*Media pic is of Alpha Troy in his fur.

A deep silence ensued for several minutes. The welcome committee barely breathed. They were in a kind of stunned shock. The Alpha included.

There was no question that the rogue had been in the right to defend herself and the pups. There was also no question that Second Beta Arn had been the aggressor, that he'd acted without provocation, and that he directly disobeyed his Alpha's command to stand down. 

The committee's silence stretched out.

As shocking as the Second Beta's actions had been just moments ago, what kept them wide-eyed and astounded was that an inconsequential female rogue, without rank or pack, and with no obvious military training, had taken down a highly skilled and very powerful wolf in just a few quick seconds despite not having any warning of the impending attack.

Arn was not just the Third in Command of the Orthos pack. He was also a highly trained warrior who led the Viper's Core, the most elite task force in the Orthos pack. He had few equals among warriors and yet, he now lay dead at the rogue's feet and she hadn't even broken a sweat when she killed him. She'd made it look easy and effortless.

Her power was truly terrifying. What's more, she did not turn into a raving maniac and try to kill every living soul standing there afterwards. Though, they had no doubt she could have inflicted some serious damage if she chose to.

Rogues were known for having hot tempers and losing them quickly. They were also known for going wild and being entirely unreasonable once they got it in their heads to fight. The welcome committee had all seen rogues on killing rampages. This is what everyone knew and feared about rogues.

And yet, this rogue, who'd just killed a formidable opponent hell bent on snapping her neck, never moved to attack another soul. Instead, she let a girl of seventeen approach her, talk to her and calm her without once snapping at the child or even growling at her.

It proved that the she-wolf had full control over her faculties even in the heat of an unexpected attack. She was completely aware of the situation at hand. And, in turning back to the pups she'd demonstrated that she had incredible control over her wildness. It was the sort of control that was only achieved by a powerful will. The sort of control and willpower that was usually only demonstrated by Alphas, whether male or female.

In short, she was a ragged looking rogue who had the power and control of a full fledged Alpha. They'd never seen such a combination before. She had confounded them and rendered them speechless.

The hush could not continue indefinitely though. Alpha Troy knew he must get everything in hand. He was furious with his stupid Second Beta who now lay dead. The man left behind a mate and 2 pups, who would be traumatized by his senseless death, and for what? The attack was totally unprovoked and completely pointless. There was no honour in the man's death.

What had possessed him to attack her? Troy had never seen his Third in Command lose control like that before. He'd never seen him so full of hatred for another wolf - rogue or not. It was such a mystery that he couldn't even begin to understand the man's motivations. It simply didn't make sense, which set off alarm bells ringing in Troy's mind.

He stepped around Arn's carcass and came to stand in front of the rogue who remained in her black and grey wolf form. She'd be vulnerable in human form, but in wolf form, she was something to be reckoned with. It was a smart and calculated move on her part and he appreciated her foresight even if he thought the extra caution was unnecessary now. Surely no one else would come forward to challenge her. Not after she'd killed Arn.

As the pack's Alpha, in order to eliminate the threat she now posed to every male wolf in his pack who came across the least bit threatening, he had to release her of her duty to the children. It meant adopting the pups into the pack there on the gravel drive of the pack house with Arn's dead body getting colder by the minute behind him.

It wasn't what he had planned for the pups. He and the committee behind him had organized a welcome ceremony followed by a public adoption celebration later in the week. He wanted the pups to feel loved by everyone and to understand that the pack saw them all as a great addition to the Orthos family. But Arn had ruined all that.

Alpha Troy's eyes fell on the scruffy looking rogue whose tongue was partly lolling out of the side of her bloody muzzle. She looked calm and indifferent to the untrained eye but Troy knew she was ready to strike the very next person who made an aggressive move towards the pups.

He cleared his throat and in doing so garnered everyone's attention. Especially, the rogue who sucked in her tongue, snapped her jaw shut and watched him with great intensity.

