Logan POV
A few hours later, Logan was covered in sweat and laying on his back on the ground. He couldn't move. There was no part of his body that wasn't hurt or bruised. He was more out of shape than he thought. He laid there for a few minutes before Adam came walking up and sat down on the ground beside him.
"Dude, you are worse than I thought. What have you been doing with yourself?" Adam asked laughing.
"Sitting behind that desk and not working out. I didn't even think I had let myself go this bad." he replied.
"Yep, it's that bad. Hell man, you barely made it through the course once."
"Ugh, don't remind me." Logan said.
"You used to could run that course without breaking a sweat."
"Seriously man? Do you really have to keep rubbing salt in the wound?" Logan tried to punch Adam but just ended up swinging his arm in the air. Adam laughed.
"Come on, you can't let these kids show up their alpha." Adam said still laughing. He stood up and held out his hand to Logan. Logan grabbed his hand and let Adam help him up to his feet.
Logan watched as the new recruits ran through the course like it was nothing. He used to could do that himself, although he couldn't remember the last time that he actually had time to train. He needed to start making time though, he had to be ready.
Logan walked over to a table that had bottles of water. He picked on up and opened the lid and drank half the bottle in one drink.
"You don't want to drink so much so fast." a girl behind him said.
Logan turned around. This girl looked familiar. She was tall, slim, and muscular. She had dark blue eyes and her blonde hair was pulled up in a high pony tail.
"Excuse me?" Logan told her.
"The water. You don't want to drink too fast. You will feel water logged and if you try to run like that, you will throw up. Take small drinks." she told him.
"Thanks for the advice." he told her.
"I'm Nicole." she said.
"Logan." he replied.
"I know who you are Alpha, I went to school with your sister Natasha." Nicole told him.
"I thought you looked familiar." he said.
"Well, it was nice seeing you again. See you later." Nicole said and she walked past him and towards the course.
Logan watched as she ran through the course with ease. He walked over to where Adam was standing overseeing the recruits.
"Is that girl, Nicole, a trainee?" Logan asked him.
"Yeah, she's been training with the recruits since she was 18, but she wasn't officially a recruit until this year when she turned 20. She's really good." Adam said.
"Yeah, she is. They all look really good, but we need to focus them more on combat training." Logan said.
"We are starting them on combat tomorrow." Adam said. "You probably should train with them. If you are as rusty with your combat as you are on the course, you are definitely going to need it."
"We should get the more experienced guards to come too. It wouldn't hurt for the younger ones to do combat training with ones that have actually been in combats before. They could learn a thing or two from them."
"That's not a bad idea. Well, at least we know your mind isn't as lazy as your body." Adam laughed.
"Keep it up man, keep it up." Logan said glaring at Adam. "These new recruits will see their alpha but their trainer on his ass."
"I would like to see you try, Alpha. Maybe your mind isn't as sharp as I thought, because you forget that I train with these kids every day. You on the other hand..." Adam trailed off. He didn't get to finish his sentence because Logan had already swung around and knocked Adam's feet out from under him, landing him on his ass.
Adam looked up at Logan, "That was a cheap shot man."
"I never said I would play fair." Logan laughed and helped Adam back to his feet.
"I have to admit, I didn't see it coming." Adam laughed along with Logan.
"I don't like this." Logan stopped laughing and grew serious. He ran his fingers through his hair.
"I look at these kids and wonder which one of them are going to die, which one of them will actually make it through whatever the hell it is that is coming. It's my job to protect them, to keep them safe, to make sure they don't die." Logan said.
Adam looked at Logan and put his hand on his shoulder. "Logan, you can't protect everyone. It doesn't matter how strong or fast you are. You are a damn good alpha, the best one we probably have ever had."
"If I am such a good alpha, then how come we are facing an attack?" Logan asked.
Adam sighed. "You can't judge being a good alpha on just a time of peace, but times of war as well. War sucks and you lose people, good people. How you lead your pack during a time of war, that's what makes you a good alpha. And right now, you are doing everything you can do to prepare and protect. You couldn't have seen this coming, none of us could have. You can't control how other packs think or what they decide to do, or who they attack. You have grown this pack and protected this pack. Did you ever stop to think that the reason we are facing an attack is because you such are a good alpha?"
"No, I didn't." Logan said.
