Chapter Seventeen

Seth

I didn’t want to leave her. I couldn’t put my finger on why. Maybe it was her vulnerability. Maybe it was because I was the one who found her. But Clayton was my Alpha. I had to listen to him.

I had to think about the bigger picture, and that picture was the council scheming. But why? I knew they despised humans and hybrids. Maybe she was the last of her kind. The last hybrid. But how could that be?

The border had been there for nearly forty years. Before both of us were born. I knew about the council's purge. Everyone did. It was a part of our education, both here and in the council-controlled territory.

I tried to push it out of my mind as I stripped down. I felt my bones shift and crack as I transformed. It felt good to be in wolf form.

I hadn’t transformed since finding Ellie in the cave, and I liked to let my wolf run free every day.

I let my wolf take over as we made our way to the river. The land on this side was ours, and the other side was Zagan’s pack territory.

It wasn’t too risky to step into his lands, as long as there were no patrols around.

Once we got to the river, I stayed on our side. I sniffed the air towards the border. I couldn’t pick up any scent of his pack, but I smelled something else. Something that didn’t belong.

I stepped into the river. It was kind of a neutral zone. Not claimed by either pack. I sniffed the air again. Why could I smell a rose out here?

They didn’t grow in the wild, and no one would plant them unless it was in a garden.

I followed the scent, then I saw it. A single red rose bloom, on a tree stump. I quickly sniffed the air again, checking for other wolves, either in human or wolf form.

There were none, so I quickly transformed back.

I crossed the river and headed to the stump. Smart, marking something with a flower. If you weren’t looking for something, you probably wouldn’t have noticed.

The tree stump had a hole in the side, big enough for a hand. I reached inside, feeling around with my fingertips. Then I felt it.

If I hadn’t been looking for something, it might have felt like a leaf, or some other debris, but I knew as soon as I touched it, what it was. A piece of folded paper.

I pulled it out, and held it in my hand. Then I picked up the rose. I thought we could plant a fake document. If we did, then I would need a marker.

I quickly crossed the river. I was now back in our territory. If whoever had left it now found the message gone, I wondered if they would be expecting a reply.

Once I was far enough from the border, I looked at the message:

Alpha threat eradicated. Brother terminated. Confirm termination of hybrid.

I frowned, what did this mean? Hopefully Clayton would know. Now I had to get back and search Joseph’s quarters. Maybe we would get more of the story if he had kept the previous notes.

By the time I got back the sun was starting to rise. I kept thinking about the note. What did that mean, Alpha threat eradicated? And whose brother had been terminated?

Did Ellie have a brother, or did Sammy? With every step, it seemed we had more questions than answers.

I quickly dressed in the clothes I had stashed at the entrance of the pack-house.

Instead of going to Joseph’s quarters, I went straight back to Clayton’s apartment. It was still early, so I figured he would still be with Ellie.

I found something at the border, I’m bringing it in

I mind-linked him. The last thing he needed was to think that an intruder was coming into his apartment. Especially after what happened last night.

I tried the door, but it was locked, so I knocked gently. I chuckled to myself. I wasn’t sure if the door was locked to keep intruders out or Ellie in.

I heard movement on the other side of the door, and Clayton opened it.

He stepped aside to let me in.

“What did you find?” he asked.

I handed him the rose and the note.

He raised his eyebrows at the flower.

“It was the marker,” I explained.

He rolled his eyes. “Clever...but not clever enough to outwit you, I see,” he smirked.

Then he looked at the note and frowned.

Before saying anything, he glanced over his shoulder towards the bedroom, then he lowered his voice.

“Joseph said that Alpha Gabriel of the Crescent Moon pack was still looking for her, that must be the Alpha threat. I don’t know anything about a brother?

“It could be she has one, or it could be the other pup had one. Ellie would know, but I don’t want to upset her either way. It seems like they are expecting a reply.”

I nodded.

“I’ll go and search his room. See if I can find any more notes.”

Clayton glanced over his shoulder again and smirked.

“I’ve arranged the ceremony to join her to the pack...she wasn’t very impressed. She thinks it’s some sort of punishment. Little does she know we’re probably saving her life.”

I chuckled.

“She’s a bit of a spitfire, do you think you can handle her, or are you going to let one of the families take her in?”

Clayton shook his head.

“It’s too risky. Joseph said there were others, but he didn’t know who. I think it’s going to be down to you and me until we know who we can definitely trust.”

I nodded and turned to leave, but stopped when I heard him call my name.

“Seth? I think there’s a possibility that she’s related to my uncle.”

