The cubs swallowed when discovered and a light layer of sweat covered their bodies, but they were reassured by smelling, behind their back, the scent of their older brother.
-Nico- Alan turned and showed an uncomfortable grin- We were just taking a walk. We already go back to our rooms to change for dinner-
The brown-haired wolf, like them, who wore it in a long braid along his broad back looked down the hallway that led at the end of his father's office.
-Did you hear what he said?- He asked with a frown.
Noa raised her hands in surrender and doubt.
-I don't know what you're talking about- if there was something that Nicolas never did, it was get upset, but poor that he was around when it happened.
The older wolf paid attention to them again, his tone of voice dry and serious.
-You two. Come with me-
There was no reply to his words.
The two puppies followed their brother, who after usting them into his room and checking to see if there was someone around, closed the door behind him.
-Apparently they already know-
Alan and Noa sat tense on the bed.
-Don't make those faces, I'm not going to scold or betray you-
Two sighs of relief were felt in the room.
-What do the words of father mean, Nico? Is everything we hear true?-
His brother sat in a chair across from them and leaned his elbows on his knees.
-If I told you that it was the truth behind the actions of the current alpha, what would you do? –
Noa's expression was quite a poem. Like their brother, they couldn't believe this was happening.
-You're not serious- Alan ruffled his hair getting out of bed and turning around -That means that father is a usurper and that the previous queen is somewhere in this mansion-
-And there is more- his two brothers looked at him -I recently discovered the location of the cell where he is held captive-
-And why haven't you taken it out?- Noa also got up with her fists clenched, he felt inside her a strange feeling for that person despite not knowing her.
-Why, it's not possible. It is inside the old torture cells of the catacombs, below the mansion. The only way to get it out is with the key that father always carries on his chest-
Alan stopped in front of him.
-Since when did you know this? –
Nicolas leaned back in his chair when the door to the room opened, letting in what was now known as the Commander of the guard.
-For a month- he answered them.
-Close the door, Liam. It would be no good if someone overheard the conversation-
The newcomer did as said and walked towards them, standing next to Nicolas.
The youngest did not understand the situation well.
-Don't worry, he's on our side- his brother didn't seem uncomfortable- Actually he was the one who discovered it in one of his routines, when he saw father and the doctor come out of the catacombs when they have been abandoned for years. Of those of us who are here, it is the oldest and was under the orders of the previous queen, more specifically, it was her beta, so he could recognize its scent when it infiltrated-
-And what do you intend to do?- Noa was getting desperate.
-Liam, tell them, sooner or later they had to know-
The commander nodded.
-Since I learned that she is alive I have organized the army to rebel against the corrupt alpha that governs us-
-And how do you intend to do that when more than half the members of the pack are terrified of our father? –
-That's why we intend to ask the other packs for help-
-Although that's the complicated part- Nicolas touched his temple as if his head hurt -Getting the support of another pack is difficult when there is no evidence and the alpha has taken measures to not leave traces-
-What if we stole the key from Father?- Alan said as if it were the most logical thing in the world.
-As if it were something easy to do, not for something is the alpha of the pack, even when it is imposed-
-What we do know is that time is crucial in this situation. If the queen continues to have cubs she will die shortly, after all, she is procreating outside of heat cycles.
-Having cubs!- Noa exclaimed -Does the queen still have children? And where are they?-
-I have them in front of me- Liam nodded at them.
-You're kidding- he looked at Nicolas, who was barely affected by what was revealed.
-When you guys started to appear out of nowhere I was surprised that your smell was similar to the first-born. And that the queen's disappearance was so sudden, she is not the type to neglect her responsibilities. I asked the alpha and he answered me what he has been saying for years, but no one can deceive the sense of a wolf-
Alan and Noa flopped onto the bed in shock. That they tell you that your mother is alive and that this captive was a difficult bomb to assimilate.
-How is she?- The older of the two asked in a shaky voice.
-I cannot answer that, Your Highness- he inclined his head to sit up with an expression of disgust and rage, remembering the current living conditions of his queen. That is something they have to see for themselves-
***
The heavy breeze with a strong smell of humidity, rotten meat and dust clouded the senses of the three silhouettes that entered through a small gap between the stones that gave access to one side of the catacombs.
-What the hell is this place?- Noa felt that what little he had eaten threatened to go back outside.
-It is what remains of the torture sanctuary of the first members of the pack. This place must be around 3000 years old-
-And this is where our supposed mother is? –
Liam nodded at the two cubs who flinched as they walked crouching behind him, avoiding the sharp stones on the ceiling.
They circled for about half an hour while the commander warned them not to separate because the hope of finding him would be null.
-This is it- Liam declared as he stopped in front of a huge rusty iron door that must have weighed a ton.
That's when they felt it. It was slight, almost imperceptible but every part of his body shook. Nicolas was not lying. They knocked on the cobwebbed door at the same time. They smelled flooding more of the fragrance that made them so familiar and that they remembered as the first thing in their life. Behind that door, in those impoverished conditions, was the woman who had brought them into the world.