"I, Alpha Troy of the Orthos pack, lay claim to the orphans of the Griffin pack here and now. From this point onward you will be Orthos and no longer Griffin. I will be your Alpha and you will be full members of the pack with all the privileges and responsibilities of those who are born to the pack."

He looked around at the children. They trembled and quaked at his voice, at the authority in which he spoke. "Do you understand children?"

There was a pause. No one spoke. Troy was concerned that the children were now unduly frightened of him. He frowned and then was startled when the rogue barked suddenly and the children responded immediately with a resounding "Yes, Alpha!"

The rogue seemed pleased, Troy thought, that is, if he was any judge of wolf-faces.

"Alright," he said with a small smile that most of the children missed since they were still looking at their toes. "It's time you came into the pack house and got settled in. You'll be living here until we can find you suitable homes with other pack members."

Alpha Troy cast one more look at the rogue and gave her a little nod of acknowledgement. She gave him an almost regal nod in return. Troy was a bit surprised by the strange stately air about her. It was in complete conflict with her rogue status and yet she did exude a powerful atmosphere unlike anything he'd felt before. It was both unsettling and fascinating and Troy had to admit that he felt a peculiar pull towards her. 

He tore his eyes from her and looked around at the everyone. Not a soul had moved. "Come," he half commanded and half invited, as he turned toward the pack house. Immediately there was action. The welcome committee surged toward the front door followed by himself, his First Beta and several other ranked wolves.

Alpha Troy, cast Anex a look that told him to clean up the mess there in the drive and report back to him as soon as possible. The Master at Arms acknowledge the silent direction with a curt nod.

As if reading his agitated thoughts, Beta Lucas said quietly to him, "We'll get this sorted out. I promise."

Troy sighed heavily. "I can't help but feel that I'm not going to like what you find Lucas."

Lucas and he shared a grave look. They were of the same mind.

Troy looked back over his shoulder to ensure that the pups were following everyone inside. He had wanted to give the children a personal tour of the pack house but he'd have to give that responsibility to someone else. Right now he needed to solve the mystery of Arn's unforeseen attack on the rogue. There was something very unsettling going on and Troy wanted the mystery solved without delay.

No longer their guardian, and only a temporary guest, Penn waited for all the children to pass her by before she followed them and their new Alpha into the pack house. She had no rank and no pack. So, even as a guest, she held the lowest place among them all.

Having been so long on her own though, things like rank and position were meaningless. It was no skin off her teeth where she was in the pecking order so long as the children were safe and settled in well.

The children were ushered into the basement, which was a fully furnished space with several bedrooms, a couple full bathrooms, a cafeteria and a large general living space. It was designed to accommodate a large group of people such as warriors in training. Penn approved of the space. It was bright, clean, warm and dry. The children would feel happy here until they got adopted into their new families.

Penn followed the children from room to room as they all explored the space together. Their guide, a she-wolf called Fancy, who had no rank and no prestige but simply worked as an assistant of sorts in the pack house, was bubbly, young and fresh. She smiled at all the children, answered all their questions, laughed and teased them a little here and there.

She was an excellent guide and full of humourous stories about the previous occupants and the silly things that happened here in the basement suite. The children liked her very much and followed her without care or restraint.

However, Cassidy hung back a little and kept close to Penn. She reached out from time to time to stroke her head or scratch the scruff around her neck. The gentle contact seemed to sooth them both because, while the children had quickly swept the memories of the attack away, Cassidy certainly had not and Penn would not. Being in wolf-form was evidence that things were not right and Penn did not feel she or the children were entirely safe just yet.

Fancy, looking at her phone and scrolling through some sort of app, assigned all the children to certain rooms. No child would be alone. The boys were grouped together and shared one of two rooms and the girls likewise. Each child was provided a bed but Fancy told them it was okay if they wanted to snuggle with each other.

