“High Alpha,” a man bowed in front of Damien and the man sighed.
“What is it now?” he asked.
“It’s the rogues,” the servant answered.
“Again?” Damien asked.
“Yes Alpha, and they looked more deranged the more.”
Damien sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. “Any news from the high chiefs?”
“Not yet alpha. We have sent ten letters to them upon your request but they have not replied to any.”
Damien exhaled. “Malachi is still in mourning for the death of the prince so it’s understandable. Any news about Aliyah?”
“Nothing alpha. The witches are also looking for her as well.”
“So she has not contacted her parents since then?”
“No single news. We have kept close eyes on them and they have never left their pack. The Luna hardly leaves her room in fact and Alpha Alan, although he carries out his alpha duties, he is like a walking corpse.”
Damien nodded and waved the man away. He rested his head on his chair’s headrest as he was overcome with thoughts. The witch Melissa had confessed to them using the rogues to search for Aliyah then and had promised that everything would stop once the vampire prince is killed. Now, it’s been over two months since the fight in the meadow and rather than regaining themselves, the rogues are being used more and more. He can’t even count how many they have killed in the last months and talk about other packs. His worry now is what would become of them when the rogues diminish? A few of some packmates have sustained injuries from the rogues and they have not been themselves since then and are constantly under lock and key. Not even Catherine, the world-renowned healer has been able to figure out how to treat the infection.
Malachi has withdrawn since the fight and he doesn’t even know his fate with the High chiefs if a big war should break out now. What is going on? Why won’t the witches leave the rogues alone? Even if they want to be using the rogues, why do they keep sending them to fight them, shouldn’t they be sending them to find Aliyah instead?
He sighed and got a pepper and peacock feather with ink to write another letter to the High chiefs. He has a pen he could have used but sometimes, he just loves writing with the feather and ink. After writing down the words in his heart, he sent for a servant and ordered him to make sure it gets to the High chiefs and to stay till he was given a respond to bring for him.
***
“Luna,” Monica knocked on the door as quietly as she could. “Luna it’s me,” she whispered. Soon after, the door was opened and she was pulled inside the room. “Oh,” she gasped, covering her protruding belly.
“I’m sorry, I’m sorry my dear, did I hurt you?” Scarlet asked worriedly.
Monica smiled softly and shook her head. “I’m fine Luna.”
Scarlet sighed in relief. “I’m sorry but you know Damien’s wolves are everywhere. One can never be too careful, you know,” she smiled painfully.
“I understand Luna, you don’t need to explain,” the younger girl replied and frowned, grunting softly as she placed her hand on her waist to ease the pain.
Scarlet watched her and felt bad for her immediately. “I’m sorry my dear. Your peers always look froward to being pregnant and having their males watch over them and you, you have to go through this alone and it’s not that your mate is gone but because of my daughter.”
Monica waved the woman away and went to sit down her bed. They have gotten really close during the past months that she knew she wouldn’t mind. “I admit, I used to be jealous of Aliyah and how Sean always protects her but at the time, she really needs that. It hurst sometimes that I am just beginning to see what Sean used to say. He used to tell me that if there was going to be anything between them, it would have started long before he was mated to me. Back then, I didn’t used to see it that way but right now,” she shook her head. “It hurts because I can’t get to see Aliyah now and to tell her how sorry I am. She had wanted us to be friends immediately I mated to Sean but I have been so stupid and so young.”
“You are still young.”
“Yes, but life has forced me to grow up. I would rather live like this, knowing one night a hologram of my mate is going to pop up in my room and we are going to chat and tell ourselves how much we miss each other than to live knowing that…” she sniffled, her eyes tearing over, “knowing that I would never see him in this world again. Knowing that he would never see his son nor play with him. No,” she shook her head, wiping away the tears. “Life is really tough on Aliyah and I don’t care if Sean is with her anymore or taking care of her. If I can, I would be there too, she needs it. She needs all the care in the world that she can get but she can’t even come home, the one place she would get that. Why? Because the people we considered our leaders chose to believe outsiders and are willing to hand over one of us to them.”
“Shush,” Scarlet rushed to her and pulled her into her arms. “You don’t need this now dear, you don’t need it.”
“Why is it so hard on Aliyah? She spent so many years searching for him, waiting for him and just when she found him, he was brutally taken away from her. Why is Selene so unfair to her, why?”
“Calm down my dear, I believe everything has a cause and I know that one day Selene would remember my daughter. Just one day, okay?” she ran her hand up and down Monica’s back, settling on her waist to give her a little massage, knowing it would hurt there more. “Did Sean come to you?”
Monica nodded. “He said Aliyah had a breakdown today.”
