Chapter 194: Alpha Micca Disappears
***AUTHOR’S NOTE: Last Chapter before we catch up with Violet and Ezelreth***
When the rogues came in the dark of the night, Alpha Micca ran, leaving his beta, his family and his pack. The ColdMoon Pack. While the guards were distracted Micca slid out, right under their noses. He slipped out the back while his own people fight for their lives.
He ran. Like a coward. But he didn’t care, what mattered to him was he’d live another day. Even if it meant living as a rogue. He’d abandon everything and everyone to save the skin on his own ass.
The night was cold and smelled of iron from freshly spilled blood and thick black smoke.
Micca ran. Out from the prison, past the guards running toward the point of attack. Leaving the back of the pack mostly defenseless.
He used his keys to unlock the gate that was hidden in the back. A mostly unknown door in and out of the pack. The one he would slip through to make his way to the casino in hell.
Hell wasn’t just a place, but another plane, and you needed to use weylines to get there. And lucky for him there was one not far from the pack, so he had a secret door installed.
Teleportation stones, fae rings, and weylines, were the only known ways to travel using magic. And they were the only ways to move between planes.
He’d never been more grateful to be a scheming, overcautious, paranoid, alpha. It paid off now, just when he needed it most.
He made it out unseen. The wind howled, carrying the cries of his people. He ignored them. All that mattered was getting out alive.
His wolf battered him in his mind relentlessly, guilting him. But he shoved his wolf into the back of his mind. He’d deal with him later.
’Survive’ he thought to himself over and over.
The further into the cold mountains he went, the colder the wind blew. The harder it screamed in his ears. The snow started falling hard and fast, quickly becoming a whiteout.
He was shivering from the freezing bitter air. His wolf not providing any protection from the cold.
’Let him freeze, coward’ his wolf thought.
The wind and snow battered his shaking body. The cold settling into his bones, warmth becoming as foreign as kindness to Micca.
A wolfs howl reached his ears, forcing him to stop dead in his tracks. He looked around frantically, trying to even get a glimpse of his surroundings, but it was pure white.
He could sense it. He was being watched. Someone in the shadows observing and examining his every move.
Seemingly black figures moved into hie field of vision, the shadows hid their faces just enough he couldn’t tell who they were.
And then he felt a spear against his back.
He gulped as warning took hold of his body. Alarms blaring in his mind, and his wolf more silent than ever.
"I’m here in peace." Micca spoke with a shaky nervous voice.
A cruel wicked laugh erupted from behind the snowy wall made of falling snow.
"In peace? That’s a good joke, Alpha Micca." The deep voice in the back spoke.
He could feel the presence of something dark and sinister approaching. The hair on his body stood straight up. Unease nipped at his neck. The sharpened tip of the spear pressing into his back.
"Or should I just call you Micca now? Seeing as you have abandoned your pack during an attack I orchestrated." The voice grew louder as he walked closer.
"I... I... I have information for the Rogue King on the Alpha King. I... I... I would like to trade information with yo... yo... your king for safety and protection inside one of the rogue packs." Micca stuttered anxiously. Cold sweat dripping from his forehead.
"It certainly better be valuable if you kept your cowardice and disloyalty to be overlooked. Being made up of betrayers, liars, and cheats makes a cautious group of shifters." The voice said.
"Oh, it is, I can guarantee that." Micca confidently admitted.
"Well, let’s just see about that. Come."
Micca felt the spear at his back press into him a little harder edging him forward. He understood the gesture and walked through the snow with the shadowy figures leading away.
Micca didn’t know where they were taking him. He didn’t care as long as it was away from his death.
A cave appeared in his view, an orange glow emanated from inside.
The minute he stepped out of the snow and into the caves mouth he could feel the warmth of fire and chit chat among people.
"Welcome, to the kingdom of rogues." The deep voice said
When Micca stepped out of the snow and into the caves mouth, he could feel the warmth of fire and hear chit chat among people.
The chatter died down when they saw Micca enter the cave. Groups of warriors sat in small circles around small campfires. The smoke in the cave kept the air warm and thick.
Micca was able to get a better view of everything once his eyes adjusted to the light.
Warriors bowed and greeted the man who had been speaking. "My King."
Micca looked at the man stunned. King?
He looked like a regular pack member, no one of specific status. Humble. Wearing furs and animal skins. No flashy armor, no jewelry, nothing to show his status.