*** Alan and Noa were running as fast as their legs would allow. Alan dragged his brother through the forest, dodging the trees with difficulty on the swampy ground after the rain. They had made the worst mistake of their entire life. They had thought that all the brothers were together in this cause, in saving their mother from the clutches of the alpha, but how deluded they had been. The betrayal hurt and more when it was the first time. They had not yet come out of the shock of seeing the condition the former queen was in when returning to her room they had seen her older brother and the first-born of the five. Rodrigo. Like his father he ignored them and if he could humiliate them he did it, so he had been taught. He was so faithful to his father that it was disgusting to see him, but he was still her brother and that woman's son. That night things had gotten out of control, telling the wolf that they knew where their mother was looking for their support
The door opened, letting in a faint flash of light that vanished with the same speed. She raised her head with such effort that opening her eyes was quite a feat. The image before her sickened her so much that she felt nauseous even more intense than she had. Its claws began to break through the skin of the fingers as its fangs grew larger. She let out a roar using all his strength to reach the person to rip their throat out. Her body beginning to transform, but the rusty shackles around her wrists and ankles cut off her circulation and skin. Pain ran through his body like fathoms of fire falling to her knees and gasping without strength. A triumphant smile crossed the alpha's lips as he knelt and brushed the dirty hair from the woman's haggard face. -How many times have we repeated this event, my beautiful queen?- He wiped a drop of blood that stained his cheek and then raised her hand and hit it with a dry noise. The woman's head hit the uneven grou
Leoxi was reading the letter that had come into his hands. As the alpha's twin brother and Pack Commander, he had more responsibilities than he wanted in his life. His brother had less time than he, so he had no right to complain, even now he knew that he was planning well the blow they would deliver to the gray pack. He ran his hand through his hair, ruffling it. He was somewhat overwhelmed with the new events. What the hell were those wolves thinking of doing that to an omega? And a pure one to conclude. Did they not know that they were as strange as albino wolves. With the ability to reproduce in large numbers, their bodies were tough enough to withstand giving birth three times as many times as a normal wolf, which only obtained its heat every 100 years. What wolf did not want multiple cubs with his wife, was his greatest longing. He read the letter again, concentrating on the most important item on his itinerary. He recognized the handwriting of that wolf prince
Years ago Nicolas left Alan and Noa in their respective rooms after spending hours trying to get them to behave like decent puppies. His father had given explicit orders that he did not want anyone inside the mansion that night and, unable to get them out, had confined them to his room before the sun went down. His younger siblings loved to rile him up and have him scold them, drawing his attention at all times. He couldn't deny that they were adorable when they did that and he always ended up smiling and giving them a kiss on the top of the head. He was a tremendous babysitter, in the absence of a mother and almost a father, he was the only person to give them affection. He left the room of the youngest of them and went to his. He was exhausted. Dealing with the problems of his pack, which were overlooked by his older brother, with whom he barely exchanged words, his father and the upbringing of his brothers had brought out more than one gray in his chocolat
Hades rose to his full height, reverting to his human image. He looked at the five wolves before him and nodded for the leader of these to copy his very action. Nicolas hesitated a bit and transformed more slowly, kneeling on the ground with his head bowed. Looking into the eyes of an alpha that was not of the pack was considered a fatal offense and Hades could rip his throat out just thinking about it. -Are the conditions ready? – -Yes alpha, all those who could be evacuated are hidden in a safe place, the former beta of the queen and current commander, awaits orders to start the revolt- -You have thought carefully about all this, maybe you want to be the alpha and you are using me as an excuse to achieve your plans- the growls of the other wolves of the silver pack were heard in the air and the muscles of Nicolas's back tensed , sweating slightly. -I never had the intention of being alpha, I just want my pack to be as normal as anyone, that there is
Hades gave a loud gasp. That fight had become intense. Maybe not enough to meet his expectations, but to enough to take the breath away. The gray pack alpha was not weak despite his looks, he was very well trained and his strength was not to be overrated. That did not mean that he had the advantage. He had attacked the neck several times, managing to snatch the chain from it, dropping it on the legs of Nicolas, who now took care of it with his life, although in the process he had earned several wounds on his chest and front legs. Now both of them returned as at the beginning, facing each other showing their fangs covered with bubbling saliva. Nicolas went back to where the beta was, felt the tension in the environment and the pressure made it difficult to breathe. When two male alphas challenged each other, the weaker wolves could feel their power. The fight resumed. Both beasts rolled on the ground until Hades managed to bury his teeth into Rudoc's neck and
Caesar, the head doctor of the silver pack, checked his patient in the painfully furrowed brow as he uttered silent curses from time to time. -How is she? - Hades was keeping a distance somewhat anxious without news for a long time. -Not alpha now, let me finish my work- he blurted out more abruptly than he wanted, discarding his pent-up anger -Please come out- Hades just nodded and left the room to meet the bitter face of Nicolas and Liam who despite the bandages on his body had insisted on being there. He was not bothered by Caesar's tone. The wolf was almost 300 years above him, he had even helped bring him to this world and he knew that for him to react in that way, the situation was beyond his understanding. He groaned internally feeling the rage creeping through his being. He still remembered the feeling of the bones on the woman's skin as he carried her in his arms, her uneven breathing, he had barely seen her face under the mat of dirt
The three men looked at him excitedly. -Her condition is terrible even to treat. Due to the state of her body, she must have been fed twice a year, her skin is full of lacerations, bruises and wounds, with some very infested, by not eating it was impossible that she could heal herself. Their wrists and ankles are worn almost to the bone and rust has attacked the surrounding tissue causing necrosis. Her senses are so affected that I had to put a special solution on her eyes to try to dilate her pupil so that she can at least gradually regain her sight, but for the moment she will be almost blind - every word removed the color from the wolves' faces. In their lives they had heard so much damage in a single being- What worries me most is the hormonal status of this omega- Hades's blood froze. -What are you talking about?- -As you know, a normal wolf has her heat once every 100 years, an omega three at this same time. Perhaps you have not realized that al