The Protector

XXIV

An hour or so passes, and I'm wandering up to my room after helping a new family set up sleeping arrangements for their children. They had a two months old baby and we couldn't find a cot to put them in, so I ended up running all around to find one. Honestly, the amount of drama that occurred in trying to get a group of people to bunk together is horrendous. We don't have enough space for everyone to have their own room - so I've been in three debates about sucking up their bullshit and sleeping in a shared room until we can get them a place of their own.

Just as my foot is falling onto a step, an amazing idea pops into my head on how to beat Zayn. The thought grows and finesses as I continue to ascend, and by the time I'm at the top it is in full form. I always seem to come up with something brilliant when doing something tediously normal - probably since it is the only time my mind is completely blank.

Pulling my phone from my pocket, I send a text to Luke. I need him to round up the gang and the other Alpha's into his office so I can run this plan by them and get their opinion. If I can get everyone to agree and we pull this off, it will finally mean killing the twat - hopefully.

Sprinting back down the stairs and outside, I become soaked instantly from the pouring rain. I need to get those books, and I'm begging they won't be water damaged. There's some useful information in them that I need to show Lulu that will help me back up this plan.

With a bag slung over my shoulder, and dripping hair dangling in my eyes, I fall into Luke's office - quite literally. The thick sheets spill from my arms and scatter across the floor. "Fuck sake, Luce, take it easy." I scramble up, glaring at Luke when he shakes his head at me. Jay throws me a towel while I dive at the desk.

"Are the previous Alpha's here too?" I ask, receiving several raised hands. "Ok, thank you." I clutch my side, panting heavily from the swift race I performed in under five minutes. "Sorry about this, I just ran about two kilometres, including several flights of stairs." I move over to the chair behind the desk, making everyone laugh as Luke grumbles about it being his seat.

"Who of you are aware of our current pest problem?" Silence ensues as my brother's facepalm. "So we've gotten caught up with a Demoniume problem." The three men nod. "Which pack could shift?"

"That would be mine. I'm Matthew, nice to meet you." The man with black hair and one white eye steps forward. "You too. How long would it take for you to teach us how to shift like that?" My tone is hard, but still kind and polite. "A week, tops. It's not the easiest feat so three to seven days to deal with pain and getting used to it."

"Thank you. If you can teach us, we will have an advantage. Although I'm fairly certain those attacks were due to Zayn, I don't think they work for him - I believe he tipped them off. Who knows the forest best?" I lean forward with my elbows on the wooden surface, looking between everyone. "That's me. My lot have spent most of their lives in the wild, we basically have animal brains. I'm Harry."

"Thank you, Harry. If you can teach us how to stay more aware of our surroundings, how to track, and the such - then we'll be able to spread out further and create more advanced tactics than we already possessed." I catch sight of Luke's stare, his eyes full of pride for some odd reason. I'm merely taking control of a situation I created and need to tidy up.

"What about his numbers?" A man in the corner steps over. His arms and face are littered in scars. His hair is braided into a long plait down his back. "From what I've heard and seen, his numbers have dramatically decreased since his first attack. It is likely he will scout some more allies, but the word is getting around that he is losing his likelihood of succeeding. We have several members who have left his group to join us, and have in fact informed me that some of his loyalist members have fled." I get to my feet, maintaining dominance with my tone and stance. "If we can have one wolf for each of his, we will surely outnumber them. Meaning, I can take care of Zayn without any distractions or opposition."