Chapter 175

Chapter 175
Carmine

I stormed out of the hall, heading out with my soldiers as we went in search of my people. There were about twenty alphas in there; how was I supposed to go into twenty kingdoms in one night? I thought. 

“I was about to ask you the exact same question too, you know?” Jix's voice echoed in my ears.

“Hello to you too,” I replied, “this is the first time you're speaking since the spell got broken, and you think just jumping into my thoughts is the best way to say you're back?” I fired at him. “I guess I'm not as important as Ximena’s wolf for you to take this long,” I added softly.

“Well, that's easy for you to say because you were not the one trapped by a beast in the darkness for years,” he shot back at me. “Also, is that jealousy I perceive in your tone?” he asked.

“I suffered through those years too, you know, and for your information, I'm not jealous,” I retorted. 

“Well, you'd better not be, because I know you've been having your own share of fun in my absence,” he said.

“I don't know what you’re talking about,” I replied, curling my lips in a smile.

“Of course you don't know what I'm talking about after you’d finally won Ximena’s heart back. You know you have me to thank for that, right?” he asked.

“I owe you nothing,” I spat at him. “You’ve also anticipated seeing her mate, haven’t you? So we are even - you got your heart's desire and I got what I've been longing for,” I replied.

“And here I was thinking your pride was a result of the curse,” he said with a grumpy tone. 

“My lord, are you alright?” a husky voice asked, jolting me out of my head. 

I paused for a while as I turned to Steven. “Yes, why?” I replied with creased brows. 

“Uhm… nothing, it's just…” he stuttered.

“Speak!” I urged.

“It's just that this is the first time I've ever seen you smile in all the years I've served you, which is strange because we are actually going to a battlefield. That's a kind of very off mood to be in, don't you think?” he said, concern etched in his voice.

I chuckled, bowing my head lightly before raising my gaze to meet him. “Tell me something, Beta Steven, you have a mate and a few pups; how does it feel to be called ‘father’?” I asked, wrapping my hands around his shoulder as we walked into the night, the moonlight guiding our paths.

He stared at me in disbelief, releasing himself from my grip as he kept looking back and forth, wondering if he was with the right alpha. “My lord,” he finally spoke, breaking the awkward silence between us.  

“My lord, is your mate expecting?” he asked.

“Just answer the damn question,” I fired at him impatiently.

“Well, uhm… I don't know… it's a good feeling, I guess,” he replied.

“You guess? YOU GUESS?” I asked again; this time my voice was louder than the last. “You're such a boring mate and father,” I spat at him. 

“I mean, I spend most of my time being your most trusted soldier and leader of the soldiers, so I barely have time for my family. I haven't really thought about that,” he replied with a light smile.

The air became still and cold as we continued our journey in silence. For a moment, I felt a pang of pain in my chest, not because I couldn't relate to his words, but because I had been robbing his family of quality time with their father. 

“But it's okay, my lord, I enjoy being your loyal soldier," he said, noticing my silence. 

I turned my gaze to him, giving him a light nod as I turned away in silence. 

“I'm guessing something's going to change when all of this chaos is over,” Jix said softly.

“Definitely,” I replied. “Starting from the number of hours the soldiers guard the pack, I've been so cruel and inconsiderate for quite a long time. I think they need a break,” I replied.

“I agree,” he chimed.

“My lord, we're here,” Steven announced, bringing my notice to where we were—the very spot where all werewolf kingdoms shared boundaries.

“Alright,” I began, heaving a deep sigh as I addressed the crowd, assigning various soldiers—ten in each group—and appointing their commander as they got ready to be sent out. “I want you all to be vigilant and calculative in bringing my people back to me; no one must be left behind,” I said. “I repeat! No one!!” I added sternly. 

“No matter the state in which you meet them—dead or alive—bring my people back to their pack,” I continued. “This should be easy, as my mate already has the alphas and their strongest soldiers at the tip of her fingers, so this should be like a breeze considering your training. Do whatever it takes to save your people. Is that clear?” I ordered. 

“Yes, my lord,” they all chorused.  

“Good, so because this should be a walkover, you all have the next hour and thirty minutes to meet me back here with my people,” I added. “Now leave,” I ordered, my voice echoing through the midnight sky while I watched them march into their separate routes. 

“What about me, my lord? You didn't assign me to any pack,” Steven asked with creased brows.

I turned my gaze slowly to him. “That's because I need you by my side, Steven. You're coming with me to the Reflection Pack. I'm going there personally, and I didn't take any soldiers with me because I need to convince them that their Luna is still alive and well. I can’t afford to kill any of them, and I need you to stop me from doing that, as Ximena wouldn't be happy to know that,” I explained. 

“Ximena? Who's Ximena?” he asked. 

“She's my mate whom you just saw. Try to keep up,” I retorted sternly, but he just muttered a light ‘oh’ as he trailed behind me.

“Is that why you brought this with you?” he asked, pointing towards Vincenzo’s lifeless body that was being dragged by another soldier. 

“Yes, Steven, have you forgotten? A pack is never fully defeated until they see their alpha's lifeless body,” I replied.

“Of course not, my lord. More reason I was confident that you were going to come back to save us even after the invasion of the other alphas,” he said, his voice matter-of-fact.

“Good,” I retorted. “Now can we focus on the journey? We don't have all night; we have to return back to the palace. I can't just leave my mate all alone with those few soldiers. Let's go get this thing over with and return,” I said.

“Aye aye, alpha,” he replied jokingly.

The rest of our journey was a quiet one as we both made our way into Ximena’s pack. We were still a few meters away, but my jaw dropped as I stared at the magnificent palace her dad built here. 'Wow' was the only word I could say as I stared at the glass-like gates from afar.

“My lord, are you sure about this?” Steven asked with a trembling voice.

“An alpha is never scared, Steven,” I replied.

“That's not what I'm talking about, my lord,” he shot back at me.

“Then what are you talking about?” I retorted.

He heaved a deep sigh in frustration before he continued. “Look around you, my lord. That place looks like a den of mirrors; they are everywhere.” He blurted out.

I froze in my steps as realization hit me—mirrors. I mumbled under my breath. I hate mirrors, I muttered again.

“Really, Carmine? Are we seriously going to do this now? Have you suddenly forgotten that the curse has been lifted?” Jix's voice cut in sharply as a reminder.

I swallowed hard, my subconscious agreeing with his words. He was right; I am indeed curse-free. And the curse was the only reason I stopped the use of mirrors in my pack—the reason I hated the reflection I saw in the mirror, because I hated myself—and right now I'm about to stand in front of the very thing I dreaded for years. 

The very thing that made me name my pack the Dark Moon Pack, I thought.

If this curse is really broken, there’s only one way to find out. I said inwardly, plus it will be so nice having to see my reflection again and again and again. 

“Come on, Steven, that part of me is gone. I'm free now,” I said with confidence in my voice.

I knew I had already checked and confirmed this back at Sylphrena, but something in me still wanted to be sure that the beast was indeed gone forever. “What if what happened in Sylphrena was just temporary? What if the beast still finds its way back?” The voice echoed again.