. We haven't been opportune to host or go for any ball or events. Our pack is getting ignored amidst other packs. We need a ball, the Luna would've approved of it"

"So what tradition are you talking about?" I asked after sighing. To be honest, I've just been on survival mode, trying to keep my pack safe, I never thought about the social downsides of the attack while trying to protect my pack."The Mate Ball Alpha" Elder Brown said.

"I think it's too soon for a ball Elder Brown" these damn historians.

"It's been 5 years Alpha" Elder Maxwell quipped. Ughhh for a retired warrior to say this, then our social life was dead dead.

" But a Mate Ball though" I said, how is this supposed to help?

" The Mate Ball Alpha, we have to host it" Alpha Brown said.

" You mean The Mate Ball, that means we're hosting all the packs in the West" I said.

"How are we going to get the Alpha King's permission?" I asked him.

" The Alpha King has shown a very big concern for our pack and he agrees with us that we have to put our pack in a positive light. Almost all the packs in the West got decimated until you stepped in Alpha"

Elder Maxwell passed me a letter stating the King's permission with the Royal Seal and a signature.

"Okay, The Mate Ball it is then, but we have to be extremely vigilant" I said.

I nodded towards them and they took their leave.

"Luke and Jesse, we have The Mate Ball to prepare for" I mindlinked.

" This is taking place 2 weeks from now, I need you here tomorrow with your plans and people you assign for each project for this event to go smoothly" I finished

"Yes Alpha" They mindlinked back.

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The Mate Ball day came around, and everything has been going smoothly. I'm kind of glad I listened to the elders. I didn't realize my pack members were really gloomy. Some of them found their mates. I'm especially happy that Jesse found his mate. To be honest, I didn't think people from other packs would show up but they did.

I just wish my mum was around to see this. She would've screamed at the color of the interior walls in the ball room. I chuckled at that and sipped my wine.

I jumped in alert after hearing a rustle in the bushes close to the entrance of the ball room. I was patrolling the entrance, not really because I was envious of pack members getting their mates, you know what, I would discuss my feelings later.

The rustle continued and I was hit with a very familiar sweet scent which tells me it shouldn't be a rogue. This is totally unbelievable. I walked faster towards the landscape close to the ball room. And out jumped she jumped. Jade.

She had obviously changed, her hair was longer, she was wearing a red dress that could make a man confess. And her eyes, her eyes. Immediately we locked eyes, my wolf jumped for joy and shouted "MATE MATE MATE" over and over again.

Jade is my mate?

I looked at her "Jade?"

She looked at me and frowned for a second then her eyes slid back to a blank state, she charged towards me like she was about the hug me and in the last minute, which was very fast, even for my wolf that was overjoyed to see her and get his mate, she brought out a silver knife and stabbed me.