“Wait a goddamn minute,” he seethed out. “Are you saying, Victor is a………..” he couldn’t complete the words.
“Werewolf,” Valko completed it for him. “He’s the lieutenant of this pack. The second in command to Hell Dog. You should remember Helldog? He came to your bar with his brother months ago? To stir up some trouble,”
“I remember clearly.” Sam replied stiffly.
“Are you really sure Victor is alive?” Morrigan was saying to Selena now.
“Victor is very much alive, I'm sure of it. But he wouldn’t be much longer because Caesar plans to kill him anytime from now,”
Morrigan shifted uncomfortably in his chair. There was a dark, brooding expression on his face now.
“What if he's already dead? What if at this present moment now, Caesar or that man you mentioned is doing away with his dead body?”
There was something in his voice that made Sam and Selena give him a long, narrow look. But Valko, seeing through the hidden meaning behind the words, understood why Morrigan was going. Now, Victor is believed to be alive. Morrigan, who had assumed the position of the Alpha role would have to step down.
“Sir, I believe we should check out what this girl here is telling us. Respectfully, It wouldn’t be nice if word goes around that you were undecided about the issue of finding a lost member of the pack. Especially one with a significant role,” He gave Morrigan a steady state.
Morrigan immediately saw what Valko was saying. The members of the pack did not like him. He belonged to the pack in Devils Wept. If they discovered that he was deliberately pulling back the strings of rescuing someone; someone as important as Victor who had a major role in the pack, they would definitely revolt. He might even be killed. Fighting for the Alpha position when he had no loyalty from the pack suddenly seemed like a lost cause. He had no choice. He had to give in.
“I think we mustn’t waste any longer,” Morrigan said regretfully. “We must find Victor and bring him back.” He turned to Selena. “You should know where he’s been held?”
“I don’t really know the place. You see it was very dark when Caesar took us there.What I only know is that we took the back of Caesar ’s house. There’s a track that led to the woods”’
“Alright, do you at any time take any turn? I mean do you guys take a left or right track while going there?”
“No, we only walked straight. We didn’t take any turns off from the track.”
Morrigan mulled this over.
“Then I guess the house shouldn’t be hard to find,” he turned to Valko. “Bring me Lexi and NightClaws. Also, bring that map tablet we found at that cabin,”
Valko nodded and went away. Few minutes later, the tablet map in his hand, he came back into the room with NightClaws and Lexi at his heels.
Valko gave the map tablet to Morrigan.
He took it from him and said to Lexi and NightClaws.
“Gather around guys,”
Valko, Lexi and NightClaws came over to the table. Selena and Sam also came over too. Their heads came together over the map.
Morrigan switched the map on. He took out the stylus attached to it. He slid his finger across the screen until a large-scale map appeared on the screen.
"Here's the map of Fur Rivers and nearby towns," he said, sliding the stylus on the screen to point out locations. "This black line is the town gate. And all this green? It's the woods. The icon of the house here surrounded by green is Caesar’s mansion,” He tapped the screen, showing Caesar's mansion surrounded by trees. "Selena, you mentioned going into the woods from behind the house, right?" When she nodded, he continued tracing the path on the screen. "Okay, I see a path behind the house." He traced a narrow track. "It's quite long and narrow." After a moment, he frowned, looking at Selena. "But I can't find the tortue house you mentioned. Did you possibly turn off this path at any point?
Selena shook her head vehemently.
“I'm a hundred percent sure. We all followed a straight path till we got to that house in the woods”
Morrigan drew in a long, slow breath. He studied the map for a long moment.Then he straightened and looked at them.
“I can’t seem to find any house here.” He drew a line with the stylus on the screen. “But this is what I believe. If your theory is right, then somewhere around here,” the stylus tapped on the screen. “Victor must be held up,”
“I’m very sure. There’s a big house in the woods.” Selena said solemnly. “It must be. But I think I know why it's difficult to see here on the map. You see, the door of the house is set in a kind of wall. And it was all dark that night. We were all surrounded by the bushes and trees,”
“Well, that explains why we can’t find it on the map,”
He added. “But I can assure you of one thing. As long as that place you talked about exists, we are going to find it. We are going to be relying heavily on our wolf super senses and power. If Victor is actually held up there, we’ll get him.” He turned to the wolf pack members. “Valko, Lexi and NightClaws. You are going into the woods tonight. It seems Victor is alive. As for Helldog I can’t guArantee. But if we can get Victor here, then we’ll definitely know what happened to Helldog and the rest of the werewolves that went with them that night.” He paused and went on. “And I don’t even have to remind you that this is a critical assignment. And you all know why. You are on a rescue mission to bring your Alpha back to his pack,”
“What…..do you mean by your Alpha?” Selena interrupted.
