He hurried back so that he could meet with his Alpha and deliver the news much sooner. He’d only stayed long enough to see the little boy get the note, and once that was done, he left. He couldn’t afford to get caught.
Especially since he knew that the note was bound to start trouble.
He’d been sent on multiple errands, and with the note being the second to last one, he made his final pit stop on the way back. The door creaked as he stepped in, and his senses immediately picked up the smell of jasmine and oak in the air.
It was a strange combination, but he’d learnt not to question anything.
Instead, he made his way in, following the sounds of the chimes. He wasn’t sure what it is that he’d come to fetch since he hadn’t been told. All he’d been told was that she’d be expecting him.
He didn’t even know who the she spoken about was.
There was an eerie silence in the store, but he knew that the humming surrounding him was energy from the different artefacts. He was in a powerful space, and he needed to be careful how he handled everything around him.
“Come young wolf. I’ve been expecting you.”
The voice was cracked, only adding to the creepiness of the place. He walked on, walking towards the woman who was at the back of the store. Her back was to him, so he couldn’t see her face, nor could he see what she was working on.
“Have a seat. I’ll be right with you.”
She still hadn’t turned to speak to him, and he took a seat as instructed. Unlike the front of the store, the back had less artefacts and more books. He wondered how old the store and everything around him was.
The woman started humming, and with her humming came a low sound around the store. He wouldn’t lie and say he wasn’t nervous about what was happening, but he trusted that he’d make it out of there alive simply because he’d been sent to fetch something.
And fetching something meant he needed to deliver it.
Or so he hoped.
“Calm down young wolf. You won’t be dying by my hand today.”
That only calmed him a little. “Who are you?”
“I’ve gone by many names over the years,” was her vague response.
“How old are you?” he tried another approach.
He didn’t expect the deep cackle that left her. “Old enough.”
He knew then not to ask any questions and simply wait for her to be done with whatever she was doing. Instead he opted for looking around at the books around him. None of the words on the spines made sense to him since they weren’t in English.
He’d taken in most of the bookshelf by the time the woman moved. She made sure to still hide her face as she went over to the next room. He continued to scope the room, and with her having moved, he finally had a look at the table she was working on.
He had no clue what she was doing since the things on the table weren’t things he knew. He couldn’t tell if what she was doing was good or bad, though the energy in the store didn’t suggest any positive vibes.
He knew to continue sitting where he was, despite whatever curiosity was running through him. He didn’t want to upset the woman or his Alpha. He just wanted to lay low and do what was instructed of him.
The woman returned, face still shielded as she walked back to the table. This time, he could see the big box she had with her, and he watched as she put something in it. She chanted a couple of words in a language he couldn’t understand, before she finally turned.
He wouldn’t be able to tell if his face reflected the horror he felt upon seeing her face, but he hoped it didn’t. She grinned, expecting the response as she glided over to him. He gulped, waiting for her to say something.
“Be afraid young wolf. Always be afraid when you see me.”
“Y-yes,” he stammered.
She handed over the box. “He will know what to do with it. Be a good wolf and don’t open it. I will know if you do.”
He knew that she wasn’t bluffing in any kind of way. “I won’t.”
She sneered. “That’s a good wolf.”
He took the box from her, his hands instantly chilled by it, before heading out. He was surprised to find that hours had passed since he’d entered the store since it was dark out. He wondered how that worked as he made his way back.
The journey was an hour long, and when he arrived, a few people were lingering, busy with their own things. He passed by them, greeting a few on the way as he made his way to the office.
When he arrived, the two were there, speaking. “You’re back?”
He nodded, handing over the box. “Apparently you’ll know what to do with this.”
His Alpha took the box. “What about the note?”
The question came from the second in command. “I delivered it. I only stayed long enough to watch the little boy give it to some man.”
“What man?” his Alpha asked.
He frowned. “I don’t know him. He didn’t come up on any of the information you gave me.”
That intrigued the second in command. “Was he around the boys?”
He nodded. “He was taking them out for ice-cream.”
“So, he’s someone from their inner circle,” the second in command noted.
“Which means our intel is missing information if we don’t have any record of him. We need to find a way in,” the Alpha added.
“It can’t be through any of us since they know us. We need to send in an unknown face,” the second in command stated.
The Alpha agreed. “I’ll look into it because we need to be careful. If we send in the wrong person, they’ll know. They’re annoyingly good at sniffing out bullshit, so we need to send in someone with experience.”
They listened to their man give back the full report, before dismissing him. “We need to kick things up with the rumours surrounding Nathaniel’s ascension to the throne.”
“I don’t think that’s necessary. We need to stay focused on what is expected of us. He’s going to ascend the throne whether or not we like it. Our job is to make his life as impossible as we can until the next phase of plans kick in,” the Alpha countered.
“And when exactly is the next phase kicking in?” the second in command questioned.
The Alpha smirked. “Trust me. You’ll know when it happens.”
