chapter 5

  Raphael Stars...

I looked out the window of my office. The sight of the woods caused my wolf to stir.

Placing my right palm flat against my chest, I rubbed it in a circular motion so my wolf would calm down.

The pull to the woods is always tempting, especially near the full moon.

I knew I could never enjoy a run with my people again. Even though my wolf wanted to go for a run, he settled in my head.

I watched as the sun rose up to the sky, shining it's beautiful rays down on the small forest, making it look more tempting that it did before.

Ten years.

It's been ten long years since I've been in those woods.

Ten painfully long years since I'd led my people on a full moon run.

Ten horrifyingly long years since...

I glanced at the picture on top of my table.

It's been ten years since I casted the frame down to face the surface of the table and not once have I touched that frame again.

It was left down. I never dared to touch it again. Everyone knows not to touch that frame.

Even the omegas who clean my office everyday know not to touch the frame. It was the only item in this office that had been collecting dust for the last ten years.

Tearing my eyes away from the picture frame, I looked back at the forest.

The night before yesterday had been the full moon and it marked exactly ten years of that horrible night.

It had taken me long to get here and on that symbolic tenth year full moon, I'd finally decided it was time to strike back.

It took me too long but I was glad I waited.

The thought of the daughter I'd take right out of Haden's hands entered my head.

It was not, at all, what I'd carefully planned for ten years.

The plan I'd crafted with utmost care had dissolved as soon as I'd set my eyes on her.

Plan A was to take everything away from Alpha Haden Wolf. Steal from him like he had stolen from me. End the pack he led with big pride.

No one was meant to survive.

But seeing her standing behind her treacherous mother had made something snap in side of me.

My wolf had his eyes on her and I somehow knew she was the key to my revenge. Which was the change of Plan A to Plan B, which I came up with right there and then.

The thought of her angered me again.

Yesterday, I'd once again lost the fight against my wolf. I'd lost control and in the process, I could have killed everyone.

If My father and my beta twins weren't there to hold me back, I would have probably riped her apart.

I let out a sigh before I walked away from the window and dropped myself behind the large desk.

Leaning my elbows against the edge of the desk, I tried to think about my next move.

Kidnapping Haden's daughter was a good start. But I need to make him feel the real pain of losing some one he loves.

My source in the Red Blood Pack told me that Mina was the apple of his eyes. He hid her away based on the excuse of keeping her away from boys so she would be pure for her mate.

But that was not the main reason.

From his seven children, she's the youngest and only girl Haden has. The level of care he has for her almost convinced me that Haden was a changed man.

But only a fool would believe that.

Haden might have kept his daughter locked away from all dangers, but he had it coming.

I knew as soon as I saw her that taking her from Haden would hurt him more than slaughtering his entire pack.

How I can use her to hurt him was the next step of the plan.

The door of my office was pushed open, forcing my eyes up to it. I watched as my father walked in and slammed the door behind him.

Little Kiannia's presence in our pack has been unsettling him just as much as it was unsettling me.

Father, being almost sixty, looked way older for his wolf age. Ten years ago, he had been an active member of the pack. Even after he'd passed the pack down to me after I'd come of age, he was always involved, helping me keep our pack up and steady.

But after what had happened ten years ago, his appear had been declining until he barely makes it out of the main pack house.

Unless in was the full moon, father keeps to himself. The only reason he even makes it out for the full moon is because I'm unable to lead our pack for a run.

Father walked over to the chair directly opposite from me and sat down.

Father caught my eyes and I quickly looked away, distracting myself by collecting the scattered papers on my desk.

"How are you feeling?" Father asked.

Glancing up at him, I saw how worried he looked.

Father, just like me, had struggled to keep his wolf under control after what happened ten years ago. While I lost the fight against my wolf, father had won it.

Unlike me, father could enjoy a normal shift any time he wants, which was why he could lead the pack for a run.

My anger and pain had consumed me, taking over every bit of control I had over my wolf and turned me feral.

I was still a young wolf when I took over the pack. While my father was helping me grow stronger, the tragedy of what happened that night had weakened me.

"I'm fine." I mumbled before I looked back down at the papers.

" I don't like this, Raphael." Father commented. "I don't like this one bit. You said the full moon will be the last time. Kidnapping his daughter is basically waging war on the Red Blood Pack."

I looked back up at father.

"I will keep my promise, Father. This will be the last time. I'm going to put an end to this once and for all. Besides, don't worry about Haden or a war. The Alpha has way more to lose if he attacks. He won't attack."

"And how do you know that?" Father challenge with a frown.

