Tactical assessment: Improved pack cohesion.Potential security advantage.Possible vulnerability if overconfidence develops.
His wolfish senses picked up approaching footsteps—two sets, moving in synchronized rhythm.Malcolm and Larissa.Anders didn’t need to turn to identify them; their scents and gaits were as familiar as his own.
“Evening,” he said mildly, still watching the gathering pack.A group of younger wolves were roughhousing near the eastern edge.Good spot for it—soft sand for landings, clear sight lines for supervision.Though, someone should really remind Dante Sanchez to watch his left flank.The kid had a tendency to leave it exposed.
“Anders.”Malcolm’s voice carried a new authority.“Got a minute?”
Now Anders did turn, taking in the coalphas’ body language.Serious expressions but relaxed postures.Not a crisis, then.Something planned.
“I’ve got several,” he replied dryly.“Even a few to spare.”
Larissa’s lips twitched, suppressing a smile.She and Malcolm exchanged a glance—one of those silent conversations they’d perfected since acknowledging their mate bond.Anders found it both tactically impressive and mildly amusing.Two apex predators, operating as a seamless unit.
Assessment: Effective leadership dynamic.Strong foundation for pack restructuring.
“We’ve been discussing the guardian position,” Larissa began, her tone measured.
Anders’s spine stiffened slightly.The guardian role had been a festering wound in the pack’s structure since Percy Williams’s betrayal.The previous guardian had turned that sacred trust into a weapon, using his position to help Vincent maintain control through fear and violence.
“Have you now?”Anders kept his voice neutral, though his mind was already racing through implications and contingencies.
Malcolm nodded.“The pack needs a new lead guardian.Someone with judgment, loyalty, and the strength to rebuild the position the right way.”He paused, meeting Anders’s gaze steadily.“We want you to take it on.”
Anders was grateful for years of practice at maintaining a poker face.The primary guardian position was one of the most crucial roles in pack hierarchy—responsible for security, training, and protecting the pack’s most vulnerable members.
“Interesting proposal,” he said carefully.“Any particular reason you’re looking to fill the position now?”
“The pack is healing,” Larissa explained.“But that healing needs to be protected.Nurtured.We need someone who can maintain security without creating fear.Someone who understands the difference between protection and control.”
Tactical considerations: Security protocols need complete overhaul.Training programs require restructuring.Defensive perimeters need reassessment.Personnel evaluations…
Anders realized he was already planning the job before accepting it.Typical.His mind always did run several steps ahead of the conversation.
“Percy left some pretty deep scars,” he pointed out.“Both literal and metaphorical.The guardian position doesn’t exactly inspire trust these days.”
“Which is exactly why we need someone like you,” Malcolm said.“You’ve earned the pack’s respect.They know you’ll protect them, not control them.”
Anders absorbed this, considering the implications.The moon was rising, its pull growing stronger.Around them, pack members were starting to stretch and shift restlessly, preparing for the run.
“Full authority to implement necessary changes?”he asked.
“Within reason,” Larissa nodded.“We’ll want to review major protocol changes, but you’ll have operational autonomy.”
“And a seat on the leadership council?”
“Of course.”Malcolm’s response was immediate.“We’re rebuilding this pack the right way.That means proper checks and balances.”
As he considered his decision, Anders felt a sense of rightness.Of purpose.
“Well,” he said finally, “I suppose someone has to keep you two from getting too caught up in each other to notice security breaches.”
Larissa laughed in relief.“Is that a yes?”
“That’s a yes,” Anders confirmed.“Though, I reserve the right to complain about the paperwork.”
“Granted,” Malcolm said with a smile.
Then the moon’s pull crescendoed, and the ripple that preceded transformation writhed beneath Anders’s skin.Around them, pack members were already beginning to shift, human forms blurring, twisting, and re-forming into wolf shapes.