107 - Patience
107 - Patience
Bob
“So what? Charles just let them run away and did nothing?” I shout, exasperated.
They portrayed a man treacherous enough to use any means to achieve what he truly intended, and he allowed such a serious defiance of his plans to pass?
Marco smiles bitterly. Josh coughs and Linda looks elsewhere. Okay, I suppose he didn’t, after all.
“Charles was occupied, fighting with Steven at that moment. He wanted his triumph to be complete, and this included having Alex watch his mate belong to someone else, too. It outraged him when we didn’t show up and the two brothers fought terribly that day. Few people paid them any heed, though, because that was a rather frequent situation back then. Steven didn’t realize he was the decoy we used to earn some precious time either,” Josh says after the awkward break.
They’ve shared more with us in the past couple of hours than for the previous months that we’ve been poking around, and still there’s more, even when they’re not willing to admit it yet.
“And after that? He must have eventually noticed that she wasn’t there.”
One more long silence reigns in the room.
“Frida was awfully late. After a while, the Alpha sent people to figure out the reasons for her delay, but she was missing. He went ballistic. There was a huge hunt throughout the territory. Immediately after the celebrations were called off, every scout, tracker, and fighter scoured the area to find her. The Alpha’s orders were not to stop until they had found her and any potential companion of hers and brought them back, dead or alive. They searched for days until they located her dress covered in blood, hidden under a bush near the lake and a pit of fire dying away with fresh ashes close by. The head of the local coven was invited to investigate the spot and confirmed that both belonged to Frida. Milton was nowhere to be seen when the witch suggested it all happened and offered no logical alibi, so they held him responsible. After a short and sketchy trial, they jumped directly to the verdict; banishment from the Golden Moon. Following his departure, Alpha Charles made the unprecedented decision to cease his Beta, who he punished in public for duty negligence, and he never picked up a new one. The pack was in the dark as to the actual reasons behind his punishment. Therefore, the injustice done to their favorite high rank member caused his image even further damage, at the same time granting Marco the amount of power we are all familiar with. This forced Charles to accept his presence and participation in the administration despite all his spite and reluctance. No matter how deeply he hated this, further opposing the community's sentiment could lead him to lose his position. Thus, he focused on training the future Alpha and Beta himself. The rest, I suppose, I don’t need to elaborate on…”
Matt’s stable voice surprises everybody. He doesn’t so much as blink while speaking. He was but a boy back then. How could he remember such details? I guess there’s more lying beneath the surface where he is concerned as well…
Greg
The city grows bigger in my eyes as my flight lands in Southville. Another return here, not so long after the previous one. Still, it could have been years or decades separating me from that time. The only common factor is the ominous premonition about the dark future ahead. With Nick and Nel missing, I am uncertain as hell about what to expect.
“Thank God you’re here!”
Leo’s lingering warm hug may be the only bright moment of the day. I tried too much to push it off my brain and convince myself that it’s a totally wrong time to dwell on it, but I can’t deny that I missed him. Not when he’s standing here in front of me, pulling me into his embrace. A small, selfish part of me was content I would have to return and work with them, because this way I would be close to him.
We may not have expressed it in actual words, but I’m sure as hell Leo’s emotions mirror mine, and his eager touch just confirmed it. After William’s rejection, I closed down my affection, not letting anybody in. I never quite came to terms with it. With all the crazy shit going on around us, the wisest choice was to persuade myself that my friends were more than enough for me. Until slowly, but steadily, Leo found his way into meaning much more than a simple friend.
In the beginning, it was his kindness and his regret for following me around and reporting everything to Nicholas. The way his glance shied away betrayed his genuine remorse for this. It wasn’t his fault, but he still blamed himself too hard for all that was happening. We became close with no effort or initial intention.
“I’m glad to be back too, Leo!”
“Let’s go. Matt and Bob are waiting for us. So much happened while you were away. I don’t know where to start…” he says awkwardly.
What would he think if he learned I played my part in most of these? Would it change this flame burning in his eyes when he glances my way?
Focus, Greg! Now’s not the right time…
Quick steps, almost jogging in our direction, catch my attention, forcing me back to reality.
“Greg! I caught you on time.”
Oh, no! What the hell does he want? I thought that leaving Eastport and returning here would at least spare me from having to face William. And guess who the second person I see here is… Bingo!
