Damian
"Miranda told you, didn't she? That Hayley is special, do you think she'll suffer the same fate—"
"I'd prefer not to think about any of that right now. What matters is that she's alright." I interrupted Ethan before he had the chance to finish his sentence. I knew exactly what he was trying to say, I was not about to let him ruin my day by planting such thoughts into my head. It was about Hayley's ancestors, the Forgers. They were believed to be the first Werewolves, and had achieved this power through the practice of blank magic.
In order to maintain the power they possessed, they had resorted to inbreeding in order to keep the bloodline pure. The power members of the Forger family possessed was way beyond the power that could be achieved by Werewolves that had been turned through bite.
However, as time passed by, their bodies became weak, and because of this they couldn't produce enough children to continue their tradition. Left with no other choice, they began to marry into other noble families, thereby increasing their family tree.
Despite the mingling with other noble bloodlines, the Forger power remained potent and became unpredictable. Some of them ran mad with power, and their rule brought about the worst era to the werewolf community. With combined effort, the other nobles banded together to put an end to the Forgers. However, because their family tree had expanded so greatly, it was impossible to eliminate them all. Hayley was likely a descendant of one of the few survivors.
Ethan was likely afraid that she might go berserk like the rest of her family, but I didn't see that becoming possible. It wasn't just because the traits she had inherited were weaker, Hayley just didn't seem like the kind who would lose herself so easily.
"I apologize for speaking out of line—"
I raised a hand to stop Ethan from apologizing any further. He wasn't wrong one bit, and any good friend would have asked the same question. He was looking out for me and Hayley, and there was zero need to apologize for that.
"There's no need for an apology, you didn't do anything wrong." I clarified, and only then did Ethan physically relax. However, he still wasn't done. He still looked concerned, and I could tell it still had something to do with Hayley.
"What is it again?" I inquired in an exhausted tone. Ethan worried way too much, and sometimes it makes me a little uneasy. The mental strain he was putting himself through for my sake made me feel like an incompetent friend.
"Are you sure it's okay to leave her with Miranda? We both know what she's like, right?"
I nodded. "I understand, but I'm sure Hayley will be okay. Miranda won't harm her, so you don't have to worry—"
"I'm not talking about harming Hayley physically! Miranda is clearly obsessed with you, don't you think she would spill something to Hayley? Haven't you been with her a couple of times?" Ethan interjected sharply. He was right, and now I was beginning to understand his fear. However, the affairs I had with Miranda were not romantical in any way. She had approached me after Maxwell Anders was overthrown, and for a couple months we had fun with each other, but that was it. I no longer had any interest in her, but Miranda didn't exactly feel the same way.
Leaving Hayley alone with her did pose risks, but I believed Miranda knew better than to jeopardize our fragile alliance. It was already bad enough that she didn't discriminate when she offered her services,the last thing I would tolerate would be an intentional act to endanger my relationship with Hayley.
"I get where you're coming from, Ethan," I said, my tone more serious now. "Miranda knows her boundaries. Whatever we had was in the past, and she's well aware that my focus is on Hayley now. I'll talk to her if necessary, but for now, let's trust that she understands the stakes."
Ethan looked unconvinced, but he nodded nonetheless. "Just be careful, Damian. Hayley's been through enough. The last thing she needs is more complications."
"I know, let's focus on the task at hand first, and I'll handle things with Miranda afterwards." I said with a sigh before walking into the dungeon first. I hadn't had time to interact with our hostages because I was too busy being concerned about Hayley's wellbeing. However, now that she was thriving, it was time to interrogate and pass judgment on the criminals.
"Let's be quick with this, okay?" I said to the first man who was brought before me. "Speak the truth and I might just spare your life. I don't want to stain my clothes with blood, and I'm certain you want to keep your life. So let's do each other a favor and cooperate."
He lifted his malnourished eyes towards me with a dark look in his eyes. A cynical smile rounded his face, and with his last breath he cursed out. "Go to hell usurper."
I wasted no time in slitting his throat. These men were loyal minions of Conrad, and they were willing to die rather than rat their leader out. Torture didn't work on them, and they were not afraid to curse and insult the Alpha.
"I don't think I can continue with this," I said before turning to the guards on duty. "I'm done with them, you're free to execute them all." I gave the order before wiping my hands clean with a handkerchief.
"Are you sure we won't attack while we still have allies? Conrad's army is growing by the day, taking him out now would probably be the best move." Ethan suggested as we walked out of the dungeon. He was right, but I didn't want to solve this problem through war. The both of us knew what war could do to a nation, and I was not about to subject the innocent people through years of suffering because of Conrad.
"War is not an option, Ethan. Stop making that suggestion." I chastised before tossing the bloodied handkerchief by the side. Ethan was the type of person who could do anything to achieve his goals without caring for the consequences. He had already weighed the damages, and had convinced himself that Conrad's rule would probably cause more damages than a war. And ever since then, he hadn't stopped advising me to make a move against his nephew.
I understood his words perfectly well, and while I knew that sometimes sacrifices were unavoidable, I didn't want to take the route of mass bloodbath. What I wanted was to settle things with Conrad without stirring up conflict between the opposing parties. However, with the way things were going, war was slowly becoming inevitable.