“Cass,” I called out to her. “Please inform Keifer I need to talk to Gab as soon as possible.”
“Okay.”
It was the day I decided to tell Gab about the cave, the sprosk and why it has to be avoided by the entire pack.
“Are you sure?” I looked at Eana who followed me to the porch. I sighed before I nodded. “Do you think there were others who are already affected by it?”
“Yeah. I think its protective shell has been slowly deteriorating for awhile now.” I shivered at the thought of it affecting more people. “I just can’t imagine how it affects those wolves that are not strong enough to fight it.” Eana frowned.
“We really need to start working Yan and it won’t be easy. Many rogues will be guarding it.” I turned to look at the woods. “What I am afraid of is if I fail. What if I can’t defeat the sprosk? What if I am not really ready to fight it?”
“Ri, stop over thinking things. We have been training this for years, Ri, years.” She looked at me intently and calmly. For a girl who has the power of fire, she surely is calm.
You might ask why Eana said “years”. Honestly, Fraeia’s time is three times faster compared to the human world. So for two years that we have stayed in Fraeia, it is actually six years there.
I heard a snap from the edge of the forest and out came Gab, with a big smile on his face.
“Finally!” he frowned at the urgency of my voice as it sounded like the queen having waited for a long time.
“I’m sorry. There were a few rogues spotted near the cave and I have to deal with it.” Eana and I paled at the news. “So, why did you call me here?”
I looked at Eana and back to Gab. “Let’s go to the office. It’s not safe to talk about it here.”
Gab frowned more on the way we acted. Eana called out Kuya Red and we walked towards Dad’s old office.
“I want to tell you something first.” I said seriously. I told Gab about the five posts of the shurkash.
“So, what is with these five posts?” I took a deep breath before saying.
“Remember when I said we have something to find in your territory?”He nodded. “One of these posts is in your territory. And worst, it is the strongest post, the sprosk.”
“We were able to find where it is, Gab. And I want to ask your help on that.” He looked at me, in confusion.
“We want you to order your pack not to linger in the area.” I said and I saw the pain in his eyes upon saying the words “your pack” although it was short lived.
“Why do I have to do that?” He shook his head. “The cave is one of the beautiful places in my territory.”
“It’s dangerous for wolves to stay near the sprosk. It lives in negative energy. Everytime a person or wolf goes near it, the negative attitudes of the person is triggered that it would come out. This negative energy feeds the sprosk and helps fight its protective shell. That’s why, plenty of rogues are attracted to it. They feed on the energy from the sprosk and vice versa.”
“What will happen if a wolf will be exposed too much on it?”
“They will eventually die.”
“How?”
“The sprosk can control the minds of the people. It can cause wars and even rogue attacks towards the pack.”
“What about its protective shell?”
“The shell keeps the balance and the power of the sprosk. Since the sprosk’s negative energy is trapped in its shell, the shell uses this energy to strengthen the shurkash. Unfortunately, the shell is fast deteriorating. We don’t know what happened.” Eana explained.
“And sprosk being the main post of shurkash, it greatly affects shurkash and eventually, us.”
“So how are you going to deal with this?” Gab asked further. Eana and I paled once again. We looked at each other then to Kuya who is by now angry.
“W-we…” I sighed. “We need to get inside and battle with the sprosk.” I said quietly.
“You talked as if –,” Gab stopped as if he realized something dangerous is to happen seeing our fear. “NO!” he said. “You can’t go! Please!”
“We’ll give you a chance to talk.” I heard Eana said as she dragged Kuya out of the office.
I looked at the two as they stepped out of the office. As soon as the door closed, I was trapped in Gab’s arms as he hugged me tightly closer to his body. What I did not expect is when he put his lips unto mine claiming it into a passionate kiss.
I was shocked with his actions but not for long. It seems my hands and lips have their own minds as my hands snaked around his neck while my lips responded to his kiss. Cassy was jumping inside me. She was ecstatic being this near to her mate.
It was when I hit the desk when I woke up from his spell. I put my hands on his chest and pushed him to the last strength I have despite Cassy stopping me.
“I- I,” he sighed and looked at me intently. “I am sorry. I know you’re not prepared for it. But—,”
“It’s okay!” I said calmly. “It’s my fault too. I wasn’t able to stop myself.” He grinned with what I said as he snaked his arms around my waist.
“So about the sprosk…”
“What about it?”
“What are you going to do with it?”
“As I have said, we have to get inside the cave and fight the sprosk. And with the sprosk’s power, it won’t be easy.” I felt his arms tightened around me. “G-Gab?” I spoke trying to hide my fear as his eyes turned black from his usual green eyes. “Gab,” I held his cheeks into my palms and looked into his eyes.
He closed his eyes trying to control his wolf. He took a deep breath.
