11. CHAPTER 11
Garren holds my hand as we follow the servant who came to fetch us. Even though we walked these halls the night before, I find them confusing and strange. The Grey Manor really is a labyrinth.
“Aren’t we going to the throne room?” Garren asks when the servant turns right instead of left. He grabbed each of us a couple of croissants from the passing maid’s tray, and we’ve been eating them on the way. That’s what we get for spending our extra minutes on each other.
“Your father and your brothers have gathered in the conference room,” the servant replies. “Your father thought that everyone would be more comfortable there.”
“At least he won’t be able to look down on us from his mighty throne,” Garren mutters under his breath, loud enough for me to hear.
I give his hand a comforting squeeze, wordlessly reminding him that he’s not alone. We’ll face the whole world together if need be. We’ll deal with his family, and we’ll even take care of the witches if others don’t take them seriously enough.
Hekate turned out to be a bigger threat than any one of us even dared to imagine. The witches might be our creators, the weavers of the curse that was supposed to plague us, but we decided to embrace it instead. If once they were thought to be a superior species, they’re quite the opposite now. Well, at least until Hekate started rallying them up and possibly uniting all the covens together under one powerful Ultra Coven.
The servant knocks on the door but doesn’t enter. Instead, as soon as Garren’s father gives us permission to enter, our guide steps aside and waits long enough for us to disappear through the door.
My eyes immediately land on the powerful wolves seated behind the table. At the head, sits Garren’s father with a place on his right saved for his heir apparent. On Garren’s supposed right side is a male that I recognize as Prince Grayden who has found himself in some yellow pages in the past, but nothing nearly as scandalous as his older brother. Next to Prince Grayden is Prince Graham who looks up from his tablet for all of one second to give me a curious once over before returning his attention to whatever he has going on the screen.
“I’m glad to hear that you’re both okay,” the last wolf says, calling my attention to him.
While Garren’s body turns stiff, my reaction is quite the opposite. My eyes widen when they take in the legendary original Alpha of the Pack of Shadows himself, King Gavin. Though the reputation of our kingdom took a hit, no one was actually surprised when the youngest prince left the family. Gavin Grey is the most powerful wielder of Darkness who has walked the earth in centuries, and he was also too ambitious to settle with the fate of the youngest. With his Ice Queen wife, Leia Lafayette, they make the most powerful couple in America.
“Sit down,” King Grey orders before Garren can reply. He shoots Gavin a look, unhappy that the young King addressed us first.
While I let go of Garren’s hand, expecting him to take his place as his father’s successor, he refuses to let me go. Taking a deep breath to swallow my surprise, I struggle to keep a neutral expression on my face as Garren leads us to the other side of the table, which is fortunately not too long, otherwise, it’d be that more awkward when he positions himself at the head and gestures for me to go on his right. Hoping that he knows what he’s doing, I follow his lead and sit down when he does.
Though King Grey’s eyes narrow and his nostrils flare, he doesn’t say anything. To my surprise, King Gavin meets my eye, gives me a ghost of a smile, and winks.
Why do I have a feeling that we’ve walked into some serious family drama?my wolf asks, not sounding too happy about it.
Don’t all families have drama?I ask back, not wanting to give too much attention to it.
The stronger the family, the wilder the fights, my wolf retorts, and I’m forced to agree with her.
“Father, if I may, I’d like to say something before we start,” Garren says and waits for King Grey’s permission before continuing.
While King Grey’s nostrils still flare, he cocks his brow in curiosity. Garren’s words must’ve caught him by surprise because he seemed to cool down a bit.
“I want to thank you for sending the Pack of Shadows after us,” Garren tells him when his father finally allows him to talk. “I don’t know whether you did it for me or to keep my knowledge out of the witches’ hands. I don’t know, and I don’t want to know because all that matters is that you got us out, and for that, I’m grateful.”
