KANE

"I promise on my sister Lola's memory." She says with fear in her eyes.

With that I left the room, heading back upstairs to head home. It's currently 3 AM in the morning and I have been working for two days straight on gathering information and last-minute plans.

I want nothing more than to sleep with my mate in a bed, her scent and warmth are all I crave when I am away from her, seeing her once for lunch is not enough as my plan is about to take place.

First thing first before I head home, names, and locations of every traitor in my pack, I mind-link only those I trust, Lucas my beta, and Emma, Larson's mate. Larson is my Lead Intel assassin. I wanted to originally put Sora in her care but apparently, my mate has me wrapped around her small delicate finger.

I wait for the names from a warrior who is interrogating Lila on the names and whereabouts of these so-called traitors and give orders to Lex to be in charge of overseeing rounding them up.

This is going to be a long morning and day for me as the first step in any war is to establish your standing and I do not stand for traitors who dare sleep soundly in the land I hold authority.

"Kane we have the traitors, 23 died fighting and we captured the rest, 10 remains. What are your orders?" Lucas says through mind-link.

I want to stare into the eyes of those who dare betray me and the pack as I send them to their afterlife of misery.

"On my way, inform Cole and have him there." I demand then close the link.

Cole will hear their last words to the moon goddess to beg for forgiveness before I lay out the punishment fit for the crime. Cole is our speaker and preacher. If these traitors have any last words, they will say them to Cole. The oldest wolf in my pack.

As I make it to the field of the traitors I glare at each and every face as I imprint their face into my memory, into my soul as what I am about to do is going to drive me to push harder to protect and defend my people.

I stand in front of the kneeling traitors as their eyes glow red as they look at me, fear and begging for a quick death with their eyes.

I nod to Cole to begin.

"I Cole of Deepwater, speaker of The Moon goddess shall now hear any final words before judgment in the law of our kind is judged upon you." He pleads to those kneeling.

As silence drags on and no one speaks I wait until ten minutes pass.

"Time is up." I state glaring down at the traitors beneath me, whom some sob silently and some do not move.

"I do not forgive you as easily as the moon goddess." I close my eyes as I calm my beast. "I am not the enemy but today you are mine. As the Alpha, it is my duty to give the punishment of the highest count, treason, and conspiracy to commit acts of violence to your pack and Alpha."

"Let this be known to your conspirators that I will do what I must to protect my people, always until the day I die." I promise.

I step back as I hear the breaking and snapping of my bones as I shift into my wolf, hearing nothing for miles but the cracking of my bones and the silent prayer and sobbing of those who are about to meet their end.

Snapping my teeth viciously and circling the men and women, no longer pack members but enemies, I do not think twice before I send them to their deaths.

A single swipe and bite to the jugular, painful but quick means of death, it takes all but a minute of torturous pain and longing before death finally grants their wish.

I watch as life fades from their eyes. Feeling their connection to the pack break like a leaf falling from a tree. A sensation I can never get used to and don't want to. This is the life of a pack, those who show compassion for traitors and lawbreakers do not live long as Alphas. The laws are sacred and passed down since the beginning and I respect them as so did the Alphas before me.

I howl into the cold silent night as blood soaks the grass and the smell of death lingers in the air.

I howl a promise to my people to display my unbreakable dominance of leadership, to show the others hearing this that I will never conceive, never submit and never forgive.

I give a silent thought to the moon goddess then I turn and head towards home in my wolf form. Mind-linking the wolves with me to bury the traitors in unmarked graves.

Traitors do not get to rest peacefully, unmarked graves are the highest dishonor our kind take seriously, unmarked is a never-ending hell for the spirit of your soul and wolf to forever roam alone in the afterlife, without a pack, completely alone, never finding peace.

I can not allow my enemies to see weakness, it could be hours, days, or months before Orion and Aeyon shows their face and when they do.

The war for The Vale will begin.