"Sarise."
Sarise could heard a light voice calling her through the darkness, gentle hands shaking her lightly, urging her to wake up.
She groaned, shoving them away and curling up more, adjusting her head on the uncomfortable pillow she lay on.
"Five more minutes." She groaned.
"You've been asleep for hours." Jacob's voice said lightly above her. "And I believe my left leg is asleep."
She flicked her eyes open, looking up to see that her head lay on Jacobs lap.
He smiled down at her, brushing her hair from her face.
She quickly sat up, moving towards the other side of the car as she smoothed down her hair.
"Sorry." She said lightly and Jacob shrugged, flexing his left leg lightly.
"It's quite alright." He answered. "What sort of man would I be if I didn't offer my lap to my mate as a headrest."
"Where are we?" Sarise asked, looking out the window and noting it was dark.
"We'll be pulling up to the mansion shortly." Jacob answered and she turned to see him putting files into his briefcase. "I called ahead to tell them you were arriving with me."
"How considerate." Sarise snapped and Jacob sighed, turning to look at her.
"Will you always be like this?" He asked and her eyes went wide. "Cold and blunt?"
"You're accusing me of being cold and blunt?" She snapped, glaring at him. "It's not like you've been the friendliest of people either."
He pinched the bridge of his nose between his thumb and forefinger.
"I apologise." He said lightly, lowering his hand. "I'm sure Xander told you I'm not the easiest person to be around."
"He also told me you were a cold-hearted bastard." She added and Jacob shook his head lightly.
"Yes, that does sound like something Xander would say." He said lightly, looking out the window. "We're here."
Sarise leant forward slightly to look out his window, seeing the line of trees give way to reveal a spectacular mansion of grey stone, bathed in light behind six-foot iron fence.
The car slowed, pulling up towards a wrought iron gate that rumbled open.
Sarise gasped as she looked out the front window, watching as the house grew larger as they approached.
Unlike the royal palace there was no fountain in the driveway, merely a large gravel area that the driver now drove quietly around, pulling up at the base of large granite steps.
Jacob climbed out of the car, walking around the pulling Sarise's door open, holding out his hand to her.
She gently placed her hand in his, allowing him to help her from the car as she looked up at the elegant two-story house.
"Welcome to Intelligence Pack." Jacob said lightly, passing his briefcase to a servant who had appeared at his side before offering Sarise his arm.
Cautiously she wrapped her arm in his, letting him lead her towards the house and up the front stairs.
The guard at the door bowed to Jacob, pushing the door open and the two walked inside.
"Alpha." The man stated, inclining his head as they walked past into the interior of the house.
Sarise gasped, letting go of Jacob's arm as she looked around the foyer, feeling him walk up beside her as she took in the clean simplistic lines of the room.
White walls were bathed in warm yellow light, a large chandelier hanging from the roof, varnished wooden floors that gave the room a warm feeling.
A balcony ran along the back wall, connected to two identical staircases that ran down the walls of the foyer.
A corridor ran off each side of the foyer, running along the front edge of the house, windows along the length that would allow natural light in during the day.
Beneath the balcony were two doors that obviously led into the heart of the mansion.
Sarise went to speak to Jacob when a scream shattered the silence.
"Where is she?" A voice screamed and Sarise grabbed Jacob's forearm, looking around for the source of the voice.
"Who is that?" She demanded and Jacob sighed lightly.
"That..." He answered as a figure appeared on the balcony, running down the steps towards the two. "Would be my sister."
The figure squealed, rushing across the room and throwing herself at Sarise, knocking the wind from her.
"Sarise, meet Carmen." Jacob stated, pulling his sister from her. "Carmen, meet Sarise."
Sarise looked at the girl before her. She couldn't be more than nineteen.
Her eyes the same light green as her brothers, yet her hair was a muddy blonde colour.
Her features were similar, her smile stunning as she beamed up at Sarise.
"She's gorgeous brother." She swooned, jumping for joy as she gripped his forearm.
"Calm down." Jacob said lightly, smiling at her with such affection that Sarise thought her heart would burst.
The girl looked at him, smiling brightly.
"I can't help it." She giggled, looking at Sarise. "Who would have thought you would actually find your mate, let alone that she would be this gorgeous." Sarise blushed.
"Ahhhh, thank you." She said lightly and Carmen bounced on her feet in front of her.