Once the children knew where they were expected to sleep she took everyone down a long hallway that opened up into a huge cafeteria. They could hear people working in the kitchen - talking, laughing and clanking pots and pans now and again. This was where they would eat their meals while they lived in the basement suite of the pack house.

The children looked around, but the strong smells from the kitchen brought them all to the service end of the cafeteria where they peered over the service counter and watched the cooks preparing a meal. Fancy laughed when she saw how their eyes grew large and their mouths fell open. The children were hungry and ready to eat.

She called the head cook over - a grey haired she-wolf who was in her 60s. The woman smiled at them all, putting everyone at ease, and announced that supper would be ready in half an hour. The pups squealed with delight.

When all the children went to sit and wait at the cafeteria style tables Cassidy hung back and tried to catch the cook's eye. The woman came back over and gave Cassidy a warm smile before saying, "What can I do for you dear?"

Cassidy blushed but plowed on ahead and asked, all the while feeling ridiculous, "Do you have any raw meat?" Penn heard the request and huffed. She was not pleased or displeased with the request. She wasn't exactly sure how she felt.

The cook gave a great laugh and said, "Has living in the wild turned you off real food?"

"No, no," Cassidy said quietly shaking her head and feeling terribly embarrassed. "No, it is for our guardian. She's been living in the wild a long time. She ... she prefers raw meat. Fresh if possible?" She asked and then looked down at her feet. Penn was sitting beside her, leaning against her leg but she had her face turned towards the other children. She was watching them.

"Guardian?" The cook said, sounding surprised. "You mean the rogue!" She spluttered.

Cassidy, feeling very protective of Penn, who had done so much for them and who deserved respect, squared her shoulders and pinned the woman with a rather intense and distasteful look. In her most authoritative voice, something she had only ever practised for kicks in her bedroom at home, she replied with dignity, "No, I mean our guardian. The woman who risked everything to get 18 pups across the pass to safety even though she had nothing to gain from it and everything to lose. That's who I mean." She stared the cook down who wasn't ready to budge just yet, despite that pretty little speech.

However, Fancy came over, hearing the discomfort in Cassidy's voice and she gave the cook her own glare. "What seems to be the problem here Cook?"

The cook grumbled a little under her breath. Though neither woman had any sort of official rank, Fancy, as an administrator, outranked the cook here in the pack house.

The cook, feeling this was not going to go well for her quickly said, "The pup was asking for some raw meat for the rogue." Her voice dripped with hatred and derision.

"Show some respect for the children's guardian!" Fancy barked at the older woman.

The cook, who had not been privy to the scene outside the front door above less than half an hour ago was not aware that the rogue had killed the pack's Second Beta with a single well placed bite to the neck. Fancy did not have time to tell the cook the details and that, if she valued her life, she needed to hold her tongue.

"Respect?" The cook half questioned and half scoffed. She looked entirely bewildered and angry. She hadn't said or done anything any other wolf here wouldn't have. She couldn't figure out what Fancy was going on about?

Fancy let out a frustrated sigh, her happy demeanour completely and totally gone. Without bothering to explain the delicate situation, Fancy simply asked in a strained and slightly pissed off voice, "Do you or don't you have raw meat? Fresh raw meat?"

"Of course I do. We get fresh kills every day. The hunters bring them here every morning." She said it like it was a well known thing that Fancy should obviously be aware of.

Fancy turned to Cassidy, "What does your guardian like to eat?"

"She likes game birds," she replied quietly but eagerly.

"Cook, do you have any fresh game birds?"

The cook, still not sure what was going on, nodded. She was then sent, by Fancy, to go back and get 2 birds right away. The woman, her curiosity peeked, complied and flopped the two dead birds, feathers and all, down on the service counter. She watched as Fancy told Cassidy these were for her guardian.

Cassidy grinned at both woman, thanked them and grabbed up the cold birds, which had been in refrigeration since the morning. She, with Penn trotting at her side, walked back over to the other children where Cassidy took up a seat and placed the two birds on the bench beside her.