King Grey’s black eyes shine with icy coldness and zero emotion. Despite the hard facade, he still manages to tilt his head ever so slightly, giving his son a subtle nod.
“I would also like to get ahead and address the new development before any of you start making any ideas in your heads,” Garren says, and though his lips are curled up into a small smile, his eyes are looking over at his family with all seriousness. “It is my honor to present you all the Alpha of the Dark Hunters and my fated mate, Alyssa Hunt.”
The announcement definitely got everyone’s attention, and even Graham dropped his gadget on the table with a thump. I lift my chin, determined to defy anyone who’d dare to step in between destined soulmates. While I half-expected Garren’s brothers to have heard the news, it’s clear that King Grey didn’t deem it important enough to update them.
I know he’s our king, but there’s something rotten about the old bastard, my wolf comments and makes an exaggerated sniffing sound.
We don’t get to choose our superiors, I remind her as a lifetime of servitude demands that I show him respect.
“I thought that getting you out of the witches’ grasp was good news, but you never cease to surprise me, brother,” King Gavin says, being the first one to recover. His eyes turn to me and though, as a king, he isn’t allowed to bow in any way, his expression manages to convey acceptance and pride. “It truly is an honor to meet you, Alpha.”
“The honor is all mine,” I reply, meaning it in more ways than one.
“Now that we’ve dealt with this useless bullshit, might I suggest that we tackle the actual problems?” King Grey says, unable to keep disdain off his face. “I want to know everything that happened.”
King Grey nods at Graham, who presses a button on his tablet before sliding it to the middle of the table.
“While we’re keeping this conversation private at first, bits and pieces will be shared with our advisors and generals to know more about the threat we’re dealing with,” Graham explains, indirectly addressing the fact that there are only six of us in the room.
Before we can start, I reach under the table and put my hand on Garren’s leg, hoping that he’ll understand the meaning. I’ve waited long enough. I’ve rested and processed certain parts of the hellish scenario we’ve been through. I’m ready to know.
“How many casualties amongst the wolves?” Garren asks, reading my mind. “I want another confirmation that the Dark Hunters are okay.”
Grayden glances at King Grey who gives him a nod. Garren’s younger brother opens a file in front of him and clears his throat.
“The witches have all been killed. Nine of them in total,” Grayden says, starting with the enemy. “Tiana, the Alpha of the Pack of Shadows is in an induced coma, her wolf is working hard to heal her injuries.”
“I think I speak for everyone when I say that you better have a good explanation as to what happened to her,” King Grey warns, then signals for Grayden to continue.
“As far as the Dark Hunters are concerned,” Grayden goes on, then pauses as he glances down at the file to double-check. I hold my breath, bracing myself even to hear about a member of my pack’s death even though I saw it with my own eyes. “Delta Tom Lowe has been found dead.”
May he run through the green hills with the wolves, my wolf says with respect.
“Delta Esme Kane has been taken to our private hospital downtown, and while they’ve put her in the intensive care unit, her life isn’t in danger,” Grayden reads before closing the file. “The rest of the wolves are back at camp. That’s all.”
“What happened to Esme?” I demand, my voice strained as I struggle to keep the emotion out of it. “Why wasn’t I notified about her condition when we first asked?”
“Is she okay?” Garren asks, sounding genuinely worried.
They’re friends,my wolf says just as I remember one of Blaine’s reports where he mentioned that they were inseparable. While there’s no evidence of them having an intimate relationship, it’s clear that Garren cares deeply about the girl.
“We’re not quite sure because the statements vary too much,” Grayden replies. “While some say that they heard chanting, which leads us to believe that she’s been cursed, others insist that something was spilled on her, which means that her affliction is due to a potion or some every chemistry experiment gone wrong.”
“What happened to her?” Garren asks again, forcing the words out through gritted teeth.
“The best as we can tell is that she’s been subjected to the effects of some horrible acid-like substance,” King Gavin replies, his voice much gentler than Grayden’s. “Her whole body’s been horribly burned and disfigured. The only reason she’s alive is thanks to her wolf’s fast healing powers. It’s quite a miracle.”
