The large steel door creaked open with a loud noise, disrupting the meeting being held in the main hall of the Alpha's building. Everyone turned their heads toward the direction of the door, staring at the unfamiliar faces standing there waiting for permission to proceed further. "I'm sorry for the intrusion Alpha...." One of the main Beta guards of the Alpha came in from behind the two unfamiliar faces. One of them seemed to be injured as he was bleeding from his sides, staining the floor with his blood even as he was clutching his wound. The other one's face wasn't visible as he stood far away in the shadows. "They come with grave news" The guard added.

"Bring them closer" Tessa urged with a worried look.

"Yeah bring them closer" The Alpha agreed. The four of them sitting round the large center table, stared curiously.

"Careful not to bleed all over the place" Derek pointed out as they got closer.

Tessa saw the man seemed to be in so much pain as he got closer. He looked like a father but a bit unkempt with how messy he was looking. She immediately felt pity for him and was eager to know what had happened. She then shifted her gaze to the other who was following closely behind and her heart immediately skipped a beat. He didn't appear to be injured, rather, the opposite was the case. Her heart skipped because of how he looked.

He looked like someone wished out of a fantasy book. Mere looking at him she could tell he was definitely taller than her. Probably 6'5 ft with snow white hair that stopped just above his eyes. Bright blue eyes that shone courage and care-freeness. He was lean muscular and had a little smile planted on his lips. She averted her gaze from his body before he caught her staring but instead her eyes fell on Derek's who seemed a bit pissed off as though he knew what was on her mind.

"You're from our pack, aren't you?" Beta Maynard, the Alpha's right hand questioned the injured man. "I have seen you before" he added.

"Yes I am" the man replied, wincing from the pain he was feeling.

"And you?" Beta Maynard shifted his attention to the stranger who came with him. "I don't know you. Who are you?"

"He's the reason I am alive right now. He saved me" The man replied

"Saved you from what? And what's your name?" The Alpha finally asked

"My name is Billy, Alpha. I am an Omega under your rule. He saved me from the Black Lotus" He explained

"Back up....what do you mean the Black Lotus?" Derek questioned with disbelief.

"It's true. They were the ones that attacked me close to the pack border"

"'They?' How many are we talking about here?" Beta Maynard inquired

"Five of them. They weren't like any wolves I have come across before. They had this intimidating aura and strong presence. You could easily tell they weren't like your ordinary wolves" He explained.

"If what you're saying is true then what we've been hearing about the attacks of a rebellious group called The Black Lotus wasn't a rumor after all" Tessa chipped in. "Which means we have to take this seriously"

"How come they left you alive?" The Alpha asked

"To pass a message to you Alpha" Billy replied with a serious but fearful look. "They wanted me to tell you that they were coming for you, for us, every Alpha" He explained whilst still bleeding heavily with no signs of him healing as fast as he was supposed to.

"Well that's a bold declaration, them thinking they can go up against us not to talk of all Alphas together" Derek stated

"Why are you still bleeding? You should have healed fully by now" Said Tessa

"Yeah well I wouldn't have made it out of the woods alive if it wasn't for this young man here. He found me almost passed out from my wounds and bleeding and he brought me here, back in town"

"That's me" The young man smiled, making a short hand wave with a proud smile on his face.

"And what's your name?" Beta Maynard questioned, giving him a suspicious look.

"I am Kieran.....sir"

"Well Kieran, did you see these so called Black Lotus group?"

"No...i only ran into him lying on the rough hard earth, slowly bleeding to death. Although I caught some unfamiliar and strong scents too but I saw no one besides him" Kieran replied before shifting his eyes to Tessa for the first time since he got there. His eyes met hers but she swiftly looked away. He smiled inwardly at how cute she seemed at that moment. He hadn't expected to see someone as beautiful as her there with the others.

The few seconds he had stared into her eyes was the most warmth he had felt for the day. Her dark silky long hair sheathed her face so he couldn't see more as she turned away from him. He turned just in time to take notice of the death stare he was getting from Derek. He knew immediately there was something going on between the two of them or at the very least, he felt something for her. "That still doesn't explain why you're not healing as fast as you are supposed to" Said Beta Maynard

"Oh! That...that is because it's a wound from an Alpha" Billy replied

"What?! So you mean they are being led by an Alpha?" The Alpha replied, sitting up as this was a turn of event and not for the best.

"No Alpha, that's the disturbing and shocking part....they were all Alphas. The five of them" Billy dropped the bombshell on them.

The whole room fell quiet with a look of shock and disbelief replacing their expressions. Kieran could tell they were trying to wrap their heads around what they just heard. He also was baffled by the news. A rebellious organization comprising of just Alphas who are hell-bent on attacking all Alphas and their packs. This was definitely taking an interesting turn, he thought.

"What? What do you mean they were all Alphas?" The Alpha questioned, looking a bit more worried now.

"You must be joking or you must have seen wrong" Beta Maynard added

"There's no way that's possible" Derek scoffed

"Are you sure that's what you saw?" Tessa inquired with furrowed brows.

