CHAPTER EIGHT
NO RETREAT
Lucas's POV
It was with a sense of grim satisfaction that I rode towards BloodMoon Fangs, my men trailing behind me in a column of dust. I had never been more determined in my life, and I would not be deterred from my goal.
The carriage rolled down the bumpy road, the wheels crunching over the dirt path. I sat in the back, my eyes fixed on the passing woods, my thoughts dark and brooding. My men rode alongside the carriage, silent and watchful. The journey was long and tedious, and the tension was clear. Every mile felt like an eternity, as the trees and bushes passed by in a blur. The only thing that kept me going was the thought of what lay ahead, a chance to set things right.
I arrived at the giant gate guarding the BloodMoons's Fangs abode, walking majestically into his abode through the opened gate which his guards had made sure to open even before I got there.
"Greetings, Alpha Lucas!" They chanted, bowing their heads.
I raised a hand up in the air and swung it, dismissing their greetings.
Walking majestically into the court, I arrived at the meeting room and settled down. A muscular looking guard walked towards me, "Greetings Alpha Lucas, to what do we owe this impromptu visit?" He asked, his head still bowed down. It was more like he was scared of eye contact with me.
I cleared my throat, "I have not come for you. I want to see Alpha Jonathan Wolfe," I spoke with audacity.
He bowed his head once more and headed out. In a few minutes, the alpha arrived.
"To what do I owe this impromptu visit, my in-law, Alpha Lucas of Silvermoon Pack?" He chanted, showing his yellow color incisors.
I rose to my feet, acknowledging his presence. "Alpha, accept my humble greetings," I replied sternly.
He enclosed the distance between us, taking his seat in a throne-like chair positioned in the room, having a series of seats by the side.
"You don't look happy. What is the matter? Is my daughter, Aria, okay?" He questioned. He was literally dying of curiosity.
"Well, I am not happy. That is why I am here," I replied.
"Speak, I am listening," he said, adjusting his garment.
"Aria had run off into the woods to cohabit with my enemy from another pack," I blurted out.
"What?!" He yelled out, his eyes widening in shock. "What do you mean by that?!" He questioned.
"Alpha, you heard what I said," I said, turning my face away.
"Lucas, my daughter wasn't brought up that way. Something must have caused her to run away," he said, his brows furrowing as he spoke.
I turned to him, looking perplexed. "Are you by chance saying that this is my fault?" I queried, scoffing.
"Not yet. I don't think this is the whole story. So, until I hear the whole story, I will know what comment to give," He replied, maintaining calmness even though I could feel his anger growing.
"What exactly happened?" He asked
"What sort of stupid question is that? Huh?! Your daughter lacks courtesy, she lacks composure and anything positive you could think of. She was never satisfied with being with me or my pack, she has never been!" I thundered, jolting up from where I was seated, walking close to him.
"You are not making any sense, Lucas. I know Aria too well, she is my daughter. She must have seen or heard something dreadful that made her run off like that and I am quite sure that she left with Scarlett. Now, where is my daughter, Aria?!" He sneered, arising from his throne-like seat. He held my garment close to my neck, tightening his grip.
"How dare you?!" I screamed out in anger, summoning both my men and Alpha Jonathan's men.
They all arrived almost at the same time, drawing out their swords for a fight.
"Retreat!" Alpha Jonathan's voice echoed in the room. "Leave us!" He ordered.
Gradually, he loosened his grip on my neck, his hand falling by his side.
"I am just here to let you know that the deal is off. My pack and your pack are back at war so you better watch your back in whatever that you do everyday," I warned.
"Then what will happen to my daughter?!" He yelled.
"This better be a joke. It's all your fault that things turned out this way. I have always known that you would make life a living hell for her, that is why she had to run off like that! Even before the mating ceremony, you never acknowledged her as your mate! It is not like your pack will not benefit from the peace treaty but you chose to act like an evil being that you are!"