“I doubt she’ll see it that way,” Grayden comments with a low snicker, his nose scrunching up in disgust.
Garren slams his fist against the table, the power of his strength resonating through the room. His eyes are locked firmly on Grayden, who seems surprised by his older brother’s reaction.
“She’s twice the wolf you’ll ever be,” Garren says, conviction clear in his voice. “She’s kind and fierce. Despite her young age, she’s quite a warrior. We should be grateful that a good soul such as hers still resides among us. We are fortunate that she’s a part of our kingdom.”
“She’s a commoner,” Grayden argues, his eyes wide and his brows furrowed in disbelief.
“We’re all commoners,” Garren says, raising his voice. “The only reason we are considered to be something more is because we’re skilled at manipulating wolves into worshipping us. Think about it. We’re not even the strongest family. Hell, I’m fairly certain that there are wolves within our own kingdom that are more powerful than us. I bet that Alyssa is deadlier than you could ever hope to be.”
“That’s not fair,” Grayden growls, his eye twitching as if he’s on the verge of throwing a tantrum.
“It might not be fair, but it is true,” King Gavin interjects, agreeing with his eldest brother once again. “I’ve spent a great part of my life fighting on the frontlines, shoulder to shoulder with our fellow wolves. While I always thought that it was about power, recently I’ve come to realize that this couldn’t be further from the truth. We’re on top because they allow us to be. We will stay on top as long as we show them the respect they deserve in return for their service. A kingdom isn’t only its royal family, but it’s a mix of royals and commoners that are tirelessly working together toward a common goal.”
“If you two truly believe that, your reigns won’t last long,” King Grey says, looking at his sons with visible disgust in his eyes. “We’ve been chosen by our gods to stand above the commoners and to lead them toward the light.”
“Times are changing, Father,” King Gavin says, but doesn’t bother to go into detail. Instead, he looks over to us and nods his head as if we’ve just come to some sort of an agreement with which we will lead our two respective kingdoms into a better and more peaceful era.
“You ruled your way, I’ll rule mine,” Garren replies, following his brother’s lead and keeping it short. “I did what you asked of me. I earned my stripes all on my own. I cleaned up, went through rigorous training, and even answered the deployment call. I might not have gotten to the Alpha status, nor do I want to because that belongs to Alyssa, but I am eligible for a promotion to be a Delta. The only step we haven”t taken is the ceremony, which, to be honest, is merely an unnecessary formality at this point.”
“You did well,” King Grey says, and though he sounds a bit reluctant to compliment his son, he can’t deny the truth behind it. “Let’s say that after we’ve dealt with the threat, I’ll reconsider the continuation of the ascension process.”
“Fair enough,” Garren agrees, then looks over at me. “I think you’re better suited to debrief them about the mission.”
“Your Highnesses,” I start but am already interrupted by King Gavin.
“Drop the titles,” he says, not unkindly. “We’re in private, and you’ll soon become one of us.”
One of them, my wolf echoes, struggling with the extent of the reality that didn’t quite set in just yet.
“Thank you,” I tell him, unsure of how else to acknowledge the grand privilege he granted me.
Under the table, Garren gives my hand a comforting squeeze. I’m not sure how the bond works, but I could swear that I feel his pride and love through it. It’s all the encouragement I need to continue and address the royals face-on.
“The witches have a new leader called Hekate. She’s younger than the previous leaders when they got the mantel, but there’s something about her that’s different than what we’re used to,” I say, my voice growing with confidence as I speak about the familiar topic. “Based on how the witches have talked about her, we can draw clear conclusions that Hekate is powerful and ruthless.”
“They did seem to be afraid of her,” Garren confirms, no doubt remembering the conversations we’d overheard.
