I knocked on my office door before I opened it without waiting for a response, silently wondering why the fuck I had done that to begin with but going along with it.

I did not need him to be annoyed with me...

Roger sat at my desk with his head in his hands, and he ran his fingers through his hair without saying a word. His back was facing me, and I couldn't help but raise an eyebrow in question, not knowing why he hadn't sat in my chair so that he could either use a computer or to see who was entering the room and not leave him unprotected.

But still, was he not needing a computer?

I cleared my throat and shifted on my feet. "Did you want to see me?" I asked and raised an eyebrow in question while I studied him, staring at the male that had been a part of my mother's life before I was even born.

Roger sighed and nodded while he stood and turned to face me. He looked tired, grave even, and I could tell that he was worried about what the future would hold for my mother and the pack she swore to protect. "Yes, Alpha," he said and cleared his throat while he gestured toward the chair that was behind my desk. "Why don't you go ahead and sit down behind your desk? I will not keep you long."

I set my jaw and pressed my lips into a thin line, nodding. I walked over to my side of the table, but I didn't sit down as soon as I made it to my chair and looked at him. "Why aren't you sitting in my chair, Roger?" I asked and raised an eyebrow in question while I studied him further, trying to see if I would be able to find an answer before he could tell me. "Was there something wrong with it?"

Roger shook his head and bit back a small smile. "No, Alpha," he said before he cleared his throat and stood taller. "There is nothing with your seat, but I am not the Alpha of the pack. It is not my place to sit and is only meant for those of the Alpha family, such as yourself and your family."

"But what about needing a laptop or a computer? You have a place where you can get information or look at information on my desktop. Dad was fine with it and made sure that you had a spot."

Roger smiled and nodded. "I know, Alpha," he said and cleared his throat. "However, I have my own laptop as well and didn't need it." He gestured toward the little laptop that was in front of him, and I looked at it before I looked at him. "That suited my needs perfectly, and I was able to make sure that I would not be in your spot while I did it."

I bit back an annoyed sigh and shook my head, pursing my lips in annoyance, but I knew better than to keep pushing the matter. "Of course," I said, earning a small chuckle from the older male. "Now, what did you want from me?" I asked and raised an eyebrow in question.

Roger cleared his throat and shifted on his feet, growing serious while he gestured toward his chair. "Why don't we go ahead and sit down before we discuss everything, Alpha?" He raised an eyebrow in question while he studied me with a small frown on his face.

I set my jaw and nodded before I sat down, and Roger followed suit and sat down in the chair he had occupied before I walked into my office. "Well?" I asked and raised an eyebrow in question while I studied him. "What happened? What is going on?"

Roger hesitated before he cleared his throat and shifted in his seat. "Do you mind if I call someone before we discuss everything, Alpha?" he asked and raised an eyebrow in question while he studied me. "I believe it might be best if you hear it from his mouth."

"Whose mouth?" I asked, biting back a small growl, getting annoyed with the male in front of me. I narrowed my eyes and gritted my teeth together, and a small growl escaped my tight lips. "Who do you want to call?"

Roger bit back a small smile and bowed his head, submitting just a tad. "I would like to call Nikolai," he said before he cleared his throat and shifted in his seat while he lifted his head. "If that is ok with you, of course."

The hair on the back of my neck stood at attention while a small shiver went down my spine, and I couldn't help but become nervous, worried even, for what the future would hold for us. "So is the battle coming soon?" I asked and raised an eyebrow in question. "Like in the next couple of days or so?"

"Again, would it be ok if I called Nikolai?" he asked, not answering my question and getting annoyed with me. He tucked his head closer to his chest and slowly blinked while he stared at me. "I believe it might be for the best if you hear it from not only me but him as well."

I bit back an annoyed sigh and slowly nodded, pursing my lips in annoyance. "Go ahead and call him," I said before I cleared my throat and shifted in my seat. "JJ wanted me to let him know that she was safe, anyway."

"Hmph." Roger nodded, and a look of relief flashed through his eyes when he heard that JJ was safe. He didn't say a word and called the other male, and a grave look appeared on his face when Nikolai did not answer right off the bat.

He cleared his throat and shifted in his seat when he hung up the call when the dial tone sounded, and he bowed his head. "My apologies, Alpha," he said before he cleared his throat again and tried to my mother's brother a second time. "I did not expect that to happen."

I didn't say a word and silently gestured that it was fine, even though like him, I was a little worried about what it meant for him not answering when he should.

Could they have figured out that he was on our side..?

Roger stopped the call as soon the dial tone sounded a second time, and a look of worry appeared on his face. He didn't say a word when he opened his laptop and furrowed his brows, and his whole body grew tense when he read something that he didn't like.

"Well?" I asked and raised an eyebrow in question while I studied him. "What happened? What's wrong?"

Roger bit back a tired sigh before he shook his head while he continued to do something on his computer. "Unfortunately, I do not know, Alpha," he said before he cleared his throat and shifted in his seat while he looked at me. "All I know is that something went wrong, and that is why he isn't answering my calls."

"But he is alive, correct?" I asked, and my heart broke just a tad for my mother because I knew that she wanted to get to know her baby brother again as an adult. "Or do you know?"

Roger shook his head and bit back a small smile while he went on his computer to check something else. "That is not something I do not know, Alpha," he said before he cleared his throat and shifted in his seat. "I wish I knew what was happening, but I do not know." He bowed his head and tucked his head closer to his chest. "So I hope you can forgive me."

Oh, Goddess, protect us...