THE CONVERSATION
Fourteen years later
An older man sat on a leather-covered couch, reading a newspaper, his black hair was stained with silver touches, showing his advanced age was slightly disheveled, wrinkles although not too visible marred the sides of his down-turned eyes.
He was so focused on the newspaper, getting all the details of the current happenings in the country.
He heard loud footsteps outside of his study, someone knocked at the door, once then twice but the Alpha was so much interested in the papers.
The person got fed up and entered the room without closing the door but the Alpha didn't shift his eyes away from his newspapers.
The Beta of the pack, an older man with a grimaced expression on his face, stood in front of the opened door, he waited for the Alpha to acknowledge his presence but it looked like the Alpha had better things to do.
He cleared his throat loudly, hoping it would get the Alpha's attention and it did, the Alpha removed his eyes from the newspaper and looked at the man standing in his study, "My Alpha," he said and bowed his head in respect.
"Joseph, forgive me, my friend, I was so caught up with what is happening in the country especially the rate of crimes that has increased over the years," the Alpha said as he set the newspaper aside.
He pointed to one of the seats in the study, "Please have your seat, my friend," the man checked the hallway carefully to make sure no one eavesdropped on them when he started speaking with the Alpha and closed the door behind him after he was satisfied when he saw no one around the hallway.
He walked to the seat the Alpha offered to him and sat down gently.
The Alpha looked at his Beta, he looked cool and collected but if someone watched closely, the muscles in his right cheek were twitching, revealing to Noah that all was not well with his Beta.
He and Joseph had been friends for years now, Joseph had always neutrally kept his face, it was hard to decipher what he was thinking but not to Noah, he could read his friend and know his expression.
Joseph didn't know how to bring up the matter or put it in a way that would be pleasing to the Alpha after all it was concerning his son and only surviving child.
"What is it, Joseph?" He asked, staring straight into his Beta's eyes, for Joseph to hesitate in speaking his mind means the matter must be grave.
Joseph inhaled as he got ready to spill the news, "the news of the Alpha son being cursed is being circulated as we speak," he said solemnly, the matter was a grave one.
Noah frowned as he heard his Beta break the news to him, "I thought the news was obsolete," he murmured to himself and asked Joseph, "How did the news come about again?"
"Your son has already passed his 18th birthday and is in his late twenties, in a few months he will be entering thirty and he is yet to find a mate, that alone has solidified the rumors," As the beta spoke the Alpha clenched his fists to a hard ball, he wanted to smash something to relieve himself.
"My Alpha, the news had already circulated to the Red Lands wolves as we speak and you know those wolves are cunning and they are looking for more lands, they might come for him," Joseph reasoned to him.
Even though he was cursed Richmond had a hard time rising to the top, he worked hard just to cover up his flaw, he felt sorry for his son and wished he could take on the curse in his stead.
Noah knows and made sure he kept it a secret, he made sure all the members of his pack swear an oath of secrecy at the shrine of the moon goddess just to keep the secret and now all of that is a waste, the secret had leaked out and their enemies had already heard of the news.
Joseph saw the conflict on his Alpha's face and said, "They know if they get to Richmond, your line will be over. There will be no heir to succeed you,"
"It won't be long before they attack us, we have to be ready for any battle," Joseph said fiercely out of loyalty to his Alpha, willing to die for him.
Noah was grateful for having a beta and a friend like Joseph but at the same time he was worried, that if the news circulated as Joseph had described, it wouldn't be long before they would start getting attacks from other packs.
Richmond was about to leave his room, he was smartly dressed, his suit was neatly ironed and fitted his toned body, his leather shoes were polished and had a noticeable shine, and his hair was neatly pushed back and gelled.
He was set to go when he heard his father and his friend talking about him, and he stopped to listen, it's not like he was eavesdropping but Richard has always had better hearing than many wolves some say he had the super hearing of the gods.
He wasn't surprised about the news he was surprised that his cursed state had been hidden for a long.
He was aware of the oath, his father made the pack swear on his behalf, and he didn't want to put the pack in danger.
As the Alpha son, he was the next in line to the most powerful pack in the area and other wolves were envious of them. He was supposed to have seen his mate by now who would ascend the throne with him as Luna of the pack and also bear the next successor, he could share his mate's power and vice versa but he couldn't.
Richmond had looked everywhere for the red-headed witch that cursed him to this life, he searched high and low until he heard she had died and had no offspring that he could help him in breaking the curse.
He thought it was a lie until he saw the grave and saw the headstone that contained her name, Elizabeth Fields, he gave up hope in ever breaking free from the curse and went gone great lengths in trying to be stronger, better, and wealthier than any other wolves in the area.
But with this news, he knew his existence alone was going to bring an unavoidable war to his beloved pack.