Jazzy Colton shows up at the training grounds with a serious look on his face, and we all wonder what is going on; he never looks this serious. "The Council called; Silver Shadow Pack is holding two females against their will, and they are being used as breeding machines," he states. Dusk releases a mighty roar, and Colton just smiles at us. "Don't worry, Dusk. You're coming with us; I know Alpha wants you there, and I would like to see how you will hand them their asses." He points at five other Warriors and tells us to be ready in an hour to get briefed on the situation. Alpha Lakota and I both escaped a fated Mate that didn't consider us good enough to be his Mate, but good enough to fuck and give him a strong heir. This will be the chance for Alpha Lakota to get closure and to move on, maybe even find herself a chosen Mate. "Jazzy, Jazzy." I hear Lynn yell as she runs towards me, and she launches herself at me, knowing that I will always catch her. I hear chuckles around me as I try to get her to calm down. "Lakota and Lance..." she says out of breath, but I can't make out the rest of what she wants to tell me."Okay, Lynn. Calm down, just breathe and then try again," I tell her, and it takes her a few seconds before she has her breathing under control. "Lakota and Lance are fated Mates; I saw her mark," she says with a huge grin on her face, and I turn towards Colton to get confirmation. We missed that as we had an early breakfast to get some extra training done; looks like our Alpha is going to shock the hell out of her former Mate, and I can't wait to see the look on his face. I don't want to know how they have been treated, but if my former Mate was an indication, I am going to kill someone. I smell an amazing scent, and I sniff the air as I look around me, but I can't find the source. Lakota looks at me as she sees me sniffing the air. "Either I just discovered a strange smelling flower, or I just scented my Mate, but I can't find him," I tell her through the mind-link. She smiles at me before she answers, "Maybe it is another kind of shifter and isn't sure what to think of it. After all, anyone that lived or lives around here would know about Hidden Mountain Pack." Damn, I hadn't even thought about that. He could be scared that I would reject him, just like it happened in the past. I decide to put this to the back of my mind and concentrate on this mission; we need to get those females out of that situation. Half an hour before we get to Silver Shadow Pack territory we pull over; Council-member Armas wants to come up with a plan once we reach the territory, and I already have an idea. Council-member Armas surprises me as he listens to every idea and comes up with reasons why it won't work; I patiently wait until his eyes land on me. "Council-member Armas, if I remember my studies correctly, a Squad can enter any territory without notifying them or without a warrant of any kind," I state. He nods his head before I continue. "And a Squad can also bring reinforcements if they think it is necessary; Warriors that are not part of the Squad." Again he nods his head, but this time with a small smile on his face. "I like where your mind is going, but it would leave your Pack at a disadvantage," he replies. "Not necessarily, if you bring me with you. I am a Lycan, and I can link my Alpha the moment we reach the Pack-house, let her listen in on the conversation. In the meantime, Captain Armand can take the rest into the territory at a spot that is easier to access. I suppose my Alpha would know that kind of spot around here," I answer him. Council-member Armas turns to Captain Armand to see if he has any objections, and he surprises me by asking if I want to become a part of his Squad. "Sorry, Captain. My loyalty lies with my Alpha; they saved me from a fate the females in that territory couldn't escape, and I will help my Alpha to form a Pack that will give females and males a real home," I answer. I tell them about the day I found my fated Mate and that he rejected me; I tell them he tried to force himself on me. "Alpha Keir gave him an Alpha order to never speak about that day, and then he was sedated; I don't think anyone ever figured out what happened." I see the shock in their eyes, and I know Captain Armand will not object to me accompanying Council-member Armas. Two males from Armand's Squad join me and Armas in an SUV, and we head towards Silver Shadow Pack while Lakota guides the rest towards a spot where patrols are almost non-existent. The Warriors at the gate let us through without much hassle, and I see Armas smile as the Pack-house comes into sight; it is a four-story building but not as big as our own Pack-house. Keir had showed me a picture just before we left, and I know who is who because of it. I get out of the SUV and quickly make my way around the SUV to open the door for Council-member Armas; my link to my Pack-members is open to allow them to hear the conversation between Armas and the members of Silver Shadow Pack. I will be going into the Alpha's office with Armas, and I am curious about what he is going to discuss with them. "Council-member Armas, what a nice surprise. What can I do for you?" Alpha Geofry asks, and I am surprised that he hasn't turned over the Pack to his Son yet. The male standing to Alpha Geofry's right is his Son, and the female clinging to him is his chosen Mate; why he chose her over Lakota is a mystery to me. Armas tells him that he just wants to see how the Pack is doing, to talk about any changes in the Pack. "Just your typical check-up visit, like we have multiple times a year, and in case of Silver Shadow Pack to catch up on the past few years. We noticed that during every visit in the past few years some members had been missing from the meetings," he states. We all know he is talking about Keir, and I see both Alpha Geofry and Jace looking a bit uncomfortable, but something tells me it has nothing to do with Keir being gone. Alpha Geofry guides us to his office while Jace tells Jane to get some Omegas to send in refreshments for us, and she quickly disappears into the kitchen. "Alpha, she is not marked and his Father is still the Alpha," I relay to Lakota, and I have to look twice to see if I saw what I think I saw. Jace is sitting next to a male, and they are sitting a bit closer to one another than I would have expected, making me look twice at both males again. Both of them are wearing button-up shirts that are closed all the way to the top, but with my Lycan eyesight I can see the outlines of a mark. Could they be mated to one another, or did Jace take another Mate than Jane? I have no answers to those questions, and I decide to keep my eyes open to find out what is going on here. Once Armas has his coffee, he turns his attention to Alpha Geofry and asks him where his Beta and Gamma are. "I would like to get a full update on the entire Pack; I want them to be able to fill in the gaps. I would also like a chance to talk to the future leadership of Silver Shadow Pack," he says before he takes a sip of his coffee. "My Beta is on his way, but unfortunately my Gamma isn't in the territory at the moment. Carl and Joe are also on their way; they are Jace's Beta and Gamma," Alpha Geofry replies, and I see Armas just staring at him. Even I start to feel uncomfortable, and he isn't even looking at me. Damn, he is scary. Alpha Geofry tries to look away from Armas, but apparently he has some degree of respect for the Council-member, and after a few minutes he finally tells him that Keir left over five years ago. "We have no idea where they went, and we haven't heard from them since," he mutters. Armas asks him why they left and starts to stare at Alpha Geofry again, but this time it is Jace that finally answers. "Lakota was rejected by a Lycan for being Wolfless, and I think she felt ashamed that her fated Mate didn't want her. It is something we all want, and when she got rejected it nearly destroyed her." I look at the male next to him, and from the corner of my eye I see Jace touching his arm. Lakota is laughing her ass off in my head, and I have to keep a straight face; I don't want anyone asking any questions. "Have you found your fated Mate, Jace?" I ask as I look at his neck, and for a moment the entire room goes quiet. "No, I haven't been that lucky yet," he answers, and I raise an eyebrow at him. Apparently Armas realizes I noticed something and asks me why I asked Jace that question. "Council-member Armas, you know as well as I do that the eyesight of a Lycan is much better than that of a Wolf, and I can see the outlines of a mark through his shirt. Most males and females that I know would be showing their mark to the entire world, so I was wondering why Jace and the male next to him were hiding their marks," I explain as I keep my eyes on Jace, and Armas, being a Lycan himself, shifts his attention towards Jace.He looks at both males before he turns his attention back to Alpha Geofry, looking at him for an answer to an unasked question.