Maximus had arranged a cabin in the woods nearby. It is his own and 7 of them stayed cramped in the small cabin. According to Ozrain, Maximus is trustworthy. Another 8 have their own house here, on the island itself. They left their family years ago to accompany Ozrain, his loyal followers, so to say.
7 of them were all scattered around the living hall. It is small, made out of wood, but cozy enough to be called home. Selena was standing in between Zaden’s legs, attending to his wounds while he sat on a high chair, his thumb carelessly stroking her waist. His eyes lingered on her, almost ready to swallow her whole. Negligent to the eye-fuck, she carefully wiped the cuts on his face and applied some analgesic cream on it, not that he requires them and he spares no effort in informing her that till she was done.
“You know, it would heal by itself in no time,” he said low, earning a scowl from Selena. She pressed hard the cut on his cheeks with her index finger, making him hiss.
“It still hurts, doesn’t it?” oh ya, forgot to mention, she is angry, both at Zaden and Ozrain.
She darted at Ozrain and he immediately dropped his head, pretending to play with his phone
“And I believe you are discussing world peace with Hitler via that phone, am I right?” Ozrain silently slipped his phone on a table in front of him and glued his eyes to the floor.
“Look at you two!!! Impulsive raccoons!!! Rushing into action, driven by emotions. Please, use your brain before you go budding head with Epsilon!!!” she is now in the middle of the room, which is basically just a few feet away from others, exhaling in disappointment. She rubbed her forehead with her fingers, thinking what they can do to fix this situation. Sensing the silence around her, she suddenly snapped up her head, scowling at everyone
“Well??? Anyone has any idea to chip in?” everyone was looking at Zaden, hoping for a breakthrough.
“What??? Why are you looking at me like that for? If she didn’t interfere, I would have finished him earlier itself” he exclaimed
“Oh really??? He picked up a broken statue and hit your head. Where were your eyes, alpha?” defeated, Zaden shrunk back into his chair.
Selena was really petrified and it mirrored on her forehead crease and glistening eyes. She crashed on a wooden chair, opposite Ozrain. She didn’t huff a word after that, fiddling with her nails, thought drifting away into clouds. Consumed with guilt, Ozrain couldn’t help but calm her down
“Look, my angel. Zaden here is much more capable to defeat Epsilon. I know that for sure. I had heard about him in other packs during my visits.” Ozrain cocked his eyebrow at Zaden and he dropped his head in embarrassment.
“And he has a valid reason to fight, you!!! I understand how much he loves you, I had seen it in his eyes. You can’t stand even me, interacting close to her, do you?” his question is directed to Zaden and he stooped even lower than before, caught off guard.
Selena noticed that Ozrain knows something that she doesn’t. She rolled her tongue against her inner cheeks before returning to the current issue
“But he is not focused. Maybe, locking me up in Epsilon’s dungeon would do a better job…” now everyone stirred uncomfortably at her mumbling words. Zaden, who is now slightly disturbed, stood up quickly, pulled her off her chair.
“Nobody is going to touch you, you hear me? And yes, you are right. I didn’t focus on what was in front of me. I was tired and tomorrow would do better, I promise” her neck is now in his palms, thumbs propping her chin up. Her eye is still filled with worries but she had to push herself to nod at Zaden’s statement.
“Ok, you need to shift and I need a bath. Wait here for me, ok” he kissed her forehead gently before walking away.
She craned her neck, making sure he is out of sight before crossing her legs, and diverting her attention to Ozrain.
“What did he do?” she asked with a suspicious scowl. Ozrain swallowed hard before looking back at the leader’s pack. They shook heads indicating ‘no’. Ozrain sighed out
“Zaden is a well-respected alpha in every pack that I have visited. I have heard about him but this is the first time I’m seeing him. Contrary to what I have heard, he kneeled down for a girl the very first time I meet him” Ozrain scoffed a chuckle.
“He single-handedly pulled his pack out of darkness, gave them hope that nothing spiteful is going to happen to them. He protected them, yes, just like all the other alpha’s before him. But he also brought them out of the mountains, gave them the option to have education and make an earning outside of Mount Manuka, when no other alpha even attempted that. They lived a basic life before him, limited food, annual clothing, wooden huts, and so on. Now they have changed drastically. Still, the pack is always prepared to fight, with their 3 tier village system. Oddly enough, instead of focusing on saving youngsters, he chooses to save the elders. Experience speaks louder than words, you see” Ozrain chuckled
“But one vent put him on the map. He went hunting, with his leader’s pack” he looked at Makeala and others, who was focused on Selena’s reaction. She was terrified of wolves and they aren’t sure she had walked out of her phobia.
