Chapter 37: A Pricey Intel
The familiar cold winds of Queen’s Point kissed my skin as I arrived there, a few minutes past midnight.
I cast a slumber spell on Kieran and Lind before leaving the Manor, to make sure history won’t repeat itself.
The medallion was cold against my palm, as I held it under the moonlight. It was made of gold. An unusual metal… for a Red.
They often used silver in their things, from their crowns to their jewelry. Gold was reserved for the upper elite, and…
“Mixed clans,” I mumbled to myself, as my finger ran on the engraving of the name. Pinto.
As far as I was concerned, there was no mention of that clan from the intel we received. The 12 aristocratic houses of the Reds didn’t even have one member who descended from that clan.
The Stranger’s rich, earthy skintone flashed in my mind. His golden eyes, the black hair…
If he wasn’t wearing typical Red clothing, nor possessed any Red magic, I would’ve mistaken him for a djinn, or a Lycan like me.
Could he be a mixed-blood?
My breath hitched as I felt a cold, sharp end of a blade pressed against my throat.
Everything stood still. The crashing of the waves down the ravine, the howling winds…
Everything stopped—even my heart.
“You marvel at my medallion as if it were the most precious thing in the world, my darling trouble.”
“You’re late,” I hissed, trying to remove myself from the Stranger’s hold.
“I came way before you. You just didn’t see me hiding in the shadows, Hestia.”
My fist curled. Is he telling me that he could be spying on all of us and we’re not even aware of it?
“Your Crown Prince invited me for a meal the other night,” I softly whispered, deliberately letting my fingers run on the engraving of the medallion in my hand, then on the cold blade still pressing against my neck.
I felt his grip on me loosen. “I did hear it from Mischa,” he replied. The Stranger chuckled. “You do attract all sorts of suitors, my darling Queen.”
“The Crown Prince seemed to know a lot about me. Is that why you’re around me? To learn about us… and—”
“You make it sound as if I’m a traitor, Hestia.”
“But you never swore loyalty to anyone either. At least, not with me.”
The Stranger released me from his hold. “Then do you want me to swear to become your Vassal as well, my dear trouble? Perhaps mark me as your mate?”
I bitterly laughed, crossing my arms and turning my back against him. “Being my Vassal and my mate mean nothing. If you want to betray me, you will.”
He chuckled. “Oh, please, my trouble… Don’t compare me to a certain someone.”
I didn’t answer. If he had been Castiel or Kieran, I would’ve freely run my mouth about my anxieties about the upcoming trials.
But he’s a Red. He could be using the flimsy mate bond between us as an excuse to gather intel on the elite Lycan circles and me.
Every ounce of trouble within our numbers would be of great benefit to them.
The Stranger must’ve sensed the unease in my presence. He let out a deep breath as he pulled something from his pocket. He placed it in my hand.
A vial… of strong, foul-smelling liquid.
As I was trying to pry it open, he immediately stopped me. “If you open that, you might not be able to compete on the second trial, my darling trouble.”
I immediately returned the vial to his hand, hissing. “Are you trying to sab—”
“If I intend to sabotage you, I wouldn’t be warning you of the effects of this little thing.”
My shoulders loosened up a bit, but I kept my distance. “What are those for? And why are you showing that to me?”
A sly smile spread across his lips. “My trouble, my services aren’t for free. Besides, you’ve been owing me a lot of favors lately, don’t you think?”
My brows furrowed. “If you’re after money, say the number, and I’ll make sure to find a way to cover that amount, even in installments—”
His head tilted. “What would I need money for? You know that I’m after something else, Hestia…”
I swallowed hard. “And you know very well that I can’t give you the payment that you want. I’m not going to be somebody’s mere bedwarmer.”
The Stranger simply shrugged and raised the vial against the moonlight. “Well, since I’m feeling generous right now, I’ll give you more time to think about my offer.”
The vial in his hand became surrounded by red mist. The substance inside began to boil, until…
The vial broke, but its contents turned into ash and fell on the ground. The grass on our feet immediately died as soon as it made contact with the ashes.
“You should avoid drinking or eating anything that came from unknown sources, or was handled by people you don’t know for the meantime, my darling trouble.”
“Why? What’s happening?” I asked, my voice filled with panic. “You—”
His golden eyes met mine. “I heard through the grapevine that your dearest sister was looking for a potent… aphrodisiac.
“An aphrodisiac strong enough to ruin a Queen’s reputation and sever her Divine Link with her Vassal during mating. The severance would be the most excruciating pain for a wolf to bear, and…
One might not survive this ordeal, my darling trouble.”
He chuckled as he watched my face turn ashen with his words. The Stranger walked around me, his words trying to stir something in me.
“I mean, if you’re confident about your connection with that White, then you should have nothing to worry about, am I right, my dearest trouble? Unless…”
I felt my heart stop when Augustus crossed my mind, as well as the Divine Link existing between us.
I have no fear of my connection with Kieran. But with Augustus…
My body grew cold with the mere thought of him being in pain.
He’s already under a powerful spell that I’m not sure I could even find a cure for. Would Onyx, his wolf, or his own physical body survive if I ever mistakenly…
“I warned you already. It’s up to you if you’re going to consider my words.” The Stranger took my hand and placed a gentle kiss on top of it. “As for the payment…
“I’ll collect those dues some other time, my darling trouble.”
Just like Mischa, the Red Crown Prince’s secretary, the Stranger snapped his fingers, disappearing into the howling winds of Queen’s Point.
I let out a deep breath. While I can’t trust the Stranger fully, there’s nothing wrong with considering his warning.
As I turned to head home, my attention was caught by something glinting in the grass.
A medallion, with a sigil etched on one side, and a glyph of what looked like a cross with an arched head on the other.
I pulled the medallion from my pocket, the one that the Red Crown Prince gave me.
They look identical to each other… Did Alfonso really send him? Why are they helping me?