Rejected By My Mate; Claimed By Lycan Quadruplets Chapter 67

Alpha Enzo's POV

I pushed open the doors to the meeting hall, the deep murmur of voices inside pausing for a brief moment before resuming. Every eye that glanced my way seemed to question my short absence. I straightened my shoulders, not missing a step as I walked back to my seat at the head table.

“My apologies for the abrupt leave,” I said, letting my voice carry across the room without raising it. “Something required my oversight for a few minutes. Let’s proceed.”

Ash gave me a small nod, stepping forward. He always looked like he was born for this—steady gaze, calm tone, no wasted movements. “As I was saying,” he continued, “the rogue wolf attacks have been sporadic but coordinated enough to suggest they’re operating under a central command. We’ve identified three possible strongholds—northern ridge, east canyon, and the abandoned quarry. None of them have been confirmed yet, but we’ve seen tracks and scent trails leading toward these locations.”

He pointed toward the map spread across the long table. Colored pins and markings made the situation look like a game of strategy, but there was nothing playful about the bloodshed those pins represented.

“Our first challenge,” Ash went on, “is to corner them. They’re quick to scatter. They know the terrain well, and they avoid head-on confrontation unless they outnumber us.”

I leaned forward, eyes on the map. “You’re suggesting a two-pronged approach?”

“Yes,” Ash replied. “One to drive them toward an ambush point, the other to cut off their escape routes. But this will only work if we have enough packs contributing fighters. If we send too few, they’ll break through.”

“Numbers won’t be an issue if everyone here commits,” I said, looking around the hall. “But coordination will be. Rogues thrive on chaos. They’ll expect us to be scattered in our approach. We need timing to be exact.”

Alpha Darren, from the Stone Ridge Pack, spoke up. “We can contribute twenty fighters immediately. But they’ll need at least a week of preparation to train in unfamiliar terrain.”

Ash nodded. “Understood. We’ll have the Nightshade Pack’s scouts lead terrain familiarization. They know the east canyon better than anyone.”

One by one, the alphas and their representatives spoke. Offers of fighters, supplies, medics. A few promised to contribute trackers. Another offered silver-forged weaponry. The atmosphere was serious but not without the faint undertone of rivalry—every pack wanted to appear the most capable, the most essential.

Alpha Marcus from the Iron Fang Pack leaned forward. “My pack will contribute thirty. And we can spare three medics. But I want assurances that our people won’t be used as bait again.”

“That was never my strategy,” Ash said firmly.

“It happened last year,” Marcus countered.

“That was under Alpha Rowan’s command, not mine,” Ash replied evenly.

The tension rose for a moment, but I stepped in. “We’re not here to rehash old grudges. We’re here because rogue wolves are threatening all of us. If they gain too much ground, it won’t matter which pack has the biggest numbers or the sharpest blades—we’ll all be vulnerable. Let’s stay focused.”

The room quieted, the point taken.

For the next half hour, we went through more details—who would guard which borders, how information would be relayed, contingency plans in case of unexpected reinforcements on the rogue side. Ash laid out timelines, and I clarified decision-making protocols for when split-second calls had to be made in the field.

By the time the final agreement was set, the tension in the air had shifted into something else—determination. Plans were in motion now, and there was no turning back without admitting weakness, something none of us would do.

The chairs scraped back as the meeting concluded. Some alphas left quickly, others lingered to exchange quiet words. I was just about to turn toward Ash when I noticed someone approaching from across the hall.

Bryan.

He moved with a measured pace, his hands clasped behind his back, expression polite. “Alpha Enzo,” he greeted with a small incline of his head. “It’s been a while.”

“Bryan,” I acknowledged. “I didn’t expect to see you here in person. Usually, your alpha sends a delegate.”

He gave a faint smile. “This matter seemed important enough to attend myself. And… I wanted to speak to you directly.”

I already knew where this was going.

“I heard,” he said, lowering his voice slightly, “that my fiancée is currently in your holding cells.”

“Yes,” I answered plainly. “She crossed into my territory without permission. More than that, she caused a disturbance. My pack’s peace was disrupted. I don’t tolerate that from anyone.”

Bryan exhaled slowly, as if weighing his next words. “She can be… impulsive. I won’t make excuses for her behavior. But she didn’t act with malicious intent. If she’s offended you or your pack, I apologize on her behalf.”

I kept my gaze on him, not responding immediately.

“I would ask,” he continued, “if you could let this go—just this once. I’ll ensure she understands the severity of her actions. She won’t repeat it.”

“She crossed the boundary deliberately,” I said. “That’s not something I overlook easily. If I release her without consequence, I send a message that my borders are negotiable.”

“I understand,” Bryan replied. “But she’s not a threat to your leadership, and this is her first offense against your pack. Alpha to alpha… I’m asking as a courtesy.”

“This isn’t about courtesy,” I said, my tone even. “It’s about order. If I let her go without any repercussion, others will think they can do the same. I can’t have that.”

Bryan’s expression shifted slightly—less polite, more urgent. “Enzo, please. She’s my mate-to-be. I’m responsible for her actions. Whatever offense she caused, consider it my failure to control the situation. Punish me if you have to, but let her go.”

“That’s not how it works.”

“I know,” he said quickly. “But I’m asking anyway. This is me, swallowing my pride and pleading with you. She’s… stubborn. She doesn’t understand pack politics the way we do. Give me the chance to explain it to her properly.”

I studied him for a moment longer. Bryan wasn’t a man who begged easily. The fact that he was standing here, speaking this way, told me two things—he cared about her enough to risk looking weak, and he truly believed she wouldn’t change without his intervention.

“This is your one pass,” I said finally. “The next time she steps out of line on my land, I won’t be so lenient.”

Relief washed over his features. “Thank you, Enzo. I mean it.”

I turned toward Ash, who had been quietly observing from a few paces away. “See to her release. Make sure she understands this was Bryan’s doing, not mine.”

Ash gave a short nod. “Understood.”

Bryan inclined his head again, the tension easing from his shoulders. “I’ll handle the rest. You won’t have trouble from her again.”

“That’s your responsibility now,” I said. “Make sure you follow through.”

With that, Bryan stepped back, the conversation done. Ash moved past me, already on his way to the holding cells. I stayed where I was for a moment, watching the last few alphas leave the hall, each of them carrying pieces of the plan we’d forged tonight.

The fight ahead would be brutal, but at least now, the packs had a unified front. And as for Bryan’s fiancée—she had just been given a mercy she hadn’t earned. Whether she understood the weight of that… remained to be seen.