[GRANT]
After the dinner with the king, Grant had left to go on the mission to find Alanor in the midlands, and in those six weeks, there was still no information on Alanor or even whether he was alive in Udrad.
Grant was desperate to know how the man he loved was doing and even though he knew that this wasn't fair to Nour, not to mention the fact that Alanor Wynter was never going to choose him, Grant had to try.
He kept convincing himself that maybe if he was part of the search team, maybe if he was at the forefront with the people closest to Alanor and those that loved the young Wynter, maybe, just maybe the young Wynter could see him too.
Maybe Alanor would come back and choose him. Grant was hoping for a lot, but he was a desperate man who had been blessed with an omega right after he had been rejected by one of the most powerful Lycans in the Midlands.
It wasn't fair, but then when the hell had life ever been fair to him, right?
"You need to move on, son. Alanor moved on. He chose the crown prince of Udrad and for whatever reason, that is not something you need to focus on. You have a beautiful mate here in Acrod, whether he's an omega or not.
"You need to learn to move on with him. Besides, I asked around in the omega quarters. Your mate hasn't said anything about how cruel you treat him, he is a good omega and a keeper, son.
"Don't lose that in pursuit of the one man who might never have you," Grant's nana, Aurora, had told Grant on the night after the king's dinner when Grant had gone to sleep in her house instead of the brothels or even his house with Nour.
When morning had come, Grant never bothered to go back to his house. Instead, he went to the palace where the king sent him off on a mission with Zelina and the hound to find a way to put an end to the vamp-wolf rogue wars.
"This is insane. No one has heard anything from Udrad, and we're just going to pretend like everything's okay?" Zelina asked, and Ulrike looked at her hopelessly. They had been fighting the rogues for so long now.
So many lives had been lost and they knew a lot would be lost across the midlands if something happened to Alanor.
"We have tried communicating with Ileus and Leroy but none of them is responding. It's like no one can get through to Udrad. The last resort is to go to Criselda. And as we all already know, it's the last resort.
"Also, time is not on our side, Zelina," Ulrike said to his mate who just nodded in understanding.
It was a shame that they had to go back to the woman and tell her that they were unable to reach her son, but then it wasn't like they could waltz into Udrad and make demands. They needed someone who thought clearly and right now Heide was that person.
"We have to send a messenger soon. The gossip master has been a little hard to find lately. And we don't have the time to look for her. I'll go to Greroth, and find Criselda myself," Ulrike offered and Zelina sighed again.
She hated what was happening, but she couldn't deny the simplest fact that they were all strong on their own and yet still managed to have a common weakness. The Wynter kid. Of course, they knew that Alanor never needed saving, but still they needed to find him.
"I have always wanted to go to Greroth y'know," Grant suddenly spoke, reminding the two mates that they had an elite werewolf enforcer with them. They had been so worried about what had happened and with the rogues attacking them, that they forgot that King Cassius had offered them Grant.
Looking at the enforcer, the two mates seemed to be thinking the same thing because they didn't even acknowledge him, and instead, went straight to discouraging him. It was like they were aware of something he wasn't, and needed it to stay that way.
Then again, if they didn't have the gossip master, wasn't it just fair for them to utilize the resources they had at the moment and save themselves the time?
"It's too dangerous to walk into Greroth alone, Grant, especially since you're not one of them. The witches won't take lightly to your appearance,'' Ulrike said and Grant just smiled sheepishly at the hound.
It was almost like they were forgetting he could handle himself. Then again the creatures of the midlands were all products of magic.
They were bound by the one thing that could ruin them, and walking into the warlock's land was just a death wish for anyone outside of Alanor, Ulrike, and Zelina. Unless they were on official duty, which Grant's appearance wasn't exactly it.
"I'll be fine; besides you people need to keep fighting off the werewolf rogues. We can't have them shamelessly murdering the vamps," Grant said in a tone that reminded the two mates that they were needed more on the battlefield with their people.
However, they had to worry about the wolf, because it was not fair for him to go on that errand alone. If he had any backup, then all would be well, but he didn't. And the road between Asteta and Greroth was riddled with so many obstacles.
"You do have a good point. But you must be careful, Grant. The Greroth warlocks are lately alert and could probably kill you first and ask questions later. When you get there, tell them you have a message for the high priests and priestess, from Navali.
"Do not at any point mention Zelina because then they will assume that the vamps want help with the war and they won't listen to you. The common wolves and creatures of the midlands don't know that name, so you use Navali," Ulrike insisted and Grant listened carefully.
He knew the extent of the damage that would befall him if he spoke the wrong words or acted the wrong way with the warlocks. Just because the warlocks adored Alanor and his group of friends didn't mean the courtesy would be extended to anyone else.
And so, Zelina reminded Grant of how Greroth was dangerous, and that he didn't have to go. Sure, they were sending him into a territory that was supposed to be friendly for them but the other warlocks didn't know of that.
"I will be careful. And if I die, tell Alanor not to forgive Edison," Grant said nervously as he let out a quiet laugh.
The hound of the southern forest wanted to convince Grant that things would be better, but how better? When was this better expected when they had been at war for six weeks and no one had seen the son of Wynter?
"That's not funny, Grant. You be careful okay, and be on the lookout for anything out of the ordinary. Don't eat anything on the road. Going from here to Greroth will take you approximately half a day on foot, but you can take my horse, you'll get there in no time.
May the goddess keep you safe," Zelina said and Grant must give them a thumbs up, before hopping on Zelina's horse and taking off.
"He'll be okay, Navali. He was once Alanor's mate, and we all know that the young Wynter is a piece of work, okay." Ulrike said to his mate who watched with defeated eyes as Grant went away.
Zelina hoped that everything would be okay and that all of this would end. But more than anything, she hoped that they would get answers about Alanor. Because even if the war ended, they would still need Alanor.
After all, he was the child that had been put in their care all those years ago.
"I hope so, Ulrike. I really hope so. Anyway, let's go kill some rogues. I need to let out my frustration on something and they are the perfect fit," Zeina said to Ulrike who just nodded at her. He knew she may have been a cold-hearted woman, but she would always care.
She was kind at heart and a stone on the surface, an emotionless creature that knew nothing of humanity. Funny how she still kept looking in the direction of Grant, wishing that she had a way of knowing if the young wolf was safe or if he encouraged anything they needed to know.
Maybe the vampire warrior just had to trust that Grant would be okay.
He was King Cassius's enforcer after all, right?