Micca bowed his head "Apologies rogue king, I didn’t know I was speaking with the man in charge."
"And that’s how I prefer it. I don’t throw my authority and status around. I handle move and act in the shadows." The Rogue King admitted.
"Brilliant, your majesty. A stroke of genius, truly." Micca flattered the Rogue King.
Micca sensed the wolf in him. The Rogue King wasn’t even an Alpha wolf. He was a half breed. And something about that bothered Micca. The idea of serving a weaker wolf irked him. Maybe he could take over the pack and become the next rogue king. A smile crept up his face. Carefully hidden behind a façade of pleasantries.
"I know what you might be thinking, how can a shifter with a lower wolf rule? Because I’m more than just a wolf, I’m a hybrid. Part vampire, part witch, and part shifter. My wolf doesn’t have to be strong to keep my people in line." A warning was carried with the weight of his words.
"A hybrid, I didn’t know that was possible." Micca was surprised by this revelation. He’s never heard of a hybrid between vampires and shifters.
"Now you do." He said with a finality that silenced Micca. With moving through the caves winding halls, he noticed the cave was massive on the inside. Tall ceiling, and torches lit along the halls.
He wondered why they didn’t use magic to light the cave but used such primitive means instead.
As if sensing his question or reading his mind, he explained, "We use fire to light the halls inside the cave system because it helps us remain undetected. Magic can be traced, tracked, followed. For us, it’s an unnecessary risk."
So, this is how they were able to stay hidden despite their many search attempts in these mountains, they’d always come back with nothing. Like the rogues came and went as if they were ghosts themselves.
Micca chuckled inwardly, these rogues were much smarter than he’d given them credit.
The deeper they got in the mountain, the colder the air got.
Micca discovered the cave was a maze of corridors and no doubt many dead ends. It would be nearly impossible to navigate these caves without a guide; how did they know which hall led where?
"That’s smart, no wonder you’ve been able to stay off the radar, you were literally off it. This explains why all my scouting missions and search parties came back empty handed." Micca admitted.
"Yes." The Rogue King said with a cocky undertone. Like he knew he had outsmarted the recognized pack shifters.
His attitude rubbed Micca the wrong way, but he remained silent, completely aware of the delicate situation he was in and how carefully he needed to navigate things so they would turn out in his favor.
Arriving to a closed off section far away from the caves entrance. A dark wooden door stood alone at the end of the hall.
Micca gulped before nervously entering the room. The spear still pressed against his back. They weren’t taking any chances. Despite how calm and unconcerned the rogue king was, his warriors weren’t so easily swayed.
Inside the room the lighting was dim and the air smelled stale. It was simple. A few bookshelves, some chairs for sitting, a desk with a lamp sitting on it.
"Take a seat a less discuss semantics." The rogue king said taking a seat behind the desk.
Micca walked over to the chair, the spear behind him guiding his way.
The warrior removed the spear but stood firmly behind the seat, readied to stab right through the chair at wrong movement.
"You wish to exchange intel for refuge. Why should I risk my pack for a cowardly ex alpha? What information could you possibly provide that would allow me to overlook these facts?" The rogue king questioned. His facial expression remained hardened, cold and indifferent.
Micca, usually the face of strength and confidence fidgeted nervously in the seat.
"You have a mole in your ranks, and I know who it is. I know where he and the mole meet up. I know how you can get a mole into his own kingdom. I think that could be considered invaluable intel." Micca tried to sound strong, but the rogue king saw right through his masked emotions.
"That could prove to be very valuable intel. If the information about the mole in my pack turns out to be true, I will grant you asylum in our pack, and if you successfully help implant a mole of our own in his ranks, I will personally offer you a spot in the council alpha." The rogue king spoke with unquestionable control and carried the weight of 10,000 men. "But I will warn you. Rogues aren’t bound by the same rules and ethics recognized packs are. If we find you to be lying or that you betray us. I won’t hesitate to personally rip you, limb from limb. My wolf may not be an alpha wolf, but I have my own ways of making up for that single short coming. Remember, I wouldn’t be able to rule over and organize packs of rogues if I didn’t have my ways of maintaining order and authority."
"Your message is hear loud and clear. I swear the information I have to offer will be worth every ounce of protection you provide. I will not disappoint you, my king."