We talked for a while. He told me a story of how he got a very big scar on his right eye that nearly blinded him but if not for a very powerful healer who helped him. He allowed me to touch his scar. I couldn't see his face so I imagined how it would look on his face.
I told him of when I pulled a prank on Kira when I was eight. Paige and I had put Boyle, a substance that caused itchiness, into her bathing gel. I omitted Paige from the story since I was obviously lying about my name. It felt so good to recall that memory, especially with a stranger who could freely laugh with me. I didn't think I'd ever laughed with someone who wasn't Paige before.
The snack table became vacant as the crowd cheered for another dance. He finally let go of me. This was my chance to escape but I didn't want to go. I wanted to stay and continue talking to him and share more stories and I really wanted to see his face. I turned to speak to him when I realized he wasn't there anymore. The stranger had left when I had been so caught up in my thoughts. And he left without a goodbye.
I walked out of hiding and searched the room. I didn't know what he looked like but I did know of the scar on his right eye. It was my only ticket to finding out who he was.
That night I lay in bed unable to sleep, imagining what he would look like.
~VLAD~
Vlad having successfully escaped from the hall finds himself in a hallway filled with pictures of old ancestors. He knew he should have said goodbye to the lady but he couldn't bring himself to do it. He liked talking to her and he loved how she smelled like grapes. He didn't even know whether that made sense. He felt things he had never felt with any woman, he even told her of his scar. Why did he even do that? He knew what it meant, how his wolf had come alive was proof enough but he also knew that a union could never be possible.
This mission was of utmost importance and he wouldn't allow his feelings to jeopardize it. He met up with Fitcher, his beta and childhood friend, who was waiting for him at the end of the hallway next to a picture of one of the ancestors.
"What are you doing here? We don't have time to waste staring at old men!" Vlad whispered and yelled, furious at Fitcher for trying to joke when their lives were at stake. He knew he was strong and so was Fitcher but they were only two and two wasn't enough to fight the Crescent stone warriors.
"What's got your pants in a twist huh? Do you think I want to die here? This picture here leads to a secret passage that will lead us to the Alpha's secret room. We just have to figure out how this works." He moves the picture to the left but nothing happens.
"This is going to be harder than I thought."
Vlad places his ears to the wall trying to hear any form of sound.
"Are you sure it's this picture?" he asked while glancing around to look at the other pictures.
"of course I'm sure. I've spent ten days here goddam it." Fitcher was clearly annoyed. Vlad could be a pain in his ass sometimes.
"Wait" Fitcher got an idea. "Why don't we check behind the picture"
"Excellent idea" They held the picture at both ends and gently placed it on the floor. There was nothing but only the wall that run through the hallway.
Vlad noticed that one of the bricks in the wall had partly come out. Although it looked normal for a brick to come out of the wall since the castle was old, he thought it was rather old. He placed his hand on the brick and pushed it in.
The wall moved and split into two leaving both of them surprised and excited.
They entered through the space the wall had created and were met with darkness. Fitcher took a bottle filled with fireflies from his bag and shook it. The room became partially dark and they followed the staircase that led to a dead end.
"What the hell? What are we going to do now"?
"Patience Fitcher. Just look around for anything that looks odd."
After two minutes of searching, Fitcher shouted, "Vlad, I think I found something."
Vlad moved towards Fitcher to see. It was a brick but instead of it being partly out like the one outside, it was slightly in creating space on the outside.
"This is it. Let's try bringing it out." Vlad suggested.
They brought it back out and the wall moved and split into two. They entered and came into a room. There were shelves of books and a table at the center filled with books, writing materials and a pile of letters. The table looked old, it had a chair behind it and two in front of it. They had finally reached the Alpha's secret room. He didn't really know why they called it that but Fitcher had said the servants in the castle had given it this name. What he did know was that it was were the Alpha had his secret meetings. Anything said within these walls never came out.
The room was dark and smelled like burned paper.
"What if we're too late?" Fitcher whispered pointing to the ashes on the table. Conri must have burnt something.
"Let's just look around. We have to find something and no noise. There are guards outside that door."
Vlad checked the table, opened all the drawers while Fitcher went through the pile of letters on the table but they still found nothing of importance. They were mostly unfinished or unsent invitation letters to his daughter's party.
Speaking of his daughter, he had never laid his eyes on her. He didn't even know what she looked like but he had heard that she was a beauty with no brains. If that was true, then he never wanted to meet her. He despised woman who had no brains.
He sat on the chair behind the table and tried to think like the old man. Where would he hid something? He placed his hand on the table in frustration and mistakenly pushed one of the letters to the floor.
He bent down to pick it up when he noticed that the table had a secret drawer under it.
He opened it and therein the drawer was a letter and a silver blade. He picked up the letter. It was addressed to Botolphe, Alpha of the Moon pack, meaning it hadn't been delivered yet. He called Fitcher over and opened the letter;
″ To Alpha Botolphe, leader of the Moon Pack,
It is with great honor and happiness that I announce to you that my daughter, Reika, has finally come of age and is ready to fulfill her duty. Your wish was that my daughter be of age before we commence with our plans. Since that wish has already been fulfilled, I see no need for us to waste time on the matter. Send an envoy to the palace with the proposal of marriage as soon as possible. And also send lilies in Lowell's name to my daughter, she loves them so much.
From Alpha Conri,
Your loyal friend. ‶
After Vlad read the letter, he understood what was going on. Conri was marrying off his daughter to Botolphe's brother, Lowell, in order to form an allegiance with the Moon pack. It all made sense now. The Crescent stone pack didn't believe in mates, so marrying his daughter off would be possible. For years the Shadow pack had been trying to be terms with the Moon pack but to no avail and he now knew why. The Crescent Stone pack and the Moon pack becoming one would leave the Shadow pack vulnerable. This union would have to be stopped. But how? Vlad thought. How were they going to stop the marriage from coming on?