Gamma No More - Book 3
Once more into the Breach

Like an avalanche, the attack on the Riverways and Lowlands packs started a series of events that were appearing to run out of control, gathering momentum and from all appearances the rebellion had formed a life of its own, spreading and infecting the packs uncontrolled and chaotic.

Alpha Nate wasn’t yet back in the Royal pack, although the rumours were that he had found his mate in one of the smaller Neutral Zone packs, leaving Beta Dan as the acting Alpha still.

Between the King and Beta Dan, they were making some serious misjudgements and had been for months, and the irony was, Toni could see it unfolding. Her fight training had been based in single wolf combat, aiming for stealth and quick, efficient killing of lone wolves and not entire packs fighting, but even she could see the mistakes they were making.

Maybe the King had some hidden motivation that she wasn’t yet aware of for not shutting down the pack unrest, but none of them could fathom a valid reason., but his inaction put him squarely back into her sights as a contender for the mystery wolf.

Instead, the Royal pack had shut its borders and pulled wolves from loyal packs to them. Toni couldn’t see the logic. It left packs allied with them unprotected and did nothing to quell the unrest.

Alpha Joseph had made a good recovery from his injury, and he and Alpha Lance had pledged to Toni for any action she took to help maintain peace among the packs.

The famously neutral Deadfalls pack was for the first time in over five hundred years also taking a side, and Toni felt all the responsibility of that decision on her shoulders.

There were now four packs, including her own, that looked to her to try to resolve the issues and she didn’t know how she or they could make a difference.

If she looked at the numbers of warriors they could field, even taking the three packs that had pledged to hers into account, they weren’t able to match even twenty per cent of theoretical wolves that would meet on the field, which made it imperative that they get there before the sides meet.

She had a plan, not one she would tell others in her pack for fear they would try to stop her, but it was currently the only plan she had, but they had to get there before fighting started.

The Deltas from each pack had worked together estimating that there would be around fifteen to eighteen hundred wolves on the field and leaving enough to defend their own packs they could bring around two hundred and fifty wolves from the four packs on their side, a mere thirty-five coming from her pack, but even that, was a large percentage of her pack.

The difference is, they were going out to stop the fight, not try to win it.

Whichever way she tried to assess the facts, it was a massive risk and Toni felt torn between heading there with a combined force which put so many at risk and slipping away and going it alone, putting the risk on her alone.

Today, it’s Karl who enters her office looking concerned.

“Bad news Toni,”

She raises her head, resignation clear in her voice

“When is it ever good news recently?”

Karl smiled sadly

“We intercepted communication. The rebels plan to meet at the Vale pack on Friday. They are readying for an attack.”

Toni looks at the map of the packs. Three days away. It will take that longer than that to get their combined forces together and get there.

“I’ll phone Alpha Robert of Nightshades, Beta Andy from Iron Claw, and see if we can get warnings to the Royal Pack. They may counter the offensive.”

She bites her lip while looking at the map. If they can get there early, maybe their presence will unsettle the two sides, neither knowing where their alignment lies.

If there appears to be an imbalance of forces, maybe, just maybe, the sides will back down before the battle starts, it’s a wild card, but it’s the only card she can think of to play.

The problem is, it will take them too long to get there. The Veiled pack will need three or four days of overland travel to get to the Vale and for her idea to work, she has to be there before the battle starts.

“We need more time,” Toni muttered to herself.

“Maybe not,” Karl countered.

“Deadfalls, Freedom and Lowlands can get to us in two days, if they travel through the night, rotate drivers.

And Lord Leif allows them to use the more direct line through their territory.

Once they get here, we can supply non-combatant drivers and get to the Devil’s Crossing in about ten to twelve hours, doing the same, letting the warriors rest.

When we get there, the drivers will head back to protect the pack in the excess cars and, if we get lucky and the tide is right, we’ll be able to cross in the remaining vehicles.”

“And if it’s not?”

Toni looks up at Karl

“Then we risk lives. There’s a strong current in that area.”

She shakes her head slowly

“That’s a hell of a risk to take with wolves’ lives.”

Karl smiles

“You forget I was part of the Eventide pack.

People think the name is for the glorious evening light we get as it reflects from the water.

But we are a tidal pack. Our name was originally Even Tide and the Elders always make sure that every wolf knows how to swim and read the tides for safety.

The issue is if we risk giving away the location of our pack, if just one wolf spots the SUVs… they will know where we are based, and our location is no longer secret in the werewolf world.”