The second in command had no choice but to trust in his elusive Alpha’s plans. It’s all he’d ever had to do since he still wasn’t being let in the whole way. He knew though that he’d been let in more than anyone else.
And that would have to be enough to appease him.
He left the Alpha’s office and headed out to check on their operations. Things had been running smoothly, especially since they’d decided to align operations. They knew that they were building up a reputation on the heroes’ radar.
And it was exactly what they wanted.
They needed the heroes distracted from what they were truly working on. They had to cause as much chaos as possible, but also being careful about where the attention was falling to.
He walked into the dungeon and was immediately met by the foul stench that irritated his nose. Coming here wasn’t his most favourite thing in the world to do, but there was a prisoner that he’d been personally made responsible for.
He walked down the hallways, passing by the guards and different prisoners in place. He nodded to the guards, ignoring the different reactions from the prisoners. Some pleaded to be let go, some cried and whimpered amongst themselves, while some showed that fighting spirit he was yearning to break down.
Those were his favourite types of prisoners.
He finally reached her cell after entering the vault. Unlike the other cells, which had bars where the prisoners could be seen, hers was completely blocked out. He wondered if there was anyone besides the Alpha who knew what she looked like since not even he knew.
His only job was to make sure that she was alive.
It was a strange request, that much he knew, but he complied nonetheless. However, she didn’t make the task an easy one since she sometimes refused to eat. He always found her in the same position, facing away from the little opening he could see her through.
She looked deathly skinny, and yet she wasn’t giving out. It had him extremely curious, particularly since he couldn’t feel her aura, or scent her out, so he didn’t even know what kind of creature she was. The only thing that would alert him to her being alive was her heartbeat and heartrate.
If it was too low, then he knew she was weak and would be eating again soon.
It was how she kept going. She’d eat, and then let that one meal sustain her for a couple of days before the next time she’d eat again. He was thoroughly fascinated by her, and despite knowing that he’d never get the answers even if he asked, he wondered about her.
About why she was the most valuable prisoner in this place.
Everything about her imprisonment was different from the other prisoners. From the metal used to make her prison, to the amount of locks on the doors. No one but the Alpha had access to the keys to let her out of that place, and the fact that her cell was in a vault spoke to her importance.
She also had the most amount of guards stationed outside the vault containing her cell.
He’d tried to ask her about her imprisonment before, but nothing he ever said or did got a reaction out of her. She simply stared at the wall before her, with her back turned to him. He respected her dedication to keeping to herself, even if it meant him getting to know nothing about her.
Confirming that she was indeed still alive, he left the dungeon, heading out to his room. Things had settled down for the evening, so he was ready to call it a night. His mate was waiting for him when he arrived.
“How did everything go?” she asked.
“The note was delivered, so we’ll know in a couple of days just how much it rattled them,” he replied.
She sighed, watching him get ready to take a shower. “And are we sure that this is the right approach?”
He looked her straight in the eyes. “I trust in the plan. This is the only way to ensure that we keep the chaos going. Nathaniel and his little crew must never know peace.”
Calypso was pacing, thoroughly distracted. Killian knew that nothing he said would get through to her – nothing except answers. That’s all she wanted, and he too wanted the same.They’d been penetrated and he needed to understand how that happened.Grant and Jethro had been called back into the office once Calypso had read the note. Edward volunteered to watch over the boys while the investigation was being carried out. He knew that his son’s attention would be occupied for at least a couple more hours.Killian sighed, getting up to walk around his desk. He leaned on it, before pulling his mate into a hug. She didn’t fight him, and it wasn’t long before the first tear trailed down her cheek, but she fought to make sure it was the last.She refused to give Jeremiah the satisfaction of affecting her in any way anymore.“You should’ve let me kill him,” she growled lowly.Killian brushed her hair. “You know why I didn’t.”She pulled back to look into his eyes. “Killing him then would’ve p
Cassidy woke up early, leaving her mate in bed. He’d come to bed late, prepping for his meeting, and she’d fallen asleep without him. She left the bed and quietly got ready for the day. He was still asleep when she left, heading for the kitchen. She understood better than anyone just how important the meeting with Garrett Marriott was, despite her joking manner. She arrived in the kitchen to find the royal kitchen staff preparing breakfast. She’d already been introduced to everyone, with them looking forward to working with her. She told them that she didn’t know much about cooking, and they said they’d take her under their wing. They, together with the other castle staff, were just happy to have her in the castle. Apparently, Nathaniel’s aunt hadn’t exactly treated them well. She’d ignored them, leaving them to run the castle on their own. They were happy to finally have a queen who was at least willing to learn where she had shortfalls. Nathan’s aunt was also on the run. They di
