Laying there with a white bandage wrapped around his eyes, Kieran was as silent as one could be. He caught a scent of Tessa as she walked into the room. His mind was filled with thoughts. Thoughts about what happened at the cabin. He was more fascinated about how Tessa had stood her ground in front of the Black Lotus even though she was afraid. Her courage was something that fascinated him and it increased his interest in her. He wanted to get to know her more, as much as he could. "How long are you going to stand there without saying a word?" He asked
"Sorry, I was just checking if your other senses are more active" She spoke up.
"Lies..." He replied, sitting up on the bed. "You were staring at me with regrets, weren't you? Thinking this was your fault?"
"How do you do that?" She stared at him awe
"Do what?"
"Read people and see through their facade"
"I have always been good at it and I guess experience played a part in it too...you know, moving around for years and meeting different people. I guessed that helped it develop into a skill for me" He explained. He wasn't able to see her but he could tell she was sad. He heard her footsteps getting closer and then felt her sit on the bed next to him.
"I can't help but believe it is my fault you are in this situation. If I was fast enough to react or hell, if I hadn't taken you to the cabin in the first place, none of this would have happened" She explained with a regretful and sad tone.
"No, taking me there wasn't a mistake, sure it was bad timing, but you did it because you cared about your pack....and possibly me" He smiled softly.
Staring at him, Tessa was glad he couldn't see her at the moment to see how much she was blushing and smiling sheepishly. "Stop blushing" He commented, taking her by surprise.
"Okay now that isn't natural" She protested
"That was just a guess this time around" He laughed "You really were blushing?! That's wild" He teased, wishing he could see the look on her face at that moment. His laughter immediately ceased when he felt her head rest on his left shoulder.
"I'm glad you're okay. I was scared" She said softly with sincerity in her voice.
Kieran sat in silence. He felt something stirred in him. Some kind of affection he hadn't felt for a long time. "Yeah me too" He muttered quietly. This wasn't what he had expected to encounter in this town. For the first time since he came, he was having second thoughts about leaving so early. The offer about joining her pack she had said to him crossed his mind and it made him wonder just how kind she was, how innocent.
"I have to return for now, there is an Alphas meeting and the other Alphas are arriving soon" She stated, her voice drawing him out of his thoughts.
"Why?"
"Well considering our encounter with the Black Lotus and what we've heard, the Alphas decided to hold a meeting to decide how to best handle this growing problem. Turns out we aren't the only pack that has been suffering their attacks" Tessa explained.
"Should I come with you?"
"You don't have to and besides it's not an open meeting, just us" She finally raised her head from his shoulders.
"Yeah I understand"
"I will be back to check up on you once we are done. The doctor said your eyes are healing, slow but making progress. I guess it's to be expected seeing as it's a wound from an Alpha"
"Well I need it to heal faster, I need to get out of this clinic, house, whatever it is plus the pack doctor talks too much" He complained
Tessa chuckled "Then you both should get along just fine" She teased
"Are you saying I talk too much?"
"Definitely..." She kept on teasing "And....."
"Tess!!!" The loud call of her name interrupted her. She recognized that voice immediately. A wide smile took over her expression, just before the intruder walked into the room. "There you are girl!" Vee shrieked with excitement on seeing her friend.
"You're back" Tessa shot to her feet just before her friend enclosed her in a tight hug.
"Oh my God i missed you so much" Vee held her tighter, not wanting to let go.
"As do I"
"I am so glad you're okay"
"I didn't think you'd be coming back anytime soon" Tessa stated
"Are you kidding?" She broke the hug. "I took the first flight back after Derek filled me in on what happened and everything that's been happening. Nothing is more important than my best friend and what's going on with my pack" She explained with a serious tone.
"I am glad you're here"
"Erm....i am blind not also invincible, right?!" Kieran directed to Tessa before standing up to his feet.
"Don't be a baby" Tessa shot at him.
"How does that make me a baby?"
"This is my childhood and best friend, Vee....Vee, this is K...."
"Kieran" She cut Tessa off. He was completely different from what she had imagined, very different. Though she couldn't see his eyes due to the bandage but from his snow white hair, to his look and down to his physique, he was majestic.
"I can't see you but it sounds like you're a fun and beautiful person" He extended his hand for a handshake.
"Right back at you" She gave a sly smile, accepting his hand.
