CRAZY WOMAN

“You’re insane!” Rael cursed as he bucked her against the wall.

Polly chuckled, then delivered the final blow. “I was just infatuated with you, and I wanted to have you. And then I did. And then… I was done.” She laughed. “Alpha Rael, the only thing you owe me is my public apology, and then we’ll be done with our ill fated relationship or whatever this is. Now, if you would excuse me…”

With that, she shut the door against him before he could stop her.

Rael stood outside the doors, the chilly wind blowing against his face, his lashes fluttering.

His hands fisted by his sides as her words echoed in his ears. Earlier, coming to her room, he had thought she was just trying to make him beg her, but the look in her eyes told him he had been wrong all along.

Pollynia Lackris did not like him anymore.

And strangely, he did not blame her. He had put her through hell. He hadn’t even bothered telling her off like a human being, she didn’t matter enough to waste his words on her.

He had treated her like trash, worse than trash, but she always returned. So much that he didn’t bother anymore. He always thought that she would be that thorn that would always stick to his flesh.

He had wanted this for so long, but what was this uneasy feeling in his heart now that he had it?

Rael swallowed and undid his fists. Breathing out, he turned and strode away.

...

At first light the next day, Polly began packing to return to her parents’ home.

Rael was in a meeting with the Council members when one of his guards informed him.

“What should we do? Do we stop her, Alpha?” he asked.

Rael blinked and thought for a second, then shook his head.

“No, let her go.”

Polly stepped down from her palanquin as her entourage arrived at her parents’ house. She stood in front of the grand mansion, her eyes almost bursting out of their sockets.

Oh my Crazy!

Did the old Polly leave this exotic mansion to go manage that bachelor of a room given to her at the Eighth Manor?

Polly exclaimed internally, her eyes wide in shock.

Polly’s parents had a unique taste. The mansion was built with burnt carved stones, each laid atop the other. The windows were hand carved, Polly could tell. The compound was massive, maids and servants walked in and out busily.

Polly drew in air. She was loving this, a little bit too much.

“Polly?”

A familiar voice called her name, and Polly turned to the side and noticed her mother in an apron, walking toward her in confusion. When she approached, Polly could smell flour and cinnamon on her. Every loved to bake every morning. It was a hobby she couldn’t stop, even when her back hurt terribly and her hands grew coarse.

Edward Lackris, her father, had tried to stop her to no avail, so he had employed more hands to assist her in the kitchen.

“What are you doing here?”

Every asked, a frown creasing her brows as her eyes scanned the boxes on the horses Polly had arrived with. If this had been a month earlier, she would have embraced her daughter with joy and excitement, but not now.

Polly chuckled slightly, her eyes curving in crescents. “Mother, why are you acting surprised at your daughter coming back to her parents’ house?”

The home servants rushed to her side and greeted her, and Polly signaled them to take her boxes inside.

“No, not at all,” Every chuckled, waving her hands. “It’s just that I thought you had said we would talk about it.”

“Yes, of course we would, but we’ll be talking about it here.” Her mother wanted to interject, but she quickly added, “Mother, I’m tired and famished. I haven’t had a proper meal in two days. At least be concerned for my life before you ask me for favors.”

Every breathed at her words and then nodded. “Sorry, my love. I’ll get the kitchen to prepare your favorite meal. Come down to the dining room after freshening up.”

“Thank you, Mother. Now that’s more like it.” Polly gleamed and kissed Every on both cheeks before skipping away. As she walked back to the house, Every watched her retreating figure, a little frown on her forehead.

Polly was not one to show affection, well, except when it concerned the Alpha. She couldn’t remember the last time Polly had been that excited to talk to her. Something had changed about her daughter, but she couldn’t put her finger on what it was.

...

“Yesterday’s turn of events took us by surprise, I must say,” Elder Rogan, Rael’s only uncle, his father’s brother, spoke as he stood up addressing the council. He was in his fifties, but there wasn’t even a single white strand of hair on his head. He looked like he hadn’t aged a day since his thirties.

“We were sure that the child had killed the Luna, and we subjected her to the moon trial. And now, we have a more complicated issue on our hands. We should have just punished her outright or given her over to the Riverside Pack to do as they wish. Now, what do we have? A dead Luna, a rejected bond, and a war waiting to happen.”

At his outburst, the council erupted in disarray.

“So what do you mean? We should have killed the innocent child?”

Elder Duna, Polly’s uncle, spoke, anger coursing through his veins. Polly’s parents were absent, they had sent word that they had important issues to attend to, but everyone knew why.

“Well, at least we wouldn’t have to go scrubbing around for a murderer, and everything would have been settled!”

“You’re not concerned about who would have wanted the Luna dead. You don’t care if the Alpha is next. All you care about is your own safety and the riches you acquire from the illegal dealings with the Riverside Pack!”

“Enough!”

Rael’s deep voice resonated in the hall, and everyone grew quiet. His eyes remained shut for a few moments before he opened them and looked to the elders in front of him.

“We have a problem on our hands, and all we’ve come to do is argue and fight over who is right and who is not. The Luna is dead, her blood sucking brother is on the way, and we have a murderer on the loose…”

Rael paused, brushing his hand through his hair, clearly frustrated.

“The Alpha of the Riverside Pack will arrive in two days, and the Luna’s burial will be in three. All hands should be on deck for a proper welcome party. He’s a lover of battles, but we have to do our best to appease him and avoid what we can. And if it is not avoidable…”

Rael paused, looking at the elders in front of him. “Then we should be prepared to go to war.”

The elders grew incredibly quiet. It had been almost a decade since they last fought a war. The grandmaster, Rael’s father, had ensured peace between the regions and exerted authority over the packs. It had only been a year since he handed over power to his first son, and already, war was looming.

They didn’t speak, but everyone knew what the others were thinking. Rael was about to say something else when there was a knock on the oversized doors and a guard hurried to his side.

“Alpha…” the guard stuttered, his eyes searching the ground, all color drained from his face.

“Speak,” Rael ordered, and the guard swallowed.

“The grandmaster… is here.”