Mia
I woke up, feeling cold and pulled my duvet over me. That was strange. What was going on? I clearly remembered that the home heater was on before I went to bed the previous night. I shouldn’t be feeling this cold. I pulled the cloth higher over my head but it didn’t help.
What was the time? I wondered if it was daybreak yet. I couldn’t wait for the world to be alive so I could get some breakfast into my body. Maybe I would help with cooking breakfast. I needed some distraction to help me with the bundles of nightmares that I had dealt with.
I turned to check the time on my phone and was shocked to see my mum seated beside my bed, staring at me.
“Mum,” I croaked in surprise. “Why are you here?”
“You wouldn’t stop screaming all through the night. I had to be here when I couldn’t take it anymore to be sure my daughter is fine.”
I blushed, feeling embarrassed. “I’m sorry to have disturbed you.”
She flicked her hand, waving my apologies away. “Don’t be sorry about that, dear. Anyone can have nightmares. Care to tell me what it was all about? What made my daughter have nightmares all night long?”
“I have forgotten.” I lied.
There was no way I could tell mum about the nightmares without telling her of the dark wizard and I would be revealing the dark secrets of her husband and step-sons if I did. I couldn’t. I had already promised Albert that I wasn’t going to tell her of their secret.
I moved and embraced her, wrapping my hands tightly around her. “Let’s forget about the nightmares, mum. I’m just glad that you are here.”
She smiled at me and patted me on the back. “You are going to be fine, my baby.”
***
“Why were you screaming all through the night?” Jack asked when we were having breakfast. “Trying to check how high you can scream? Auditioning for the opera?”
“Don’t tease your sister.” Albert scolded him.
Jack looked at me and winked. “I’m sorry, sister.”
Albert looked at me. “Your mum told me that you had a nightmare. How was it?”
I shook my head subtly and glanced at my mum. She didn’t see me looking at her as she had her bowed as she was busy with the steak that she was cutting. “No.” I lied to him, for my mother’s sake.
Albert nodded, getting what I was trying to tell him. “No problem. Come to my study when you are done, Mia. I have something I would like you to see.” He said and gave Quinn a hard look.
Quinn nodded back at him and I could guess what had been passed between them. He must have told him he needed the boys to be around as well. I sighed as I looked at my mum who smiled at us as she raised her head up, not suspecting anything. It felt odd that I was planning something and she was the only one who didn’t know about it. I felt like I was in a clique or a cult.
After breakfast, I moved to Albert’s study one hour after I was done with breakfast. I was stunned as I entered his study. I was amazed. I didn’t think I had ever been to his study and I was amazed at what I saw. It was beautiful.
He was on call with someone when I got in and I looked around keeping myself busy. He smiled at me when he dropped his phone.
“Welcome.” He smiled at me as he dropped his phone. “Sit.”
I did, sitting on the chair opposite him. “Yes, sir.” I was suddenly nervous sitting before him as I stared at his office. I was reminded that he was an officer and he had many great achievements. I wondered how many he had killed in battle. Had he killed or not?
“Let’s wait for your brothers before we start.” He said and glanced at the clock. “What is keeping those boys waiting? I told them to be here soon.”
“Maybe they have something to get to before they get here.” I said in their defense. “It’s unusual for them to not be here after.”
Even if I didn’t know anything about the boys, I knew that they respected their dad and wouldn’t have ignored him on purpose.
He smiled at me, leaning forward as he folded his hands on the table and stared at me. “It’s unlike you to defend your brothers. What changed?”
I blushed. Was I that bad? Why did everyone assume that I was going to betray my brothers?
“Nothing.”
“Okay.” He said, leaning back. “While we are waiting for the boys, what would you like to know? I noticed you looking around.”
“I noticed some fur as I walked in. Are those the wolves that you killed?”
He chuckled. “Why do you think I killed them all? Even if though I am an alpha and was an officer, I don’t like killing if I can help it.” His expression suddenly changed and he growled. “I would have killed the dark wizard if I could. Even though it is a difficult thing to kill him, I would have attempted it if not for my distaste for shedding blood.”
I could see that I had ruined his day with the reminder of the dark wizard and I felt sorry for that. “I’m sorry for thinking that.”
He chuckled. “Don’t be, Mia. I’m a wolf and an alpha. My instinct is to kill so you are not wrong about that. About the hanging of the furs, it is a tradition in the silver moon pack. Every alpha has to kill his competition for the title to show that he is strong enough to lead the pack. The throne isn’t passed down from lineage to lineage. Those furs you are looking at are the wolves that could have made it to being alphas but were killed by the one who became alphas.”
I gulped at the information. The pack was more complicated than I had thought. I couldn’t bear to think of those furs again without having tears fill my eyes. It was easy when I had thought that they were animals killed for decoration and to show off strength.
Knowing that they were actual people killed to get to rule was messing with my head. I hadn’t really had lengthy conversation like this with Albert and I felt odd that of all the questions I could have asked him, I chose to ask the one that had a scary response.
I couldn’t let go of my curiosity though. Dang, that was going to be the end of the death of me.
“So, most of these furs were passed down to you?”
He nodded. “Only one was earned by me, the wolf I killed to become the leader. The rest were wolves who lived years and centuries ago and were killed by the alphas who ruled then. When I stop being the alpha, the whole collection of furs is going to the next alpha.”
“Do you know who the next alpha would be?”
“Quinn would have to fight his cousin, Tyrex when it’s time to select the next alpha of the pack. They are both the strongest in the pack. The winner becomes the leader of the pack and then announces his mate which would become the Luna of the pack.”
“Where is the pack?”
“We all have our lives to live and only come together on traditional ceremonies. Then, they meet at the house of the alpha.”
“How do you intend to make mum not know of them when it’s time for that?”
“She would never know.” He smiled, without saying much on that.
“This means Quinn might die to become the ruler.”
He nodded. “That is tradition. I trust my boy though. He is strong.” He smiled with pride.
I wasn’t moved. Every father trusted his son. I was sure that was the same way Tyrex’s father was feeling.
I couldn’t get over the thought that Quinn might die. I thought I didn’t care about the boys but I was totally heartbroken and filled with a sudden loss that I couldn’t explain at the thought of Quinn’s death.