Chapter 12: Mask of Innocence

Try as she may, Hazel could not push out of her mind the story she heard earlier.

Asher was getting married to Maeve? 

It could not be. She was the one he loved and not Maeve!

No longer was her mind occupied with the thought of how she was going to carry out the task before her but with the thought of Maeve and Asher getting married.

She had to go back home, she thought. She had to go and save Asher from the danger he was landing himself in by being with Maeve. 

Her mind kept telling her to turn back to where she came from and head back to her home but she knew that the only way she could do that was if she kept moving forward and completing her task and she did just that.

Surprisingly to her, getting into the palace was much easier than she had anticipated.

The guards at the gate let her in without asking questions unlike at Gael's pack but just a routine check for any weapons on her.

Luckily for her, there were only male guards and so checking her was not as thorough as the men.

Also, she had the pretty girl privilege. No man would look into her large doe-shaped eyes, with her soft pink pouty lips framed by a wildfire of blazing red hair, and would think she was capable of hurting a fly.

The innocence was a good mask.

Well, they judged this book by the cover as they did not know that strapped to her thigh was one of the most dangerous weapons to ever exist –a silver dagger made with wolf's bane and angel's breath.

She had been prepared and had hidden her dagger, still on her thigh but this time around, it was placed in between her thighs so even when she was patted down, they could not feel the contour of the dagger.

When they were done, she walked into the palace compound with her head held high and her eyes fully alert, scanning the area for any suspicion.

The palace was too good to be true. 

It looked like something out of Greek mythology –like it was built for a god.

She had never been in the presence of such splendor before.

Just like the town, the palace was alive with activity with preparations for the ceremony.

No one paid any particular attention to her as they must have thought she was one of those hired to plan the ceremony.

She roamed around the palace, scouting and finding her way around while also admiring the place.

The palace was filled with many statues of wolves posing in various forms.

She was particularly drawn to one statue. It was jet black to the extent that it gave off a kind of golden glow and it exuded feminine grace with the way it posed.

She was drawn to it because it reminded her of her wolf. Her heart ached as she was reminded of the emptiness inside her without her wolf present.

She reached out her hand, after several minutes of just staring at it before reaching out her hand to stroke it.

"It is one of my favorites also," Hazel heard a voice say from behind her.

She had been totally engrossed with the statue that she had not heard any footsteps.

Her heart skipped a beat. She had messed up. What if she got caught?

She knew she could not just ignore the person behind her cause it will raise suspicion so with a smile on her face, she turned her head back.

"It is so beautiful," She commented.

"But not as beautiful as you are," The man retorted and Hazel knew he meant it.

She had noticed his expression when he saw her face. He had been smitten by her beauty.

Hazel was also impressed by what she saw.

Though not conventionally handsome, the man standing before her was a very attractive man who exuded grace.

He looked like someone that knew how to be in charge and always was.

He was dressed in expensive clothes, with his balding hair slicked back.

The gold on his chain and knuckles shined so bright that Hazel thought she would be blinded.

"And who are you?" The man asked.

"Oh...no one really. I am just checking the house. I am one of the event planners for tomorrow's event," Hazel lied.

She was still in awe of herself for how she had managed to come up with such a lie on short notice.

"Ah..." The man said in reaction to her work as he looked at her.

Then slowly, and gracefully, he took small dignified steps closer to where she stood and then stretched forth his hand.

"I am Alpha Gordon," He said.

Hazel knew she should have suspected who he was with the air of superiority which seemed to be hovering like a thick fog over him.

She also knew she would look suspicious if he realized she had not known who he was and so she quickly said, "Yes your honor, I recognized you, j was just shocked to be seeing you."

"Ah...that is okay," He said then he added, "I am on my way to a meeting. I will be on my way."

Hazel watched as Gordon walked away from her. 

He was not what she expected him to be. She had envisioned he was going to be like his disgusting brother whom she had killed last night rather he was chill.

She watched him walk down the hall until he disappeared through a door on the far left-hand side of the hall.

"Fool," she said out loud to herself in self-chastisement and walked away from the statue.

She had taken a few steps when she had a change of mind.

She remembered that Alpha Gordon had said something about having a meeting.

It would make more sense if she was able to eavesdrop on whatever it was that he was going to deliberate on.

The intel she would find out could be useful to her mission or she could sell them for some needed money. 

Carefully, she tip-toed and followed in the exact direction Gordon went to.

She leaned her ears on the door listening to what was being said.

"What nonsense is this I hear about a curse?" She heard a voice that sounded like it belonged to Gordon boom.

"It is only a rumor sir but that does not mean we should take it lightly," She heard a voice protest in a voice much gentler than Gordon's. 

"There is always an element of truth in every rumor. It could be that it really is not a curse but may be a coup by one of ours or another pack trying to annihilate the House of Midnight!"

"I even heard that it has been said that the young Asher, the heir to the Red Night clan would take over the House of Midnight after the curse ends so it could be that this is all a plan to annihilate all of you!"

On hearing Asher's name, Hazel's heart dropped. 

It sounded like they were trying to frame Asher for what he had no idea of. She felt the urge to swing the doors open and tell them their points were all off but she restrained herself.

She had to find a way to make all the deaths point away from Asher before he was killed for what he had no hand in.

"Your brother is already dead! You could be next. I'm not trying to say it is true, all I am saying is that you should be more careful," The voice added.

There was silence for a while and Hazel wondered what could be going on.

After a few minutes, the rich voice of Alpha Gordon said, "So what do you suggest we do?"

This time it was a different voice who answered. 

"I suggest we cancel the moon festival celebration tomorrow. You are so much more vulnerable to the killer during such an event as it will be much easier for the culprit to gain access to you."

"Also, it would look weird if you are celebrating just mere two days after your brother was mercilessly killed," The first speaker added.

"I understand your concerns but the ceremony has to go on. I am not going to break centuries-old custom just because you people heard an old wife tale about some stupid rumor," Alpha Gordon answered.

"And as for my brother, he deserved what came his way and though I sympathize with him, I'm not putting the feast on a jolt because of his death," Gordon added.

"But your honor, the council thinks you should reconsider," Another speaker said.

"I am not reconsidering anything, Williams!" Gordon bellowed, "The feast is held tomorrow as planned, and for my brother, I will send a delegation over to my brother's pack to sympathize with them and that is final!"