"A pack that is making a power play is going to go for the pack that can give them the most power, you should take it as a complement that it's you and your pack that they decide can give them that power."
"Nothing about this is a compliment. They can have the power as long as none of my people have to die." Logan said angrily.
Adam smiled. "That's what makes you a great alpha."
Logan just stared at him.
"You would trade your power for the lives of your pack. How many other alphas would actually be willing to do that? But you know that it's probably not going to be that easy. We don't know what they want yet, hell we don't even know if they are actually going to attack yet. Right now, we are just assuming the worst." Adam told him.
"Pray to the moon goddess for the best, prepare for the worst. If they don't attack, then great, but if they do, at least we will be ready." Logan said.
"We won't go down without a fight, and I can promise you this, we will take more of them than they will us."
"If they are preparing for an attack, and this is a power play, then their alpha will suffer serious consequences. I'm not naïve enough to think we won't lose anyone, and the families of those that will be lost are going to be devastated, their pack will suffer that as well. What kind of alpha would subject their pack's families to that kind of loss and heartache? I could understand if the pack being attacked was breaking laws, but just for power? That is just wrong and unnecessary."
"Yes, alpha, is it. But you must understand, not every alpha is like you. Not all state's packs are as peaceful as our state's packs. We are truly blessed by the moon goddess to have a peaceful pack state." Adam said.
Logan thought about what Adam had said.
"Adam, you are a genius!" Logan exclaimed.
Adam looked confused. "Well, duh, of course I am a genius. But in this case, what am I a genius about?"
Logan laughed. "You said that not every state's packs are peaceful like ours is. So, what if we find out what packs are at war or fixing to go to war within the surrounding states?"
"Ah," Adam said. "Because if a pack that is at war, or going to war, needs more power then they will be trying to go to other states to seek that power to help them win their war."
"Yep. I'm going to get with Elder Michael and see what we can find out." Logan said.
"Don't forget the combat training tomorrow, you need the practice." Adam said.
"I will be here, don't worry." Logan said and grabbed another bottle of water off the table before he headed to his car.
Logan was back sitting in his office, he was on a conference call with Elder Michael, Alpha David, and Shadow Moon's pack elder, Elder Richard. They had been discussing the threat that has been looming over them. Logan had also told them about Blue Lake's lockdown and how they are letting 16 year-olds in the guard training. After Logan had told them about that, they conferenced in Blue Lake's elder, who apparently didn't know anything about it. He promised that he would have it taken care of.
After that was discuss, they then moved on to the possibility that the threat to them could be coming from a pack that was either at war or about to go into war. Elder Michael had brought up a good point, that a pack that was already at war wouldn't be able to spare enough wolves to take over a pack the size of Silver Stones. So, it was more than likely a pack that was preparing to go to war.
Elder Richard made the suggestion that it could also be a pack that is just looking for a fight, that maybe we have something that they want, or they could just be looking to take over in our state.
"Look, we can sit here and discuss all the possibilities of this all we want, but we will never really know. We just need to find out who the pack is and then go from there." Alpha David said.
"Lane took a few guards out to see if they could find any tracks or any evidence that will lead them to where ever the wolves are holed up. My gut tells me that they are still in the state and just waiting for the perfect time to make their move." Logan said.
"Have there been any more attacks or threats?" Elder Richard asked.
"Not here." Logan said.
"I spoke with the other elders from the other packs and they haven't even had any sightings of the wolves. Which makes me think that they are targeting our pack specifically." Elder Michael said.
At that moment Logan's phone rang, it was Lane.
"One moment please, Lane is calling now." Logan told them.
"Hello?" Logan said.
"Alpha, we have found the body of the wolf with its head cut off. It's about two miles outside of our territory. We only found two sets of tracks around the body, they went west towards Black Night's territory. We are at the edge of their territory now, we just need permission to cross over." Lane told him.
"Hang on, I will call Alpha Kyle." Logan said. He ended the call with Lane and scrolled through his contacts until he got to Kyle's number and hit send. After four rings, he answered.
"Alpha Logan, what can I do for you?" Alpha Kyle said.
"Alpha Kyle, I assume you know about the attack on my beta's mate?" Logan said.
"Yes, I did. I'm sorry that happened. How is she doing?" Kyle asked.
