Argent POV

James and I sit in Father's office as he paces around and around the room. He traces the same path from the desk to the window and over to the door and then repeats. His feet are beginning to be heavier and harder, and his fists curl and uncurl at his sides with each large step he takes.

He has not said a word since we followed him here, but I know it's just a matter of time before he explodes. This is the worst timing. I want to be here to plan our next move to help Amalie and find the assholes responsible for this, but I also want to be down with Aida as she begins to work with Dr. Emerson.

But my responsibility as the next Alpha means I must stay here. Pack safety comes first, and we need to know what we're up against. I'm so torn.

If Amalie is really a hybrid, whatever that means, then is Aida one too? They both heard someone just now. Or something. And what does hybrid mean exactly? For us? For the girls? Shit. That ass Dr. Jasper would come in handy right about now.

A thought comes to me, and I know what I will suggest.

"Father, may I speak?"

He stops pacing and faces me. He pauses by the window and turns towards the open blinds and stares outside. I stand and move slowly over to be beside him. I can see Dr. Emerson and Aida sitting on one of the benches near the memorial gardens.

The contrast between the shades of the two women's hair colour is like night and day. They sit facing each other and are lost in conversation.

I wish I could privately link to Aida. I hope she is okay.

I stand next to Father, and we both stare out the window together. I can almost feel the tension coming in waves off his shoulders. Above all, he holds the safety and stability of the pack in high regard, and I know that the uncertainty of this new situation weighs heavily on his mind as both a father and an Alpha.

"Father, I don't like it, but I think we have to go and look for Jasper. He may be the only way we're able to help the girls."

He drops his head. I know he realises this too.

James comes to my side and stands with us. The three of us stare out the window but see very different views, I'm sure.

I am looking at my mate, trying to figure out who and what she is, and I want to be beside her. I want to forget all this shit that her father has done and start our mated life together.

James must see his sister and the new version of his future, one that he never thought possible. Father sees something that I know scares him more than anything in the world, something he has no control over. The unknown.

"For the first time in our pack's history, boys, we are facing something we have no idea how to fight." His voice is low and quiet.

James and I make no movement. We know he's right, and it scares us too.

I say, "We have a choice. We can stay here and try to figure out what that bastard has done to Aida and Amalie and wait it out. We can ask Emerson to stay and help. Or, we can go and find whatever hole Jasper has climbed into and drag him back here to answer for his crimes and give the girls a fighting chance."

I look at James. His face is a picture of fear itself. We don't know what will happen to Amalie and Aida. There have never been any hybrids in our line or any other that we know of. In the millions of years werewolves have existed, nothing has been written of such an abomination.

But what if someone else has experienced it? How would we know? It's literally the unknown.

And that is what Father fears most.

What if Amalie becomes more like them and less like us? She would be a liability. A danger to herself and to our pack. And father would face his worst decision ever.

And Aida. How do we even begin to fix what he's done to her? What will she be if she finds her wolf? Or doesn't? Is she like us or is she something different?

We have two choices in my opinion.

We need to find Jasper. That is a given. But we also need to reach out to some other packs and ask about this, see if any of them have ever experienced anything like it.

I break the silence, "Father, I think we need him here. He is the best shot we have at helping them both. But I also think we need to send some people out to other packs, near and far, to see if anything like this has ever happened before."

James nods.

"I hate to say it, but I agree with Argent for like the first time in my entire life," he says with a light laugh, slapping me on the back.

Father turns to face us both.

"Boys, I hope you know that you both make me very proud. Not a day goes by that I don't feel extremely lucky to have you both as the pack's future leaders."

Father seems like a giant in the shadow of the room but only in appearance. James and I both know the grief he has suffered over the loss of my mother. And now he wears the same pained expression when he speaks of Amalie.

We each know the façade he wears in front of the pack, and we each know what lies behind it. James and I had to sit with him, watching him in pain on many a night after my mother passed. Her death on the battlefield with wolves and vampires is legendary. When the pack members speak of her, they place their right hand on their heart as a sign of respect. She was beyond special to us all.

James lost his adoptive mother and his sister that day. He knows loss more than us all, so I know that the two strongest men I have ever known and respect highly do not make this decision lightly.

Father finally says, "James, Argent, I believe you're right." He walks between the two of us and heads back to his desk. He takes out the laptop and connects it to the wide screen above his desk.

"Father, what are you going to do?"

"The only thing I can. I'm calling a high conference."

James and I look at each other. In all our lives and learning, we have only ever heard of this being done twice.

Once was when three Alphas were targeted by rogue wolves and once was when the vampires attacked many packs simultaneously on the day that mother and Evelyn were killed.

He dials the number, and we wait for the tone. This will convene the high council members from up to 2000 packs that follow the laws of the ancients as we do around the world.

The tone dials, and we hear voices answering and see the screen above the desk start to multiply into many different smaller screens.