"You know I realise Jacob told me nothing about you." Carmen stated, punching her brother's arm lightly. "How did you meet?"
"I was Queen Amelia's Beta." Sarise answered.
"Where are you from?
"Zone Nine."
"Your last name?"
"Chambers."
"How old are you?"
"I'm..." Sarise began and Jacob growled lightly.
"Carmen I think that's enough for one night." He warned, shaking his head and Sarise turned to look at Carmen.
"I've just turned twenty-three." She answered, looking at Jacob defiantly before turning back to his sister.
"You're so young." Carmen breathed, looking at her brother and giggling as she turned back to Sarise. "Jacob is nearly..."
"Carmen." Jacob growled lightly and Carmen turned to him, poking at tongue at him.
"Nearly thirty." Sarise finished, smiling at the girl as she ignored Jacob, pulling her arm from his and wrapped hers in Carmen's.
"Xander told me."
"Xander is such a rogue." Carmen stated as Sarise pulled her away.
"I am quickly getting that impression." She stated, looking down at the girl. "How about you give me a tour?"
A growl sounded and the two women turned to see Jacob turn on his heel and walk away from them.
Sarise watched him go and Carmen laughed lightly.
"Let him cool down." She stated and Sarise looked at her. "Jacob has quite the temper."
"I honestly wouldn't have picked that." Sarise admitted, glancing at the back of the retreating Alpha.
"He seems to calm and collected."
*꙲꙲ ꙲꙲*꙲꙲ ꙲꙲*꙲꙲
Jacob walked up the secondary set of stairs that would lead him to the second floor, making sure to avoid Sarise and Carmen as they went on a tour of the house.
He could feel her uneasiness through the bond.
He was unsure if it was uneasiness at being near him or at the situation she was now thrust into.
He growled lightly, walking along the main corridor of the second floor to his office, pushing the door open and flicking on the lamp by the door before walking towards his desk and flicking on the lamps behind it.
The Goddess knew he didn't want a mate.
He had always planned to have any pup Carmen bore take his position as Alpha after him.
The idea of a mate didn't appeal to him, not after his mother had left him and Carmen to be with hers.
He had always been indifferent to finding a mate, true or choice yet Sarise had lit something inside him that he wanted to explore, to know more about, something that frustrated him to no end.
He wanted to mark her pretty neck, to explore her body, wanted nothing more than to...he gripped the edge of his desk in frustration, trying to clear his thoughts as a knock sounded on the door.
"Come!" He snarled and the door opened, revealing the smiling face of Donovan.
"You made good time." He stated, looking at his watch as he walked across the room.
"I trust our issue has been dealt with?" Jacob stated and Donovan nodded, throwing a photo on the desk.
Jacob picked it up frowning as he looked at the familiar face of Braaka.
"I never sensed him crossing the border." Jacob stated, throwing the photo on the desk.
"We were probably too far away when he did." Donovan pointed out. "Ember sensed him after he made it a few kilometres in."
"Where did he go?" Jacob asked and Donovan frowned.
"He crossed our border on his way out of the Royal Pack, walked across Intelligence Pack like a jaywalker then cross the border into Zone Four." He answered.
"And from there we lost him." Jacob added and Donovan nodded, lowering himself onto the couch and putting his feet on the coffee table.
"How the hell is he crossing the borders undetected." Jacob growled, tapping his chin.
"Do we have anything here on file that may be useful?" Donovan asked and Jacob looked up at him.
"I'm hoping we do." He answered, lowering himself into his chair. "Noah is going to send Kimber here in the next few days."
Donovan shuddered at the thought of the witch.
"I hate that woman." Donovan said lightly, turning to the door as a knock sounded on it.
"Come." Jacob called and Ember walked in, her violet eyes sparking in amusement.
"Alpha." She smiled, giving Donovan's legs a kick as she walked past him.
"Beta." She added with a smirk and Donovan slapped her ass as she walked past.
"Keep it seemly you two." Jacob said lightly and Ember smiled at him, walking up to the desk and cocking her hip.
"Seems we won't be the only two making lovey eyes at each other anymore." She pointed out and Jacob looked at her blankly. "I just met the new Luna."
"Sarise is here?" Donovan asked, turning to look at him and Jacob nodded. "Wow I'm surprised she came."
