36

EASTON
I have always wondered why things sometimes deviate from my carefully crafted plans. They either go awry or simply fail to materialize.
Once upon a time, I believed I was bestowed with blessings from the Moon Goddess, granting me everything my heart desired. However, as of late, it seems that nothing is aligning as it should.
It has been a month since my last encounter with my beloved. One would assume that she would come running back to me, but instead, she has distanced herself even further.
Never before have I witnessed someone as obstinate as she is, which leads me to wonder why she chooses to endure such torment within that dreadful pack, rather than allowing me to rescue her and whisk her away from her misery.
Initially, her indecisiveness kept me on edge. Every time I contemplated storming the Blood Moon pack to claim my mate, her words echoed in my mind. Yet, the fury in her eyes conveyed a different message, as if she was silently pleading for my intervention.
Undoubtedly, her words of rejection left me immobilized for a while. Nevertheless, that did not deter me from taking action to ensure her well-being and safety.
Within the Blood Moon pack, I have an ally who keeps me informed about various occurrences within the pack. This includes crucial information required to put an end to Zane’s madness once and for all. The execution of our plans will commence soon as soon as I receive word from the alpha king.
Meanwhile, my informant was tasked with monitoring Eleanor’s situation closely. I had explicitly warned him that if Zane dared to lay a finger on her, he should immediately inform me so that I could take appropriate action. However, it has been days, and I have not received any updates regarding her, except for reports on Zane’s daily activities.
“Easton!” Laycon yelled, snapping me out of my thoughts. The anger on his face indicated that he had been giving me feedback, but I had been so lost in my own world that I hadn’t heard a word he said.
“Do I need to hand in my resignation letter? Because, damn it, I can’t keep dealing with this,” he expressed, standing up from his seat and coming towards me, placing his hands on my shoulders.
“What is it this time? And please tell me it’s something important that has distracted you from focusing on the important matters right in front of you,” he said, and I quickly shook my head, offering a brief smile.
“I’m sorry. It’s nothing of great importance. I will stay focused this time. What do you have for me?” I asked him.
Laycon slammed his hand on the table, startling me. “You know, sometimes I wonder who the real alpha is between us,” he said bluntly, making a disapproving sound with his mouth and shaking his head simultaneously.
I knew Laycon despised it when I kept secrets from him, but this time, I didn’t want him to think that I was losing focus on important matters by obsessing over Eleanor, who had rejected me since our first meeting. I didn’t want Laycon to nag me about it.
“I know… I know I am the alpha, and I should be acting like one, but I’m trying my best here,” I answered honestly, and he looked at me with a stern expression.
“It’s her… She’s the reason you’re always distracted, isn’t she? Are you still hung up on the fact that she rejected you? Hahaha… come on, Easton. Not every woman is going to find you attractive all the time. You clearly don’t appeal to her in that way,” Laycon teased, and I rolled my eyes in response.
Realizing that he was going to continue teasing, I let out a low growl, causing him to stop and compose himself.
“I understand that you’re concerned about her, and I know how long you’ve been searching for your mate. So, having her reject you without even giving you a chance to prove your love is undoubtedly hurtful. But don’t worry, Easton. You have a spy watching over her, and if anything was wrong, you would have been informed. So, rest assured, and let’s focus on what’s at hand,” Laycon reassured me.
“That’s true, but something tells me that the spy is keeping something from me,” I informed him, and Laycon exhaled.
“Well… maybe it’s for the best,” he replied bluntly, causing me to raise an eyebrow.
“Do you know something that I don’t?” I asked, and he frantically shook his head.
“You do, don’t you? Tell me what it is, Laycon, because I won’t take it lightly if I find out on my own,” I threatened.
“It’s nothing serious. It’s about Zane and his plans,” Laycon said, and I found myself calming down a little.
For a split second, I thought he was going to deliver bad news about Eleanor. I had already prepared myself to gather troops and march straight to the blood moon pack to ensure Zane received a taste of his own medicine.
“Are you even listening, or have you zoned out on me again?” Laycon asked, snapping his fingers to get my attention.
“I’m here. What did you find out? What’s his next move, and which pack is he targeting next?” I bombarded him with questions without pausing.
Just as Laycon was about to answer, we heard a knock on the door. I gave the command, and the door opened, revealing a sentinel entering the room.
“What is it, Andrea?” I inquired, and the sentinel immediately dropped to one knee, bowing their head in reverence.
“You have a guest, Alpha. He claims to have something for you and goes by the name Black,” Andrea reported, and a smile crept across my face.
“Allow him to enter,” I commanded.
“Yes, Alpha,” Andrea acknowledged, quickly rising from their kneeling position and heading towards the door. They closed it behind them, and moments later, a figure stepped into the room. It was a tall, elegant man dressed in a black suit, white shirt, and a matching black tie.
He walked towards us with a regal air, and I was reminded of why I had given him the nickname “Black” in the first place. It suited him perfectly, considering his penchant for exclusively wearing black attire.
“Nice to finally have you here, Black. I’ve been waiting for you for quite some time,” I greeted him, adjusting myself in my seat.
“You speak as if we didn’t see each other on Monday. It’s only Friday. Don’t tell me you’ve missed me that much, huh, Easton?” Black responded, teasingly. I chuckled while Laycon let out a low growl.
“It’s Alpha Easton, you dumbass,” Laycon snapped through gritted teeth.
“Woah… woah, still as resentful as ever. Don’t tell me you’re jealous because I address him by his name,” Black continued to tease.
“J-j-j-jealous!?” Laycon stammered, taken aback. “W-w-why would I be jealous?”
“Hmm… I don’t know. You sound more like a jilted boyfriend than his beta,” Black jested, placing a hand on his lips. Laycon’s fury escalated, and he reached for his sword.
“Say that one more time, and I’ll separate your head from your body,” Laycon threatened.
“I’d like to see you try,” Black responded calmly, seemingly unfazed by Laycon’s threats.
“Enough, guys!” I intervened, trying to defuse the tension. “Black, please have a seat. And Laycon, put your sword back in its sheath. What are you carrying around, anyway?” I inquired.
“Your protection… We never know when we might be attacked, so as your beta, I have to be prepared at all times,” Laycon explained.
“Well, that’s commendable, but it’s not necessary at the moment. Keep it stowed away,” I instructed him before turning my attention to Black. “Now, tell me, what do you have for me?”
“A lot, but more importantly, Zane is on the brink of taking drastic actions, and we must strike back.”