This meeting has already gone on for two hours and I'm so over it.

I'd come in to talk with Dante after talking to the trainer about Jay Thornson, but before I could get too in depth on what I wanted to do, I got dragged here. I was mad at first, but then the reason as to why I was brought in came to light, and though I'm still worried over Wynter, I had to push her aside for the time being. More information had been found on that group of humans I'd run across, and while we already knew they were bad news, the situation has escalated.

"Were there any survivors?"

My tone is grave as I look over the reports. Pictures as well had been taken. There's a list of the dead as well as the missing. A small Pack comparatively, this group had ambushed their homes, burning them practically to the ground. The members were shot with altered bullets; hollow points filled with silver nitrate and wolfsbane. Shots to the head or heart. The black veining on the bodies shows how the poison worked its way through their system before they died.

"There's a couple of children who were hiding in the woods. They'd climbed up a tree in the chaos. They watched as their parents were shot down then decapitated. I gave the order to have them brought here."

I nod, but wonder if that's really the best choice. Looking at the photos of other wolves who'd been butchered much the same way, my lips purse together. Better they be among a Pack in a safe environment for now, we'll figure out the rest later.

"Do we have any information on when they started using this ammo? Who their supplier is?"

A few shake their heads but one takes out some paperwork from a folder. Reading over it, they pass it down the table to me while they start explaining aloud.

"The ammo's been used before, just in small accounts. So we figure they have a very limited to finite supply. Unless a kill shot could be made, the shot wasn't taken. They'd slow everyone down with regular ammo before finishing them off. There are accounts of the Packs fighting back, but if they were able to make any kills, the group took their dead with them."

Nodding, I read over the document before passing it on to my brother, who has other assorted work in front of him.

"Makes sense I guess. Buying in bulk would raise too many questions. Which means they're outsourcing. Wolfsbane is easy enough to come by, military grade silver nitrate not so much. If we can track that we might get some hits on at least where to start."

Looking over to another man, I nod to him before he nods back and stands, bringing forth the information he has on our escalating troubles with the Rogues. Rumors of 'war' getting thrown around becoming more and more popular. The Rogues start problems with Packs that aren't in alliances with the royals, angering them at us for not doing anything, when we're all but working around the clock to hunt them down.

"There's still no sightings of the Sigma you tracked east, but we finally found his identity."

Looking over, my brows rise, motioning them to continue while they start reading off his specs.

"Brandon Swiss, twenty-six, originally from the Coldaire Pack up north. He'd been banished after killing a packmate during survival training when he was sixteen. Before they could brand him he'd disappeared, breaking out of the holding cell they had him in. It's been assumed he's since systematically been going back and killing members every year."

I frown, brows pinching down before pulling one of the maps closer to me. The Coldaire Pack was said to be one of the largest in the northern territories, yet there's also a royal family up that way that should be running that region, let alone have a hunter after him.

"Have the royals over there not treatied with the Coldaire yet?"

The question is asked to the room in general yet I look over to my brother who's also looking slightly grim.

"I'll make some calls, see if I can learn if they have any more information on Brandon as well."

Nodding, we spend another hour going over Pack squabbles and coming up with solutions for them. To my chagrin, I'm charged with another mission before I can talk to my brother about Wynter. While my anger has had time to cool, thinking over it has it riling again. When I bring up my wishes to Dante, I get glared at and asked if I'm taking this seriously. Just him asking that in the first place escalates my anger and causes me to storm out.

Months have gone by and we've heard nothing from Adolphos. He's either failed or ran, completely ditching his family. While I wouldn't have thought it of him, when face to face with a task that seems impossible, it can send one for a loop. He'd shown promise in tracking here, yes, but here is way different than out there.

Since my brother is all but refusing me the chance to look for this girl myself, I once again find my feet taking me to the training grounds to find the next best tracker. Dante isn't careful, I'll send them all out after her, or he can let just me go. There are other royals here just as capable in doing the jobs he bid me.

Twenty minutes later finds me in one of the small gathering areas inside the main building of the training facility. I'd messaged ahead to one of the trainers letting them know I was on my way and to meet me. He's alone, leaning against a table with his legs crossed and looking down at some paperwork in his hands. Flicking dark green eyes up at me, the male stands upright, notching his head down in a dip of acknowledgment. Doing the same, I move up closer to him.

"Were you able to locate the one I'd need?"

I get the question out before I come to a complete stop, my frustration at the whole situation barely contained to keep me civil. The wolf in front of me gives a nod, seeming to shrug off my demeanor as he hands me the assortment he'd been looking at. While I flip through it, he speaks up.

"Yes. There aren't too many decent trackers in Lunar Soul, but the triplets fit the bill of what you're needing pretty much to a T. They're the Omega pair's sons and seem to work best when paired together. Apparently they've always worked as a triumvirate, and when tested, they proved that while fully capable by themselves, they are much more effective together."

