5

Dena chokes on a sob. "So that's it then? Both of you have been taken up with this madness?"

"I know you don't understand, Dena," you say, more calmly than you feel. "This is the way of the wolf. We have a duty to fight for our survival. Would you have us live as slaves?"

"I'd have us live."

You hold back a laugh at hearing Dena echo sentiments that you held not all that long ago. But reality being what it is, sentiment will get you killed. Conflict may be inevitable, but Haken is a blunt instrument, suited only to violence. As his councilor, you can be so much more behind the scenes.

Next

Your evening rest is long overdue when you stop by Ahote's old office. You run the back of your hand along the fine workmanship of his favorite chair, and a sharp pang grips you. The elder may not have been a perfect leader, but he always did everything he could for his pack.

You're sitting down, absorbed in your thoughts, when the door opens, and a wolf enters the shadowed room.

In the immediate wake of the election, you spoke to one of your associates, tapping them as a secret second to delegate important matters to. Haken winning leadership despite Ahote's wishes may be the reality you find yourself in, but that doesn't mean you can't work to influence things from behind the scenes regardless of your opinion on Haken's war. The wolf is a blunt instrument set to inevitable conflict, and yet you have allies who would help you smooth the road ahead of Haken's mad rush to blood. Who have you chosen to work with, hidden away from the prying eyes of the official office?

The best secret agents are the ones that nobody suspects. He may not have the skill sets of Jolon or Bly, but Lapu has one major advantage: he blends into the background, a gray-man neither of stature in the community nor infamy. If anything, the adults and elders think of him as a milquetoast beta wolf, existing only in the in-between, seen but not heard. The perfect agent to carry out your will.

Lapu grunts as he settles in a chair, blinking at you from across Ahote's desk. He clears his throat. "Got a lot to cover here. Okay if we get right to business?"

"It's been a long day," you say. "Right to business is all I have the energy for."

A heavy weight in your pocket. Ah yes, before you forget. You take out Justin's radio and push it across the desk to Lapu.

"I'll need you to monitor this for news from the human activists. The last time I talked to them, they mentioned plans to help us gain sympathy with the human public, but we got cut off by interference."

Next

A small notebook flips open in Lapu's hand. "We have quite a few things to discuss. Even if we plan to remain peaceful, some wolves have said that we should try a raid on the humans' weapon caches. If we're careful, we should be able to arm ourselves with a few rifles and explosives.

"I've never felt like the patrols keep as tight a count on their weapons as they should, probably something to do with the quality of men they get here. They use Haven as a punishment detail after all—no human really wants to be here."

You frown, going over the variables in your head. Should raids be attempted at all? It seems risky, but after Ahote's kidnapping, anything is possible. It might be a good idea to stockpile some rifles just in case. Then again, poking a hornet's nest won't help anything if you're caught.