"My source told me that the Red Blood are now in panic mode. Haden is too afraid to provoke me. I do have his daughter in my hands after all, which meant he can't be as reckless as he is with his sons. He won't attack. He's waiting for a call or a demand from me."

Father looked displeased.

"Can you truly trust this source of yours?" He asked.

I regarded his question in silence.

Can I trust him?

I thinks so and I want to believe that he won't betray me. All he wants is a place, and a place is what I'll provide. Even though he was very unhappy about the sudden attack, he's still shooting me a text about the situation in the Red Blood Pack.

"I trust him."

"Why?"

I let out a sigh, a bit frustrated at my fathers interrogation.

I haven't told Father or anyone who this informant of mine is. If they knew, no one will approve. Heck, even I didn't approve of his help when he first offered it to me.

"I have my own reasons, Father."

My father looked like he wanted to say more but something drew his attention towards the door.

I turned my attention towards the door, wondering what had caught his attention.

I focused and caught a soft scent of the woman I'd almost killed yesterday.

My wolf stirred and I tensed when the door was pushed open after a soft knock.

Beatrice opened the door and walked in with the Beta twins following after her.

Beatrice bowes her head a bit before she glanced at my father.

Father had long turned his back to the door and was now looking out the window, completely ignoring her presence.

Silver and Maxwell each took a seat at either side of my father.

I looked at Beatrice, wondering why I could smell the little green flower on her.

I shook my head a bit, trying to stop myself from constantly referring to Mina as Zinnia Elegans, my mother's favorite green flower.

"What is it?" I asked, my voice a bit firm.

"It's the girl, Alpha. Her wounds are not healing and I think they're getting infected." She commented.

Beatrice, tried to look as cold and emotionless as possible, but I could see worry in her eyes and I could hear it in her voice as well.

"So?" I raised a brow. "What does that have to do anything with me? She'll heal."

Beatrice stood still at her spot.

"It's been twenty four hours, Alpha. I don't think she'll be able to heal on her own. She might need the pack doctor..."

I regarded Beatrice.

Beatrice is a good woman. She might only be an Omega, but she is well loved by everyone in our pack and well respected even by the elders.

Even with all the pain she'd been through, Beatrice had found it in her heart to raise Silver and Maxwell as her own when their parents had passed away a long time ago, trying to defend our pack from one of Haden's attack.

She'd raised the twins well, made sure they never missed a day of school and training so they'll be able to carry on the betta blood.

When it was time for me to take over, I'd give them the title and both had taken up the beta responsibility well ever since.

She's kind, but maybe too kind. There is no kindness when it comes to the enemy, especially the daughter of Haden.

"I said No, Beatrice. The pack doctors are for the pack members only."

The conversation was over, my tone said it all.

Beatrice glanced at the twins and frowned. She knew they wouldn't be able to help her make her case. They might be like her own son's but they are my beta's.

They won't dare go against my word.

Beatrice then look over to my father, unexpectedly hoping for him to help her convince me.

But father didn't look her way.

Nodding her head, Beatrice walked out of the office, soon followed by my father.

"I think you should listen to her." Silver commented, looking just as miserable as he always does. "What good is Mina if she's dead?"

Maxwell glanced at his twin before he looked back at me.

"I say let her die and be done with it." He commented as he shrugged his shoulders.

Silver glared at Maxwell.

"Let her die? What exactly did she do to deserve death?"

"My decisions is final, Silver. Our Pack Doctors will not break a sweat over her." I said, once again ending this conversation.

The more pain she feels, the more Haden will feel it too. He is her father after all. The bond they share might not be as strong as the one with a mate but it will be enough for now.

Silver growled with frustration before he shoved his seat back, knocking it down before he stormed out of the office.

Silver slammed the door as hard as he could after he stepped out.

"Geez, what's wrong with him?" I asked.

The frown on Maxwell's face told me all I needed to know. Silver is having troubles with his mate yet again.

That cheating bitch had been refusing to leave him just as she refused to stop sleep around.

Silver has been caught between a rock and a hard place. He's too scared to reject her and he can't find a way to stop her from sleeping around.

Cora's made her way through half of the pack now and even though she has Silver as her mate, she'd acted like she's mateless.

I do feel bad for Silver. He's been through a lot because of her. Every morning I see him, he looks like he's about to die. Every forbidden touch Cora makes with another man, it pains Silver.

It's a miracle he's made it this far without losing control.

"I should go check up on him." Maxwell commented before he stood up.

He walked over to the door but stopped to look at me over his shoulder.

"I meant what I said about Haden's daughter. Kill her and be done with it so we can all move on. The pack needs their Alpha, Raphael, one that will lead them with a clear conscious."

With that, Maxwell opened the door and walked out.