Background check surprise

Ever since she had made that statement, he knew something was up with her. She wasn't only afraid, she was running away from something. 

However, at the moment, he didn't know what it was but he would know soon. The afternoon sun burned in the blue sky pouring in through the small window that supplied air and light to his office.

Hrolf stood up from the chair and walked towards the balcony on his left. The sun painted everything in a warm yellow color and cast a golden glow on the earth.

 The wind gently brushed over his cheeks like feathers and the air smelled like fresh-cut grass. He inhaled the earthy scent that came from the trees as they swayed back and forth in the breeze.

His eyes scanned the surrounding area, taking in the sight of houses, and trees as the bird chirped above in the sky.

When he told Erik to take her to the den, he had mind-linked him and had told him to come back to his room with Bjorn, his partner.

They had done as he commanded and when they came back, he sent them out to find out everything they could about her and Zeeb. 

He would have sent Cassie, his Beta but he was in charge of controlling the laborers who were building another wing of the castle.

They would be here soon and true to his words, she would know her fate soon. He just hoped that it was something good. 

What would he keep her here for? He had thought about that during the night but nothing occurred to him. Maybe she could learn to leave amongst his people.

Someone knocked on his door and his attention was shifted immediately. Hrolf strolled back into the office.

"Who is there?" He asked.

"It's me, Alpha Hrolf. We are back." Erik replied.

That was quite fast. He thought to himself as a pang of nervousness filled his mind. 

"Come in, Erik." He invited him in and turned around to sit behind his desk.

Erik opened the door and walked inside the office with Bjorn following after him. 

"Welcome." He greeted them with a smile on his face.

"Thank you Alpha Hrolf. It was quite fast." Erik said.

"I was just about to say that too. Do we have anything?" He sat up on the chair and laced his hands together on the desk.

Erik nodded and turned to Bjorn. Bjorn took the lead and cleared his throat while Hrolf furrowed his eyes at them wondering why they were acting weird.

"What is it?" He questioned them with piqued curiosity.

"We discovered that Ashina Tala is her full name." Bjorn muttered.

Hrolf nodded and rested back in the chair.

"That name sounds familiar. It's like I've heard of it somewhere before." He looked puzzled as he tried thinking of where he heard it.

"Yes, Alpha. You'd know the name." Erik added.

"Alright then. Who is she?" He quizzed them.

"She is the daughter of an old ally of your father, Sebastian Tala." Bjorn revealed much to Hrolf's shock.

He shot up in the chair and let out a surprised gasp as his brows furrowed. His mood changed immediately. 

"What?" He exclaimed.

"Are you serious about this?" Hrolf asked rhetorically.

He knew they wouldn't dare pull such a prank on him because they knew how much he loathed Sebastian. Just the mere name Tala sent his mood on fire.

There could be only one Tala and he was long gone but his daughter was in his den, eating his food and breathing the same air as he breathed.

The thought of that irked Hrolf. He gripped the edge of the desk hard until his knuckles whitened. His mind relieved the betrayal from her father who was a sly fox.

Though it had happened many years ago, it still felt fresh and each time he remembered he wished that he hadn't known too late. 

Eric and Bjorn shifted in their seats.

Maybe his father wouldn't have died. Maybe his mother would be happy to see that he had borne a son, Gael, although he wasn't mated. She would have loved to care for her grandchild but they were six feet under because that beast whom they trusted had betrayed them at a crucial moment.

"What else did you find?" Hrolf questioned in a murderous tone which made Erik let out a sigh.

He knew this would happen.

"We found out that Zeeb usurped her mother's throne and murdered her mother while she ran away for her dear life and that's when we caught her." Erik said.

That explained it.

"I should send a box of gold to Zeeb for dropping this rare chance on my doorstep if he hadn't murdered her mother." He gritted his teeth.

What could be more intriguing than the sharp-mouthed daughter of his enemy who thought that she had every right to stay in his Pack? 

"Is that all you found out?" Hrolf glared at them.

"It's the summary of it all. We couldn't dig deeper because of the time frame however if you need us to go back to get more information on her…"

"You don't have to, Erik. This will be enough." Hrolf said and stood up to his feet immediately.

He stormed out of the room and headed to the dungeon with rage etched on his features. The guards by the dungeon gate who saw him coming in such anger quickly opened the gate.

Hrolf strode in to see her sleeping. If the hurt wasn't so fresh, he could have walked out when he saw her sleeping so peacefully. But he was angry.

Angry that he had the enemy this close and had thought of even feeding her. Angry that her father had caused him to wield the burden of the Pack at such a young age. 

Angry that he had almost trusted the enemy. Just like his father. Angry that history was repeating itself.

"Get up!!" He growled.

Ashina jolted out of her sleep immediately when she heard the familiar voice. She blinked and sat up. 

She rubbed her drowsy eyes and swallowed when she saw the look on his face. What did he find out? 

"What happened?" She asked after some seconds of silence.

He wasn't saying anything and she was curious as to why he was staring at her like Zeeb had stared at her mother seconds before driving the sword he wielded into her heart.

"So you're Ashina Tala? Why didn't you say this!?" He was furious.

Ashina was confused. He had asked for her name and she was used to telling people her name without her surname because she knew how much they hated the name.

Her Father had dragged their name through the mud and she couldn't explain to people that she was different. Who would believe her? She was her father's carbon copy. Surely they would believe that she was also the same breed as he was.

"You didn't ask." She muttered.

How had he not noticed this before? She looked so much like her father. She had his blue eyes, pointed nose, and slightly curved lips only that hers were a deeper shade of pink. He should have noticed but he was busy thinking of other things.

"I will avenge my parents on you. I will make sure their death wasn't in vain. If I don't do it, then I am not Alpha Hrolf of White Moon Pack" He swore and his voice rang out loud in the dungeon.

Ashina flinched at the raw edge of his hard voice. What did he mean by that? What had happened? She had no idea.

"Do…"

"Don't you dare say a word." He interrupted her.

"For as long as you stay here, you will regret not every minute but every second of it." He growled.

 He was relieved that he had found out early. 

 The grudge he had against her family was still fresh.

"Come and take her out to the stakes." He screamed.

Two guards dashed into the room immediately to carry a shocked Ashina. Her head was spinning and she was fast losing it. She needed a way to stay alive.

"Alpha Hrolf! Alpha Hrolf!!" Someone screeched his name outside the dungeon.

The guard ran into the dungeon and stopped to catch his breath.

"What is it?" Hrolf snarled.

"Gael, Gael…" He was breathless.

Hrolf was before him in an instant. He held him by the neck in the air.

"Speak!" 

"Gael has fallen sick again. He went unconscious a few minutes ago. I went to your office to find you but you weren't there so…"

Hrolf released him and turned to address Ashina before leaving. She would stay in his Pack of course. How else would he be able to deal with her if she didn't stay? This was the sweetest revenge and he would get it.

"Your life in my Pack will be a living hell." He turned to leave the room when her next words stopped him.