“You can’t go!” he ordered in his alpha tone. “I don’t want you to be there and fight!”
Though his alpha tone doesn’t affect me, his tone hit the ego of my royal self. As a royalty— I may not acknowledge it always— I don’t like people ordering me.
I glared at him. I pushed myself away from his body, escaping from his embrace. “You know that tone does not affect me, Gab and you don’t have any right to stop me.” I said, my voice still calm though I find it hard to control my pissed wolf and royal self.
“I have every right to tell you, Ri. I am your mate!” His wolf is pissed. I can see it’s trying to come out.
“You haven’t got the right to be that yet, Gab,” I spoke, venom in my voice. “You haven’t gained the title yet. Remember that!” He growled at me, his wolf on the brink.
“You are not going! If I have to imprison you in this house, I will!”
“You can’t tell me what or what not to do! Neither my family nor YOU can stop me from fulfilling the prophecy. It is my duty to my people!” I snapped in my royal tone.
He froze. I saw pain in his face before he looked down. I suddenly felt guilty but I have to show him my stand.
“I—,” he sighed. “I am sorry. Don’t worry, I will tell the pack what you want.” With that, he left the office without bidding goodbye. I saw him change into his wolf before he ran to the forest.
Cassy howled inside me. She’s hurt to see her mate hurting.
“Cass.” I calmed her down.
“I know. He doesn’t understand our side and so does Keifer.”
“I sometimes hate their possessiveness!” I exclaimed. Cassy smiled.
“Are you okay, Ri?” Eana said as her head popped from the door.
I nodded. “He just did not understand what we have to do.” I smiled sadly.
“You can’t blame him, Sis.” Kuya Red hugged me. “Even I still have a hard time accepting the fact that Eana has to do it, too. My only consolation is that, I will be there with you but not him, Ri.” He stared at me and said, “I can’t even bear the thought of Eana fighting wolves, how much more the sprosk?”
I let my tear fall. I hurt my mate but I just can’t let him stop me.
Gabriel
I pushed myself harder and my speed just went on faster. I ran faster towards the middle of the forest until I reached the lake that is still in my territory.
I jumped to the water shifting mid-air and let the cold water envelope me. I recalled our last conversation with Ri.
I can sense how dangerous Ri’s mission is. That’s why I snapped and ordered her instead.
I never meant to insult her. I know she felt insulted when I used my alpha tone but I can’t help it.
“I don’t want to lose her again!”
I went out of the water and dried myself. “And you think by doing it, you can’t lose her again?” Keifer spoke in my mind.
I shrugged. “I know. But I can’t help it!”
“Gabriel, where are you?!” My father’s voice boomed in my head.
“What is it, Father?” I answered coldly.
“I ask you to come to the house for lunch yet you’re still not here!”
“I’m coming!” I answered and shifted back to my wolf and ran towards the alpha’s house (where my parents still lives).
I changed, shifted back into my human self, grabbed a set of clothes from a tree and walked towards the house.
“What is it you want, Dad?” I asked as soon as I got inside the house and saw my father.
“There you are!” He said with a smile. Heads turned towards me as soon as I got in.
“Babe!” called out the blonde girl who stood up and walked towards me. She was about to hug me when I move away from her and approached Zachary, our former beta. I shook his hand and nodded to his mate.
“Babe!” This time, Tiffany yelled to get my attention.
“Such a brat!” I hear Keifer groaned inside me. “Right!” I agreed.
“Deal with her. I don’t want to upset our mate more when she finds out they are here!” He said before going to the back of my mind. I turned to look at her.
“What?!” my angry voice boomed. I saw fear in her face as the beta, his wife, my father and mother flinched in my voice.
Tiffany immediately hid her fear with a smile. She walked towards me again and held my arm.
“I miss you.” she said and tried to kiss me but I turned away. I felt disgusted with her touch.
“Hey!” she whined.
I took her hands off me and sat on the chair. I looked at my father. “I did not know we have visitors today. You didn’t tell me about it earlier.”
I saw my father paled but immediately hide it with his proud look.
“It was a surprise, darling.” my mom answered. “They came to visit after their long trip. In fact–”
“Yeah!” Tiffany cut off my mom’s explanation. I glared at her for disrespecting my mother but she seemed too dazzled to notice. “I want to see you already, babe!” she tried approaching me again.
This time, I got pissed.
“Could you settle on one seat, Tiffany? Stop walking around! And stop coming near me!” I ordered her in my alpha tone. All those who listened flinched.
“Gabriel!” my father’s voice boomed once again. “Is that how you’re suppose to treat a woman?”
I did not answer my father. Instead, I turned back to Zachary. “So, what can I do for you today?” I saw him paled before looking at my father.
“J-just visiting, Alpha.”