"She is doing better. The doc put her on bedrest and they are keeping a close eye on the baby."
"The baby? You mean she is pregnant?" Kyle said, you could hear the anger in his voice.
"Yes, she is. After the attack, the baby's heartbeat dropped below normal. Doc kept her in the pack hospital overnight to keep an eye on it, but thankfully after some rest, it returned to normal." Logan told him.
"Thank the moon goddess. What do you need from me? I want to help in any way that I can."
"There is one thing I need to tell you first. Only me, our elder, my beta and gamma, and a few of the guards know about this, and I would like to keep it that way for now. I don't want to start an unnecessary panic." Logan told him.
"Of course." Kyle replied.
"Last night there was a head of a regular wolf planted on a stake in the ground by the tree line next to our front gate. We think it was put there by the same wolves that attacked Morgan." Logan said.
"What in the hell?"
"That's what I said. My gamma took a few guards out to see if they can find any tracks."
"Where they able to find any?" Kyle asked.
"Actually, they did. They found the body of the wolf and tracks that led west. They have followed them and they continue on in your territory. I would like your permission for Lane and the guards to continue on tracking them."
"I appreciate you asking for my permission, but you don't need it. Tell them to feel free to go where ever they need to on my territory to find these assholes."
"Thank you, Alpha Kyle."
"I have one condition though." Kyle said.
"What's that?" Logan asked.
"My beta is an excellent tracker. Best I have ever seen. I want to send him to your gamma to help. He will see and find things your guys would have probably missed."
"That would be great. I will send you their location and your beta can meet up with them. Thank you."
"No problem. Any idea who they are?"
"Not yet. We think they are a pack from another state, but other than that we are completely clueless."
"Well, if there is anything out there to find, Brian will find it, and we will put an end to this."
"Thank you again, Alpha Kyle. Talk to you soon."
"Bye."
Logan hung up the phone and called Lane back. He told them they had permission to cross over but they were to wait for Beta Brian to get there. He turned his attention back to the conference call. They were going back and forth about this issue and weren't getting anywhere. Logan was getting frustrated. Right now, this was just a waste of time, and he had better, more important things that needed to be handled at the moment.
He hung up the call and opened up the drawer on his desk and pulled out the bottle of whiskey he had stashed in there for emergencies. He opened the bottle and took a big drink without bothering to pour it in a glass. He needed to push this to the back burner for the time being. There was nothing else he could do about it right now anyway. Anything that can be done about it, is already being done.
Right now, he needed to worry about the biggest thing that was going on. His parents return and the dinner that is being planned tonight. He decided to go see if there was anything Emma or Patricia needed help with. He wanted to do something productive, and distracting. He took another drink of the whiskey and put the lid on and put it back in the drawer.
Logan walked out of his office and about crashed right into Emma, who was walking into his office. He grabbed her around the waist and pulled her to him to keep her from falling.
"Well, hi love. I was just about to come and see you." Logan told her and leaned down and kissed her deeply. Emma wrapped her arms around his neck and returned the kiss.
Logan pulled back and looked at her. She was a mess. She had flour all over her face, in her hair, and all over her clothes. Her hair was sticking out of the bun she had wrapped on top of her head. Logan smiled, even as much of a mess as she was, she was still the most beautiful sight he has ever seen.
"What were you coming to see me about?" Emma asked.
"I was going to see if there was anything I could do to help." he told her.
"Actually, there is, which is why I was coming to see you. There are a few things that me and Patricia need and was going to see if you could go and get them for us."
"Anything for you love. Just give me a list and I will go get it." he said.
Emma pulled a piece of paper out of her pocket and handed it to him.
"Thank you so much!" she exclaimed.
"Be back soon." Logan told her. He pulled her tighter and crushed his mouth to hers, his tongue pushing a part her lips and mingling with hers.
"We are going to have to talk the doc about this whole no mating thing just yet." Emma told him.
Logan laughed. "Most definitely will be giving him a call."
He leaned down and kissed her again, gently this time. He was already worked up and didn't need to make it any worse. Emma turned and walked back towards the kitchen. Logan smacked her on her ass and she turned and looked back at him, her face blood red. Logan laughed and Emma stuck out her tongue at him and went back off towards the kitchen, shaking her ass at him the whole way down the hallway. Logan laughed. That woman had his heart.