Within a moment of happiness

Marco sat at the head of a vast table looking a bit sterner than usual. He looked a bit conflicted and frustrated to his sister as she frowned at him but to everyone else, except Tiffany, he looked like he might kill them all with little thought or concern.

They were at the rented house discussing the plan and what the current situation was in Silver Moon and all of its territories. Dale cleared his throat.

"We have already expanded our informational and soy networks across the rest of the territory and beyond. Currently the Star Fire Pack is considered the strongest Pack in the three main southern areas with an unknown Pack being a very close second."

They all knew that the unknown pack was their Silver Moon Pack. They nodded with small smiles on their faces.

"My Lord. The Blood Trace Pack is extraordinary but I am not sure if our goal remains the same when you become Alpha of Star Fire Pack. Shall we rethink our strategy."

It was a valid question and everyone knew it. They just all thought they would wait a bit longer to broach the subject. Internally Tar was a bit nervous but he had to ask. He had to complete his duty as Beta, especially now that his Alpha had a second Beta by his side.

Tar was ready to fight for his position but he still needed his Alpha to value him as a Beta in order for him to remain a Beta.

Marco slowly looked to him and just blankly stared for a long moment. It was a stare that sent chills and caused his stomach to knot, but Tar calmly held his gaze.

'I don't know what I want to do yet Tar.'

"I plan on eventually incorporating Star Fire Pack with Dark Howl. First I need to understand the inner workings of the pack."

Marco turned to Dale. As he did Tar processed the information. His Alpha might change the objective altogether. He would have to wait and see. He also now understood that this was something just to be discussed between the two of them and not in strategy meetings like this.

"Dale. How is our surveillance and infiltration of White Haven and Star Fire City?"

"The surveillance was already rather superb but we have added some along the walls and in the fortress." He pointed to places on a large map and he pulled out schematics and indicated positions there as well.

"previously we did not have appropriate access to the fortress for this surveillance but with access we have covered previous gaps.

"As far as infiltration goes we have people every where in Star Fire Pack and within all of its major and quite a few minor organizations."

Marco nodded. He liked how Dale spoke like he had been apart of the Silver Moon Pack from the beginning.

"For now we will monitor Star Fire, we will expand Dark Howl, and we will fortify, secure, and build our core in our mountain fortress. I want to continue building into both Mountain ranges. I want our best people stationed their with their families and I want the core of the Silver Moon Pack to become as unbreakable as the finest diamond."

He looked at each person here. He trusted all of them to varying degrees and he felt that they were all important to his cause in varying degrees. He felt this was a good group, his people over Dark Howl and Silver Moon, now he needed to build an unshakeable team within Star Fire Pack. He needed a group that was loyal only to him. A group that would gladly follow him back to Silver Moon Pack, when all was done, without hesitation.

His plans may need to change a bit but they are, overall, still the same.

Amber woke up in his arms, again. It had been a week and everyday for this week she awoke in the arms of the only person she had ever loved in this way.

Even as she reveled in the feeling she knew. She knew he did not love her as she did him. She did not know why he had decided to enter the tournament, he said to prove himself to her, which sounded like a legitimate reason but she knew it was a lie.

How could she not. There were somethings that they could hide from each other but not much. She felt he could hide more but he didn't know she already learned his tell. She knew when he was hiding something from her.

She exhaled heavily. She didn't want to think about any of that. He looked down at her when he heard that exhale.

He kissed her forehead and then pulled her in tighter.

"What are you thinking about? Is something wrong?"

She closed her eyes. "No everything is fine. I was just thinking about having to do the ceremony."

He shrugged and kissed her again. "We both tried everything we could to get out of it. We have to sanctify the bond. Ours is so unique that I think it is important to do this."

She nodded into his chest. He was right. She was not sure why she dreaded the ceremony, but she did. It was almost as if she felt it would negate something. As if it would invalidate what they had already validated.

She knew it was irrational of her but she couldn't help it and that is what truly unnerved her. She felt ever so slightly out of control of her situation. She took a deep breath and rose to leave. She looked back, knowing she would see a smirk on Stefan's beautiful face. She rolled her eyes at that beautiful smirk.

"I have to get my day started."

He nodded and rolled out of bed. "We both do."

Amber set on her usual fire red throne. A new throne had been constructed for Stefan as per his instructions. It was a dazzling silver and twinkled like the stars. It had two starbursts, one on either side of his head extending up from the throne's backrest.

It was a beautiful and impressive thing and his creativity made Amber rather proud.

They sat side by side listening to the day's grievances. Both of them looked a little bored and a little annoyed yet attentive. As soon as everyone felt that they were no longer paying attention one of them would ask a question that caused the speaker to think and would sometimes destroy their argument.

It was not until a representative from one of Star Fire Pack's most outer territories spoke, that they truly became fully engaged.

"My Lady, My Lord." The man bowed deeply at the waist to both of them. "I am from the small village of Star Shadow and I have come to beg the help of our Alphas. We, of the north are under attack. The Luna Azul Pack continues to raid my village and the villages of Orange Fire and Star Peace. We beg you great Alphas of the Star Fire Pack…"

The man lowered himself down and prostrate before them. "Please save us."

Both Amber and Stefan had moved to the edges of their seat, they watched him prostrate himself and then they looked at each other. Concern was etched on both of their faces.

Concern for different reasons but genuine concern.

"Stand up and explain why you feel this is the Luna Azul Pack." Amber had a deep frown on her face. Her uncle, her mother's brother, was an Alpha over this pack. He had been shunned because he refused to take a female mate. He moved close to his sister and ended up starting a pack alone.

In their world this was an odd thing, having only one Alpha to a pack, but then he found a second Alpha, a second male Alpha and even Amber's father shunned him. Her mother always advocated for him but everyone else felt he was some sort of unnatural thing.

Hearing that she was being attacked by her uncle was unsettling and a bit mind blowing.

The werewolf quickly stood and presented a longbow arrow with shimmering light blue fletching that looked like light blue crystals. Amber's eyes widened but Stefan's narrowed as he sat back in his seat.

Stefan had been a believer until the so called proof was revealed. Now his gaze scrutinized the Star Shadow villager. He saw the man become nervous, sweat suddenly springing out on his forehead, his eyes sifting and never focusing on anything and his body twitching.

"Explain to us why we should believe an unbroken longbow arrow is proof of an attack?"

Amber's eyes narrowed as she became lost in thought. She communicated with the Luna Azul Pac regularly. She and her uncle were talking about the pack coming under Silver Moon and he and his mate becoming a part of their elder council. Now they were attacking.

Something within her paused. He had not gotten back to her in more than three days. Stefan looked to her as he felt the tremor of anxiety run through her.

"Adonis? Has Uncle Trahan replied to our messages yet?" Her eyes stayed on the villager but Stefan's moved to Adonis. When he saw the confused look on Adonis' face his gaze snapped to the villager and Tiffany was behind him in an instant.

Amber had not moved, and she had not been startled by Tiffany's movements, but her three main Psi moved to encircle Tiffany and the villager and Adonis and Pierce moved to stand before them all.

Tiffany began the probe while the others stood guard.