MATED TO THE SECRET ALPHA

The group's collective gaze snapped towards Gideon, a towering figure with a strong, burly build and rough-hewn features that seemed chiseled from granite. His handsome face twisted in shock as he bolted from his seat.

"What?!" Gideon's deep voice thundered through the camp, his eyes blazing with a mix of anger and incredulity. "How? Who killed him?"

The reporter swallowed hard before responding, "Luna Reana."

Gideon's expression transformed from shock to awe, his voice laced with a hint of reverence. "Reana? How did she do that? She's just a weak woman."

The room fell silent, the weight of the news settling heavy on the group. Their minds reeling with the implications. There were four major rogue groups who had formed an uneasy alliance, united by a single goal; to take down the Black Moon Pack before winter. Gideon, Moss, Victor, and Roman were the strongest amongst their respective groups, each wielding significant power and influence.

Though distrust simmered between the rogue groups, they had chosen to put aside their differences and work together. But now, with Roman's death, the fragile balance of power had shifted, and Gideon couldn't help but wonder what this meant for their plans – They'd lost one group and this matter didn't sit well with the lots of them.

"Roman's death is not only a loss, but a significant blow to our plans," Victor spat, his deep, animalistic voice venomous with rage. His long, unkempt red hair seemed to bristle with fury, his eyes blazing with a fierce intensity.

"I want her dead, and I want it to happen now!" Victor's massive fist slammed onto the table, but before he could shatter it, Moss, a hulking barbarian of a man, beat him to it. Moss's massive fist crashed down, splintering the wooden table in half and sending shards flying everywhere. The others in the room jumped back, startled by the sudden outburst.

The camp fell silent, the only sound the heavy breathing of the two men as they struggled to contain their fury. Victor's face was purpling with rage, his eyes bulging from their sockets. Moss's massive chest heaved with each breath, his fists still clenched and ready to strike.

Just as it seemed like the tension couldn't get any thicker, a masked figure walked calmly into the camp. His presence was like a cold breeze on a winter's night, sending shivers down the spines of the assembled warriors.

"If you want Reana dead, don't go to her," the masked man said, his voice low and even, like a snake slithering through the grass. "Let her come to you."

"How?" Victor growled, his eyes narrowing suspiciously at the masked man.

"Pull your men back," the mask man replied, his voice smooth as silk. "They'll give chase. Once she runs here, she falls into the trap."

Gideon's face lit up with a cruel grin. "Good! That's good!" He turned to the others, his eyes gleaming with excitement. "Moss, activate the traps."

Moss nodded, a brutal smile spreading across his face as he lumbered off to set the deadly mechanisms in motion.

Gideon turned to Victor. "Victor, go pull back our men and lure Reana over. Let's give her a warm welcome."

"Why don't you do it yourself?" Victor growled, his tone dripping with disdain. "Do you think you're Alpha now?"

Gideon's grin faltered, his eyes flashing with anger at Victor's insolent tone. "I am the one who will take the Black Moon Pack down," he snarled, his voice low and menacing. "And you will do as I say, Victor. You will pull back our men and lure Reana into our trap."

The air was thick with tension as the two men locked eyes, their animosity reaching a boiling point. The masked man watched the exchange with interest, his expression unreadable behind his mask.

"Do you want to fight now that victory is in your grasp?" he asked, his voice calm and measured, a stark contrast to the simmering hostility between Victor and Gideon. "Or will you set aside your differences and work together to achieve your goal? Don't forget, winter is approaching."

Victor humphed at Gideon, his eyes flashing with disdain, before storming out of the camp, leaving the others to wonder if his pride would be the downfall of their entire plan. The masked man watched Victor's departure with a calculating gaze, his eyes narrowing slightly as he turned back to Gideon.

….

After the battle…

"Seems the rogues are getting bolder," Thane, a grizzled old warrior observed, his voice tinged with a mix of fatigue and concern, as he scanned the thousands of dead bodies littering the ground. The pack's warriors moved somberly among the fallen, searching for their own dead to take back to the pack for a proper burial. As for the rogues, they'd pile them up and set them ablaze.

"How many rogues are out there?" Kira furrowed her brows, her concern etched on her face. "And how did they become so many? We've never had such a large scale of attacks before. When we fought the monsters in our boundaries last month, the rogues weren't even a fraction of this size."

Thane shook his head. "We've been monitoring their movements, but we've never seen anything like this. It's as if they've been gathering in secret, building their numbers for a massive assault."

Another warrior, Tara contributed, "We need to find out who's behind this," she growled. "And we need to stop them before they strike again."

Reana's gaze swept across the battlefield, her eyes taking in the carnage. The stench of death hung heavy in the air, and the ground was slick with the blood of the fallen. She could feel the weight of her pack's eyes upon her, waiting to hear her thoughts.

"Winter is coming, they want a place they could call home," Reana said, her voice measured.

Kira frowned, her displeasure evident. "Why don't they build one?" she asked, her tone incredulous. "They have great numbers. It's not like they lack the manpower or strength to create their own territory."