Garrett had imagined different scenarios going into this meeting, and while he wouldn’t admit it out loud, things were not going remotely as he thought they would. What was being revealed to him had him shook.“Nathan is the rightful heir to the throne, and he’s nowhere as toxic as Phillip and Jeremiah. As I’m sure you’re aware of the happenings in our kingdom, Jeremiah, together with Tyson Cannon and Jordan Williams are running an underground ring of sorts, and we intend to weed it out and put a stop to it. You can be a part of actually helping fix the kingdom, or you can step aside and shut up,” Cassidy told them.Remy was shocked, expecting to see Nathan furious at how his mate was addressing them, only to find the new King proud of what his mate had just said. He was starting to realize that they may have gotten in way over their heads.“What exactly are you proposing?” Garrett asked.Nathan sat forward. “The last thing I want is to push aside anyone who has the same goal that I h
“Focus Samira.”Samantha breathed in, allowing her witch to take over. She felt the change, felt everything consume her, before she felt the energy swirling around her. Everything felt like it was moving around and through her, and it was an experience she couldn’t put into words.“If you don’t focus, that feeling will overwhelm you and supercharge your powers,” her mother warned.“How come?” she asked.“I can’t say I know exactly, but it has to do with our bloodline. I’ve come across many other witches in my years of existence, and they have no idea what I’m talking about when I describe this. It’s a power that only you and I have,” Amaya informed.“I mean, I’ve never seen anyone else fly, so I would think it’s not something other witches can do. I doubt it would remain a secret for very long,” Samantha commented.“You’re probably right, but we’re not flying either. We’re simply manipulating the energy around us to enable us to float at the very least,” Amaya corrected.Samantha gigg
With Jeremiah having had the access he had to Xavier, Calypso didn’t feel right leaving the boys behind on their trip to the Dark Moon Pack, and Killian couldn’t argue. He knew that this was the only way to calm his mate’s nerves.“Mommy, where are we going?” Aiden questioned as she packed their clothes.“We’re going to visit Uncle Cain and Aunt Ivy,” she responded.Both boys were amped to hear that, making Calypso laugh. They continued helping her pack, while telling her all the things they looked forward to doing. It warmed her heart to see them so close.Despite everything happening around them, she was at least comforted by their unity.When they were packed, she sent them to look for Grant, while she headed to find her mate. He was in their office, looking over some matters that needed his attention, and she stood at the door, watching him for a while.She thought back to the first days of their relationship. He loved her, despite her not being as sure as he was about her. He’d t
Garrett was a bundle of nerves as he waited. Cassidy had told him to wait in the gardens for her. She was initiating her plan to get his mate to talk to him. She’d refused to share the plan, so he didn’t quite know what to expect.Penelope had received a link from her friend, asking her to meet at their spot in the gardens. The last thing she expected was to find her mate there, and with his back to her, she turned to quickly leave.But he’d already caught her scent.“Penelope, wait, please.”The plea in his voice pulled at her heart, enough to get her feet to stop moving. “I won’t hurt you.”“I never thought you would,” she said softly, knowing he could hear her.“Why avoid me then?” he asked.She sighed, before turning to face him. “Nathan and Cassidy are my closest friends and they’re good for the kingdom.”He cocked his head to the side. “And you’d risk a mate you’ve been waiting to meet for them?”“For the great of the kingdom, yes, I would. I wouldn’t want to be with anyone who’
Samantha received a link from her brother, alerting her of Nathan and Cassidy’s engagement party, and with her mother’s blessing, they paused her training and headed back to the Dark Moon Pack to join the celebrations.When they arrived, Amaya excused herself, while Samantha was teleported away. She didn’t expect to find herself in a room with Zen, Killian, Calypso, Nathan, Cassidy, Cain, Ivy, Vera, Hunter, and Wayne.“What’s going on?” she asked.“We were waiting for you so that we could get started on updating everyone of recent developments,” Killian told her, instantly warming her heart at the gesture.“Right, before we go far, we should probably start with Hunter and Wayne. Guys, we need you and the White Star Pack to move closer to Nathan and Cassidy and join the royal pack,” Calypso told them.Hunter nodded. “That’s fine with us, but do you mind me asking why now?”“We realized that the royal pack as it is isn’t the strongest. While we’re undoing Phillip’s legacy, we also need
On their walk back to the house, Cassidy spotted her brother outside, staring up at the stars, and she told Samantha to head on without her. It had been a while since she’d spoken to Isaiah, and she walked over to him. He picked up her presence, but didn’t immediately turn to look at her.“I remember this one time when you were five. Mom wanted you to go with her to the mall, but you wanted to stay home and draw. She eventually forced you after threatening to take away your art stuff. You were so pissed off, and you insisted that one day you’d have enough power to say no to her without being punished. Now look at you about to become the Queen of our kingdom,” he said before finally looking down at her with a smile.She shoved him. “I didn’t come over here for you to be so mushy with me.”He chuckled. “I’m so proud of you Cass. I know there are people who never thought you’d amount to anything with that personality of yours.”“I resent that,” she kept from laughing.“But you know it’s