Too quiet. That was Lucille’s first thought when she got to the borders of the Fauger’s pack, when she hurried with her group members past the safeguards, into the pack that had stood with the Blue Moon’s pack in their crises.
Too quiet. She thought as they stood in the center of the pack, as they took notice of the empty streets, and the shut up houses. The people were inside. Lucille exchanged wary glances with the people with her-Derek, Sheila, Claire, Aiden, Dobah and the two messengers that had come to make the report to the pack.
When these messengers suddenly cut away from them, suddenly ran to the other side of the pack as if they were being chased by demons, Lucille knew they had been betrayed by the Fauger’s pack, knew they had walked straight into a trap.
However, she held back from sending a distress call, choosing to use this moment to build her strength, rather than run at the first sign of trouble. After all, her sister and her mate could be busy. At least she had Dobah with her. He was as strong as her mate. And there was Aiden. Her sister’s mate. They were strong enough to hold the grounds.
“We walked into a trap…” Claire stated the obvious. “But why would they betray us this way? Why not join the other packs and refuse to help us in the war? Why punish us this way? What have we ever done to them if not to be good neighbors, even when the other had wanted to take the pack for themselves?”
Lucille had heard the story from her mother as they had hurried over to the pack. Alpha Lorenzo, of the Faugers pack had his parents murdered when he was fourteen. When it was discovered that the murderer was his father’s brother, the latter was killed. But that had made little Lorenzo heir to the throne, with no one to teach him to lead the people. There was no one to help teach him either, without a selfish interest at heart.
The other Alphas had come together to decide what to do about the pack before it became a den for rogues, before the members became prey to evil creatures of the night. After the meeting, they had decided to divide the pack into four portions, and share it with the neighboring packs. Only Alpha Peter had negated the selfish motion.
Alpha Peter had also pledged to take care of the lad until the latter was ready to rule, vowing not to show interest in the pack-except to see it grow. After much back and forth, and grumblings, they had agreed to the notion of little Lorenzo becoming a prodigy of Alpha Peter. A lad who had become inseparable with Alpha Peter and his brother, Arnold in latter years.
Peter had kept to his promise, and the boy had taken the alpha title at age fourteen, becoming the youngest alpha to ever rule in the region. When he turned twenty, he had stopped taking taking lessons from Peter, becoming an alpha of his own. He had, however, remained close to the latter and his family.
Was this the way to repay the man that had taken a fatherly role over his life? Lucille wondered, shaken by the eeriness of the quietness in the pack. It was either the Lorenzo was an evil man, or he had been threatened with the life of his people and his family to do this.
When Lucille saw the man-for her mother that thrown her a picture of Lorenzo in her mind-sporting an apologetic sorrowful face whilst walking toward them, flanked by another tall figure, she knew that the latter option had been the case. She felt sorry for Lorenzo, instead of anger.
She watched, still as the others with her, as the two men came to stand a few feet away from them. She could feel Dobah and Aiden weigh the environment around them, probably searching for the shadow warriors. She wondered if it was even real in this pack; if the shadow warriors were here. She sighed when she saw the males with her, stand before them, acting as a shield for she, her mother and Claire. Derek with them too.
Dread settled in the pit of her stomach, however, when the man laughed, whej the unknown man laughed. The man was sporting a mask. Legardo.
“Sheila, nice to see you again.”
Her mother said nothing, gave nothing out. Her expression was as stoic as anything stoic.
“What do you want, Legardo?” Aiden spoke, crossing his arms over his chest.
Legardo laughed again. “Always straight to the point. Ancients. You betrayed me.”
Dobah scoffed, attracting Legardo’s attention.
Legardo’s hadn’t seen the ancient before, but then he hadn’t seen the entire ancients when he had gone to seek them out after years of research, after years of blood and sweat. And yet they had betrayed him. Well, he would make sure that they regretted that singular decision.
“We didn’t betray you, Legardo. We just opted out, after we discovered the messed up games you were playing. You never told us the intricate details of the Blue moon pack, other than the fact that they had the abstenum mineral. You didn’t tell us either of your plans for world domination-I honestly don’t understand how you believed we were going to let you do that. You want other supernaturals under your thumb?” Aiden asked, piquing his left eyebrow.
Legardo shook his head. “Not at all. At first, I just wanted the packs in this region to be unified under one rule. What was bad about that? It would ensure peace and unity, since there won’t be any wars or rogues, or matters like that. But as time went on, as I got to know a few things, I wanted more-not just the packs around the this region, but the other packs too. I had no plans to dominate your species. But now… I think I might be interested.”
Dobah chuckled drily. Ancients being ruled by a werewolf with a mistaken identity? May he never live to see the day!
“Yeah, I’m sure it sounds insane…” Legardo continued, making a response to Dobah’s laughter. “But I will prove it to you. I love challenges, and I have taken this one. I must rule over you.”
This was said in a distorted voice, tacked with anger and determination. Lucille felt dread sink in the more, instead of humor. Determination like that wasn’t good for a person. It could lead a person into realms of darkness. She shifted on her feet, and looked around them again. She felt uneasy.
“Enough of the long talk, Legardo. What exactly do you want? What was the point of dragging us here?”
Legardo seemed to have noticed Derek then, because there was a moment of silence where he looked at the upcoming Alha head to toe.
“Well well well. I see you have been training with the ancients. Very good idea, I must say. You look stronger, but of course weak compared to the people by my side.”
Derek hid the ample effect, the blow dealt to his confidence, well enough, to the pride of Dobah and Aiden.
“That’s alright. Just tell us the reason for this meeting. We have more important things to do with our time” Derek continued as if he had no speckle of fear in him, as if the reason for this meeting was not giving him the jeepers. Why would the evil mistaken alpha bring them here?
“You know, when your uncle brought up this idea…” Legardo paused, and seeing the sameness in Derek’s countenance, he chuckled darkly. “I see you are not surprised that your uncle is working with me. Well, that’s by the way. It was bound to be out of the bag though, one way or the other, however, don’t tell him that I told you anything…”
This was said in a conspiratorial whisper that grated on Derek’s nerves, more than the fact that his uncle had brought up the sick idea.
Wasn’t it enough that he had divided their pack? Why was he so greedy? Why wa he helping Legardo? If the latter was to achieve world domination, the gods forbid, would he be okay to being the latter’s second? Would the latter even keep him alive? Derek wondered, perusing the man in front of him. This man was a friend of nobody. He was just for himself. A survivor beast.
“You asked what I want, young Alpha,” Legardo muttered, walking around them, with so much confidence that Derek knew that something was wrong, seeing as the ancients were not attacking the proud man.
When Legardo got to the area of the women who were behind them, he pointed at Lucille. “I want her.”
***
“He said nothing of importance. Just checking in.” Daniel answered in a voice so cold, before he could help it, that Zipfarah knew that she had offended her grandson again, on the same count that Damon had talked to her about. Comparing him with his twin.
She sighed, and leaned forward on her seat. “I’m sorry Daniel.”
Daniel said nothing. He looked at Keturah who was watching the exchange with new eyes, and asked her to continue with her story. “Tell me about the rare humans. Tell me about Annabel.”
***
Amelia’s master came to a halt, feeling a presence right behind him, the presence that had been with him for the past two weeks. He knew what it was, but he didn’t know who could have sent a ghost to tail him, and he didn’t know the identity of the ghost.
“Who are you? Show yourself.”