Chapter 42
Anthony, Samuel, and Noah, along with their Betas, gathered in the town over to discuss acquiring more land to expand their pack territory. However, there is a conflict arising because the vampire also desires the land, leading to a battle between the two parties. Anthony examined the map, but his father, determined to seize the land, demanded the vampire's expulsion, and Noah concurred. Hence, the morning was spent contemplating Samuel's possible bid for the land. Yet it was not fair to the rival pack, who also desired more land to construct additional homes for their members.
Anthony is really concerned that Kathy might get bored while he's away, but Kathy is confident she will find something to keep herself occupied. Beta Miles sat quietly in the corner, eyes glued to his tablet, waiting for Anthony's mental call.
“Check on the ladies,”
“Yes, alpha,”
Beta Miles, feigning interest in his tablet, secretly sent a mind-link to his mate to check in on her, even as the meeting continued.
“Sarah is everything okay?”
"Yes, Kathy is looking after an omega baby while she works. Can you provide an update on the meeting?” asked Sarah
"It's a long story, and we'll tell you both when we're home. He's just asked me to check on you ladies to ensure everything's fine, according to Alpha Anthony.”
“We are okay?”
"See you both later,"
Miles ended his mind-link with Sarah and immediately connected with Anthony, urgently informing him about the ladies' activities.
“Sarah says everything is okay and Kathy is babysitting one of the omega baby while she is working,”
“Thanks,”
As Anthony listened to the meeting, it seemed that no one would give up the land; as he peered at it, he remembered that a witch had once taken it, although it had been unused for years. Anthony listened to the whispers of a rumor that a witch had cast a terrible spell to protect that desolate land. The vampires and other individuals also desire it, which will inevitably lead to numerous complications.
"This land, which we're discussing, was once owned by witches, and it's very possible they used magic to prevent anyone from claiming it. It would appear that you, a vampire, are the only one who can set foot on that land. Our men experienced sickness the last time we checked out that piece of land, signaling a cause for concern. I'm uncertain about the witch who enchanted that land, but it appears they specifically prohibited werewolves from trespassing,” Anthony explained, his eyes darting around the room.
"That doesn't make any sense at all. Noah spoke, "What could be the reason behind a witch's decision to use that kind of spell?"
Anthony said, "I've already told you, werewolves and lycans are forbidden, but vampires are the only ones allowed on that land."
"I've never encountered anything like that, and I don't believe it. Samuel said, "Vampires are solely focused on conquest and deny our right to ownership."
Beta Miles approached the table, motioning towards the gleaming, silver dusk on the ground that Anthony had mentioned, but the water in the area was undrinkable. Samuel still won’t believe it, his greed for the land burned in his eyes and he would get it no matter what.
“Father just gives it to the vampire; you can clearly we can’t get it, we can get another land to close to our pack,”
Samuel’s fury simmered beneath the surface, his muscles tensing as the urge to shift clawed at his composure—a wild hunger to tear through the room and lay waste to every obstacle that dared stand between him and that cursed land. Yet, reason anchored him; the consequences of such violence would unleash a war that would not only doom his pack, but would see him chained and condemned for eternity. He tasted bitterness, forced to swallow it as Anthony, his father, prepared to reveal secrets long held in the shadows.
Anthony’s gaze lingered on Samuel, the weight of ancestral knowledge pressing heavy on his tongue. Unbeknownst to him, Samuel had received a cryptic summons from the Lycan King: a letter slipped into his possession, demanding his presence at the kingdom. The revelation pulsed in Samuel’s pocket, a secret yet to be confessed.
As the meeting’s tension bled into the night, one by one the attendees dispersed, their footsteps echoing in the empty halls. The cool air outside bristled with anticipation; cars revved, headlights pierced the gathering dusk. Anthony, loosening his tie, let out a sigh—the kind that carried both exhaustion and longing. His thoughts flitted to his mate, a solitary warmth in his chest; the ache of missing him gnawed at his resolve, promising a sweeter reunion just beyond the horizon.
Miles slid behind the wheel, the engine humming as droplets began to tap at the windshield—soft at first, then steady, growing into a symphony of rain. Shadows stretched across the road, the world blurred by water and regret. Night beckoned, secrets whispered in the dark, and the journey continued, each heart weighed down by the choices made and those yet to come.
Kathy standing by the window to watch the rain to come down, as she sees the night sky just waiting for Anthony to come home so she can make him some dinner because she knows that he didn’t eat either did Miles. Kathy is holding the baby in her arms who is sleeping until she saws Amy walking in the rain without anything covering her.
“Sarah, can you open the door for Amy,”
“Yes, ma’am,”
Sarah went to the door, and as she opened it, she saw Amy, soaked and dripping. Kathy walked over to Amy, noticing her slumped posture; it was then that Kathy saw the bruising on her arm, and after lifting Amy's head to see the facial bruises, a surge of anger coursed through her.
"Amy, what's wrong with you?"
“I tripped on the stairs; I was carrying too much,” she mumbled, rubbing her arm.
“Don’t lie to me. You are safe here with me and Sarah,”
"The ladies at the packhouse, they told me that I had to take over their chores while they lounged about, but when I said no, they started slapping me. The woman you mentioned earlier assured me that she would return if I needed help. Without a word or action, she turned her head and looked in the opposite direction. “I will heal it; it will disappear with the morning light," Amy explained.
"That's beside the point, Um... Amy, stay here with Sarah; I will deal with this," kathy commanded.
“Please don’t this is my only job,”
“No, you will not lose your job. Sarah watch Amy and the baby I will be right back,”
Kathy grabbed her raincoat from the closet, and headed out, the sound of the door closing behind her as she began her walk toward the packhouse, the stairs creaking with each step. When she opened the door, she was met with the sight of three young figures, their faces contorted in cruel amusement, as they tormented the young omega earlier. Before they realized their world was upside down, the women were sprawled across the floor, marked with cuts and bruises.
“Now if I catch either of you, put your hands on Amy again. You will have to deal with me and that won’t be pretty. And I know that older omega is hiding, don’t worry I will catch her,”
As Kathy turned to walk home, she noticed two cars turning up the drive, she pulled her hood up quickly before retreating to the house, fearful that Anthony would discover her absence, especially with Sarah nowhere to be found.