His eyes go back and forth between Leo and me, shamelessly processing the proximity, both physical and sentimental, that our body stances betray. His stare scrutinizes Leo in a form that he becomes uneasy at the strange Alpha’s aura. I’m way too tired and he’s not entitled to create such a scene, though. Linda forced me to spend an entire day with him, doing stupid errands all around Eastport like a punished little boy not too long ago, while pretending not to be affected by his presence, and it was more than enough for me.
“Did you want something, William?” I say, staring back at him with equal fervor.
“A word… In private… It’s crucial and can’t wait…”
Leo has taken a step behind me, almost cowering at the intensity of the scene. Several blissfully ignorant humans walk past, not sparing us an extra glimpse. I should have accepted his rejection right away back when it happened. He may be a coward, but he’s a powerful Alpha, and his still having any effect on me is beyond annoying. I glance at Leo and exude some of my own aura to calm him down.
“Will you give us a moment? I won’t be long.” I say, reassuringly patting his shoulder.
He hesitates for a single second, but then nods and takes the exit from the arrivals hall towards the parking lot.
“What the fuck, William? It’s been… what? three, four days since we were together in Eastport. What on earth could be so urgent that you had to stalk me at the airport upon my arrival?”
“Did you get any news from Nel?”
“Really now? Even if I knew their whereabouts, what makes you think I would share them with you out of all people?” I ask, rather amused.
He scoffs at my amusement but continues, nevertheless.
“Greg, it’s serious, dammit… Before coming to Northam, I had ordered an investigation on the local coven. You understand better than anybody else why I needed Nel to be okay and recover well. How much she could mean to me… to us…”
“There’s no ‘us’, William. You ruined that on the day we first met.” I kindly remind him.
“But what if there could be? If Nel was to bear an heir to the Alpha position, then I’d be free to choose as I wish. Don’t you understand?”
“Nel… bearing an heir… Good luck with that,” I scoff. “But let’s assume, for the sake of the conversation, that she agrees. Isn’t it kinda obvious this pack would be the Golden Moon?”
“The Golden Moon this, the Golden Moon that… Don’t you realize they are toying with you both? Do you know what I found out when I investigated more about the local coven? They never intended to kill Nel or hurt her for what it matters. Their current leader tracked down the poison that had been injected to her from a dart they retrieved, and they contacted me first to offer the antidote. I can’t understand what kind of game Linda and her crew are playing, but for sure, the last one to benefit from it will be Nel. You’re the only one she’ll listen to. You must persuade her to come and see me. I can explain it all to her,” he says with desperation oozing in his voice.
“You’re ranting. You can’t seriously believe I would urge Nel to go behind her mate’s back once again. Let alone that the aforementioned mate happens to be my cousin and the one who personally crusaded to help me overcome my depression. Nice try, Will, but you’ll have to clean up your shit on your own this time,” I say, turning to leave, but abruptly halt, taken aback by the menace in his next words.
“How do you think she will react if she finds out all the truth about our past, Greg? She’s way too smart not to add things up. I’ll let you sleep on it, so that you don’t make a rash decision. Tomorrow morning. You know where to find me…”
Unknown
“It’s been a week with them off the radar. What will it be, Claudia? Why don’t we track them down?”
Murmurs and complaints erupt everywhere, following my trusted warlock’s words. This stupid boy and his decisions have cast us out of our power sources for too long and the entire coven’s becoming restless.
“Patience, everybody! We’re not feral animals to act on a whim. We have been planning this for years, and we need to tread with caution or all our work will go to waste. Remember, we are friends… No, more than that… family to her. We need her trust or their bond can never be broken and Auristela’s pendant will control her forever, along with its owner. We can’t afford that now… We must corrode their relationship to drive him to give it up. To instill as much doubt in her as possible. This is the soil that will allow her darkness to flourish, the path that leads her to us. An inconceivable weapon on our side…”
“How can you be so confident it will work?”
Poor fool. Men, even if they are warlocks, are too naive and ignorant most of the time.
“Never underestimate the force of a woman’s broken heart, Niels. He’s made his fair share of wrong moves where she’s concerned, and this is the best help he could possibly offer us. Come on people! We have preparations to make. I’ll be in my room reciting the old files of the Black Moon. We must ensure they will cooperate smoothly and silently. Not that I doubt it… After all, there’s double gain in this for them. You shouldn’t have messed with us, Alpha Nicholas. Payback is due!”