The files he'd handed me are all of their scores on not just the courses that they've run but they're most recent survival training, done both by themselves and as a group, just to see how they differed. While indeed fully capable while alone, while together they're ten times more so than some fully trained units I've seen in other Packs. Why they were still being relegated as Omegas is mind boggling when comparing them to some of the others in that Pack, and it has my brows pinching together.

"I had them summoned when you let on you were coming, and they were just finishing up with something so they should be here soon."

Taking that as his want to be on his way I looked up and gave him a nod, which he then turned and left. Thinking over things, do believe he was scheduled to be running a class right now, so makes sense. It's not long after that the triplets come in through a different door, freshly washed and decked out in simple T-shirts and shorts. Clothes easily grabbed from the locker room that were bought in bulk and easily replaced. Footwear was another thing not often seen around here unless on those who were passing through.

The Lunar Soul Omega's triplet sons. Not identical, but close enough to that they could be mistaken as another if one isn't paying attention. Especially by humans. From the paperwork, I know Vikar to be the oldest, followed by Stalin, then Whesker by minutes. From the pictures in their files I know who's who, the facial features differing as well as hair length and eye color. Otherwise they all share in being tall and lanky with thick black hair.

Once they see me their expressions wilt slightly from the jovial camaraderie they'd been sharing in just before entering, but they resolutely come forward. While doing so I take the chance to get a better look at each. While sharing the same body type, Vikar is taller than his brothers by an inch with his father's golden eyes and hair reaching to his mid-back. Stalin carries their mother's sky blue eyes with short, shaggy hair, while the youngest, Whesker, has turquoise paired with shoulder length locks.

Once they've reached within a few feet of me and dipping their heads, I do the same and give greeting. While usually I'd take the time to see how they're doing and how they're training is going, I have more pressing concerns, so get right to the point and ask if they've been briefed on why I'm there. Each of them shakes their head, so I jump ahead.

"Do any of you know Wynter Gallents? Or when the last time was you saw her?"

The young men look at each other before looking back to me with nods of affirmation, the oldest moving forward enough to draw my attention as he speaks up.

"We know her. We'd had to waylay a Rogue from her path back in Grotto Falls a couple times before coming here. Those rumors her sister had going around are false, we can all vouch for her."

Each of them nods, and while it has me blinking at them, my teeth are still gritting about hearing about the Rogue.

"What Rogue? And when?"

Between the three of them, they describe the same Sigma I've been tracking. The same one Wynter had asked me about. I grimace internally while outwardly showing nothing as I look off to the side. Glancing back to the males in front of me, my brows furrow, thinking over their actions.

"Why did you even bother?"

Vikar shrugs and speaks up while I catch the youngest looking of his brothers, Whesker, frowning at me.

"Her family doesn't protect her. Nobody did. She looked out for the others though no one ever seemed to see it. She'd even helped Leilan during his mountain training, though I'm sure most aren't aware of it."

Stalin snickers, mumbling that he's sure Leilan is feeling that now. I can't help but smirk along with them before getting back to my questions.

"Do you guys know Thornson? Jay Thornson?"

The mirth that had developed over their faces vanishes as they nod. Looking from one face to the next, I ask what's wrong. They look to each other before Vikar once again speaks up.

"There's something off about Jay."

Whesker shakes his head and finally speaks up, his brows coming together.

"There's nothing physically wrong with him but mentally... I'm not sure if he's completely sane. We've heard from some of the girls he's slept with that he's very abusive and beyond rough, going way past their comfort zones and hurting them just because he can."

My jaw clenches and I can feel my expression pinch down as my wolf roils within me. We wolves can be a rough lot anyway, but for them to give warning about this male is a major red flag, even if it didn't involve Wynter. The fact that it does...

"Why do you ask?"

It takes me a moment to answer as I get myself under control, fighting my rage at thinking what she went through. Just from what little information I was given, it leaves a lot of room for a mind to run rampant and drive one insane. Trying to push through it takes more effort than it should. When I finally do, my voice is deeper and a good octave lower than it was previous.

"I think Jay has fixated on Wynter and is hunting her."

The triplets frown and look to each other again before asking how they can help.

"I have a mission I have to go on or I'd do this myself, but I'd like you to track and find her. I already know the rumors Mythine spread are false, that's already been dealt with. The three of you were chosen due to your skills for this very field. Her brother was also sent out months ago but we've heard nothing from him. The rumor of her running away was probably fabricated by her family, so her last known witness account was at Grotto Falls just days before you all came here."

I look at each of them, not caring if I revealed too much by saying I'd do this myself if I could. They're each nodding and looking determined, but I wish I were going myself.

"We'll leave immediately."  

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