“There have been rumors going around about the massive migration of the witches,” I continue, trying to connect the dots from the many classified meetings I attended as an Alpha. “While some theories were that the witches were gathering to celebrate the young leader of the New York coven, I believe that the truth is something far more dangerous.”
“Go on,” King Gavin says when I pause to collect my thoughts. He leans forward, resting his elbows on the table as his eyes regard me with interest, giving me his full attention.
“My fear is that under Hekate, the witches are forming an alliance,” I say, but the confusion on everyone’s faces tells me that they don’t quite understand my meaning. “A lone witch is an easy target. A coven of witches is a formidable enemy, but still well within our capabilities. Imagine what would happen if all the witches were to come together under one, massive coven, traveling country to country and exterminating the wolves from those areas in the process until there are none left. Imagine if they formed what we call an Ultra Coven.”
The faces of the royal wolves in front of me darken one after another as the gravity of my information settles in. Gone are the days of foolishly forgetting about the war that’s happening on too many fronts for witches to be a serious danger to our species. Standing united as one, they might prove to be the biggest threat we’ve ever had to face in the whole history of wolves.
From creators to destroyers, my wolf comments, unable to resist the poetic sound of it.
“What should we do?” Grayden asks, breaking the heavy silence that stretches across the room.
Garren and I exchange a look, and this time it’s my turn to give him the go-ahead. When it comes to bossing around the royals, it’s better that he’s the one that does it. I might be an Alpha in my own earned right, but he’s still a pure-born royal with a title much superior to mine.
“We need to follow their lead,” Garren says, his voice clear and full of authority.
Looking at him now, I feel stupid for never seeing him for who he truly was. I was so blinded by the anger of being stuck with an Omega, that I didn’t even think to consider there might’ve been more to the story. With the knowledge of his identity and the ability he wielded that night, there’s no way of seeing him as anything less than the incarnation of power and the future.
“We’re far too vulnerable alone, and despite the Lafayette’s support, we don’t have enough wolves,” Garren says, slowly building up to the big reveal. “If we really want to win this war once and for all, we should call on the other families and have them join us on one battlefield.”
“Are you suggesting that we unite like the witches did?” King Gavin asks, his eyes darkening.
“I know that there are rogue wolves in our midst,” Garren says with a sigh. “I’m not saying that we should forget how Felix Farrell and his followers betrayed their own kind and massacred young wolves in return for more power. Even though the witches are our creators, the power they’ve given to the traitors wasn’t pure. Bloody and diluted abilities that ravage one’s soul.”
“It might take some time to get the alliance going,” King Gavin says, accepting the way Garren acknowledged the horrors that he and his wife have been through when Prince Felix kidnapped Queen Leia’s sister and blackmailed Gavin into a duel until death.
“Which is why we should get the process started,” Garren replies, sounding like a leader with a plan. “It would be our plan B.”
“What’s plan A?” King Grey asks, a subtle challenge in his tone as he stares at his eldest son.
“We deploy four packs to the location where the witches mentioned meeting up with Hekate to hand us over. Two of ours and two of Lafayettes,” Garren replies, not letting his father intimidate him. “Dark Hunters and Lightbringers should do the trick on our end.”
“Why not the Pack of Shadows?” King Grey asks, cocking a brow in question.
“Because if Tiana comes anywhere near Alyssa, I will finish the job I started,” Garren hisses, letting his possessive and protective Alpha impulses get the best of him. They’re hard to control in a normal relationship but being the fated one really brings it up several notches.
The corners of King Grey’s mouth lift, his amusement on display for everyone to see. I clench my hands into fists, bracing myself for a comment that will surely set Garren off.
“I’ll allow the Lightbringers to join the Dark Hunters,” King Grey says at last. “But only because Tiana finds herself temporarily indisposed.”
