Trap

ZADE’S POV
There was no way Victoria could have broken out of that house and killed about five of the highly trained guards I had placed there to prevent her from leaving and any person other than me and our son from going in. It wasn’t just possible. I knew she was strong but she wasn’t trained and didn’t even stand a chance against one of the guards. So how had she been able to kill all five?
I had immediately sent some of my soldiers to go after her when I discovered what had happened and was still waiting for them to return.
“I think we should keep an eye on your son at all times. She loves him so much and might want to come pick him up. We can catch her that way,” Tommy was saying.
I still couldn’t get past the deaths of those guards. It wasn’t just about the fact that they were killed but how they were killed too.
It must have taken someone with a lot more physical strength and bigger size than Victoria.
“There is no way she could have done it all alone. She had help,” I said to my Beta.
“I know she had to have had help. But Lily, her accomplice had been banished a week before the escape. The Patrol Guards at the boundary have been diligently looking to see if she’d return but there has been no sign of her,” he replied.
I snorted. “They didn’t see Victoria leave right?”
He nodded. “But…”
I interrupted him. “If they didn’t see Victoria leave, it is possible that Lily had been able to sneak past them.”
He rolled his eyes. “But still, two women against five of our highly trained guards? It is very impossible.”
I sighed and rubbed at my temples. My head was already starting to hurt, trying to figure out how Victoria had killed those guards and escaped.
“You saw the dead bodies right? Does something not seem off to you?” I queried.
All the guards had been killed by a sword cut to the neck. The same deep, clean cut that must have caused them to bleed out instantly.
If they had been mere humans, the manner of their deaths wouldn’t have bugged me so much. But they had been werewolves with the ability to heal. Yet somehow, they had not healed. Instead, they had bled out till they died.
Tommy was deep in thought for a while. Then he sat up straighter as his eyes widened. “It is crazy but it is a possibility,” he began.
I sat up straighter. “I am listening.”
“What if Victoria is also a witch?” he asked and I could see the excitement build up in his eyes as he felt he was close to putting the pieces together. “That’s the only way she could have killed those guards so easily by taking away their ability to heal.
I shook my head. “But she is a werewolf. Besides I have never seen her do anything witchy,” I replied and he rolled his eyes.
“Not all witches wear pointy hats and use crystals or candles. And besides, it was all part of the act for her. Why I believe she might be a witch is because of her connection with the seer. I’m not sure Victoria paid the seer with money to lie to us. When I found her, she didn’t look like she just got paid. She was in a dingy apartment, wearing threadbare clothes,” he explained.
“Well, the only way we can find out the truth is if we ask the seer. But do you think that she is still going to be there?” I asked.
“We can only try our luck,” he said, getting to his feet.
“I think I should go with you,” I replied, also getting up from my seat.
“No, you can’t. You have to be with your son. What if Victoria takes advantage of the fact that both the Alpha and the Beta are away from the pack and come for him?” he queried.
“And if she is really a witch, those guards and soldiers do not stand a chance against her.”
I rolled my eyes. “Come on. She can’t be that powerful. We have up to a thousand soldiers,” I said. “And even if she can kill them all, what makes you think that she’d not kill me to get her son?” I queried.
“To be honest, I’m not so sure. But while she attacks our soldiers, it would give you the opportunity to escape with your son,” he answered.
I sighed and sat back down. “Let’s just hope that is not the case. You may leave now. If you can’t find her after a week, please return to the pack.”
He nodded. “I’ll keep you updated.” And with that, he was gone.
I sighed and buried my face in my hands. Since Victoria was locked up till she escaped, there had been no mysterious attack on the pack. I had thought that since she had escaped, she was going to attack any time soon. But it had been quite some time that she had escaped and there had still been no attacks. I wondered if it was the proverbial calm before the storm.
But why was she doing those things to me? I wondered. Even while we were dating before I met Malia, I had always been very kind to her.
I left my study and walked down the hallway leading to my son’s room. I had positioned guards right from the beginning of the hallway where my son’s room was, to the end of the hallway.
There were also two of them by his door and they bowed as I got close to them and turned the door handle to let myself in.
To my relief, he was fast asleep and the maid in charge of him was busy trying to clean up the mess he must have made when he was eating or being forced to eat.
It had been that way since his mother’s disappearance. He had started crying a lot and refusing his meals. It was even more difficult to get him to sleep.
The maid gave me a deep bow and I acknowledged her with a nod. I stared at my sleeping son for a while before I turned to face her. “How did he do today?” I asked her.
She shrugged. “At least he is asleep. He didn’t eat much though and he cried throughout the process. He is so young and at an age where he needs his mother. It would have been a different case if he had not known her at all. But he had known her and they had formed an attachment which makes it difficult for him,” she replied. Then her eyes suddenly widened and she slapped a hand over her mouth as though she had spoken too freely and said too much.
I gave her a small smile. “It’s okay. You are right. So what do you suggest? Do you think he is going to get better with time?” I asked.
She looked surprised for a moment that I was asking for her suggestion and tucked a lock of her hair behind one ear nervously.
“Well, I suggest you hire a professional that handles kids like him so that he grows up without much trauma to unpack. If we allow just time to do the work, he is going to grow up with some sort of trauma, hence the professional,” she replied.
I sighed and nodded. “That’s right. Do you know of anyone who can help us?”
She nodded with a smile. “My aunt is trained to handle cases like this. I can get her to come see you. She’ll be happy and willing to help.”