"I swear on my life and the lives of my girls, that I am telling the truth. I know exactly what I saw. That's why when I got attacked by one of them, the wound wasn't healing as fast as it's supposed to. I couldn't see their faces. They wore this long black robe that went down all the way and stopped just a little above their feet. The sleeves were long enough to cover even their fingers. The robe had a hood that they wore, covering more parts of their heads and hiding their faces but even at that, they wore masks too, hiding their faces...."

"A mask?!" Tessa had a confused but curious look.

"Yes ma'am, a mask. It was all identical and a little spherical that it fitted their faces perfectly. It was black but had a red crescent moon pattern printed on it. The only part of the mask that was cut open were the eyes. That's why I could see their eyes and tell they were Alphas. They all had blood-red glowing eyes like that of Alphas, only more menacing and dark" He explained still clearly shaken with fear from what he saw.

"That's a very detailed information. We greatly appreciate that" Tessa stated

"For now, one of the guard wolves will take you to the pack doctor to check your wounds. He would stay with till you're okay enough and then escort you back here because we would need more information from you" The Alpha explained

"Of course Alpha. However I can help" He nodded, his blood soaked hand clutching his bleeding wound still.

The Alpha nodded at the guard to take him away and escort him to the pack doctor. They kept their sight on them till they were out of the room. As soon as the door was shut, the four of them simultaneously shifted their attention to Kieran. "Now I hope you can understand where we are coming from when we say we can't trust you? For all we know you might be one of these so called Black Lotus group and this was all planned" The Alpha pointed out

"Yes I understand. I will be cautious too especially with the bombshell the wounded man just dropped"

"Good. Then you wouldn't mind showing us your eyes would you?" Beta Maynard added

"No problem but I'm afraid I'm just going to disappoint you..." He smiled softly while showing them his glowing blue eyes.

"What? You're just an Omega" Derek stated the obvious and then scoffed with relief as he stared at Kieran with disappointment. He wasn't the only one who was surprised, you could see the look of surprise on Tessa's face too.

"I see. And what pack are you from?" Asked the Alpha

"I have no pack. I have been a lone wolf since I was turned. I was attacked in the woods years ago and got bitten, and then left to die. I survived but woke up no longer human. I have been surviving ever since on my own, never finding a suitable pack to join"

"No wonder you're an Omega" Derek muttered

"That must have been though, learning about the hidden world of werewolves and learning and navigating it all alone" Tessa stated with a sympathetic look on her face.

"Yeah it was"

"Well we have heard enough for now. But I'm afraid we can't let you go just yet. Not without verifying if all what you say is true and just in case something comes up we need to verify from you. So we'll be keeping an eye on you in the meantime till we are satisfied. That's of course if the Alpha agrees" Beta Maynard shifted his eyes to the Alpha, waiting for permission.

"Of course, do what you must, we can never be too careful" The Alpha approved, leaning against the arm of his chair

"So you mean you're detaining me?"

"Something like that. It's nothing personal. It's just so you can't escape in case your story isn't true" Said The Alpha's right hand and commander, Beta Maynard. His dark intimidating eyes fixed on Kieran.

"Okay then" He agreed.

They called in one of the Beta guards standing outside the door to come escort him to the holding room on the other side of the Alpha's building. He bowed slightly at the Alpha, stole a quick glance at Tessa, flashing her a warm smile before leaving with the Beta.

Tessa gave a quiet sigh as soon as they took him out the room. She felt a bit tense from his presence. A feeling she hasn't felt before. It seemed as though he was specifically targeting her with his charisma and charm. His appearance, physique was definitely unique. And now she was curious to know what kind of person he was.

"Tessa!" The Alpha's voice broke through her thoughts, snapping her back to reality. "Are you here with us?"

"Yes. Sorry, I was just wondering" She shook her head, pushing her thoughts aside. She could feel Derek's burning stares but decided to ignore it.

"Like I was saying, if any of these is true, then we have to think carefully about it before making a decision. With the description we have for now, they seem to pose a dangerous threat" Beta Maynard stated

"I think it would be wise to reach out to other packs, their Alphas. They might know a little more or even if they don't and we inform them, they might help as allies if the group was to attack" Tessa suggested

"There are just five of them. How much of a threat could they possibly be against us? We have the largest pack with strong Betas and our Alpha is the strongest amongst all Alphas. We could easily take them down with our numbers and strength" Derek pointed out confidently what seemed to be facts.

"Even at that, we have to be careful as we don't know anything about them except what we have been told" She replied

"Both of you are right. With our forces we could easily overpower them if what we heard is all there is to it. But if it's not, then we have to thread carefully" said the Beta with a serious expression. "That is why we will use these two who just came in. especially the lone wolf"

"What do you mean? Use him how? For what?" Tessa questioned with a confused look. She knew whatever the Beta had planned would be nothing good.

"I don't know in detail yet but I will let the Alpha know once I do"

"Do whatever you have to. For now this meeting is adjourned. It has taken longer than expected and I need my rest" The Alpha concluded and stood up. The others swiftly stood up too bowing their heads until he turned away and started for his quarters.

