Chapter 21: Soothing

“Brandon, how true is this talk of a man that went to Skylar for help and he had him flogged almost to death?” Edgar said as soon as Brandon walked into his room the next morning.

“That’s very true, I heard the man had a little daughter and he told Skylar to help him with a little food and medicine for his sick daughter. The little girl was just a cub and her wolf was dying, she needed good care but Skylar turned him down and had him flogged instead, the little girl died but the man still went ahead looking for more jobs to keep himself alive” Brandon explained in a low tone obviously feeling sorry for the man.

“Alive enough to take his revenge on Skylar” Edgar said.

“Now he works in the stables, the dinning and sometimes he works in the dungeon kitchens” Brandon said.

“He approached me today, what’s his name?” Edgar said trying to make sure the man did not lie to him.

“Donald, his name is Donald and his daughter’s name was Rebekah, a very sweet girl” Brandon said smiling in nostalgia.

“You knew his daughter?” Edgar said

“Yes I did, I just met her one time before she fell sick, I never knew that she was sick till she died. I could have helped her” Brandon said.

“You did not know about it, don’t blame yourself” Edgar said patting him on the shoulder and Brandon nodded his head in agreement.

“And how do you know of this man and his daughter?” Brandon said raising a brow.

“He approached me, he knows who poisoned that general and how to prove that the person did it” Edgar said.

“How does he know that?” Brandon said.

“I don’t know, but I know he is not bluffing” Edgar said.

“And what are we going to do about it?” Brandon said.

“We are going to the council of Alphas, they are the only ones that have the power to remove Skylar from that position. And when we present them with enough proof that he’s guilty, there will be a vote and he will definitely loose” Edgar said contemplatively.

“You’re certain?” Brandon said.

“There are four votes, and I’m pretty sure I have two of them, in the worst scenario there will be a draw” Edgar said staring into blank space as he contemplated if it was the right thing to do.

“What do you mean you have two votes?” Brandon said looking confused.

“Elaine is the blue stone pack’s alpha, and the yellow stone pack will definitely vote for me because I am a legitimate son, what they hate most is infidelity. That was the reason Alpha Claudia always despised my father” Edgar said.

“Then what of the green stone pack?” Brandon said hastily.

“Randall is naive, I might speak to him before the vote and when he gets there Skylar tells him few words, he changes his mind. Besides, I don’t want someone like him as an ally” Edgar said as he stood up walking towards the door.

“Where are you going to?” Brandon said as he sat tight on his spot.

“I want to think, so get out” Alex said as he opened the door for him.

“I thought we were planning our next move?” Brandon said kind of surprised.

“That’s none of your business Brandon, I said get out of my room” Edgar said lazily.

“One important question Ed, have you ever slept with a woman?” Brandon said.

“Of course I have and you know it, just leave this place Bran, you are annoying me” Edgar said and Brandon laughed loudly.

“I’ll go before you have me thrown in the dungeons, bye now Ed. Enjoy your time with your woman” Brandon said walking out of the room leisurely and Edgar rolled his eyes as soon as he walked out the door.

“Don’t come back here till I send for you” Edgar said shouting at Brandon walking away.

“Yes Ed, I’ll make sure not to disturb your love life” Brandon said and Alex couldn’t believe that he said it out loud for others to hear.

“Brandon is so immature” Edgar said to himself as he walked towards Elaine’s room and knocked on the door.

“Come in” she said from inside as she sat on her bed reading a book as usual.

“Do you allow everyone in like that?” Edgar said jokingly.

“No, just you” she replied raising her head for some seconds and facing her book again.

“Then how did you know I was the one?” Edgar said curiously.

“I can pick your scent from a mile away weird right?” she said and he smiled to himself.

“So what are we reading today?” He said sitting opposite her on the chair.

“Just a book teaching the common tongue” she said still focused on the book. Edgar took the book from her hand, closed it and kept it close to himself.

“Can you stop reading for now and focus on what I’m about to tell you?” he said and she looked him straight in the eye.

“Okay” she replied with a serious look on her face.

“I know why Skylar is obsessed with marrying you” Edgar said.

“And what’s the reason?” she said looking serious too.

“A prophecy made by a witch, that there will be a werewolf that will be great like the werewolf that led the war against the vampires rebellion”

“Darius the great? No werewolf can be as powerful as Darius he was so powerful because of his wisdom he used to win the war and separate the werewolves into factions without dispute” Sapphire said looking a bit confused.

“Yes, he did and now the witch claims that the one that marries you becomes the next greatest as you both will share your powers” Edgar said feeling very uncomfortable as he said this.

“And Skylar thinks its him? He’s a f*cking mad man, he doesn’t even have any power greater than any regular werewolf so what makes him think that he can be like Darius the great” Elaine said looking a bit provoked.

“Darius was a guardian, an alpha, a leader to his people, not a blood sucking demon that stole the power of being alpha for himself” Elaine said leaving her seat and walking towards the window to calm down turning her back on Edgar.

“Calm down Elaine, this is not something to worry about, we will find a way out,” Edgar said and she listened to him.

“I’m calm” she said with a low tone, almost a whisper as her voice stifled, he knew she was crying.

“Come on now, you don’t need to cry,” Edgar said as he got closer to her and held her shoulders with one hand, trying to console her.

“Skylar would have no power to do all this if my parents were to be alive today, but they took them away from me before I had the chance to love them the way they loved me,” she said as she let the tears flow freely from her eyes, she has bottled up this feeling for far too long and it was time to open up, to let it all out.

“Shhh… the goddess knows why she did what she did,” Edgar said still trying to console her.

“The goddess be damn sure that it was the right thing to do” she replied with anger and pain evident in her eyes.

“Come here,” Edgar said and hugged her gently, enveloping her in the comfort of his manly structure.

She felt herself become warm in his hands, they were the hands she would want to run to in her times of trouble and utmost need for comfort, it was his arms. Edgar’s arms.