The cook and Fancy watched with fascination as the black and grey she-wolf quietly took the birds from the bench, plopped down on the floor and proceeded to eat the dead creatures in just a handful of bites. They couldn't be sure she'd even really chewed them up before swallowing them feathers and all. All that remained were their wings and tail feathers.

The two woman stood in stunned silence. It wasn't that they'd never seen a wolf eat a game bird or any wild thing for that matter. All of them, when in wolf form, had at least tried wild game before. However, none of them would ever bring a dead animal into the pack house and tare into it while in wolf-form. That seemed barbaric, backwards, and very wild.

Yet, as appalled and fascinated as they were, the fact that the pups didn't seem to care or notice also shocked the two women. The children seemed to be able to accept that this was how their guardian lived and survived. It was a strange and peculiar sight.

Fancy turned back to the cook and glared at the woman. "You will provide, without complaint or insult, fresh meat for the guardian every morning that she is here. You will give her quality meat as well. Do I make myself clear?" She stared down the older woman who eventually just shrugged her shoulder, as if bored of the whole thing.

"I want your word!" Fancy demanded between clenched teeth.

The head cook, still not sure what all the fuss was about agreed begrudgingly. "Yes, you have my word."

Fancy gave a nod and then turned back to continue supervising the children. By morning the cook would have heard what happened and Fancy was sure the woman would tread much more carefully afterwards. If the Second Beta was no match for the rogue, then no disrespectful and spiteful old cook was either. Fancy was sure self-preservation would kick in and the woman would keep her opinions to herself afterwards.

The rest of the night went very smoothly for Fancy, the children and Penn. The children ate well and then busied themselves watching TV, entertaining the littlest ones, or getting baths and showers. Cassidy helped Fancy organize the children and eventually put them all to bed.

Penn remained ever watchful and vigilant but did not interfere. For all intents and purposes Fancy was the 'acting' den mother here in the basement suite and Penn knew it was only right and proper to let the woman fulfill that role. Fancy would be able to help the children to adjust to life in the new pack in no time; whereas, Penn was completely unqualified for such a task.

However, the children were not ready to let Penn go just yet. First it was Mia who would not go to sleep without Penn. Then, later on, it was Aiden who would not settle down without her, and finally it was 10 year old Zoe who woke up in the night crying for Penn. Secretly, Penn was relieved that the children still looked to her and needed her.

When Fancy turned out to be such a wonderful host, and so cheerful, Penn was sure the pups would cling to the lighthearted woman quite happily and forget about her before the night was through. And rightly so given that Penn was, after all, a hard task master, unapproachable and not much of a conversationalist. She was like a cold hard driving wind compared to Fancy who was like a gentle warm summer breeze.  

But, the children surprised her. It wasn't smiles and a bubbly character that they wanted when they were tired, unsettled and afraid. It was a scruffy, rough-around-the edges rogue they cried for and clung to.  Penn's heart swelled with a range of wonderful emotions as she settled down on Zoe's bed and let the pup use her like a pillow until she fell asleep.

Being needed gave a wolf purpose. Penn enjoyed having a purpose. It gave her suffering meaning. If she hadn't been exiled, then she never would have saved Lara, and if she hadn't saved Lara, would there have been anyone to get the children to safety?

Unlikely.

Penn had never done anything as worthwhile as this - as rescuing the pups - in her whole life. But, what would she do after this? Where would she go? How could she give her life purpose once she was asked to leave Orthos territory? It's not as if there were orphaned pups waiting in every valley for someone to rescue them.

Penn didn't have an answer for herself and thinking about her future only agitated and depressed her. So, she had to let it go for the time being and concentrated instead on going to sleep. Sleep was an escape and right now she was glad to escape for a few hours from this emotional roller-coaster her life had turned into since she met the pups six weeks ago.