It was weird how everyone's demeanor towards me, changed after the seal on my back, confirmed my legitimacy, as my father's heir. 
Even my half brothers visited me one by one, vowing their obedience and assistance. 
I knew that some of my ministers and the other Alphas were not very pleased with my position. Yet they smiled and nodded at me in public. But I knew that they would bare their vision fangs behind my back. 
Ryan had gone back to his tribe. We were preparing for battle. We would launch a joint assault on the Northern lands, each pack would surround it on each of uta sides. Ryan had also gone to find the old practitioners of the dark arts. We would need their full assistance if we were up against dark forces. 
I was a little preoccupied. I had to sort things out at my own pack. Tristan had not yet recovered consciousness and his pack was restless at the situation. I had to put things in order at his place as well. We decided to move both the packs strategically, so we could have better travel and communication between us. We were practically functioning as one pack at the moment. 
It was not more than a couple of days. My scouts were late. I had sent them to simply spy on the territory from the outskirts. I had specifically asked them, not to trespass. I had to see the situation because those scouts, that I had sent, were all undercover. Nobody knew about them, except myself and they were some of my best men. 
So, I put on my cloak and quietly, pulled my horse out of the stable, at the dead of the night. 
It was a little chilly and windy but nothing for me to mind. 
I rode every crook and bend. I could not find any traces of my men where they were designated. I was almost about to give up and turn back, when my horse started to neigh, abnormally. It was not my own horse that I had taken. I didn't want my pack to know that I was missing. But this horse that I had taken, was the most well behaved in the stable. It was very very strange for it to misbehave. I had to dismount and tie it to a strong tree trunk and then , started looking behind the bush where it was looking and neighing. 
The impact of what I saw, made me fling back. 
It was one of my men. 
I was standing right in front of him yet I did not get any smell. 
His body was obviously lifeless. His eyes stared up towards the heavens and his body was completely dried. It was as if his life was sucked out of his mouth. 
I was about to take a few steps towards him, contemplating, whether or not to touch him. 
" What you are thinking is right! " I was again startled by an unknown voice, right beside my ear. 
I turned to find a very old looking man. He wasn't human, neither was he a wolf. 
" I wouldn't touch this, if I were you. " he said, smiling at me. " However, if you like, I can show you what happened to him, just before he died. "
Normally, I would have pounced on anyone, who would dare to give me such atrocious advice. 
But I lifted my hand towards him, automatically. 
He smiled again and took my arm, then with another arm, grabbed the hand of my subordinate, who was dead. 
Like a jolt of current, my body shook with violence. It was as if I was out in space. Then all of a sudden, like a replay I found myself in front of my subordinate, who was, at that moment, alive. 
He was waiting patiently , behind the bushes. 
I tried to call his name but it appeared as if he couldn't hear. 
Then a body of black smoke appeared in front of him, out of nowhere and I yelled to warn him of the oncoming assault. 
Yet, there was no sound. 
I watched the dark smoke, take a human like form but he reeked of wolf. It was definitely a werewolf. 
A member of the fallen Grey Hound Wolf Pack? An ally of the, now suspicious Northern Head? 
The figure, cleared my doubt. He introduced himself as the Northern Chief. 
He came at my subordinate as if he was very angry. He grabbed him by his throat and then began sucking something from within him as he screeched and wriggled in plain. I tried stopping what was happening but it seemed like my presence was ghostly in nature. I couldn't touch anybody. 
He threw my subordinates lifeless body and cleaned his mouth. 
" Disgusting wolves from the plain. Can't you guys keep your own business? I swear I will not any of you live if you dare to cross my territories... " He was going on about it and suddenly he said something about Ryan and his mother and his father, which immediately caught my attention. But before I could hear the rest of it, I was pulled out of the state , that I was in. 
" Let me go back. I need to finish hearing what he was saying... "
I almost fought with the old man. He smiled at me again. 
" It isn't in my hand, oh, the first female Alpha chief in these lands. Your subordinate lost consciousness after this moment. I have no power to take to beyond that. "
At that moment, I remembered to ask him the vital question. 
" Who are you? What are you? "
He smiled again. 
" I think, you and I might share the same concern. Your reaction confirmed my doubt. We will both meet again. I have been summoned. Take care, Alpha Sherizad. And my advice to you would be to get out of these lands, as soon as possible. "
And with that he was gone. 
Like literally. There was no trace left of him. 
Somehow, I listened to his advice and headed straight back home.