***

Running his fingers through his thick long dark hair, Derek continued tapping his foot on the floor, staring at Beta Maynard as he sat silently at the other side of the table, his eyes closed, back relaxed on his chair and his head tilted up toward the roof. He has been like that since they got to his office. Derek was becoming more restless with each passing minute. "What are we going to do father?" He broke the silence that was beginning to drive him crazy.

"Nothing" His father replied, still seated in his position.

Sitting out on his chair with furrowed brows, he couldn't fathom what he just heard. "What do you mean?"

"It means you shouldn't be worrying about it. I am the wolf commander and right hand Beta. What's going on is for me to worry about not you"

"But it concerns us all" Derek argued

"What concerns you more right now is Tessa. She's all you need to worry about"

"I don't have to worry about that...not anymore. We are practically together now" He replied, seeming confident in his words.

"Don't be foolish. She's not fully yours until you've both mated and sitting side by side, ruling this pack together. So, yes, you have other things to worry about. As long as I am still alive, I must make sure my bloodline succeeds as the rulers of this pack. Make sure they become a royal bloodline" Beta Maynard stated with a strong conviction.

Derek stared at his father in awe. He was aware of how ambitious his father was but it still didn't stop him from being surprised at his father's conviction and determination to make his dream come true, no matter what he had to do or whom he had to use. He himself was ready to assist his father as long as it ends with him ending up with Tessa.

***

Kieran sat down on the edge of the small bed which was the only object present in the holding room. He sat down, feet planted firm on the floor, and hand propping his face up as his elbow rested on his knee. He sighed more out of boredom than frustration. He didn't think helping someone would put him in the position he was in at that moment. He thought the slightly lit room was a mood downer too.

A smile immediately formed on his lips when he heard footsteps approaching. From the scent he knew who was approaching. He had registered all the scents of everyone who was in that meeting room, including the Alpha's. "I didn't think you'd be the one who would come see me first" He stated just before Tessa appeared in front of the steel bar door.

He looked up at her and couldn't help but smile some more. From the first time he saw her when he walked into the hall, he was taken aback by how mesmerizing she looked. From her diamond shaped face, baby gray eyes to her slim, tender but yet curvy body. Now that she was standing in front of him, he could gaze at her freely. Back there he was trying as much as possible not to stare at her, so as not to set anyone off.

"Could you make it less obvious that you're staring at my body?" Her voice brought his gaze back to her eyes.

"Sorry...I couldn't help it. You're hot. Different from all the she-wolves I have come across" He blurted out

She was taken aback by his remarks. No one has been that forward with her before. "Thanks...i guess"

"You're welcome" He flashed her smile, showing her his perfect set of teeth. His smile was contagious and she couldn't stop the sides of her lips from moving in reaction. "So am I ever getting out of here or is this how your pack treats a helper?"

Tessa sighed as though she was tired of the system too. She reached for the lock, inserted a key which Kieran didn't notice she was holding the whole time. She unlocked the door and stepped into the room, shutting the door behind her. "What are you doing?" Kieran inquired, sitting up. Her action was surprising to him.

"Proving to you that we don't see you as a threat....well, at least I don't. You being detained is just us being cautious and being as careful as one can be, considering the news we just heard. I am sure you can understand" She explained with a sincere look.

Kieran stood up to his feet, his eyes fixed on her. He could tell immediately she was one of the rare ones. An innocent, pure wolf who hasn't been tainted by the world yet, his wolf immediately felt an attraction to her. "I can tell the others don't feel the same way as you. The almost bald, staunch looking one didn't see me as much but saw me enough to be wary that I might be a threat"

"Yeah that's Beta Maynard. He's the second in command and Beta of the pack. He's always wary and careful of anyone and everyone. I guess its part of his job" She explained

"The Alpha didn't seem to care about my presence that much. He seemed to trust the Bald man enough to let him make important decisions" He began slowly making his way over to her.

"Yeah that's my father, the Alpha who trusts his Beta more than anyone" She stated, cocking her brow, wondering how he knew so much.

"I see...the Alpha's daughter huh?! Makes sense" He commented. "And then there's the ponytail one with the frown. His opinion of me was nothing to do with your pack or its safety. He seemed to have pure contempt for me and I think I know why" He explained with a sly smile whilst still closing the space between them.

"Why?" Tessa who had become aware of the space between them getting smaller, asked whilst freeing her previously folded arms, hoping to guard against whatever he was planning while also not moving from where she was standing so as not to show any sign of weakness, whatsoever. If he was aiming to escape then she was ready to overpower him. After all he was an Omega and she was a Beta, one of the strongest from her pack.

"Well I think it was because he saw the way I stared at you, with love and lust" He stopped just few inches in front of her.

"WHAT?" She blinked, surprised by his words as it was completely different from what she was expecting. "Wha..." She was cut off by his lips sealing hers.

Tessa's eyes widened with shock as his lips caressed hers. She still couldn't wrap her head around what was going on at that moment. He made her let her guard down with his last statement and while she was still registering it, he made his move. She felt frozen there, still wondering what just happened and what was still happening. She couldn't make any move nor protest. Instead, all her body did was act on its own and sank into the kiss, accepting his soft lips with hers.