Twenty Years before...

"Declan,Thank you for showing up on such a short notice." I greeted my old friend at the door of the small room. His hazel eyes roamed over my face inquisitively before passing through the door, "I only hope that this matter is as important as you made me believe it to be or Mara with have me sleeping in the barracks with the guards for the next month."

"Tell me when you mated did you also chop off your balls?" Trace spoke up from where he was seated next to his twin brother Kale. Kale gave him a sharp glare before elbowing him in the side for his taunt. Trace and Declan had a relationship built off there mutual hatred for each other but they were both damn good leaders and men. I closed the door and turned to the group ignoring the tension, "I understand that this must seem out of character but I have reason to believe that the council has been compromised."

The room became extremely quiet as my friends glanced around at one another with tight expressions. Kale was the first to speak keeping his eyes focused on the ground in front of him, "By sharing this information with us I'm assuming we are to believe that we are the only ones who haven't been compromised?" He peered up at me with hooded eyes. Trace tensed up next to him looking like he wanted to punch something. I nodded my head once, "Yes..."

"Well, shit..." Declan sighed running his finger through his wavy strands of auburn hair, "I'm going to need a drink if we're going to continue this conversation." He moves deeper into the room and toward the liquor cabinet behind the large oak desk. Declan grabbed a bottle of Scotch and popped the cap before taking a big swig.

"I fucking hate politics..." He growled before he took another swig and turned to face us.

"We should have known this would happen eventually with that stupid twat of the monarchs son running around behind daddies back trying to persuade people to join him in his grab for power." Kale growled before pushing up off the small love seat and striding towards Declan. He grabbed the bottle from his hand and took a swig for himself looking downright ready to murder. I could understand there feelings, as I had also been worried when I'd caught Braxton sniffing around the Council.

"So what exactly do you want us to do about it Orion?" Kale questioned folding his hands together in his lap. I lifted my hand and rubbed at the stubble on my face, "I hadn't thought through a plan yet. I only thought to warn the rest of you—we might all be in serious danger if they suspect we aren't loyal to Braxton."

"Shouldn't we warn the monarch?" Kale lifts a brow and turns his gaze towards his brother.

"In a simple world that would be the answer but It's our word against his son and the rest of the council. I don't see that really going in our favor brother..." Trace replies before handing off the scotch to Declan who nods his head in compliance.

"Well we can't sit by and do nothing—I mean I won't sit by and watch as these people are handed over to a man like Braxton. He would lead us all back into the dark ages..." Kale growls rising up from his seat. I hold out a hand hoping to calm the tension in the room, "I didn't say we weren't going to do anything my friend but we have to be smart about this."

Kale stared at me for a moment before lowering himself back down onto the couch. I couldn't help but look around the room and feel somewhat responsible for these men. We'd all grown up together and taken our fathers titles when the time came. We had spent years fighting against the rogues hoping to return to peaceful lands only to find that a snake had slithered its way into our great pack. I had watched over the past couple of months as the desire for power had corrupted the council. Even as head alpha there was nothing I could do to stop what had begun.

What I was certain of was you couldn't trust a snake, they were good at whispering charming words into your ears but would stab you in the back the moment you were no longer useful to them. All of Braxton's followers would come to understand that in the end I was sure of that.

"My friends, my brothers—" My voice was strained as I looked around the room at them, "I do not know if this is a fight that we can win. We are surrounded on all sides by the enemy and I will not sacrifice any of you needlessly."

I clenched my hands into fists at my sides, "What I am about to suggest is going to sound crazy but hear me out..." I cleared my throat, "We should leave while we can still get away. We should seek out and gather support from the banished..." Declan spewed out the alcohol in his mouth at my statement. Trace gave him a hearty pat on the back as he went into a coughing fit.

"You're right that is totally crazy!" Declan barked as he smacked Trace's hand away from him. His eyes focused on me, "You think that the banished would help any of us? More like they would laugh in our faces and say we got what we deserved."

"No, I think Orion is on to something." Kale says thoughtfully. I look to him with a grateful smile and he returned it briefly before focusing on Declan, "Haven't you ever heard the phrase 'The enemy of my enemy is my friend'?"

"So what you both think that they'll help us because we have a common enemy?" Declan asks with a disbelieving grin.

"That is the hope, yes." I say.

Declan's grin fades quickly as he glances back and forth between Kale and I. He lets out a loud groan before stealing the scotch back from Trace. He takes a large gulp before speaking, "Blood hell—you idiots are going to get me killed..." He slams the bottle down on the desk, "I'm in, you crazy sons of bitches."

"Guess you still have your balls after all..." Trace comments under his breath which earns him a sharp elbow to the gut from Declan. Trace lets out a cough as he doubles over and glares up at Declan for a moment, mumbling to himself.

"What about you Trace? You in?" I question. Trace pulls himself back up with an eye roll, "When have I ever run away from a fight—hell that's the only thing I'm really good at."

"That settles it then. We will be leaving at the first opportunity and when we leave we are like the banished do you hear me? We are not better then any of them. They need to trust us and believe in this cause—it is the only thing that can save the rest of this pack. The monarch is going to fall before Braxton and his men we won't be able to stop this. However, many kings rise and many fall. What we need is a king who will lead us all into a new age of peace." I could feel my body shaking with the conviction of my words. These were hard truths to accept because the monarch was a man I highly respected but I knew he would agree with us in our decision. In the end we were leaving as a last ditch effort at a better future for everyone. I knew that we would return and when we did we would wage war against the traitorous snake. Braxton would fall, that was a promise I intended to keep.

"Mara is going to be really pissed about this—" Declan sighs in defeat.

"Oh god, here we go..." Trace whines, "We're going to have to listen to him gripe the whole time about how he isn't getting any because his mate has a problem with getting dirty." Kale and I both let smile at the teasing. Declan glares at all of us, "Oh just you wait until you're all mated—we'll see whose laughing then..."

That thought sobered me up a bit, would I even have a mate? With the way things were going I doubted I would ever get a chance to meet my mate or let alone have a family.

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Song: 'Exo-Politics' -Muse