“They hunted down all the rogues in their district, piled them up in dungeon at Elderly Village. Tied them up in silver chain” Selena’s eye widened and her back straightened
“How many were there?” Ozrain asked Orion and he replied “38” in a low manner
“Aaa… 38, impressive!!!” Ozrain nodded
“What happened to them?” Selena’s curiosity outwitted her fear.
“They are all dead. Not before Zaden tortured them with silver knives and silver spine embedded whips, wolfsbane on drip dose and much, much more” he paused
“What is wolfsbane?” Selena asked Makeala. A deep crease never faded down from her forehead.
“It’s a juice from a purple flower, very poisonous to werewolves, it could kill us. Every drop slides down throat unnoticed but when they hit the stomach, they will burn your mucous layer, forming a cavity for the stomach content to spill into a person’s body. Eventually, mixing with your blood and you know the rest” she dropped her head down in guilt.
Selena opened her mouth slightly with both her eyebrows cocked up, forgetting to breathe.
“And when administered intravenously little by little… well… use your own imagination” Xavier added. Selena is really terrified right now. This group of people that look so friendly and caring to her has done something so sadistic to 38 rogues.
“Then, when the rogues were weak enough to not recover their previous wound, they dragged them all into open space, layered woods around them, and set them on fire” Selena’s back has now hit the chair and her eye and mouth is even wider, to its fullest with exposed tonsil.
“All because of one rogue… we didn’t know who it was but he shot… he shot my mate,” Orion said with his eye on the floor
“I was inefficient. It has already been 20 minutes after she got shot. She was holding onto her last breath so that she could give me one last goodbye kiss… she left me… just like that… alone” Orion continued with tears welled up in his eye.
Selena understood, it happened after his mate, Sheila had died. She stood up slowly, still with a frowned and terrified eye, she walked up to him. He was sitting on another wooden chair across the room. His elbows are on his knee and his head is tilted way down, not letting his emotions slip off to others. Selena moved closer and closer, and his clutched hands split open to make way for her. She slide her fingers through the back of Orion’s hair and pulled him gently, closer to her stomach, breaking down a wall that he had built around him, called the ego. Orion hugged Selena by her waist and let out a painful cry, muffled to her body.
“She left me, Selena… the woman I loved so dearly… the one that gave me her virginity… the one that supported me in every slip… who shared all my joy… she is gone, right on my lap and in front of my eye… I saw her eyes losing their life, turning to frozen ice. And she took my baby with her… she left me orphaned Selena…” Selena felt a choke in her throat. She squeeze shut her eye, letting down a drop of tears from her left eye. One of her palms has found its way to cover her mouth, not revealing her crushed state right now. She didn’t try to calm him down or absorb his pain. It’s time to let it all out.
He lost his love and finally learned to love another woman, only to be rejected again. It must have been way harder than Selena could imagine. Did she do something to seduce him? Is it her fault that he fell for her? Would he had been better if she didn’t show up? The train thought is a wrecking mess within Selena as tears started rolling more and more down her cheeks. A warm arm snaked to her front, constricting her shoulders. There is no need to look, Zaden’s scent and warmth are well embedded in her heart. He gave a deep kiss on the back of her head. Another hand came forth to wipe her tears. Ozrain is standing behind him. She is born with the ability to calm others around her but when she needs a dose for herself, Zaden is the answer. Her head leaned onto his chest. Zaden hunted and killed all the rogues in Mount Manuka district for his beta, instead of letting him face his loss by himself. It doesn’t sound so wrong now.
She wipes away any stray tears and soon Orion’s cry also stifled. Strangely enough, he pressed his head deeper against Selena.
“Wait…” Orion said low, puzzling Selena and Zaden
“Wait… that’s the baby!!!” Orion exclaimed and Makeala, Xavier, and Sitka rushed to him, kneeling down in front of Selena.
“It’s really him… You really have a baby in there!!!” Orion’s tears had drastically changed to happiness.
“I told you” Selena looked over her shoulder, wiggling her eyebrow at Zaden since Orion also thinks it’s a boy.
“Move” Makeala pushed him away and placed her ears on Selena’s stomach. Selena couldn’t help but laugh at their behavior. Their alpha’s baby– their childhood friend’s baby, what a wonderful gift… Selena gently hold on to Zaden’s arms as he looked down over Selena’s shoulder at his pack taking turns, listening to the baby’s heartbeat. Ironically, Selena had to wait for a few months before being able to hear them herself, through ultrasound.