I turned back to look at him and frowned.

“What makes you think that?” I asked.

Clayton sighed. “The only way a hybrid wolf can be immune to silver is if one of their ancestors was a white witch. I checked the records, Seth.

“The only human mate that was a white witch was Eleonora. My uncle’s mate.”

I stared at him.

“How is that possible? She couldn’t be the pup’s mother. Your uncle and she had no pups.”

Clayton shrugged.

“I don’t know, but I think we need to make a trip to the mountains in a couple of days with Ellie. Speak to my uncle.”

I gave a nod. If his uncle was even still alive, that is. We hadn’t heard a peep from him in what felt like forever.

“I’ll go check out Joseph’s place. When’s the ceremony?”

“Mid-day,” Clayton answered, “Before that, I need to take her to see Veronica. We need to figure out why her wolf is still dormant.”

I made my way to Joseph’s quarters, located a floor below ours. Clayton had made sure it was locked up tight. Only he and I had the keys.

I couldn’t imagine anyone being dumb enough to break in, even if they were in cahoots with the council. I wasn’t even sure if there was anyone else involved, but it never hurts to be careful.

But how were we supposed to find out? The only way would be to use Ellie as bait. I didn’t like the sound of that, and I doubted Clayton did either.

Once I was inside, I started to look around. The place was bare. Just a bedroom with an attached bathroom and a living area. The living area was simple: a couch, some bookshelves, a TV, and a desk.

There was also a small fridge stocked with booze. I started rifling through the bookshelves, checking inside the books for any hidden notes. I came up empty.

Next, I started inspecting the desk. It was old, made of some kind of wood. Cherry, I thought. None of the drawers or cabinets were locked, but once again, I found nothing useful.

I stood in the center of the room and let out a sigh. There had to be something somewhere. Then I looked at the desk again. I tilted my head to one side, as a memory bubbled up.

My mom used to tell me stories when I was a kid about the humans in the olden days who made furniture. One of them had a knack for creating secret compartments to stash things.

I couldn’t remember the name, but that wasn’t the point. The desk was old. Could it have a secret compartment?

I walked over to the desk and gave the drawers another look. The back of one of the drawers sounded different when I knocked on it. Comparing it to the other one, it seemed smaller.

I yanked it out and smashed it to bits, revealing several small notes. I quickly scooped them up. Most were in the same handwriting as the one I had found earlier that morning. I’d hit the mother lode.

I sat down and started to read them, trying to arrange them in some sort of timeline.

~Two pups. One Hybrid. One Bane. Crossed your border. Zagan may be father.~

~Confirmed Zagan not father. Back on side. Terminate Hybrid ASAP~

~Plan for border going ahead. Confirm termination ASAP~

I looked at the notes and shook my head. What plan for the border? Was the council planning to attack us? I had to let Clayton know without freaking out the pup.

I figured the safest bet was a mind-link.

~Clayton, I’ve found more notes. I think they might be planning to attack us.~

Clayton responded almost instantly.

~Meet me at the hospital, bring the notes.~

I made a beeline for the hospital. I figured Veronica was examining Ellie. Trying to figure out why her wolf was still dormant.

As I walked in, I saw the little pup sitting on the bed. She didn’t look too thrilled.

She looked at me as I walked in the door, so I gave her a wink. She just glared back at me.

Clayton looked at her and smirked.

“I’m going to talk to Seth, just try and behave,” he teased.

She shot him a scowl.

Clayton walked over so that we were out of her hearing range.

I showed him the notes.

“What the hell are they planning?” he growled.

I shrugged, “I don’t know, but I think it might be smart to call in the reserve.”

Clayton gave a nod.

“We’ll do it right after the ceremony. If they're planning to try and take over our territory, it will take them a while to gather forces.

“They’ll also have to pass it at a council meeting and inform the packs. That will work in our favor. They will have to get all the packs to agree.

“Killing hybrids is one thing, starting a war is another.”

I nodded, then glanced over at the pup.

“What’s with the face?” I asked Clayton, “did you ask her if she or the other pup had a brother?”

Clayton chuckled.

“No, she’s been sour-faced since I told her that she was going to be joining our pack today. Making her wear a dress was also the last straw.”

I looked back over at her. I hadn’t noticed until now. If it wasn’t for the scowl on her face, she would look pretty cute.

Clayton rolled his eyes.

“Don’t even start thinking that she’s a sweet little girl, Seth. You saw what she did to poor Olivia.

“But then if she wasn’t tough, she probably wouldn’t have survived, and if there’s going to be a war on the horizon, she’s going to have to be tougher still.”