“Guess, it’s your father who arranged this meeting with the slut.” Keifer spoke.
I turned to my father. “So if he’s only visiting, what am I needed hear?”
“We want you to take part of your future wedding with Tiffany!” My father said calmly.
“What did you say?!” Keifer spoke for me, venom is in his voice.
“I said, it’s high time you settle down and give the pack a Luna. That’s why, Tiffany is here!”
“How many times do I have to tell you, Father, that if this pack will have a luna, that would be my mate. My mate!”
“I am your mate! When will you accept that, Gabriel?” Tiffany’s high pitch voice rang around the room.
I laughed out loud.
“Let me get this straight with you all.” I looked at Tiffany. “You! You will, are not, and never will be my mate. You’re way to weak compared to her.” My parents gasped, surprise with my harshness.
“Zachary, stop you illusion that you can possess more power by marrying your daughter to me!” I spoke to Zachary before turning to my father. “And you, Father, it’s high time you stop acting as alpha. It’s been years since you were put to your place. Remember that!”
I walked to my mother and hugged her. “I ‘m sorry Mom. I just got pissed off with them.” I whispered.
“I know!” she answered. “I just can’t believe he still planned to dictate your life!”
I let her go and gave her a smile. “I have to go.” I walked towards the door. “I still have more important things to do other than to be here. Goodbye, Mom!”
“Goodbye, Son!” she replied. “And say ‘hi’ to Ri for me.” She spoke in our mind link. I stopped in my tracks and looked at her.
“How did you know about her?” I said and continued to walked out.
“She called me the day they arrived and told me you were hurt and that they took care of you.”
“Have you seen her, Mom?”
“No! I wish I could, though!” I know she liked Ri ever since their pack joined ours. So I pushed an image of her to my Mom’s mind. “Oh, she looks more beautiful! You got yourself a beautiful mate son!”
“How?”
“I never seen you this happy, Son! Only now that she’s back!”
“Thanks Mom!”
I continued my way to the clearing.
“Meeting in 10 minutes. Be here in the clearing!” I announced in our mind link.
“Cassy?”
“What?” Oh-oh.. angry wolf alert!
“Ahm, could you please tell Ri that I need them to be here in the clearing in ten? We will be having a pack meeting.”
“Okay!” And with that, she cut me off.
Ten minutes later…
“Thank you for coming here today!” I started. “A lot of you might be wondering but I have an announcement to make!”
I saw the curiosity of my pack members. My father seemed to be jumpy.
“Before that, let me call in some former pack members who are here to help us with the rogues. Red, Eana and Ri Paine.” The three showed up and the former Serenes immediately went to them to hug and chat with them. I saw my father flinched hearing the names.
“Now, back to business. Our territory has plenty of beautiful spots. One of these is the cave. Unfortunately, rogues have been usually spotted near the area. So today, I want all of you, not even the elders,” I looked at my father. “-to stay near or in the area. Failure to follow my order will be punished! Are we understood?”
“Yes Alpha!” I smiled as everybody agreed. However, I was surprised when, “NO! You can’t stop us from visiting the area!” I saw my Dad’s and Zachary’s faces reddened.
“And why not?” I asked them. I saw there hesitation in answering.
“You can’t stop us Gabriel!” my father opposed me.
“Are you defying the alpha’s order, Father?”
“N-no. No, Alpha!”
“Okay, that’s all for now! Meeting adjourned.”
I stepped down from the stage and walked towards my mate who met me halfway. I smiled looking at her but my smile faded when I saw her serious look.
“There’s something I want to tell you!” she said. I nodded. She looked around before she continued. “It’s about your father!”
“What about him?”
“He and Zachary have been staying inside the cave for a long time now!”
“WHAT?!”
Anonymous POV
“It’s her fault. She should have not come back! Things could have been different! And now, this cave is already off-limits. No! I have to get back here! I need to finish my mission. I have been living for this, so I can’t fail this time!”
“Let’s just kill her! It would be easier!”
“Fool! Can’t you feel her power? She’s not an ordinary wolf! I feel, she is not easy to defeat!”
“I told you, they’re different!”
“I know! I’ve been trying hard to know what’s different with them. But until now, I can’t fathom it.”
The pair walked out of the cave cautiously.
“We have to plan this. Tomorrow night is the night the sprosk will be at its strongest and will be completely free. We must secure the area. No one should be there. Understood?”
“Yes, sho ghenissh!”
“Call Jehal and tell him to watch over the Paines. Tell him to report to us any signs of action!”
“Yes, sho ghenissh!” He sighed. “If only the alpha married Tiffany, everything would have been okay!”
“Don’t worry, Naryan! Just have your rogues prepared for tomorrow’s celebration!” he walked towards the pack house. “I assure you; tomorrow will be a night you can’t forget!”