“Thank you so much. I know there’s no way I can ever repay you for your help but I am going to try. Do not hesitate to come to me if you need anything.”
She curtseyed as she spoke. “You are so generous, Your Majesty. But I do this because you have been such a good leader and I feel it is my responsibility to help in any way I can.”
“Thank you once again,” I said, giving her a pat on her shoulder, then I took one last look at my son and left the room.
True to her word, my son’s maid’s aunty came the next day. When I interviewed her, I saw that she was indeed a professional and could handle my son’s case. It was just too bad that his mother was a bitch. He shouldn’t have to go through so much hurt because of her.
After the first three days that she spent helping him, I noticed a slight improvement. I knew that it was going to take time and I was not in a hurry.
She also advised that I spend time with him no matter how busy I was.
“It would help him a lot if the other parent is very available. And I lay emphasis on very emotionally available,” she had said to me.
My Beta arrived at the end of the week looking excited.
He started speaking immediately after he entered my study.
“As expected, she wasn’t in her apartment but I tracked her down to where she was. It turns out that she was with Lily.”
He took the seat in front of my desk. “You wouldn’t believe that Victoria betrayed her sister Lily. It is the only reason she sought the seer out and they are now staying together, plotting their revenge against Victoria.
I leaned forward in my seat, hanging on to his every word.
“Victoria, who is also a witch, by the way, had threatened the seer. She had placed a sickness on her son and was the only one who knew how to reverse it. She threatened to allow her son to die if she didn’t do all that she asked her to do.
Lily, on the other hand, claimed that her sister had used her as a pawn in her whole scheme. Do you remember how Victoria had tried to pin the whole thing on Lily when we first interrogated her?” He asked.
I nodded. Of course. How could I ever forget how she had lied that it was all Lily’s idea and that the said Lily had always had a thing for me and wanted to be Luna but I had fallen for her instead? She had claimed Lily was behind all those mysterious attacks because she was angry that her sister had been chosen instead of her.
Tommy continued. “She’s angry at the fact that her sister had tried to make her look guilty to save her own skin.”
“Do they have any idea where she might be?” I queried.
“In fact, they do. And she also told me something very interesting,” he replied.
“Which is?” I asked.
“Victoria is not working alone. She is not the brains of this scheme. Your real enemy is someone we know so well.”
Just then, I received a call from an unknown number. I signalled to my Beta to stop talking and picked up.
“Hey brother,” a very familiar voice said. It was Ryder.
“And to what do I owe this pleasure?” I asked with a suspicious scowl.
“Well, you happen to have something I want and it turns out that I also have something that you want?” he replied.
I looked at my Beta who mouthed, “Who is that?”
I ignored him. I was confused by what my step-brother was saying. And could he be so greedy as to be referring to my throne when he already has his?
Being the firstborn of my father, he had always thought that he had a claim to the throne even if he was an illegitimate child.
“I don’t understand what you mean,” I said to him.
He laughed and it sounded sinister. “Oh brother, you are going to know pretty soon,” he replied.
I heard a notification sound and when I checked it, it was a picture of Malia bound with what looked like silver chains. She also looked barely conscious.
I was suddenly filled with fury and I had to rein in my wolf. I couldn’t risk him taking over the situation just yet.
“If you hurt her, I swear I am going to kill you,” I growled and he chuckled.
“Well, you have the chance to save her but make sure you bring my son along with you. No son, no Malia. And it’s in Malia’s best interest if you come alone,” he said and the line went dead.
“That was Ryder wasn’t it?” my Beta asked and I nodded.
“Tommy, I have been fooled. I don’t think Victoria’s child is mine.”
From the look in his eyes, I saw that he already knew.
“That was what I was going to talk about before he called,” Tommy began. “Lily told me that Victoria was working with Ryder and that he is also the father of the boy. She was already a few weeks pregnant before she came to this pack. All she had to do was rekindle whatever old feelings you had for her and get you to sleep with her so that she could easily pin the baby on you. Ryder put her up to it. He is your real enemy here, Zade.”
I turned the desk over in anger. “He has my mate. He has Malia. I need to go to him.”
Tommy got up from his seat. “I know he said you should come alone but let me go with you. Trust me, I know how to make myself undetectable.”
I started to refuse and he placed a hand on my shoulder and squeezed. “You are going to need all the help that you can get. I know quite well that you are walking into a trap. Victoria is with him and she can easily use her powers against you. Please let me help.”
I took a deep breath and nodded. “I have to go get her son first and then, we leave. Just wait for me at the garage,” I said and headed to my son’s room.
The maid looked surprised when I just came in and picked him up from the bed.
“We are going on a little trip,” I explained to her.
Her expression told me that she did not believe me but she didn’t say a word and just curtseyed as I turned to leave with the boy who I had always thought was my son, in my arms.
Tommy was waiting for me in the garage like we agreed upon. At first, I didn’t know it was him until he spoke. “How do you like my disguise?”
I scoffed. I wondered how he had quickly done it.
“You are going to take the other car,” I said, handing him the keys. “And please, remember not to follow too closely behind me. I do not want anything to happen to Malia.”
He nodded and left.
When I arrived at the Red Claw Pack, both Ryder and Victoria were waiting for me on the outskirts of the town.
Her son immediately sighted her and began to wail.
I sighed and stepped out of the car just as Ryder came towards me and Victoria went to the passenger side of the car to get her son.
“Where is Malia?” I queried.
“Oh you fool,” he murmured and that was the last thing I heard before I lost consciousness.