We walked for three days nonstop. I was exhausted and needed to rest, but I couldn't. Rohan was weak and was slipping away, both physically and mentally. If I didn't hurry, we might not make it to the Blood River pack before he died. So we walked day and night and soon we were there.
Standing at the edge of the pack border, I concealed my scent and stared at the seemingly peaceful forest that surrounded the place where the man that killed Adela resided.
"I can't go any longer," Rohan said and coughed up blood.
I glanced at him, then focused my attention back on the forest, "I know. I had no plans of bringing you either. You may leave." I said, not even sparing him a glance.
He stared at me with surprise, "You're not going to kill me?" he asked, and I looked at him.
For the past three days that we've traveled together, he had been….. very obedient, not that he had a choice anyway. But the effect of the wolf bane was severe. He was like a person with a terminal illness and he was about to die. I almost felt pity for him.
A pity that was stopped by the reminder that they had done the exact thing to Adela. I sighed, "Of what use is staining my hand with your blood? You're going to die anyway. But if you do not hurry, your former comrades will do it themselves."
I said to him before walking away.
I didn't step into their border directly, at least, Grata night had thought me that much. I climbed a tree whose branches extended onto their border and I slowly walked on it into the border.
Just to see if there was any trap worth seeing, when I didn't feel or smell anything, I jumped down soundlessly and dashed towards the pack, avoiding the border patrols as much as I could.
Soon I was bending down by a shrub not far from the large clearing that was the park's residential area.
River blood was not a pack, or at least, that wasn't what a pack looked like. There were no children, no females, just a large number of warriors, with males training and a single large castle, he must have gathered rogues. I thought.
I looked closely at the training men, but couldn't notice anyone with an alpha aura, so I sighed. He was either not there or he wasn't an alpha. Maybe he was just a stupid rogue who felt he was smart enough to kill Adela.
But the way the alpha of Grata night spoke of him, made him a little scary.
I sighed as I watched the combat style of his warriors for some time and I frowned. It was the exact same one that was used to train us in the lair. Are there more spies in our midst? How did they lay their hand on our combat style? I thought as I gritted my teeth.
It doesn't matter, I will get my answers when I meet face-to-face with their alpha tonight. I thought as I looked up at the sky, it was afternoon and the sun was still high in the sky.
I might as well take a nap before I put an end to this. I thought as I returned to the safety of the forest, I climbed up a tree, too far for the training wolves to notice me, but close enough for me to watch their training myself. Settling on the tree. I closed my eyes, hoping to rest my aching limbs before the fight tonight.
..........
The sound of cricket woke me up. When I woke up, it took a few seconds for my eyes and brain to adjust to my situation. The sky was pitch black and silent.
I wonder how long I have slept. I thought, as I jumped down the tree and headed for the pack, my ears and nose on high alert to both hear and pick up the scent of the pack members.
Soon I got to the clearing, dodged the patrols, and headed for the house. I snuck in through the back door, which led me to the kitchen. It must be midnight as the house was dead silent.
The only weapons I had with me were two knives. I held one of them and had the other tucked into my pants' waist. The bag I took from Rosie and her comrades was still on the tree.
I slowly climbed the creaking stairs, my nose high in the air as I tried to find his room. No matter what, as long as he was the leader, his aura should attract me.
"Go left. I feel something there." Rieka suddenly said, and I turned left on the fourth floor of the house. I walked quietly past the numerous doors, towards the one at the far end. The closer I got, the more familiar the feeling I got.
"What is this?" I muttered, "Can you feel this Rieka?" I asked.
"Yes...." She said as I stood in front of the very plain door, my hands tightened on the knife.
I was sure of my abilities but this familiar feeling was unsettling, it made my hair stand on end. I slowly placed my hand on the doorknob.
"Family," Rieka whispered, as if talking normally would cause him to hear us.
"What?!" I asked with shock.
"He's family." She said again.