I exhale in relief, knowing that I’ll have my sister there to cover my back. While we’ve never been on a mission together, we did make sure that our packs practiced together whenever we were stationed in the same camp. Our wolves are familiar with each other, and while one side wields Darkness, the other possesses the ability of Lightness. The two powers fall on the opposite side of the spectrum, but Malia and I have managed to figure out a way to make it work.
“I’ll talk to Leia to make sure the Lafayette pack’s good to go, but since the other packs are spread thin and too far away to call in, there’s only one left. Unfortunately, I don’t think that our young survivors are in any condition to join a fight. It might take a couple of years for them to be ready,” King Gavin says. He hesitates before continuing, “With your permission, Father, and of course, with Garren’s agreement, for the length of the mission, I’d take the position of the Alpha of my old Pack of Shadows.”
“You’re not a Grey anymore,” King Grey snarls, hiding the hurt of Gavin’s departure behind anger and hatred.
“That might be true, but he is the only one who knows the Pack of Shadows inside and out, and they are the strongest pack we have,” Garren counters, putting the good of the mission above his personal feelings. With Tiana leading the Pack of Shadows, they couldn’t be trusted, but with Gavin as their head...that definitely changes things.
“I’ll have to talk to Leia first,” King Gavin says, referring to his wife who’s also his superior because she’s the one who inherited the Lafayette crown. “I don’t think she’ll be too happy about it, but I might be able to convince her.”
“Unless you got her pregnant, there’s no way she’ll let you go,” King Grey tells him and waves his hand as if dismissing the whole idea. “We either find another Alpha for the Pack of Shadows or we pick a different pack altogether.”
“Actually...” King Gavin starts and trails off, letting the silence and his smile speak for itself.
“You didn’t!” Graham exclaims in excitement, proving for the first time that he’s actually following the conversation.
“We’re trying to keep it on the down low until she’s in her second trimester, but it looks good,” King Gavin says, confirming that he and Queen Leia Lafayette are expecting their first heir.
Surprisingly, except Graham, Garren, and I, no one else congratulates Gavin or offers him well wishes. The family drama runs much deeper than I thought.
“Clear it with your wife,” Garren tells his youngest brother, both of them still smiling. “The preparations will be put in motion today, and in the morning, Alyssa and I will travel to meet up with the Dark Hunters and Lightbringers at the camp. We’ll depart from there and meet up a couple of miles away from the target.”
“You’re not going anywhere,” King Grey says to Garren, catching us all by surprise.
“What?” Garren asks, his brows flying up into his forehead as he gives his father a look full of confusion. “What do you mean? Of course, I’m going. I’m a part of the Dark Hunters now, and we’re already down two members. Every wolf counts.”
“You’re forgetting that you’re not just any wolf,” King Grey tells his son. “You’re Prince Garren Grey. You’re heir apparent and the future Grey King. You’re not going anywhere.”
“I know exactly who I am, which is why I’m going,” Garren replies, and though his voice is firm, he’s also well-mannered and polite. “Throughout the years, Gavin has set a good example that I should’ve followed much earlier. Fighting side by side with our own subjects, showing them that their lives matter just as much as ours, that’s the secret to keeping our monarchy intact. If I’m going to be a good king, I need to know who I’m governing over. They need to know me and be willing to lay their lives down for me if asked to.”
“Your life is more important than theirs,” King Grey insists. “You are the future.”
“I understand, Father,” Garren replies, his voice softening when he sees through King Grey’s rude mask at the same time that I manage to decipher it. The old king is afraid of losing it all, losing them all. “You have enough heirs to keep the line going. Worst case scenario, Grayden will take the throne.”
“Nothing bad will happen to any of us,” King Gavin says with so much conviction in his voice that even I’m inclined to believe him. “We’re good at what we do, and we all know what our job will be.”
“Hekate is a threat, Father,” Garren tells him. “With or without your permission, I’m going.”
With those as his last words, Garren stands and offers me his hand. Our fingers intertwine, and together, we walk out of the conference room to work on the plans of quite possibly the biggest and the most important attack we’ll ever make.