When Luke asked Murtagh as to when he would join them, Murtagh wanted to say after you have won it for me. He chuckled on the inside. The two kids were so… foolish. They had stars in their eyes when they looked at Murtagh. He knew that Tasha was a selfish bitch and was driven only… mostly by her greed. There was a tiny part in her which had grown attached to Luke. But Luke—he only looked at him as if he was worshiping. And Murtagh needed such blind followers. 

"I will be coordinating all the leaders from here," replied Murtagh. "You know that each of them will send their messengers as soon as the attack is over. I am estimating that by tomorrow we will know about every rebel attack."

Muscles tightened in his body when Luke heard that Murtagh wouldn't join them. 

Murtagh knew that Luke wanted him to see how much he was going to fight for him. "If you like, you can stay here and coordinate the attacks," he offered to Luke in a gentle voice. "I will replace you." He played with Luke's emotions. That had an immediate effect on Luke. The boy melted and his face flushed. 

"No Alpha," Luke replied. "You may join any time you like and you can expect to receive good news by tomorrow evening!" 

Murtagh's lips curved up. He walked to Luke and clasped his forearms. "I don't expect anything less from you Luke," he said warmly. "You have like a beta for me I never had. You have shown that you can fight for freedom that I am seeking for my people—people who are forced to submit to the king and queen of Silver Vales. They don't know that they are going to become slaves sooner than later. I just want them all to live in an environment where one can breathe freely." His hands went on Luke's shoulders. "Your dedication to our mission is what keeps me going." 

Luke's chest swelled with pride. He said, "I will not let you down, Alpha."

Murtagh took a deep breath. He held Luke's hands in his and lowered his gaze to them. Then he took out a dagger from the sheath on his belt. It was a sharp-edged dagger with a hilt on which the insignia of the Whiteclaw pack was carved in wood—a wolf howling at the moon. He gave the dagger to Luke and said, "I know that it would be difficult for you to face your father and kill him. But when you face him, take this dagger in your hand. It will remind you of the mission you are on." Murtagh brushed his finger over the carved wolf on it. "This dagger was given to me by my grandfather and I used it to kill my father to become the Alpha of the pack. Now I am giving you this dagger to kill another Alpha of the pack."

Luke took the dagger in his hand. Murtagh was giving him his personal possession and one so important? A shiver passed through him. He turned the dagger in his hand. Its blade glinted the dim light of the torches that were burning around the cave. He swallowed down his saliva as a lump formed in his throat. With a trembling hand he sheathed the dagger in his belt and said, "Thank you Alpha…" he murmured. "I will make sure that I kill Vaarin with this dagger."

A smile came on Murtagh's lips. He had successfully played with Luke's emotions. "Now go and make some more proud of you!" 

Luke bowed to him and strode out of the cave. 

Tasha ambled to Murtagh. She placed her hands on his chest as she looked up at him. "I will make sure that we take over the pack as soon as possible." She placed a lingering kiss on Murtagh's lips. "Because I can't wait to be with you again." 

Murtagh took a strand of her hair that had fallen over her cheek and rubbed it between his fingers. "And I can't wait to be with you." He tucked the hair behind her ear and lifted her chin up. He kissed her passionately. He pulled away from her and she cried. "Go and make me feel proud of you, my Luna." 

Tasha's chest thrummed with excitement. Her eyes flew wide open listening to the word 'Luna'. Her lips curled up and she exhaled a ragged breath. Without saying a word, she turned and strode out. 

Murtagh scoffed behind her. It was too easy to play with her. He watched the two of them leave with their group and then walked inside his room. All he had to do was to watch the rogues attack while he sat comfortably in this cave. He had it all charted out. If the rebels won, he was at a huge advantage. But if they lost, he had his exit strategy planned very well. He started gathering all his things in a bag. 

Luke and Tasha reached the borders of the Whiteclaw pack in the wee hours of the morning. Two groups were dispatched to the weak entry points as discussed earlier while the rest of the men hid themselves in the forest. They all had to wait till the stars started fading in the sky. Only after that they would attack. 

At the same time, the rebel groups that were stationed in the villages across the kingdom grouped themselves at the best possible places for the attack. None of the villagers over the last few days said anything because they posed as traders and carried many goods of interest to the villagers. In fact, the villagers were only too happy to see merchandise that they rarely ever saw. It included soft rugs, furs, blankets, silks and other small useful items—all at very cheap prices. 

According to Murtagh's instructions, not all the rebels had to deal with the villagers. Only two from each group posed as traders while the rest lay low. Everything was extremely well planned. 

Right now, all of them were waiting for the stars to start fading and then they would attack the villages as per the plan. 

--- 

"Why are you so restless, Vaarin?" Kaia asked as she turned to her side and watched her husband who was pacing a hundredth time. The warm glow of fire scattered a soft light in the room. 

Vaarin didn't reply for a long time. He wondered if he should tell Kaia about the smell of their son that he had scented in the forest a week back. He stopped and gazed at her. She looked so calm and relaxed that he felt that it would be a crime to create tumult in her mind. "I am going out to check the frontiers," he said. 

"Now?" Kaia frowned. 

"Yes," he replied in a steel voice. 

"Alone?" Kaia removed her blanket and sat up. 

He shook his head. "No. I am taking some guards with me." 

Kaia bit her lip because she wanted to protest, but she closed her mouth on a second thought. She saw Vaarin leaving and suddenly her instincts screamed at her for going after him. A shiver ran up her spine.. This was an unusual feeling. 

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