âOliver!â I yell across the field. It feels like ages since the last time we got to talk. Igétas is still jealous, but he isnât here at the moment. He is with Tharros in his office, figuring out a way to make the split-up plan work.
âPurple, how are you feeling?â He looks concerned for me.
âI am okay, feeling more like myself with every hour. How are you doing?â
He isnât wearing a shirt which means that he is shifting back and forth.
He sighs, âIt is a busy day. Alpha and Beta have other things to do. No idea what, but they let me handle the clean-up and the security.â
My lips are sealed. I am not talking about the possible split-up. No way I am the person to screw this up.
âDo I want to know what âclean-upâ means?â I doubt that is just cleaning the canteen up.
Oliver is a werewolf who has lived in a pack without filters all his life, so he just tells the truth: âWe cleaned up the canteen. Burned every drop of wolfsbane and cleaned every surface with blood. The rogues who werenât killed in the fight are in the dungeon, getting screened. The bodies of the dead are in the woods. Weâll set them on fire tonight when the wind has changed.â
My eyes widen. âPeople in the dungeon? That horrible place where Igétas was held?â
âYes, they came in to kill us and take Amanda with them. They deserve to be in prison.â He gives me a small smile. â I know itâs hard to understand we are jurors and executioners, but bear in mind that we are very humane. A lot of packs would just kill every single soul without question. We ask questions, but not now. Now we clean up.â
âI understand, but it is still a lot to take in. This will be my life. I need to get used to it.â I just donât know how.
Later, I find Igétas, Tharros and Yolanda waiting for me.
âGood news,â Igétas starts, âIf we decide to split up, the Elders will support it. We have forty-eight hours to make it official, otherwise, they will be here for the duel.â
âWhy the deadline?â I stare at them confused, we are handling the situation very well. I donât understand what their deal is.
âIt is in the best interest of the pack. Members are sensing something is off. We will decide what their lives will look like in the future. We canât toy with them. Tharros will sleep on the idea, we will meet you and Igétas tomorrow morning.â Yolanda tells me and I nod. They leave and I stand next to my mate.
âSo, today went well?â
âIt could have gone worse. He was still very reserved. He knows it is the best way for us all. He is trying. If he doesnât go for the split-up, I will challenge him tomorrow for the fight.â He looks into my eyes. Which are starting to tear up.
âI just found you,â I tell him, and he holds me tight.
âEverything will be okay.â
âHow can you say that? We should ask Amanda if she knows something.â He picks me up in his arms, and I let him,closing my legs around his waist and my arms around his neck.
âShh, it will be alright.â He tells me, stroking the back of my head. âAmanda canât help now. She can only see the future if someone has already made a decision. And she is still learning, I doubt she even has an idea of what is going on. I am not leaving you. I promise.â
âHow can you promise that?â
âDo you really think I would leave you alone?â
âNo.â
âIndeed, so I wonât.â
If that is his way of calming me, he isnât doing a good job. Still, I believe him. He is so certain, how can I not trust him?
We go to his room and watch a movie. I have no idea what we are watching. Iâm just enjoying the fact that he is next to me, hugging me. His smell surrounds me, calming me. Tomorrow is a big day, for me and for everyone else.
There is a knock on the door. Igétas growls under his breath. I move away from him.
âWho is it?â I ask him when he walks to the door.
âThe only person who thinks it isnât necessary to mind-link me first.â With that said, he opens the door.
âBrother,â Tharros greets him and Igétas nods, holding the door open for him.
Tharros enters the room, Yolanda isnât by his side.
âWhat brings you here?â
âI wanted to tell you my mate and I chose to split up. It is a good plan and Megál wants to keep the Alpha title and his mate safe. He is surprisingly quiet in my mind when Iâm running over the idea. It is a new beginning for both of us.â He looks at me and back at his brother. âI wanted to tell you now so you could have a good night of sleep.â
Igétas nods: âTell Yolanda thanks for telling us today.â A little smile plays on Igétasâ face and if my eyes donât betray me, it appears on Tharrosâ too. He can smile!
âYou know me well.â
âOf course, we are brothers after all.â
Of course it doesnât take long to go back to his alpha mood, âI mind-linked the pack that we have an announcement to make at breakfast and they need to cancel their plans for tomorrow night, so they can decide if they want to follow me or stay here. We will talk tomorrow about the arrangements we need to make.â
âSounds good. We will see you tomorrow morning at breakfast.â
He leaves and we are alone. I am so relieved, there will be no fight.
Now we just need to hammer out the details.
The fight is off. Thank the Goddess.