Chapter thirty one

“Dad, there is something fishy about the Blue moon pack,” Steven said, storming into the room given to him where he knows his father was waiting for him in.

Ethan sighed, “not now, Steven.”

“But I’m serious. The alpha’s daughter, there is something about her. I witnessed her sparing with someone in the morning and I noticed something about her. Everyone knows that females in the alpha families don’t have the alpha powers but I noticed how fast she was. She has speed, dad, speed, like an alpha.”

“Her father said the same thing today, didn’t he?” Ethan asked.

“He said it was after she was treated from the Garuda flower which means that she didn’t have it before. There is something fishy about her, dad, I can feel it.”

Ethan exhaled and stood up from the bed. “Steven, I want you to listen to me, Alpha Alan is not feared by all alphas for no reason, trust me, you don’t want to get on his bad side. Also, look at this pack, Steven, they are bigger, they are stronger and you definitely don’t want us to be at war with them. The only strength we have that they don’t is you. We have an Alpha, they don’t but trust me, that Beta’s son, what’s his name again, Sean, I think, don’t underestimate him, I sensed his strength back then in the woods and I am sure you did too. It’s a good thing he has a mate because if not, I am sure Alan would want him with his daughter. He has Alpha qualities, the only thing he lacks is the power which we both know that Alan can offer to give to him if the need be.”

Steven frowned, “why are you telling me this?”

“Look at this pack, son, imagine merging it with the Black Wind. We would be formidable and feared in all packs.”

“So?”

“Their daughter is without a mate, you are without a mate. If you ask me, rather than notice the differences in her, I will say you get close to her. You are an Alpha so Alan won’t reject you being with her. If you end up being marked by her, that technically makes you the alpha of this pack, so imagine controlling this pack.”

“And what happens when I find my mate? What happens when we find our mates?”

“If your mate is the daughter of an Alpha who doesn’t have a son, then fine, go to her, but if she is just an ordinary she-wolf, then you know who my pick is.”

Steven rolled his eyes and walked towards the window. “This is the mating bond we are talking about here dad, please, don’t put greed over my happiness.”

“Like you care about some she-wolf you have never met. I know you son, you are like me, you have taste for power and going to be very powerful when you become the alpha of this pack.”

“Why am I feeling like you wanted me to stay here not just because of Gerald, hell, not even because of Gerald at all?” Steven raised an eyebrow.

Ethan shrugged. “Get close to Alan’s daughter, Steven, you will thank me later.”

“I don’t even like her at first sight.”

“Feelings develop.”

“How are you sure she would even like me?”

Ethan smiled. “Oh, she will, she is desperate for a mate. I heard that she sneaks out every night in search of wolf strong enough to be her mate. You are strong and plus, you are an alpha, so you are an eligible candidate.”

“God, I can’t believe you are putting me into this. But first, I am going to find out what happened to Gerald and I swear to God, dad, if she has anything to do with it…”

“You will not do anything. Gerald would be fine, Catherine said so. She met us when I was talking with Alan, she said he would be okay in a few days.”

“And you believed her?”

“She is the best healer, Steven, even you knows that.”

Steven sighed and looked out the window. His room has a view of the training ground and also the little gate that leads into the woods. Now staring down, he noticed a deep brown haired girl trying to sneak out. He scoffed, “I said it that there is something fishy about her.”

“What?” Ethan asked.

“Alpha Alan’s daughter, she just snuck into the woods right now.” He answered, going to the door.

“And where are you going?”

“After her, of course,” Steven replied, “I must find out what she is hiding.” He opened the door and was out before his father could stop him.

***

Edward ran home after staying the whole morning watching the Rogues, he had wanted to meet that person again but they never returned. He had sent Rasmus home when the sun was about rising and now feeling the scorching sun on his back, he knew that none of his kind would dare venture outside at the moment. He sighed, missing his men, the sun had never been an obstacle and because he is the only one that walks under it now makes his days boring, making him do things at night when they could come out as well.

It has been a long time since he walked under the sun because Rasmus loved following him around and he must consider the man’s safety, no matter what. As he ran in the quiet woods, something caught his attention and he halted. His eyes scanned around and his ears listened for the faintest of sound.

“Should we trust him?” he heard and it wasn’t long, their scent wafted into his nostrils and his eyes flickered red. Night Howlers, the days belong to them, obviously. He leaped up to the tallest tree where he could see and hear them without them detecting his presence.

“We have no choice, he has been providing food for our younger ones,” another voice answered.

“I don’t know, it’s just…it seems strange.” The first one said and finally, they came into view. They weren’t old, they looked about ninety to hundred years old each.

“What does?” the other one asked.

“Him, I mean, have you ever seen his face? Sometimes I think he is even a woman.”

“I’m not sure he would like us discussing about him.”

“Well, think about this, where are our sons and daughters that were sent out on the blood moon night, none of them has returned. My daughter’s mate is one of them and she has been crying every day since that night saying she can’t feel him anymore and now he is asking us to prepare twenty of our children for him. What is he doing with them?”

The other man sighed. “You know, you are right. I didn’t want to tell anyone this before but, last night when I went to his room, I smelt a nightwalker.”

“What?”

Edward’s eyes opened in shock as he listened more.

“A nightwalker, in our pack, why?”

The other one shrugged. “I don’t know and I couldn’t ask him, but my nose has never lied to me. I smelt that wretched scent that always turns my stomach whenever I perceive it.”

“Do you think he is the one?”

“No, I have never smelt it from him and last night was the first time I smelt it in his room.”

The first man sighed and shook his head. “Really, Dante, if you ask me, I think we are being used as puppets.”

“How nice,” a voice said and even Edward felt the danger laced in the voice. He could sense a presence but he couldn’t see anybody apart from the two night howlers. “You let go of your jobs to gossip?”

“No sir, of course not,” the men pleaded, their eyes searching frantically around them.

A shadow appeared then and Edward gasped when he noticed it was the same person as before. “Since you have ample time to gossip, how about you do something for me,” the man said and with a wave of his hand, the two men fell on the ground and started convulsing. Edward watched as they turned into their true forms but something was different, they looked deranged just like the beasts he had killed a night ago.

After their transformation, they growled and galloped into the woods, out of his sight. Edward jumped down then and he heard the hooded man chuckle. “Finally, I was thinking you are not going to get down.”

“Who are you?” he asked.

“Oh, you don’t need to know that now,” the man said and turned to him but like the first time, his face was hollow, shrouded in darkness. “My Prince,” he did a dramatic bow before he laughed and vanished. Edward glanced around, he could still hear his evil laugh and could still feel his presence but couldn’t see him. “You are a strong one, no doubt, even your fellow originals weren’t as strong as you are now, and we both know the reason for that. Don’t we, Prince Edward?” he laughed some more, “When are you going to tell your people the truth of what you truly are?”

“Only cowards hide in the face of a fight,” Edward said, ignoring his question and wishing he could lay his hand on the damned man.

“Oh don’t worry, we will fight, just not now. Goodbye Prince Edward, till we meet again,” the man laughed and soon, Edward couldn’t feel his presence anymore and his eyes glowed red in anger. However, just then, he felt fear deep in his chest and his mind immediately went to Aliyah and he turned and sprinted through the woods.