Chapter 44: Chapter 44

Mink’s P.O.V

As I sat by the fire place in the living room, surrounded by the members of my pack, I couldn't help but feel a surge of happiness s coursing through me. Our pack was growing, and each new member brought their own strengths and skills, enriching our group dynamic.

However, amidst the joy, a seed of concern took root in my mind as my eyes scanned the room. Most of the women here were either talking about the next meal, the latest gossip or about their mates. But my concern remained as I watched them interact, and it seemed like Ruksaar took notice of my skepticism.

“Something on your mind, Mink?”

Turning to Ruksaar, I spoke earnestly, "Ruksaar, have you noticed how our pack is predominantly composed of women now?"

Ruksaar nodded thoughtfully, scanning the room along with me as if noticing it for the first time. "Yes, Mikalya, I have. It's a testament to the strength and resilience of our sisters. But I don’t understand your concern in the matter."

I sighed, running a hand through my hair. "It's not that I doubt the capabilities of our sisters, Ruksaar. They're fierce wolves and skilled hunters in their own right but the reality is, in the eyes of other packs, a surplus of women could be seen as a vulnerability, an invitation for them to try and assert dominance over us."

Ruksaar placed a comforting hand on my shoulder. "I understand your worry, Mikalya but remember, strength comes in many forms. We may be predominantly women, but our unity and determination make us a formidable force."

I nodded, understanding what she meant but my worries didn’t fade. "It’s not just about having strength in unity, Ruksaar. I just can't shake this feeling of foreboding. I need to ensure that each member of our pack is trained to defend themselves and our territory, regardless of gender."

"Mink, I agree to the training, but," Ruksaar began, her voice laced with a mix of resignation and determination, "for someone to come and want to take over our pack, they need to know that we exist. Our location is so scheduled that not many can even find their way here to join. How exactly do you expect enemies to find us, just like that?"

"The members eventually found their way to us, didn’t they? Then what’s to stop some group of invaders or even spies from finding us?" I replied, my voice carrying the weight of uncertainty. "And it’s not just the location of our pack that I’m concerned about, but something else entirely. It's the origin of these newcomers that troubles me most. Most of our new packmates belong to either one of two packs- the SnowGladers from Himachal, led by Alpha Daksh Rathore, and the DawnFrost from Jammu, led by Arsalan Ali."

Ruksaar nodded, her gaze fixed upon the distant as if searching for answers amidst the darkness.

"Mink," she turned to me suddenly, her voice soft yet laden with urgency, as if she just realized something vital. "You said DawnFrost, right? Isn’t DawnFrost the same pack where Kashmira is from? So that means that the Alpha…"

I nodded slowly, my gaze drifting over the joyous gathering which now seemed to hold an ominous shadow looming over them.

"Yes," I replied, my voice tinged with resignation, "DawnFrost is Kashmira's pack and Arsalan Ali is her mate. But from what I’ve heard, both from Kashmira and other members of the pack, he's less than an ideal Alpha."

Ruksaar's eyes widened in understanding, her expression mirroring my own apprehension. "I feared as much," she murmured, her voice barely more than a whisper. “And he is bound to notice that the number of his packmates is dwindling day by day…and he will go looking for why that is so. And if that happens…”

She trailed off, leaving the ominous implication hanging in the air like a heavy fog.

I sighed heavily, running a hand through my hair as I pondered the gravity of our situation. "If we don't act soon," I said finally, my voice tinged with resolve, "there could be war and I must prepare my pack for it."

“That’s why you were suggesting training.” I saw understanding finally draw in her eyes as the full implication of my words hit her.

I nodded. “We must prepare our pack. I don’t need men to fight my battles, Ruksaar. I have fought my fair share and so have you. But our packmates aren’t the kind that would survive a coming war without the proper training. We need to be ready for anything.”

But as the weight of our conversation settled upon my shoulders, a sudden, sharp pain lanced through my abdomen, causing me to double over in agony. Panic surged through me like a tidal wave, my mind reeled as I struggled to make sense of the searing pain that gripped me.

Ruksaar was beside me in an instant, her gentle touch a soothing balm against the turmoil raging within me.

"Mink, calm down," she urged, her voice steady despite the urgency that colored her words.

"You mustn't stress yourself too much, especially not now. Your baby..." She trailed off, the unspoken fear hanging heavy in the air between us.

I took a deep breath, forcing myself to focus despite the storm of emotions swirling within me.

"You're right," I whispered, my voice barely audible above the pounding of my own heartbeat. "I can't afford to let fear consume me, not when the stakes are this high."

Together, Ruksaar and I rose to our feet, and she quickly ushered me away into my office so that our packmates gathered at the living room wouldn’t know what the urgency was and wouldn’t worry about my safety.

Even though my heart was thrashing against my ribcage in fear as to what was happening, I tried to take deep breaths to steady myself, willing myself to calm down all the while wishing and praying to the Moon Goddess that my baby was alright.

As the pain finally subsided, I took a deep breath, feeling relief wash over me like a tidal wave.

“You know…I never really expected to find a mate, let alone be pregnant.” I let out a chuckle, my hand rubbing soothingly over my tummy as if to tell my baby that everything was alright. “I always thought that I would grow old alone, without anyone by my side. But I always dreamt of you having your own big family. You would be living with your mate and have ten little rug rats crawling all over the place…and I’d be the cool aunt who spoils them rotten.”

Ruksaar laughed as she heard my narrative. “As pleasant as that sounds, I don’t think I have it in me to birth ten pups, Mink. That would be a menace!”

“Oh, come on! If Belle could have seven, you can beat her record.” I grinned as she shook her head at me.

“What are we competing for, hmm?” Her smile was joyous, but I could tell that she too wished for such a life. A life where she would have a loving mate by her side and a big family that would fulfill her like it had completed me.

"You know, Ruksaar," I began softly, reaching out to grasp her hand in reassurance, "love has a peculiar way of finding us when we least expect it. Sometimes, it comes knocking on our door when we're least prepared, catching us off guard with its warmth and tenderness."

Her eyes searched mine, a glimmer of hope reflecting in their depths. "Well, if you can find your mate after a century, so will I. And who knows…maybe he’ll be one of the new additions to the pack?"

I nodded, offering her a gentle smile. "Maybe you’re right. And soon enough, we’ll both have loving families and cute pups to make our life living hell."

As we laughed, thinking about our future babies running amuck through the packhouse, a tender silence descended in the room. In that moment, it felt as though time stood still, as though the world outside ceased to exist, leaving just the two of us in our intimate sanctuary.

But our moment of tranquility was shattered abruptly as the door to my office burst open, a frantic-looking soldier rushing in, his breath coming in ragged gasps. "Alpha Mikalya, Beta Ruksaar," he panted, his voice urgent, "we have a situation."

Ruksaar and I exchanged a worried glance before turning our attention to the soldier. "What is it?" I demanded, rising from my seat, a sense of foreboding settling over me like a heavy shroud.

"It's Akram, ma'am," he replied, his voice trembling slightly as he named one of his fellow soldiers in patrol duty, "he's been found dead near the outskirts of the patrol lines, and there was a letter left beside him."

My heart sank at the news, a cold knot forming in the pit of my stomach. "Show us," I ordered, my voice steady despite the turmoil raging within me.

Ruksaar's eyes widened in alarm, her hands clenched into fists at her sides. "We need to find out who did this," she declared, her voice tinged with steel, "and make them pay for what they've done."

I nodded in solemn agreement, a fierce determination burning within me. "We will," I vowed, my gaze fixed upon the soldier, "but first, we need to know the contents of the letter."