Chapter 53
I was dumbfounded and lost at the same time, hearing what my mum said. It’s infuriating to know that this has turned into upheaval. I never envisaged that my life would become this complicated.
I looked at my mom again, her face unwavering like she had concluded plans on taking my position away from me. I know she had said it before, but hearing her say it again means one thing: she is dead serious.
The thought of rejection made Dolph groan in my head. I knew she wanted to reject me, and I knew I was the cause. I messed up, and I deserved it. But right now, I didn’t think I’d be able to live with the reality of rejecting Lyra.
But many things were at stake. With that thought in mind, I groaned out loud, as if in pain. My mother remained unmoved, her resolve unshaken by my distress.
Her voice, stern and devoid of any hint of compromise, left no room for disagreement. “You will call Alpha Bayne this minute, fix a meeting, and promise to make things right. Do you get me?”
I looked at her without saying anything, but seeing her stern face, I slowly nodded.
“Good,” she said, her tone firm.
I made the phone call just as my mother had instructed, and we planned to meet. I wasn’t happy with the turnout of events, but at this point, I needed to set my priorities right.
The mating ceremony with Annie would be held during the next full moon, and invitations would be sent out to at least appease the Crescent Pack. Hopefully, when I met with Baynes, he would have no option but to let go of his anger.
I’ll give it to my mother when it comes to strategizing plans; she is good. Since I’m angry with the way everything is going, I need to give her accolades.
With all said and done, I stood up and left my parents’ house. My mum hugged me so tight that I wondered what was going on in her mind.
I knew she was silently begging me to give in, without necessarily begging.
I know many times she had used her Luna card on my father.
I needed a release from the rollercoaster of emotions running through my mind, so I decided to go for a run.
With that thought, I shifted into my Lycan wolf, allowing Dolph to take over as we ventured deep into the woods.
I let go of whatever worries might have taken charge of me and ran, releasing the tension. It was exhilarating; I hadn’t had a run in a while.
Dolph stopped abruptly when we perceived something strange around our pack’s border: the smell of blood.
I hurriedly shifted, and the pack patrol team bared their necks in respect upon seeing me and offered me a short t-shirt to wear.
Following the scent of blood, I came across a lifeless body. The throat was freshly slit. This was strange; such a gruesome act had never happened in my pack before.
I took a closer look at the body, searching for any signs of recognition, but I was mistaken. I didn’t recognize the face, and I doubted if she was a member of the pack.
The sense of unease deepened as I realized the severity of the situation unfolding before me.
“Whoever did this wanted to send a message across to us. My mind immediately went to Shawn; he should have answers.
I needed to know about the big thing Jack was preparing for my pack. I couldn’t wait to confront Jack if the investigation led to the fact that he had a hand in it.
I mind-linked Zach, instructing him to clean Shawn up and bring him to my office. I told him I would be there in thirty minutes.”
“I severe the link. Dispose of the dead body,” I said to the pack patrol team.
They nodded their heads and did as instructed.
I soon found my way to my office. I used the bathroom attached to my office and changed into something comfortable. I have a walk-in closet likewise in my office.
After changing into something more comfortable, I stepped into my office. As I settled comfortably into my seat, going through the files I needed to sort.
A slight knock echoed through the room, I knew it was Zach. I mind-linked him, permitting him to enter.Content property of NôvelDra/ma.Org.
Moments later, Zach entered the room, accompanied by Shawn, who looked visibly shaken. I gestured for them to take a seat.
It was time to get to the bottom of things and unravel the mysteries that threatened to disrupt the harmony of our pack.
“Shawn is a fine gentleman. He could be around twenty-five years old if I’m not mistaken.”
The image of him kissing my mate flashed through my mind, making me glare at him. He cowered in fear, not knowing what I had in store for him.
“Good day, Alpha King,” he greeted, bowing in respect.
“Have a seat,” I replied tersely.
Zach likewise sat down.
I told Zach about the body I found at the pack border while having a run. I could feel his emotions running high through the mind link, so I blocked it instantly.
“So tell me, what information do you have for me?” I inquired, my tone serious, as my attention was turned to Shawn.
“Alpha Jack is planning something big,” Shawn revealed. “He is planning to take over your pack.”
I gave a humorless laugh. “And how does he tend to achieve that, he dared not.”
“He wants to file a petition about you being incompetent, with proof to the High Council,” Shawn continued his tone grave.
“There is a high possibility of things like this happening, especially when a pack is under investigation and they find out the truth about the allegations leveled with evidence,” he explained. “The Alpha might be stripped of his position while another Alpha takes over.”
“Alpha King, I’m ready to pay allegiance to you,” Shawn declared earnestly. “My father has been captured by Alpha Jack, and I do nothing to save him. I know you can help me save my father from Alpha Jack’s wrath.”
I looked at him, piercing his soul to see if there was an iota of lie in what he just said. But I found nothing; he was telling the truth.
I sighed loudly, weighing the implications of accepting Shawn into my pack. If I were to accept him, Jack might come for him and cause more harm than good.
There was also the risk that Jack could assume Shawn was dead because he knew how ruthless I could be to the enemy. And I’m doing this for Lyra’s sake.
Nevertheless, I needed to sound a note of warning to him. “I’ll consider your request of accepting you into the pack,” I began, “but I don’t want to see you near Lyra.”
He looked at me with conflicting emotions, his feelings for our mate evident in his demeanor. Dolph whimpered within me, unable to bear the thought.
“I can’t stand to see someone else with Lyra,” Dolph confessed, his words resonating with the pain I felt.
Before the tension could escalate further, Shawn added, breaking the silence that had enveloped the room.