Tessa stared at both of them, looking at the smiles they were sharing and it immediately made her uncomfortable. "Okay enough of that" She grabbed both their hands and broke the handshake before it dawned on her. "Wait, how did you know his name?" She asked her friend
"Right! You just reminded me. I was asked to come get you...both of you. I stopped at the house in search of you and was told you were here. There's a meeting and the four Alphas are arriving. So the Alpha told me to come get you...and him" She explained, her eyes still fixed on Kieran
"Okay but will you stop staring at him like that" Tessa complained
"I guess we are both going to the meeting after all" Kieran pointed out
"Yeah let's get going" She took his hand and led him out of the room with Vee following behind with a curios look, staring at Tessa's firm grip on Kieran's hand.
***
As far as Kieran knew, he was sitting beside Tessa at the side of the long table being used for the meeting. He could practically smell the rising tension between everyone present there. He recognized the scent of the Alpha, His right hand man, Derek and new girl, Vee. He couldn't see their faces with his still covered but he could tell their sitting position. He leaned to his left hand side and whispered to Tessa "Why is it so quiet?"
"Shhh" She shushed him, using a finger to push him away, making him sit straight.
"And who is the blind wolf?" Alpha Ammon of Graywood Pack broke the silence. His dirty grey eyes fixed on Kieran.
"Me?" Kieran turned his face toward Tessa.
"Yeah..." She replied
"He was the one who was with my daughter when they encountered them. His wound is a result of him saving her" The Alpha replied
"I see..." Alpha Ammon snickered toward Kieran, more of ridicule after realizing he was an Omega.
"Alpha Damon isn't here yet. I guess we should start without him" Said, Alpha Howard of Darkwater pack.
"I second that" The Alpha of Blackclaw pack, Alpha Mason chipped in.
Tessa glanced over at Derek who sat across from them. He was giving a pissed off look that was wrapped with jealousy, a look directly aimed at Kieran. She felt a little guilty, knowing she had been so focused on Kieran that she had been ignoring him. She wouldn't blame him for being angry or jealous.
"I think if they want war then we should be ready for war and give them what they want" Alpha Ammon went straight to the point. He was quick to spew out his thoughts.
"I don't think we should make hasty decisions Alpha Ammon" Beta Maynard advised as calmly and respectfully as possible. "Especially since we don't know their full strength yet"
"What is there to know? It's just five Alphas who will be going against hundreds of us" He argued
"We heard a rumour that they are secretly building an army to go up against with" Beta Maynard pointed out.
"And it's six" Alpha Howard added.
"What's six?" Tessa asked, all of them shifting their attention to the Alpha.
"The Black Lotus...They are a group of six" He elaborated
"No, that can't be right. We saw them, I counted and It was just five of them there" Tessa argued with furrowed brows.
"She's right. I was there, I could sense the presence of just five of them" Kieran chipped in.
"You were blinded the whole time. I doubt a legit info would be hard to believe from you" Derek attacked.
"Was there anyone among them wearing a dark red mask different from the others? Dark red mask with a black cloud pattern drawn across it?" Alpha Howard inquired.
Tessa thought about it carefully, she would have remembered if there was any like that. It would have stood out to her. "No, no one like that was present" She replied and Kieran nodded in agreement.
"Well that's their leader. He's the most dangerous of the group. You both aren't the only ones who have run into them and survived. I have too. And I have seen the six of them with my eyes. Ever since my encounter with them, I and my pack have spent time finding out all we can about them. We could only find one thing about the leader, the one with the dark red mask. It was the name he had earned for himself "Devil Eyes""
"That sounds menacing" Kieran stated
"I have heard of that name" Alpha Mason said
"I don't think war is inevitable" Alpha Ammon added "We should make plans of forming a combined army to root them out before they sprout.
"If Adan, even as terrifying as he is, isn't the leader, then I wonder who the leader is and how terrifying he is" Tessa muttered.
***
Adan sat down at the edge of the cliff, his hood hanging down freely, but his mask was still firmly placed on his face. He sat in silence, staring into the distance and emptiness. He inhaled slowly but deeply as smooth wind blew past him and then exhaled with a sigh. The memories he was trying to deeply to suppress were surfacing as it usually did whenever he was alone with his thoughts. He clenched his fist, digging his claw into his palm to try and trick his brain by replacing the surfacing memory with the pain he felt from his bleeding palm.
He heard footsteps approaching and then sighed with relief, knowing a clear distraction was coming. "Is he gone?" He asked without peeling his eyes away from the view in front of him.
"He should be getting to Redmoon pack as we speak" Freya appeared and stood beside him.
"Good. A lot of time has been wasted. This should stir things up a little" He explained, staring at the claw marks in his palm quickly heal up.