Scarlet sighed and sniffled, trying to be the stronger person. “It’s expected.”
“He also said that she fed on blood tonight.”
Scarlet was stunned but after going through it in her mind, she shrugged. “It’s expected,” she repeated. After all, her mate is a nightwalker, it shouldn’t come as a surprise if her son needs blood.
“Do you think they will ever come home?” Monica asked, looking up at the woman.
Scarlet exhaled and was quiet for some seconds before she answered, “of course. We just have to pray for it to happen sooner.”
“Yeah, you are right. And also pray that Catherine finds a way to detoxify the infection from the rogues, it would help really greatly.”
“Indeed.”
***
Rasmus ripped out the throat of the last rogue and growled, his eyes burning red as he fetched out Irene’s potion and sipped from it. He was soaked in blood but he didn’t mind that. The most important thing is that he was finally in the castle and the sun would soon be up in the sky. He looked around the living room, despite the blood coating the walls, anyone who stepped into the house would know it belonged to a prince, the riches aren’t lost on it.
He tried not to be nostalgic and quickly rushed to the treasure room, however, he had to pass Edward’s room to get there and he couldn’t resist going into the room. As he pushed open the door and spotted the black coffin he had laid Edward in the first time he stumbled upon the man’s sleeping body, he felt the heaviness in his heart and he knew that if his tear glands weren’t already dead, he would be crying his heart out. The room was as it used to be, nothing out of place and he could still perceive Aliyah’s scent along with his Prince’s own and he closed his eyes.
He thought of that day, the look the man gave him in the kitchen right after he mentioned the rogues and which was what that told he must have known of his betrayal onset but he still followed him, pretending to be lost. Just why didn’t he use his demon powers? Why didn’t he kill his father when he had the chance to?
He knew he shouldn’t be asking that question, after all, he knew why. Three weeks before the fight, a certain servant had asked his prince to please spare the life of his father and should injure him instead. The man had honored his wish till he took his last breath and all his father walked away with on the fight was an everlasting injury on his pelvic girdle that has affected the way he walks now and sadly or rather, fortunately would remain so till the day he dies. He had been able to meet his mother four days after the fight and she had told him his father wasn’t healing and somehow his injury has affected his running speed. He had told her that he deserved it, at least every day now when he felt the pain on his waist, he would remember that he killed his prince, the man who had loved him like a son.
However, no matter how much he thinks his father deserves his injury, he always believed he deserved one too but the prince had forgiven him, why, why did he forgive him? He should have killed him for betraying him but he didn’t. The man talks about how coldhearted he was but in fact, he was the warmest person he had ever known and he didn’t deserve to die. He deserves the happiness he has always longed for, to finally be with his mate and have his own children and not leaving them in the time of need to be gone forever. He heaved a deep sigh and made the vow to himself that his own punishment would be to serve his son and he would never depart from it unless he dies.
Sean put on his clothes and picked up the bunny he had got in the woods and then walked. He put on the hood of his hoodie with his head bowed and the bunny tucked in his arms. His senses were on high alert and being a wolf, he could hear ten times better than an average human so he focused his attention on whisperings, wanting to know who to avoid and when to start running. Luckily, he got to their neighborhood without being spotted and nothing said about him other than the human wondering what could be his problem.He smiled when he saw the person he was looking for and walked up to her. “Hello Milly.”The little girl turned and on seeing him, she retreated a step back. “My mommy said I should stay away from you.”Sean smiled, “why, did I do anything?”“She said you are strange; your entire family is strange and she said that I should stay away from you.”“Well, you can go back to staying away from me but just give me your attention today, okay?”The girl glanced around them and then
Rasmus was getting ready to leave after waiting in the treasure room for night to fall when he heard a whisper. He leaned closer to the door and placed his hear on it and the whisper came again but he was able to hear what the person was saying. “The dead rogues suggest that he is here.”“Shush,” another voice shunned. “He is a nightwalker, he can hear you, you know.”“But I’m whispering,” the first voice said.“Like whispers are too low for a nightwalker to hear,” the second voice mocked. “Come on, we have to check all the rooms and signaled Melissa about the update while at it. If we are lucky, he can lead us to the princess.” Their footsteps started fading and Rasmus sighed. He had been taken Irene’s potion every hour like she had ordered and he was out now. He had just taken the last drop before he heard the witches and that means that he has an hour to get back to the human realm. The potion hides his scent not make him invisible so that means he has to avoid being spotted by the