Familiar faces such as Deacon and George appear and all answer with the same sign of respect, hands over hearts.

"Alpha Lake, you have called the councils. What is your purpose?"

The voice comes from the high regent. He's responsible for keeping the law for those that follow the true rules. There are those that don't, but not that many these days. Keeping our life as hidden and as safe as possible is important, and those that don't and threaten to expose us often don't last that long or are brought back into line fairly fast.

I certainly would not mess with the council. The strongest and most fierce warriors are invited to work for them. In other words, they're not the type of people you want to mess with.

"High regent , forgive the intrusion, but we seek your help urgently."

"Continue."

"We have two pack members here who have been mistreated at the hands of a former pack member. It has been revealed that he's been dealing with Lukah and has conspired against our kind."

We hear sighs and mumbling on the line.

"Silence, please. Continue, Alpha."

"Sir, he has genetically altered the girls. We are not sure to what extent, but we have medical specialists working on it as we speak. We need to find the man responsible, and this may lead to a conflict with the vampire race."

Again, more mumbling, and I hear someone shouting refusal to join. Weak ass punks.

"Please, we need silence. Is that all you need to say before wediscuss, Alpha?"

"No, sir. We want permission to send a convoy out to the packs of the council and beyond. I know this has never been done and may be putting us at risk, but we need to know if this has happened before and if so, how we can help them. We will send a group to search for the common perpetrator."

"You will drag us all down with you Lake. We at Illyria will not stand by you."

Several members start to yell over the video link.

"Please. We will come to a community decision, Alpha Jenn. Illyria you will do as you are told. We will convene and discuss, and then we will take a majority vote. You will have our answer soon, Alpha Lake."

"Thank you, sir."

The link goes silent, and the screens are blank in a few seconds.

Father's phone rings, and it is Deacon. A second later, James answers his phone and George is on the line. They are both willing to help in any way, of course. We can always count on our closest allies.

"So, it is done." Father speaks to me as he hangs up his phone.

"George is in too." James comes over to the desk again and places his phone in front of us.

"I can't believe that just happened," I say, looking at Father.

Father replies, "Boys, if it's agreed on, I would like you each to lead a group. James, you and Jemma will lead a group to search for Jasper. Argent, you'll take Aida, if she's well enough, and travel to meet with the packs of the world."

James and I look at Father in shock. He wants us to go separate ways.

"Father do you really believe we should split up? And go without you?"

He sighs and sits down, looking more defeated than I've ever seen. For the first time in a while, I see a side of him that scares me. He's at breaking point. "I need to be here for Amalie and for the pack. I will not leave them defenceless ever again. I trust you both, implicitly. I know you will do what is necessary with our pack ideals in your hearts. I want you to take your mates with you because I know you would both worry if you leave them behind. It's how your mother and I worked, Argent. Together. And I think that's how it should be."

The laptop rings, and the screen flickers back to life, interrupting the new silence in the room. "Alpha Lake, are you ready to hear our decision?"

"Yes, sir, we are," Father says.

"We do not take this request lightly. We realise what a great threat this may be to all of our packs. We feel this threat is too great to ignore, and thus we have decided to approve your request, within reason."

We three stand still and stare at the screen. This is wolf history being made before our eyes.

He continues, "We will send a message out to all the known packs. We will explain the situation and wait for a response. For this reason, we need to get a full account of what has happened to the girls immediately. Any that send response with information worthy of a visit, we will allowyou to do so. We will send two of our personal guards to you immediately. One will go with you to hunt for your former accused pack member so he can be brought to trial, and one will go out with the group to the council and illusive packs. They will both report to me directly."

"Thank you, Regent."

"Prepare yourself, Alpha Lake. These will not be easy journeys to take. We wish you luck."

"Thank you, sir."

"And Alpha, should either of the affected the girls cause harm or become uncontrollable, we will seek to extradite them here and deal with them in whatever way the councils deem necessary for our community safety."

"Regent, I—"

"This is our condition of permission, Alpha. What say you?"

James and I look at Father. I shake my head. He looks torn.

"Father, this may be the only way to help them," I argue.

He gives me a stern look. "At what cost, son?"

I pause. Finally, I say, "I don't know."

"What say you, Alpha?" the regent presses.

"We agree to terms, sir. Thank you."

"Very good. Good luck Alpha." My father's face is stone cold at the best of times but even he cannot hide the worry that crosses his face, his brows set into a firm frown as the line clicks closed and the dial tone sounds.

And then they are gone and the room remains silent. It all starts to hit home for us. We all sit down at the desk, each in our own world as we just ponder what comes next.

"What now?" I ask my father and James, knowing its what we all want to ask.

My father's face is a picture of concern as he takes in all that we just heard. He lets out a deep breath and stares us down,

"For the first time in a long time, boys, I don't know."