"Am I honestly that unlikable?" Jacob asked and Ember laughed, looking over her shoulder at Donovan.
"Do you think he wants us to honestly answer that?" She asked with a grin and Donovan laughed.
"Okay you've had your fun." Jacob stated and Ember turned back to him. "Did you manage to find out anything?" Ember shook her head.
"Nothing." She answered. "He fled as soon as the guard caught up to him."
"Fled?"
"Shifted and ran off towards the border." Ember answered. "When the guards encountered him, he was in human form." She frowned lightly. "The speed with which he shifted was alarming."
"How so?" Jacob asked and Ember leaned against the desk.
"It was near instantaneous." She replied. "Like he didn't have to think about it at all. The only other people I've seen shift that quickly are the Alphas." Jacob frowned.
"Do you think he's from the old Alpha bloodlines?" Donovan asked from the couch and Jacob looked at him.
"Nothing in his records shows that he is." Jacob responded, leaning back in his chair. "I need to go to the library and..."
Without warning the door was pushed open, revealing a chattering Carmen who lead Sarise into the room.
"And this is Jacob's office." She stated.
"Which seems to be occupied." Sarise pointed out and Carmen turned, seeing the three people in the room.
"Whoops." Carmen giggled, looking at Sarise who rolled her eyes.
Jacob ground his teeth lightly at the action.
"Uh-huh." Sarise added, looking into the room.
"We're disturbing." She added, going to turn when Jacob called out.
"No, come in." He called, waving her into the room. "I could use your advice."
Ember looked at Donovan at the comment, throwing him a questioning glance as she tilting her head to the side, pushing herself off the desk.
"I believe you've met Ember." Jacob stated as Sarise walked past her.
"Not long ago." Sarise answered, smiling at her. "You're the pack Gamma correct?" Ember smiled and nodded.
"And Donovan's mate." She added and Ember laughed, looking at Carmen.
"Aww spoil my fun won't you." Ember said with a wink as the girl giggled then walked from the room, knowing better than to stay when Jacob was meeting with his officers.
"I can't imagine it would be fun when she attempted to rip your throat out." Jacob added and Ember turned to him, poking a tongue at him as she sat beside Donovan.
"You wanted my advice?" Sarise asked a she walked up to the desk.
Jacob passed her a photo and Sarise frowned.
"When was this taken?" She asked, looking from Jacob to Donovan.
"This morning." Donovan answered.
"It was the matter that I had to deal with." Jacob added and Sarise looked at the photo.
"Do you have a map of the packs?" She asked and Jacob nodded, pulling out a map and unrolling it on the desk. "Do we have the positions of where he was when he was detected in each of the pack lands?"
"Roughly." Jacob answered, grabbing a pencil and marking the map on the three packs he had been detected in.
From the couch Ember and Donovan stood, walking forward to look at what the two were doing.
"Has Xander said if he's crossed into Power Pack at all?" Sarise asked and Jacob shook his head.
"I've not had any contact with Xander since we left the Royal Pack. You assume that's where he'll go next?" Jacob questioned and Sarise tapped her chin lightly.
"I don't want to assume anything." She added, touching the points on the map. "Yet it seems logical that he'll try to cross into Power Pack, given he's already crossed into the other packs."
"He's testing the border spells." Jacob said lightly, grabbing the pencil again and marking a point inside Power Pack. "If we assume, he makes it this far into Power Pack..."
He drew a line connecting the marks in a circle that cut through each pack and the zones as well as a circle within the Royal Pack.
"Then this is the area we cannot detect him in."
"And we're sure he made it several kilometres into Intelligence Pack before he was noticed?" Sarise asked, turning to look at Ember.
"Easily." Ember answered, tapping the point Jacob had marked on the map. "Jacob and Donovan were at the Royal Pack and didn't notice he'd crossed the borders; we assume it was due to the distance from the pack itself."
She looked up at Sarise.
"It's not unusual for a Gamma to notice an intrusion into the pack much later than the Alpha or Beta would, yet I was surprised he got so far in before I detected him."
"Much the same as War Pack and the Royal Pack." Jacob said lightly, tapping his chin in much the same way Sarise had done. "He wants to see how far he can get into each pack before we notice him."
"You're sure he crossed into the Zones?" Sarise asked, looking at Ember as Jacob continued to study the map before him.