“He is not back yet?” Aliyah asked Sean and together, they both glanced at Irene who had been pacing in front of the window for the past five hours.Sean sighed and shook his head. “He said he would be back in the evening and it’s half past ten already. Even if he was afraid of walking under the setting sun —which we know he is not— he should be back by now. I mean, it’s pitch black out there.”“Something is wrong,” Irene said. “I mean, he has never said he would do something and never do it the exact time he said he would.”“Do you think he went back home, you know, the High council?” Aliyah asked and both Sean and Irene glared at her.“Come on Aliyah, cut him some slack,” Sean said.Aliyah raised her hands up while saying, “just saying. I mean, the last time he snuck out like that, someone died,” she shrugged.Irene sighed and shook her head. “I’m going out to look for him.”“Hello, he is a nightwalker, where are you going to look for him?” Aliyah asked.“I’m coming with you,” Sean
Rasmus sighed and opened his eyes, he could still feel the witches spell trying to take over him but he was resisting. The spell wasn’t as strong as it was when they were newly casting it so he knew now that he can go home, hopefully, Irene can save him from it. He had purposely wandered around the human realm, making sure that he wasn’t being followed and he wasn’t being driven home by some power.Getting up from where he lies, he shook his head to shake off the dizziness of the spell and clutching onto his bag, he started walking home. Running now would only make him dizzier and so he refrained from it.Irene hadn’t gone far when she heard Sean and Aliyah calling for her, she was surprised to see them initially but was glad they came out to help, she would love the company a lot. With the street lights on, they didn’t need a touch to see where they were going, not that it would have been a problem for Sean and Aliyah because of their night vision but they all enjoyed the amber glow
A woman walked into a prison and bowed on seeing the man standing there. “I’m sorry for being late,” she bowed.“It’s okay,” Damien shook his head, “the good thing is you are here. Can you take a look at him?”Catherine nodded and walked to one of the cells there. There was a wolf in there, its eyes were white like it has been glazed over with a white paint and spittle drooled from its jaw. One look at it, one would know that it has gone derange but it is not a rogue, after all, everyone knows now that only the rogues look like that. “Another one?”“Sadly yes. And it’s really tiring since nothing has been done about the others. However, I’m surprised that it’s happening here. Yes I have heard the news of the rogues biting and infecting some wolves but it has never happened here, not here.”“It doesn’t matter where it is happening, the most important thing is that we have to find out how to treat them. It’s a surprise since the rogues can shift into their human forms despite being like
“Alpha,” Aton barged into the hall and glanced at the man standing by the window. He quickly walked up to him and reported, “the rogues are here again.”“Then we do what we do best, we fight them,” Alan replied without as much as looking away from the window.“The warriors are already on it and from the looks of it, we are winning, as always,” Aton responded.“Any casualties?”Aton sighed at that and nodded. “Three men has been bitten. We already have them restrained.” Alan didn’t say anything and Aton sighed. “Do you think it will ever end?”“There is no cure for the infected ones, the rogues attack us twice or thrice in a week. So, I don’t think it will ever end, I think that they would keep attacking us and infecting us until we are all like them, slaves to whoever that is controlling them.”Aton licked his lips. “Do you think they are okay?”Alan knew about who he was asking about immediately and only then did he look away from the window to his loyal beta. “I don’t know. I just h
Sean paced around the window and constantly stopped to peek through the blind blades. He would sigh and continue pacing again and then he would repeat staring out the window once more. A knocked on the door made him jump and he glanced at Rasmus who was lying on the floor to see the man’s red eyes on him. Rasmus shook his head at him and he nodded, they could already tell who was at the door by their scent and so Sean cleared his throat and went to open the door. He wasn’t surprised to see Milly there and she was carrying the bunny he had given her four days ago. “Milly, what are you doing here?”“I came to say thank you properly and also,” she glanced behind her and it was then that Sean saw her mother. He cleared his throat and stood erect, “mom wanted to thank you too.”“Where is your mother?” the woman asked.Sean cleared his throat once more and glanced at Irene and Aliyah’s bedroom. Ever since that night with the mysterious woman, Irene has hardly climbed out of the bed. She had
Edward kept pacing around, waiting for the voice to come to him again. Now that his memory was back, he couldn’t stop his worry of how Aliyah is doing. He had been weak when he carried them away with the tornado but he doesn’t know if he succeeded in taking them to safety. Did the rogues catch up with them? And the demon king and the witches, did they find them? He thought of the High chiefs and the High Howlers, he had purposely left Malachi alive with only inflicting a wound he knew he would never heal as a second generation because he wouldn’t want him chasing after Aliyah but Damien had escaped him with just pure luck.Now as he thought about everything, he just wished he could burn this whole place down and go back to her. He thought of the look she gave him that day, the pain and fear in her eyes when he was falling. He failed his promise, he knows that now and the pain of not knowing how she is was deriving him insane. “Where the hell are you?” He yelled at the smoky clouds. Sh