Morrigan grinned wolfishly “Let me explain it better for you. You see, Victor was lieutenant; the second in command of this pack before the last attack. Helldog was the Alpha and he made Victor his lieutenant. If it’s proven beyond every reasonable doubt that Helldogis dead, then Victor automatically takes his position. What I’m trying to say is that if we were able to rescue Victor and he comes back here, he’s going to be our Alpha. The leader of the Blood River Pack,”
Selena, nodded numbly. She couldn’t say anything.
Morrigan inclined his head and turned to the pack members.
“You guys can start preparing,” he picked the tablet and gave it to Lexi. “You are going to be leading them. So you hold it and familiarize yourself with the locations I showed you.” Lexi took it from his hand. “You can go now. Valko please stay behind,”
Lexi and NightClaws bowed and went away.
Morrigan turned to Selena and Sam.
“We’ll find Victor. I can assure you of that,”
“What if the place is guarded?” Sam asked.
“I don’t think it’s heavily guarded the way you think, Dad. According to Caesar , only Dvorak is with Victor . I believe Caesar is relying heavily on the fact that the house will be difficult to find by anyone. So there’s no need for him to have the place watched. He believes Dvorak is capable of handling Victor alone,”
“Our pack can handle any volatile situation.” Morrigan said. “We are used to it. That’s why we are wolves. Do you have anything else to say? Any questions?”
Both Selena and Sam shook their heads.
“Well in that case,” Morrigan turned to Valko. “You can tell the girls to prepare the Alpha’s room while we await his arrival.”
“I would like to assist them,” Selena cuts in.Why did I offer to help? She thought. After how he had deceived her? Lied to her?
“Are you sure about that?” Morrigan looked at her, noticing the uncertainty that had suddenly appeared on her face She was quiet for some time.
“Yes, I’m sure” she said evenly thinking; God! I’m so stupid!
“Of course, Miss………..?”’he looked at her questioning. When she said Selena, he went on. “Yes, you can join the women in the preparation. I believed the more the merrier. You can go with Valko here. He’ll take you to them,” and he waved to Valko.
“Are you coming with me Dad?” Selena asked Sam.
Sam smiled ruefully.
“I will join you soon, sweetheart. I just want to have a few words with the boss,” he jerked his head to Morrigan.
“Okay, dad. Don’t be long,” and she hurriedly kissed Sam on his cheek.
Valko waved to a door.
“Please come with me,” and he went out of the room. Selena followed him.
When they had gone, Sam came over to where Morrigan was standing. He folded his arms across his chest and began to rock back and forth on the balls of his feet.
“Can you please explain to me where all these are leading to?”
“What do you mean?” Morrigan said cautiously.
“This whole situation is driving me nuts. Victor being a werewolf, Victor becoming the Alpha of your pack, the necklace I gave to my daughter which she gave to Victor, all these are driving me nuts?”
“Is that all?” Morrigan asked.
Sam narrowed his eyes on him.
“What do you mean?”
“I mean is that all that’s bothering you or you still have more to say?”
Sam regarded him for a long moment.
“There!’s something……” he hesitated, leaving the word unsaid.
Morrigan grinned, his teeth white as piano keys.
“I know what’s bothering you, old man”
“You do?” Sam said relief on his leather face.
“Hell yeah! if I was a father too I would think that way,”
“Christ!” Sam cursed under his breath. “You see, Selena’s kind of simpleminded. I have a feeling my daughter and Victor are…..,” but he was having difficulty getting the words out of his mouth.
“Fucking?” Morrigan offered.
“Well ...i……I don’t really mean it that way,” Sam blurted out.
“Well that’s the way it seems,” Morrigan said indifferently.
Sam cursed again and he slammed his fist into his open hand.
“Nah, it can’t be true. For crying out loud, Selena! He’s a wolf! Victor is a werewolf! You should know better,” it felt as if Selena was right with him and he was admonishing her.
Morrigan slapped a big hand on the old man's shoulders.
“Quit worrying yourself, old man. There’s nothing you can do about anything. Just let it go,” and saying that he walked out of the room, leaving Sam standing there, confused expression on his face.