"Sorry, I forgot to knock. Is this a close-door meeting for Skull?"
"No. We're randomly discussing the incident." Gian was the one to answer Hunter who walked straight in my direction.
I blinked awkwardly when he just stood in front of me with a smirk playing on the corner of his lips.
My breath hiked up when my lips were met with Hunter's for a brief moment. Good that he didn't initiate for a deep kiss of everyone in the room will be more than in flabbergast faces.
Hunter smirked widely at me and then turned to Harriet and Gian. "Chief is sending me in the south with my pack. I brought my attacker and ambusher. Apparently, we lack in some areas. We need a couple of fast runners to scout the area. You might want to lend them to me."
"I don't send the girls in uncertain operation. We didn't even know what beasts are roaming around the forest as of this moment." Gian said. Sometimes, I hate it about him. He's overprotective of every member of his pack. As a wolf, I need to hone my hunting skills no matter if I'm just a mere omega.
"They're berserkers. Either from orc tribe or the Vikings." Hunter said.
Maia and I gasped and looked at each other. Berserkers. A beast said to be almost on par with a full-grown werewolf. No surprise there that deltas in wolf form got attacked.
"They are dangerous." Harriet voiced out.
"How did you know when you haven't visited the valley yesterday?" Gian asked.
"I saw your deltas. Sounds like that only shows it's that kind of beast. I can't mistake their scents too from something else." Hunter explained patiently.
"You sure about the kind of beasts you'll be dealing with?" Harriet asked.
"I worked as a sentinel to the king and often scouted the lands beyond the borders to oversee future threats. This time of the year, Vikings often have rituals for their warriors which resulted in a dangerous berserker. The orc, I'm not sure why they would turn into one when there's no imminent threat to their tribe. Unless someone rocked the boat." Hunter then turned to me. "Do you wanna come?"
I looked at Gian. "I need to go if my skill is needed. This is for the good of all inhabitants."
"It's too risky, Layl." Gian pushed.
"I'll protect her...and if her friend wants to come, it applies on her too." Hunter snapped when Gian was still being stubborn.
"We'll be fine. " I assured to ease Gian's worried face.
Gian turned to Hunter this time. "I'll entrust these two in your care then."
Maia and I looked at each other with satisfied smiles on our faces. It will be our first time to be involved in outside operations like hunting for possible beasts on loose.
"Good. We'll leave at sundown. Be on time at the meeting ground." Hunter said to the two of us.
Maia and I nodded promptly at Hunter's instruction.
"I need to confirm the attendance to the chief first," Hunter said to Harriet. " Alert the other packs on stand-by. We don't want to be complacent on this matter."
"On it." Harriet nodded.
"Layl, Maia, when things get tight, return to the group," Gian said. "I might be on standby along with the boys. I don't want either of you to get hurt, am I understood here?"
"Loud and clear." Maia and I chorused.
"Then prepare yourselves."
We both hurried from there before Gian changed his decision to send us to the Black Lily pack.
"I now see the beauty of Harriet's project," I said.
"What project?" Maia asked distractingly.
"The unification goal. See? We can even work with other packs aside from ours. Hey, you alright? You look, off."
"I just realized, that we're really facing the real deal here. I only saw berserkers on books. I heard they're gigantic."
I agreed with her though. It was part of the curriculum to know all the residing tribes and beasts around the land of the wolves ruled by our king. Mostly, we're surrounded by dangerous beasts and have been fortifying barriers on the borders. The school packs are trained to be strong wolves as reserved warriors of the land. Most especially that the peace talks are still ongoing and haven't paved any law which will forbid any tribe from going into war with its neighboring nation.
"Well, our education will finally come in handy," I said to ease her worries.
"Can we really do it?"
"Never doubt about it. We're the fastest runner in the school, remember?" I encouraged. "Besides, we don't wanna shame the skull pack by doing a lame job. We should represent."
"You're right. Let's rock this." Maia said in resoluteness.
"Hardcore?"
"Yeah, let's rock this hardcore." Maia rolled her eyes and shook her head upon seeing my excitement.
**********************************************************************
There are seven people gathering in the outskirt of the woods including the chief when we arrived.
I roamed my eyes to the faces of the he-wolves that Hunter brought with him.
I knew three of them. Ted, Mikhail, and Fiktri. They were his pack's scouts and ruthless attacker. I saw those three hunts and it was done fast and with precision. Almost all of the Black Lilies' skills became more hone and their tactical movements in the hunting ground were refined.
It was all thanks to their new Alpha who breaks their flesh and bones if they fell behind his training. The previous rogue pack with a rabid way of hunting turned into elite hunters in a short period of time.
The remaining two he-wolves looked rather young and unfamiliar. But the air around them was near the same with their Alpha.
"I believe everyone's here?" the chief turned to Hunter who nodded to him in confirmation. "Alright. Everyone should never engage if necessary. Anyone in a tight situation, make a run for it and regroup. To the scouts,"
The chief turned to us. "It's possible to encounter the beasts. So, don't you dare confront them. I'm looking at you, Layla."
The he-wolves all stared at me wordlessly including Hunter. Apparently, they waited for my answer. I nodded in him despite my internal protest. Well, the chief got a reason why he put me on the spot. I might have really given him some headache from time to time.
"Both of you. Alright?" The chief added.
"Yes, chief." We both answered.
"Then, let's go." Hunter stalked ahead of us, taking his shirt off along with his hunters and attackers. It won't be long before they'll turn into their wolf form.