"What do you mean he is family?" I asked as I trembled slightly at the door, but Rieka kept silent for a second.
"Rieka!" I screamed internally.
"He's Austan!" she declared and my eyes widened in shock, but before I could voice that out, "let's leave, we're not his match," Rieka said again.
"What!" I asked, both surprised and furious, "never!" I shouted at her as I yanked the door open and walked in.
The room was dark, so I quickly shut the door behind me as the light from the corridor was flooding in. Rieka began to pace in my head now.
"You foolish girl, you are going to get us killed." She said, but I ignored her as I tightened my hold on my knife and walked slowly and cautiously to the bed. If Rieka was afraid of fighting with him, I would just stab him in his sleep and leave.
"He can sense you already," Rieka said, scoffing at my thoughts, and my eyes widened, hearing that I immediately rushed to the bed and stabbed the person under the mattress. The knife sank in too easily and I pulled it out.
That wasn't flesh. I thought and was about to reach out to touch it when the light came on.
I turned around and behold, I was staring at a man in his late thirties. He had a large scar that cut across his face and over his nose, almost demarcating his face into two equal halves. One above and the other below.
He was wearing nothing but a pair of joggers, his highly tanned chest was very muscular and he had flaming red hair like mine. He looked nothing like a villain. He looked more like a spoilt rich playboy.
As I accessed him, he also did the same for me. A frown appeared on his face at first, as he stared at my hair and face. Then he chuckled and folded his arms over his chest. While I just stood there and stared.
I don't know why, but I just did. Maybe because he caught me by surprise.
"Your hair, is it natural?" he asked and I frowned.
What a weird question to ask a person who wants to kill you,
"Is yours natural?" I asked back and he laughed.
"Ah, you're a funny one," he said, and I frowned.
"So tell me, did Tiana send you?" he asked and my eyes widened in surprise.
He knows my mother? How does he know my mother? I wondered.
"How do you know that name?" I voiced out my question.
"It's not the Luna?" he said as he observed my facial expression, "Who sent you then? For an assassin, don't you think you're a little too inexperienced?" he said as he glanced at the bed.
I followed his gaze and saw the pillow that was placed under the covers and I frowned.
"You think this is funny? No one sent me. I came here myself to repay the debt you owe Adela."
"Oh. So it's my mate then," he said, and I blinked twice.
"What did you say?" I asked, flustered, and he laughed at my look.
"Ha! How could Adela send over such an ignorant person to carry out a mission as delicate as this? If I told her more secrets she would totally give up the mission, wouldn't she," he said, as if talking to someone else.
"Why is she your mate?" I asked with anger.
"Because the moon goddess made her so," he said, and I gritted my teeth.
Why do I only have to always meet these evil mates who only think of themselves?
"So you killed her!" I fired and he smiled, then seized me up.
"How can I not? When she's so bent on staying on Tiana's side until the very end. I am her mate. She should have sided with me!" he said, the smile disappearing from his face as he said the last words. I was confused but angry.
"You will pay for what you've done!" I shouted at him, but he laughed.
"No little girl, you would die for being courageous enough to walk into my lair," he said, and I pulled out the second knife and was about to attack, "But if you pledge allegiance to me, I would keep you by my side, who knows probably make you my Luna." he said and I looked at him a little lost.
Why was he suddenly offering me a position?
"He can feel your alpha blood but he's not sure." Rieka hissed, "Don't trust him, let's get out of here."
"Not until he's dead." I retorted, then l turned back to him.
"That was your wolf?" he asked with an enthusiasm that unsettled me.
Why was he acting so normal? A man who captured humans and created the wolf bane gas and other wolf bane weapons, how can he speak casually like that? It is really unsettling.
He was the perfect definition of a wolf in sheep's clothing.
"Do you mind if I see her? There is just something about you.... I don't know what it is, you look so familiar, but I am not sure where exactly we met." He said leisurely.
"I'm sure you'll remember when you get to hell." I snarled and attacked.