He continued, "You have just forty eight hours to find my daughter or else, you will see the evil side of me!" He concluded finally.
"Oh my, I'm scared. Alpha Jonathan is scaring me," I mocked. He must be stupid enough to think that I was going to get moved by such mere words from him.
"I said what I said, Alpha. Watch out for the worse! Aria has stepped on a lion's tail, she would have me to answer to! Of all Alphas and packs owners, she chose to cohabit with Adrian Crawford of WhiteFangs Pack! How stupid of her! The insolence!" I bawled, curling my hand into a fist.
I was struggling to hold back my anger but it wasn't working. I was this close to bursting out but I hoped he wouldn't say a wrong word that would warrant an ugly site.
"You son of a power hungry and blood thirsty promiscuous father! Find my daughter before dawn, else that you wish for would come crashing before your eyes! War will visit you instantly!" He yelled
Immediately, I rushed to him, throwing hard blows in his face. He never saw it coming. He retaliated by punching my stomach with the same pace in which I punched his face. Suddenly, he started to shift into his werewolf form but before he could, I punched his eyes, making him lose concentration.
The sound of the fist connecting with flesh reverberated through the room, followed by a loud snarl. My hands were balled into fists, my face set in a determined expression as I stared down Aria's father, alpha, Jonathan, once again.
The older wolf's eyes (Alpha Jonathan) widened in shock as he staggered back, struggling to maintain his balance. He tried to shift into his wolf form again, but my punch had thrown him off, and he couldn't focus on the change. I took advantage of his weakness, pressing forward with a barrage of punches and kicks.
Alpha Jonathan's eyes widened in terror as he realized what was about to happen— what I was going to do. His face contorted in fear and pain as I reached out and grasped his chest with a fierce grip.
Alpha Jonathan's heart pounded in his chest, but he could do nothing to stop the inevitable. My grip tightened, and with one savage motion, I ripped the heart from Alpha Jonathan's chest. Blood spattered across the meeting room floor, and Alpha Jonathan's body slumped to the ground, lifeless. I stood over him, breathing heavily, his eyes filled with fury.
I thumped my feet on him as heavily as I could, feeling every bit of satisfaction from what I had just done. Served him right, I muttered. I tossed his heart away, wiping off his blood on his garment, making my way toward the giant door.
"Kill them all! No retreat!" I shouted, my voice filled with rage. My men surged forward, swords drawn, and began to cut down the members of the rival pack. The premises were filled with the sound of screams and the clash of steel on steel. I stood back and watched as the battle unfolded, a cruel smile on his lips. I had finally gotten my revenge, and I would not stop until every last one of them was dead. But even as the fighting raged around me, something nagged at the back of my mind. How would I get hold of Aria and her minion?
Well, this incident would make her come out from anywhere she hid herself and that is when even alpha Adrian Crawford of WhiteFangs Pack will answer to me. I'll make them pay for going against me, especially Aria.
"Well done, everyone! Get into the carriage, let's find our way before dawn," I commanded.
As my men and I rode back to our pack, the forest grew eerily quiet. There were no birds singing, no insects buzzing, and no animals rustling in the underbrush. Even the wind seemed to have died down, and the world was shrouded in an unnatural stillness. My hackles began to rise, a chill settling over me. Something was wrong.
Immediately we reached the pack's territory, I noticed that the usual welcoming committee was nowhere to be found. The village gates were open, but there was no sign of life within. I felt a growing sense of dread as I dismounted from the horse tied to the carriage which I was in.
My men followed suit, their faces pale and their eyes wide with fear. They drew their swords and advanced cautiously, but the only sound that greeted them was the echo of their footsteps on the cobblestones. Then, as they reached the giant door guarding the tower building, they heard a soft whimper inside. Cautiously, they approached, and the sight that greeted them was one they would never forget. The bodies of the pack members lay scattered around the floor together with a familiar body with a familiar scent.
What?!
My eyes widened in terror as I screamed out in pain and shock.