“Your hands up.” Karl says, brushing past the wall clock and the official throne.
“Karl?” I call him, not minding the fact that half of the pack members are present here. He suddenly faces back, and stands still.
“Who are you? How do you know me?” He asks, impatiently waiting for a response.
“Aren’t you the Alpha of the Moon Team pack?” I ask, folding my arms across my chest.
“I was. I’m now a Beta of the second grade pack house of the highest Split moon pack.” He clarifies.
“Okay.” I sigh.
“But what do all these people want?” I ask in confusion as my forehead furrows.
“To search thoroughly here.” Mike approaches. “Who were you discussing with?”
“Alpha Jude, your attention is needed.” Mike says, and Jude walks in.
“Let all the members vacate this room. Right now!” Jude orders in his Alpha tone and they all obey.
“Karl, what do you want? I hope there is no problem.” Jude tells Karl and he bows as he moves out of the room.
“Rose.” Jude calls me and stoops low to fit my level.
“Yes, Alpha?” I reply, hiding my fear.
“What are you hiding? Tell me. Was anyone here earlier?” He asks.
“No, Alpha. I was only trying to summon the spirits to discover where Sophia is. So it got into my lungs, and I started coughing.”
“Not one person coughed.” Lucas cuts in.
“Yes. Two people and they are both masculine voices.” Mike adds. “I smell rats.”
“Mike, Lucas!” Jude yells. “Stop! Don’t accuse her any longer. If she doesn’t help us, no one will. She has a witch trait in her.”
“Okay, boss.” They chorus, and bow as they exit the room. Now, I’m left with only Jude in the room.
“Jude, you have to pursue after your clone so that you will have Sophia as your mate.” I tell him, and wrap the map up.
“My clone? Who formed my clone?” He asks, out of confusion.
“Yes, your clone. I guess you’re not the only person who has the wizard trait?” I retort.
“I have the wizard trait in me as an Alpha. I retrieved power from a wizard a time ago. I decided to try using the wizard power to take down someone called Rose, to make her stand still, thank goodness she didn’t look back and know it’s me. I would have been dead now because no one must know.” He says, and pauses.
“Go on, Alpha. I need all information.” I tell him.
“Okay. So, I was actually drained that day so that I needed a doctor but I didn’t get one since only a witch or wizard can heal me.” He speaks up. “And since you have that witch trait in you, I will do my best for you so you can stay here with me and support me if I get sick, drained or if I’m looking for a location.
“Where did you get this map from?” I ask him.
“From a wizard’s abode.” He splutters.
“That same abode where you got drained?”
“Yes.”
“Why did you steal the map? Why did You retrieve the power from the wizard, what if the wizard is harmful?”
He sighs. “I honestly don’t know. All I know is, I needed it at that point.”
“Okay. But Mister Jude, you can’t be the leading Alpha in California if you don’t complete high school, and if you don’t find your mate. And to find your mate, you must deal with your clone.”
“Sure, do you know where my clone is?” He asks.
“Only a clone can help people look for their clones.” He answers himself. “Only if you are a clone of someone, that’s when you can help me look for my own clone too.”
“Oh oh.” I sigh. “Where did you get that tip from?”
“From the Vampire’s Diary.” He replies.
“Do you know what? I’ll just turn you into your clone so you can help me find my clone. Okay?” He says but I shake my head in disapproval.
“No, don’t. Even if I have to be turned into my clone, I must get my mate first.” My voice increases and decreases in pitch.
“Please. You should always obey an Alpha. Why would you object?” He raises his voice.
“And why would you want to turn me into my clone?” I bark at him, and I slide the map into my pocket.
“You are no longer searching for Sophia?” His voice becomes cool again.
“Just get another mate.” I say, and throw the squeezed sheets of paper in my hand, at him.
“What the hell!” He cusses, hesitantly standing up. Three inches away from me, I take steps backwards and I reach the torn area in the room.
“Dickhead…” He smirks. “You want to escape with the map so you’ll give the other wizard?”
“Not give. Return.” I retort and he chuckles in derision.
I let my hands go out in the hole without him noticing and a hand starts to drag me down. I’m sure it’s Dylan or Greg still there, and trying to save me.
“Try to escape if you can.” He shrugs.
“You wizard!” I cuss at him.
“You bitch! You witch! You made my clone! Didn’t you?!!!” He yells at me.
“Yes, i made your clone. But it wasn’t deliberate. And again, I didn’t make it alone. Someone had access to the vampire diary and that person made your clone disappear. If anyone didn’t have access to the diary, at least, you’ll see your clone and deal with it so that you can get Sophia without stress.”
“I knew it. Right from the start. I knew it. Mike does say this, Lucas supports him too. Your plan is not to save me. Your plan is to steal the map.” He barks again, jamming his palms together.
“Steal? Steal, you say? You big thief.” I remark, and he starts to growl, his vampire threatening to thrust out.
“I didn’t steal the map. It is my right. Give the map to me and get the hell out of my pack house.”
“After saving your ass.” I say, and I’m being slowly dropped outside the room. Spark is already within me so I can shift easily.
“Thank you, but get out now. I asked you to help me find Sophia’s location. Yet, you said you didn’t get any signal, you didn’t do anything reasonable!” He howls. Now, it is his vampire taking control of his body.
“I knew it.” He says, three times and his vampire fully takes control. Karl barges into the room and takes my hands into his as we jump out through the hole. Like a deer, Jude’s Vampire jump after us but we soon drag down the curtain. That makes him hit the ground with a loud thud as he growls and howls, drawing other member’s attention.
“Dylan? Greg? Karl?” My lips shiver as I try to confirm their presence.
“We are all here. Get ready to shift should we be pursued.” Karl says, and we move faster into the woods. The thick bush behind Jude’s room and his pack house. Just as we move for the next five minutes, two rogues stop in our front and we unexpectedly leap backwards.
“Shift.” Dylan clips and we all translate ourselves into our wolves. Karl growls and darts towards the rogues. Dylan just growl, he doesn’t attack so also Greg. I shift back into my clone form and others do too. The rogues are in their human forms too.
“I don’t know you. Who are you?!” Karl barks at the two of them, turning his back to us so that we can’t see their faces.
“I’m Ben.” The first one says.
“I’m Rose.” The second one says.
“Ben, Rose?” I say; Dylan and Greg looks at me with shock and we both stand up and clear Karl off of the way.
“Ben! Rose!” I scream their names and they hug me tightly.
Dylan hugs Rose while I hug Ben. Greg sighs and we hug him after we have hugged others.
“Where have you been, Rose?” I smile at Rose and she hugs me again.
“Thank you, clone. I have been in Ben’s abode. We are now good and real friends.” Rose says, and Greg clears his throat.
“That is to say, you have gotten a new mate?” Greg asks and sharply exhales.
“No, not yet. I have my own mate already. It’s one and only Greg!” She sobs and sniffles as she gives Greg a tight hug.
“Remember we haven’t gone far?” Karl intrudes the emotional display. “We might get caught again.”
“Rose, let’s go.” Greg holds her hands and we move. Ben holds my hands too and Karl moves with Dylan.