Quinn
I couldn’t believe it. It felt like a dream. Had this truly happened? This couldn’t be so. Was it? Had it truly happened? Did he just order us to be thrown into the dungeon after what he had done? What was wrong with him? I had thought that we could clear the misunderstanding in the air but it seemed he had intentionally come to our territory to do what he did. Maybe if I had spoken with him, I would have known what his motive was. I couldn’t believe that he had done this on purpose. I still wanted to believe that he had attacked the wrong werewolf pack. Maybe another pack had done some injustice to him and he had thought that we were the one. I couldn’t think of what I was going to say to that. We could only resolve this amicably.
Maybe I was being too trusting but I didn’t know what else to think of the situation. We had always been living in peace so it surprised me that this could have happened.
The guards pushed us roughly into the cell and slammed it shut. I jumped at the harsh sound and zoomed my mind back to reality. I was happy despite the circumstances that we had found ourselves in that we were all together. I didn’t know how I was going to take it if we were in separate cells. That would have been as disaster that I was glad that we had avoided.
My only guess about why we were locked in the same cell was that the guards didn’t think we were going to cause more trouble since we were going to die tomorrow. I winced at the thought. The king of the vampires had to be kidding. We weren’t going to die tomorrow. Not on my watch. If I was going to die, I wasn’t going to die in a strange land far away from my pack.
What would happen to the pack if I was gone? I knew my cousin could lead the pack when I was gone but I didn’t think I was fine with that idea. I was the best man suited for the job. What would happen to our employees at home? They could find other jobs but I didn’t think there was any that could pay them as much as we did and still make them feel comfortable while at it.
I promised Mia forever with us and we must make good on that promise. We couldn’t afford to die. Not yet.
I had a lot of responsibilities yet to do here and that was certainly going to be the drive that would keep me alive.
Jack hissed as he got to his feet, dusting sand away from his hands. He growled at how the guards had pushed him and went to the door, held it and yelled some profanities out loud, curses so crude that I blinked my eyes in surprise.
I couldn’t blame him that he was mad. We had thought that we were done with being rough handled after leaving the island of Gayalluc. It was shocking to know that we weren’t done.
He walked back into the cell with a sulk on his face and I smiled at him in amusement. “Are you done? Do you feel better after yelling?” I asked. His voice was still echoing in the cell.
“Oh! Don’t get me started with you. I told you that we should have attacked these people but you wouldn’t listen.” He hissed at me.
I sighed. “Are we still on this, Jack? I thought that we already resolved it.”
“Don’t think anything. I know we couldn’t have won but we wouldn’t be known as weaklings. He had the nerve to order us thrown in a dungeon because he believes that we are weak. Who asks for a conversation when he is meant to ask for a negotiation?”
“Apparently me because that was what I did.”
“And you got us in a huge mess.” He scowled.
“I’m sorry.” I apologized. “Are we cool now?”
“Not until I’m out of this hell hole.”
I chuckled. “Don’t worry. You won’t die. I have a plan.”
He snorted. “You better do.” He glanced at Mia and John and frowned at them. “Why are the two of you not saying anything? Are you okay with being here?”
John sighed. “That is not it. I’m thinking of something. Did you see his eyes? The eyes of the vampire king.”
Mia nodded and gave a slight shiver. “Did you see it too? The way he was looking at me? I thought I was the only one who did. That looks sent shivers down my spine. I had goosebumps right there in the courtroom.”
Jack chuckled. “This is not the time to be jealous, man. I thought you would have been used to these supernatural men wanting Mia by now and you should also know that she is committed to us. She can’t leave us regardless of what it is so I don’t bother myself with that anymore.”
John snorted. “It’s not that. I’m secure with Mia. I thought you all noticed the slight change in his eyes when he ordered us to be thrown into the dungeon. I could have sworn that his eyes changed to red for a brief moment.”
“Red?” Jack gasped.
“Are you sure?” I asked, my eyes getting wide.
“What is the big deal with red eyes? Don’t you all supernatural beings have red eyes?” Mia asked. “I’ve seen Albert with red eyes.”
I sighed. Mia didn’t understand it yet. I turned to her to explain. “Dad has red eyes because he is a werewolf and the alpha of the pack. Not any werewolf can have red eyes. Red eyes are normal for werewolves but not vampires. A vampire having red eyes is a sign of malady.”
She gasped, now understanding what was at stake. “So the king is crazy?”
I nodded. “Something like that. He is not his normal self at the moment. That is the meaning.”
“What could have happened?” She sighed.
“That is a question we would now have to find an answer to.”