"We tracked his scent for a bit when he crossed into the Zones." Ember answered grinning in a maniacal way. "The dirty sot has a distinct smell about him now, even without being a rogue. He crossed a river however and we lost his scent."
Jacob growled all of a sudden and everyone turned to him.
"He's going to try to conceal himself within the packs." He snarled, looking up at Sarise, his eyes glowing lavender as he did.
She went to speak, glancing at the map when her eyes went wide, realising that Jacob was right.
"Dear Goddess." She said lightly, touching the inner limits where he hadn't been detected. "Within this band where none of the Alphas seem to be able to sense him. There are towns scattered through this seven-kilometre band inside all the packs."
"Giving him plenty of areas to hide." Jacob added, looking at the map. "But why, what is he trying to achieve."
"Imagine if the Rogues could return to the packs, hide in plain sight." Sarise said lightly. "Especially if the Alphas can't sense them unless they're within smelling distance."
"Rogues give off a scent that alerts anyone to their presence." Donovan pointed out and Jacob nodded.
"But there are ways to mask it." Jacob answered. "To everyone except an Alpha or a Luna."
"It doesn't matter inside the Zones." Sarise continued. "He can move freely as they're not linked to any Alpha and most people in the Zones don't give a damn about rogues as long as they don't disrupt everyday life."
"Surely the Regulators..." Donovan began and Sarise snorted.
"The Regulators like to use Rogues to help take care of certain problems they may have." She answered, looking at Donovan. "Rogues are already banished, what do they have to fear other than death."
"And to a werewolf, death would be better than banishment from the packs." Jacob added. "Given we're social beasts."
"I assume Kimber is a witch?" Sarise asked, looking at Jacob and seeing him nod. "Will she be able to tell if the border spell still holds?"
"You think it doesn't?" Jacob asked, eyes narrowing at her comment and Sarise shrugged.
"It's a possibility." She said lightly, touching the three sections of the Zones. "From what I understand the border spell is linked to the Alpha that governs the pack land in question, that's how he and his officers can tell if the border is breached."
"The Alpha can sense anyone crossing the border." Jacob pointed out.
"Anyone?" Sarise asked in surprise and he nodded.
"You learn to filter it but yes, any time someone crosses the border the Alpha is made aware." He replied. "Depending on who is it depends on whether his officers can feel it." He looked at Donovan.
"The Beta and Gamma cannot feel everyone crossing the border, just threats." He turned back to Sarise. "The Luna, as she's linked to the Alpha; feels much as he does." He turned back to the map.
"We're aware Rogues can cross into the Zones as the lands are no longer linked to an Alpha." Jacob continued and Sarise nodded.
"Meaning the border spells of the zones have failed." Sarise pointed out and Jacob looked at her.
"In a sense yes, you would be correct." He replied. "Given there is no Alpha to link them to, the spell is obsolete. It doesn't mean that it has failed though"
"No, it doesn't but we don't know if there were any ramifications from dissolving the three packs." She said lightly as Jacob rubbed his chin with in hand as he thought.
"Magic works by rules and specific guidelines and those have been effectively broken when the packs were destroyed, which may have affected the spell."
"It is a possibility." Jacob agreed, looking up at Sarise. "There is no longer an Alpha in which to link the border spells of the zones to anymore."
"If it is the spell can we not link the spell to the Regulators?" Donovan interrupted and Jacob looked up at him.
"I have no idea how the border spell works; after all the spell was cast three thousand years ago by those who are not our kind." Jacob stated as he looked back at the map. "As Sarise has pointed out, dissolving the packs may have set off a chain reaction that we weren't aware of."
"It would take centuries for the spell to diminish." Donovan added. "Why has no one noticed before."
"No one has probably never bothered to test the borders before." Sarise said lightly, leaning against the table. "It's always been known that the Alphas would know the instant they did, no one has probably ever tried to prove the theory wrong."
"Until now." Jacob growled, looking at Sarise. "All for unrequited love it seems." He stood, running his fingers through his dark hair. "Noah is going to be pissed if he gets anywhere near Amelia you know that." Sarise laughed.
"Hopefully Noah rips his damn throat out." Sarise answered, looking back at the maps to hide the look on her face.
If the border spells were failing could they repair them?
If they couldn't what did that mean for the safety of the packs and would they suddenly be fighting a war on two fronts?