chapter 9

Alister's POV

Alister had been enjoying his peaceful slumber, wrapped in the warmth of his mate Lucia. He cherished the comfort she brought him, especially during the cold nights.

However, the blaring sound of the pack alarm shattered his peaceful slumber, and he was instantly jolted awake. He had hoped that the night would go smoothly, just like the previous few nights when he had held Lucia close in his arms.

Alister had never experienced such a luxurious and comforting feeling before, and he wanted to hold on to it for as long as possible, perhaps even for eternity.

Lucia stirred beside him, groggily rubbing her eyes as she took note of his alarmed state. Concern etched her features as she asked "What's going on?" her voice laced with concern too

Alister quickly got out of bed, grabbing the closest pair of joggers he could find and putting them on. "I'm not sure," he replied, his voice grave. "But I'm about to find out."

The night had started off with such passion and excitement. They had been lost in each other's embrace, eager to undress and make love to each other. In their haste, they had thrown their clothes all around the room, creating a chaotic mess that he was now trying to sort out.

"Looking for this?" Luciana asked, holding up his discarded shirt from earlier.

He sighed with relief as he took the shirt from her. "What would I do without you?" he said, wearing the shirt.

Luciana chuckled softly. "Nothing, you'd be lost without me," she teased as she climbed out of bed and wrapped herself in a comfortable night robe.

As he watched her, he couldn't help but feel grateful for her presence in his life. When he first found out that she was his mate, he had been overjoyed. However, as they spent more time together, he quickly realized that Luciana was a force to be reckoned with. She was strong-willed and stubborn, but he loved her all the same.

As they stood together in the messy room, Alister could sense that something was off. The pack was on high alert, and he couldn't help but worry about their safety. He turned to Luciana and said, "Stay... hopefully it's nothing and just a mistake."

Luciana looked at him with concern. "What if it's not?" she asked, her voice laced with worry.

Alister took her hand and squeezed it reassuringly. "If it's not nothing, we'll handle it," he said firmly. "We don't need you there, ma'am."

Luciana shook her head stubbornly. "I just want to make sure that you're safe," she said, her eyes fixed on his.

Alister couldn't help but smile at her concern. He knew that she was strong and capable, but he also knew that she cared deeply for him and the pack. With Luciana by his side, he felt more confident about facing whatever challenges lay ahead. He knew that they would handle things together, come what may, bit for now, he wanted her indoors.

" I know, but like I said, we can handle it…" he reassured her.

She rolled her eyes, " I can fight…" she said winking at him, " …you know, fight to protect the big Alpha…" she continued trying.

As Alister stood in front of Luciana, he felt a wave of emotions wash over him. Here was his mate, the love of his life, offering to protect him. It was a reversal of roles that he wasn't comfortable with. He was supposed to be the big Alpha Bear, the one who protected and provided for his mate and family.

He opened his mouth to protest, to tell Luciana that it was his duty to protect her and not the other way around, but the words wouldn't come out.

Instead, he muttered under his breath, "... and I will be if I have less to worry about, like you not being exposed to whatever is going on..."

Luciana started to protest, to tell him that she could take care of herself, but he cut her off with a deep, passionate kiss.

As he pulled away, he looked into her eyes and saw the worry there. He knew she was concerned about whatever had triggered the alarm.

"I'm not going to drag you out into the cold just because the alarm went off," he said firmly. "Whatever the reason is, we can handle it ourselves. You stay here, where it's safe, and keep an eye on Keita."

He could still see that stubborn streak on her face, "Luciana, please," he pleaded. "I need you to stay inside, where it's safe. We'll handle this ourselves. I promise you, we'll be fine."

Luciana sighed, her shoulders slumping in defeat. "Fine," she said, her voice barely above a whisper. "But you have to promise me that you'll come back to me. You have to promise me that you'll be safe."

" I promise" he whispered.

Luciana sighed and nodded, "Come back to me," she whispered back to him.

Alister kissed her forehead and slipped out of the room after giving her one final look.

It could be an emergency, and he didn't want to rule that out. As he walked down the stairs, he couldn't shake the feeling of unease that had settled in his stomach. He hoped that whatever was happening, they could handle it.

He stepped outside, feeling the chill of the night air seeping through his clothes. He quickly locked the front door behind him, not wanting to take any chances with the safety of his mate and their young pup, Keita. Alister knew that he was the alpha of the pack, and that it was his duty to protect his family and his people.

As he hurriedly made his way towards the source of the alarm, Alister's mind raced with possibilities of what could be happening. Was it a rogue attack? A natural disaster? Or perhaps an internal pack issue that needed immediate attention?

His thoughts were interrupted by the sound of the alarm going off again, the second time. This time, it was even louder than before, sending shivers down his spine.

The sound of the alarm had sent his heart racing, and he could feel the adrenaline pumping through his veins as he jogged towards the source of the noise.

Alister quickened his pace, his eyes scanning the area for any signs of trouble. He knew that the Blackmoon pack warriors were well-trained, and they wouldn't sound a second alarm if it wasn't necessary. That only fueled his anxiety even more.

He considered shifting into his wolf form, but he didn't want the added stress of having to shift back into human form, since he would need an explanation from whoever sounded the alarm. He needed to be alert and focused, not distracted by unnecessary physical exertion.

Finally, he spotted someone running towards him. It was Elijah, his beta. Alister frowned when he saw the guy was panting and clearly out of breath. He hoped that whatever was happening wasn't too serious.

"Alister, thank goodness you're here," Elijah gasped, trying to catch his breath. "It's... it's bad."

Alister's heart sank even further. He knew that Elijah wouldn't be this worked up if it wasn't something serious. He took a deep breath and braced himself for whatever was coming next.

“ what’s going on?” he asked his beta.

“ Rogues… “ Elijah replied.

Alister's heart sank as Elijah's response confirmed his worst fears. Rogues. The very mention of the word made his skin crawl.

He had always known that the Blackmoon Pack was vulnerable to rogue attacks, especially since Noah and his family had arrived.

Despite the extra precautions and the heightened security around the borders, he had a feeling that it was only a matter of time before they faced an attack.

Shit!

Despite the uncertainty, Alister knew he had to remain calm and level-headed. He was the Alpha, and his pack looked to him for guidance and protection.