Arthur had not yet gone to sleep. He was handling matters of his pack and his wife Ariana did not do much with sleep. She kept tossing and turning on the bed sleep seemingly far from her and however much she tried to embrace it, it seemed too large for her to grip.
She woke up frustratingly and sat by the bed throwing the blanket from herself. She looked back at the table where Arthur always sat by the night to look over his documents and saw him busy sank on some paperwork. If he were in bed with her, she felt that she would have caught sleep much faster.
She went and sat at the couch beside the table. It was a fluffy couch with white and black feathers. Its surface was silky smooth yet hairy specifically made for a cold season. A season they knew was soon approaching.
"Insomnia?" Arthur asked yet deeply engaged in his work not sparing a glance at her.
"Yeah. I'm finding it hard to sleep. Aren't you done yet? You can take care of the rest tomorrow." She said in an enchanting low voice as she stood up and went behind him. She massaged her back and head as she caressed her chest alternatively. She needed him by her side and her wolf was craving his company. It was a time when her wolf only saw her man and could not help but torture her all night if she was not satisfied. He knew it.
He just had to take care of the matter at hand sooner rather than later. There were a lot of issues to go through. Their pack had been through a lot and he had to get it back on track as soon as possible.
"I'll be done in a few," she answered calmly not daring to show his desire. She had awoken his wolf and he knew that he could not control himself when she was in front of her. She held her hands by the shoulder to stop her. "Why don't you get a cup of coffee? I need one too,' it was one way of sending her away to cool down but only for some minutes.
She sighed defeated. She understood his language and it only meant that the matters she was handling were more important. She never wanted to involve herself in such affairs. Not to stress her beauty over matters that will keep her awake a whole night. She let it go but still feared for her wolf.
She was headed towards the door when she heard the rustling of the leaves so she looked back at Arthur. "Did you hear that?" She asked trying to listen again keenly. She knew he had heard. His hearing was much stronger than hers anyway.
He was listening too but the rustling was just for seconds. It stopped like it was never there. Ariana decided to head downstairs to get a cup of coffee for both of them.
As Arthur listened. He thought maybe it was the wind. The cold season was approaching and the wind in such a time would become stronger and violent and their wolves would be more active. Many wolves mated at such a time.
He had stopped looking at the papers. The sound was not just a rustle of the leaves. He could swear he heard a branch break.
"Nobody could surely dare to invade the Alpha's house, is there?" He thought aloud. There was wind but he didn't think it had become that strong as to break a branch.
He took out his phone and dialed a number. He had to be cautious. Anything could happen and as he thought of the tragedy that had overcome the Haptia pack, he thought maybe they had gotten wind about Laura's stay. He had his doubts. The Guna pack was the most powerful of all and it had more resources to ensure their security.
"Unless…" she stood up and looked at the mirror beside him. He was angered. Strenuous lines aligned themselves in his forehead. He was more worried than afraid. Nobody would dare invade their home not even if they tried.
"That was once. It can never be repeated," he said as he clenched his fist until he hurt his palm. They had learnt better. He called the number he had dialed and it was answered in the first ring.
"Put up the protection seal around the house," he said once the call was connected. "Ensure nobody gets in or out. Anyone who tries to invade the premises should be brought to me." He said anger rising up her neck. His throat became rough. His wolf growled. He wanted to see who would dare pass through their very own pack into the Alpha house.
He looked at the documents he hand in hand. It was Laura's birth certificate. He had been thinking for a while and he saw it best that she went to the human world. She would be in safe hands. At least until she almost turned eighteen. He though maybe then, she would have forgotten about that night. About the tragedy. Maybe her mind would not have been corrupted by the thoughts of getting back at Arkanta.
He knew that Arkanta deserved the worst kind of punishment but he knew too well than to involve a child into a fight. He did not want her to grow with resentment as it would only dampen her heart. If Arkanta had managed to kill her parents, then he had much power than people had perceived and now that he also killed the Alpha, he had obtained his power and would be the most powerful wolf in all the four packs if they did not do anything to stop him. They could do nothing anyway. Not after their pack also suffered a tragedy.
Arthur had known best than to involve himself in matters that had not affected his pack. Arkanta had done nothing to them. At least not yet. He wondered how he would react if he knew that they had what he was looking for. Pushing the thoughts aside. He only knew that he had to protect her and he had found the best way.
He was looking at the papers when suddenly a thought hit him. The tree that was outside the window of Laura's room.
"Is Laura really trying to escape?" He asked no one in particular as he rushed out of the room.
Arthur almost bumped into Ariana who had two cups of coffee in her hand.
"Watch it!" Ariana screamed behind him. He did not spare a minute to look at her as he hastened his footsteps upstairs heading straight to Laura's room.
Ariana headed to their room and placed the cups of coffee on the table that Arthur had sat so she could rush to know what he was panicking about.
As she placed the cups on the table, her eyes swept into the documents and she could not believe what she saw. She did not like the girl that much that's why she had told Arthur to take care of it but the solution he was offering was way worse. It was more of a punishment to the innocent girl. She knew that none of it would help and it would only send her into complete desperation for revenge and devastation in life.
"Life is unfair, huh!" She uttered as she placed the documents down and headed towards the door. She had to push that for later.
She followed Arthur and found him standing by the door. He paced up and down outside Laura's door as if lost.
"What's wrong?" She asked more worried. She knew that her husband was only worried if things would get out of hand but wondered what could go wrong with a child.
"I…"Arthur started to speak but suddenly lost his tongue. Words could not express his devastated state. He could not believe that the kid would be so daring.
"What, what's wrong? Can you tell me? You getting me worried Arthur," she asked frustratingly. He had infected her with the anxiousness and now he didn't even know what to feel.
"Doesn't she fear for her life?" He asked hitting the rails in the pathway. Ariana was more confused than ever. She took in her breath and breathed out again to cool her nerves.
"Can you be more blunt? I don't understand what's going on here," she said coming at Arthur. She held his face in his hands as they looked into each other's eyes. For women reason, it made both of them cool down.
"The rustle of the leaves," he paused giving her time to remember, or maybe understand. "I think she might have escaped," she dropped the bombshell when her face flashed with realization.
"Then why don't you open the door then?" She said as she headed to open the door but found it locked. She glared at Arthur who glared back at her with an 'I am not stupid' look.
"She locked herself?" Ariana asked getting more worried.
Arthur looked at her with regretful eyes and she realized what he had done.
"No you didn't," Ariana tried to confirm what she was thinking and when he did not respond, she knew for a fact that he had locked her in.
She thought Maybe she had driven him to do so. She didn't want to pin the blame on him so she let it go. She hugged her in an effort to console her.
"Nanny Paula came rushing with keys in her hand. Ariana grabbed them as she fidgeted through them searching for the room key. She did not know which was which. She kept trying each one of them but none opened the door. Arthur grabbed the keys from her hands seeing how much of a wreck and nervous she looked.
He opened the door as they both rushed in. They stopped in their tracks as they stared at the bed and alternatively to the window near the tree. It was as if they had been struck by lightning. They stood in shock as they stared at each other lost of words.