Chapter 58 How many now
RYKER
Sharp screams filled the air as a section pack near the outskirts was left in disarray.
Houses were torn apart, and the residents divided into shreds like they wwre a piece of paper— all because of a beast-like figure roaming through the town.
Its bright yellow eyes glowed, striking the people down with terror while its legs caused the ground to tremble as it moved.
The people fled for their lives that they couldn't afford to look back, even for a second to save anyone who was left behind.
“Get up, get up, and run straight to the main pack house. You hear me? Go and don't look!” Wesley instructed a few pack members, a few miles away from the beast, who seemed to hunt with impatience.
Some of the members, as they ran, wondered why Wesley wasn't engaging the beast, crying to cripple or take it down instead of asking people to run to safety.
They didn't dare ask the question, but Wesley could see it in the way they looked at him.
The beast emerging from nowhere had become a normal occurrence for the pack for a while, and no one could find out who this beast was. The Alpha wasn't going anything about it even after several complaints.
No one would have guessed it was their beloved Alpha.
Back in the main pack house, different from the palace where Zora stayed, the people who escaped were put together in the hall, still shaken to the core.
Marissa who was asked my Wesley to go to the pack house, entered in confusion, taking in the disorganised and chaotic state.
Some people were crying, some were visibly shaking, and a few just stared in shock while others were rambling in anger
"What is going on?" she asked the other servants trotting behind her.
“It's the usual,”, one of them replied, her voice sad. “The beast has attacked the pack again”.
“The beast?” Marissa asked, her eyes widening in shock. She'd been so unbothered about the pack and the things that happened that she forgot the existence of the beast.
“We don't really know if it's a beast or human because people say it looks like a mixture of both”, the other said, in a gossip -like tone.
The trio remained silent as they made their way to the hall where the frightened members of the pack were seated, and a few agitated, waiting to see the Alpha.
“He's our leader. Why hasn't he done anything? We need to see him right now. Where is he in the midst of these!?" A few of the older people Marissa recognised fumed angrily.
“Where's the Alpha?”, she turned to whisper to one of the guards who blocked the door to stop the people from leaving the pack house and bursting into the Alpha's palace in anger.
He shook his head helplessly in response, indicating he didn't know the whereabouts of the Alpha in the moment.
Of course he wouldn't, —Marissa thought.
No one can take a guess.
Why did Wesley even ask her here?
Gradually, she noticed the agitation spreading among the people, forcing the guards to form a line across the door, holding them back in.
Marissa narrowed her eyes, seeing they wouldn't be able to hold them for too long as some threatened to turn into their Wolf form.
“Enough! All of you”
A pin drop silence could be heard as she gracefully made her way through the guards and in the midst of people who had half of their claws out, ready to tear her apart if she made one wrong statement.
“My apologies for the constant disruption of your peace in the pack”, she began, carefully choosing her words and making sure to look each person in the eye.
“However, do not assume our Alpha is at rest knowing his pack is under attack. I assure you, from the minute he heard your screams, he gathered a few guards and has been out chasing the beast. Otherwise, how then have you safely made it here in time? Why else do you think the beta is out there trying to save as much as he can?”
She noticed the calm return to their eyes, followed by a wave of remorse so she continued, “It's sundown now and he's still out there, risking his life to save the pack so the beast doesn't make its way to the heart of the pack and endanger our lives. We don't know if he's alive or not, so the best we can do is remain calm”
The people were quiet, agreeing to her. They didn't mind that she was just a maid in the palace.
As Marissa exited the pack house, a deep frown formed on her face, battling with the questions that'd popped up in her mind.
She wondered how Wesley was going to manage all this, including the Alpha himself.
Meanwhile, Wesley didn't stop running as he alerted nearby people and led them to safety.
He wheezed in pain from tiredness, staring at the huge beast form of Ryker behind him, tearing up a man like he was a piece of clothing.
He'd noticed that no matter how close he was to its next victim, Ryker's beast had never harmed him, though he liked to stay out of arm's length just in case.
Deep down, Wesley wished they could break the curse and have Ryker free, but no witch can break a thousand year old spell bred from unfiltered hatred.
“Few more days”, he chanted, his breaths shaky as he watched from hidden bushes a few meters ahead of it.
The sun had completely gone down by now, leaving just the both of them in the woods. Wesley's eyes cautiously traced the huge beast as the rest of its body blended into the darkness.
He sucked in the cold air, refusing to let out a single breath as the huge figure sniffed, taking slow and calculated steps in his direction.
Wesley steeled himself, ready to use whatever means necessary to slow down the beast, though it has built tolerance to almost everything that can harm a wolf.
The beast stopped a few feet away from Wesley and just stopped, staring at him with unreadable expression.
Wesley matched its stare warily, wondering what it was up to.
He blinked for a second, and then he heard a thud,
His gaze snapped to the ground, shocked at the sight of Ryker groaning on the ground.
"Ryker? Are you okay? Are you hurt?”, Wesley gushed out breathlessly, bringing out a fresh set of clothes from the bag he carried around to cover him up.
“Y…yeah” Ryker groaned in response, making a sorry attempt to stand to his feet.
"What happened? Why are we here?" he asked, rubbing his eyes.
Wesley remained silent, twisting his lips in contemplation, but Ryker's face morphed in terror as he stared at his bloodstained hands.
“How many this time?” Ryker asked, his voice hoarse, filled with shame and guilt.
“About ten or, or less” Wesley answered.
Ryker covered himself up in silence, making his way out of the woods without caring if Wesley followed or not.
“B-but you you didn't stay shifted for long this time,” Wesley said, jogging beside Ryker as he tried to match his pace. “It's barely been twenty-four hours since you turned”.
Ryker stopped abruptly, a mixture of confusion and disbelief written on his face as he turned to face Wesley.
“What are you saying? I stay shifted more than that, don't try to pacify me here Wesley”, he warned angrily.
“I promise I'm not Ryker. Look around, we aren’t far from the pack’s boundary” Wesley pointed out.
Ryker slowly looked around, the dark look on his face vanishing. “How come? That's so strange”
“Actually I have a theory."
"What's it?" Ryker asked as he continued walking.
"I think it has to do with her."
"And by her, you mean....."
"Yes, Zora. That can be the only explanation." There was a hint of hesitation in Wesley's voice as he replied.
Ryker kept mute, his mind reeling with different possibilities.
"What are you thinking about?" Wesley asked as they walked side by side.
"Honestly? I'm just tired."