Toni grins, patting an envelope on her desk.

“This land is currently Vampire controlled as of last week.

Once I sign this treaty, it’s controlled by us for the next fifty years, well one week shy of it, but as far as the main packs are concerned, it’s vampire land.

I’d like to see the wolf pack that is prepared to take on that fight, even if they know where we are.

Start organising our pack. We need enough defences left here.

I will phone the other Alphas, make sure they are all committed to stopping this, and we’ll need a runner to take the signed treaty to Lord Leif.

You need to tell someone how to predict the tides and what to look for. I need you to stay here to protect the pack and pups.”

“No can do Toni. It takes months of training to know when it’s safe.

I’ll be coming with you; I won’t let you go to this fight alone.”

His eyes burned with an intensity she’d rarely seen before, but she knew he was worried not only about this pack, but about the Eventide pack as well. He’d been unable to contact his brother recently.

“If you can persuade Leah not to kill you or me, then fine, I’ll take you along.

Your counsel is always welcome, but try not to get hurt in the fight. If you get badly injured, I will not be the one to face Leah! ”

There had been days of frantic organisation and a steady influx of wolves from the other packs, followed by a hairy passage across the Devil’s crossing, until finally, all two hundred and thirty wolves under the combined command of the four Alphas had made it across.

Each wolf there had made the choice to be there, and the fact each one had volunteered left Toni feeling slightly happier.

Their convoy moved quickly and, apart from a brief wait at the crossing, they had made good time, but by the time they got to their rally point, the noise of the fight was already echoing in the air.

Looking down from their vantage point, the two sides were fully engaged. Any hope Toni had of stopping the fight before it started died in her heart.

She’d prayed to the Goddess that they got there first, so she could challenge the leader from both sides if they wouldn’t listen to the information their packs had to deliver.

Maybe shock a few of the followers into realising that attacking their own kind, or occupying and subduing the humans, would be a dark day for wolves.

It wasn’t some grand, defining moment in werewolf history, but a foolish act of power or greed that led to a war they had no chance of winning. And yet, their followers remained loyal, blinded by their leaders’ actions.

Instead, she saw over a thousand wolves tearing into each other, blood fur and teeth mixing in the worst possible way, generations of peace and cooperation replaced in less time than it took for a single wolf to be born.

The spreading hatred, distrust and strife, the desire to dominate their own kind, and blood turning against blood, with families on either side of the fight, caused bile to rise in her throat.

Alphas Lance and Joseph stand on one side of her, Alpha Dimitri and her Beta Karl on the other.

“We have to try to stop it; however bleak the odds seem,”

Dimitri’s voice breaks into her thoughts. She sighed before answering.

“We know the King leads one side, but who leads the other? We still don’t know the real identity of Tane. So, who do we target?

We can’t cut off the heads until we can identify them.”

Toni asks, before hearing the shocked intake of breath from the Alphas that flank her

“You intend to behead the King?”

Lance’s voice is quiet and clear, showing concern, his sworn allegiance wavering.

“Figure of speech, Lance, I don’t want any wolf to die, but if we can take the leaders out of the fight, at least temporarily, the fight is easier to control and therefore stop.

For Goddess’ sake, I wasn’t suggesting sedition.

We need to present the information, not take over. Trust me, I have no desire to lead. Just ask my pack!”

She hears a collective sigh of relief at her words from the assembled Alphas and it makes her shake her head just a little.

“Joseph and Lance, try to break the line of fighting from the left, pushing both sides back towards the river crossing.

Karl, take our warriors and go with Dimitri, do the same from the right. I’ll take the veiled ones with me through the centre.

We need to drive them to a choke point at the river crossing. If we can do that, we may stop, or at least limit, the number of wolves actively fighting.

But protect yourselves and each other. Where possible, we want to put pressure on them, herding and corralling them, not get drawn into the fight ourselves.

Unless anyone has any other suggestions?”

Toni tries to sound confident, but she just feels sick at the sight in front of her and there’s not a single dissenting voice to her plan.

“Veiled ones with me. We’re need to find the opposing leaders and disable them.

Try not to kill any wolf unless you have to.

Taking them out of the fight is preferable, but saving yourself or your comrades is the most important. We leave no wolf of ours on the field today.”

She knows they don’t have the numbers to stop the fight, and the chances of not losing one of their wolves are low, but she’s trying to bolster her own confidence and hoping the shock of wolves joining the fight and neither side knowing who they are, would be good enough to slow the tide of fighting, trying to drive the two sides apart.

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