Chapter 14: XIV

Unknown POV

Four men had once walked through these woods, three men and my very self. But right now I was the only one who knew that story. The only one returning to our master 's old hideout. Our home, a secret hidden away in this vast expanse of land we called home for all those centuries.

The woods was quiet as I walked back, the sound of my footsteps aligned with the dry leaves that left a crunch and dirt beneath me, as my feet clashed with the ground.

I had been gone for days, but now I was back, and I had news. Important news. I could feel my heart beating hard in my chest as I made my way across underneath the forest's trees.

My thoughts were jumbled, tangled like the roots of the old trees that surrounded me.

What I had to say wasn't much but I had a feeling it could change everything, and I wasn’t sure how my master would react. Would he be angry? Disappointed? Or would he see the bigger picture like I hoped he would? It could be none of the above, he could have me thrown out or even beheaded.

The entrance to the place I called home came into view, a wide opening in the side of a rocky hill. Two guards stood on either side, their amber eyes glowing faintly in the dark. The more I approached the brighter their eyes burned, and their faces scanned everywhere for a sign of danger or betrayal, maybe both.

They didn’t speak as I approached, although I expected them to. My eyes darted from one to the other, giving a slight nod to each, hesitant to give any form of greeting to any one of them. They merely nodded slightly at me, letting me go past them. The air grew colder as I stepped inside, and the faint light of torches flickered along the walls.

The cottage was large, much larger than it seemed from the outside. The tunnels twisted and turned, leading to various rooms and chambers, but I headed straight to the heart of it all. That’s where he would be. The one who had once saved me, the one who owned my life, my master.

His chamber was still the same, ridiculously large, with high ceilings that held a protective coverage. Torches lined the walls, and at the far end was a throne carved from dark stone, polished smooth but jagged at the edges.

He sat there, and his eyes seemed to glow as they landed on me, sharp and calculating. He was waiting. Always plotting, never resting.

I stopped a few steps away from the throne, got down one of my knees and lowered my head in respect.

“Master,” I bowed.

“You’ve returned earlier than I expected,” he said, in a tone that resounded within my bones. “Does this mean you have something worth reporting?”

“Yes, Master,” I replied, lifting my head to meet his piercing gaze. “I do. My suspicions were correct. There’s a human girl in the Shadow Pack’s territory, she's new. And it seems she'd be staying a while.”

His eyes narrowed slightly, and he leaned forward, proving he was every bit as interested, resting his elbows on the arms of his throne.

“A human girl?” he repeated, I could tell that his mind was already moving faster. “Tell me everything. Do not skip out a single detail, withholding information is lying and you know what I like to do with liars.”

My chest heaved up and down as I took a breath before I began. “As you ordered, I went with three others, Kale, Caden and River.”

“We crossed into the Shadow Pack’s territory under the cover of night, staying low and out of sight, we mixed with the mundanes too so their scent could linger on us for long and that way we were careful not to draw attention to ourselves.”

He nodded slightly, signaling for me to continue.

“We watched them and waited. For a while, it was quiet and I started to wonder if the girl was even real, or if my sense of smell had been fucked up from walking among the mundanes.” I hesitated, the memory of what happened next still fresh in my mind.

“But then, we saw him.”

“Who?” The master asked, his voice growing impatient as his eyes followed my story.

“Their Beta,” I said. “He came into the woods late at night, calling out to someone. We stayed hidden, but we could hear him clearly. He wasn’t calling for one of their wolves. He was calling for someone else. For her, the human girl.”

My master’s eyes gleamed, a faint smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. The dim light could not hide his excitement.

“And what did you do?” I knew that look, I had seen it several times.

“I stayed back to keep watch,” I said, my voice quieter now. “The others, Kale River and Caden, decided to follow the Beta’s trail. They thought they could capture the girl and bring her back to you.”

My master leaned back in his throne, his expression unreadable. “And?” he prompted, though I could tell he already knew the answer.

“They didn’t come back,” I said, my fists clenching at my sides.

“The Beta must have been ready for an attack. He was waiting for them. By the time I realized what was happening, it was too late. All three of them… they were killed.”

The silence that followed was heavy. Surely, he would be furious. We had failed to bring the girl, and worse, we had lost three of our own. I lowered my head, waiting for the anger, the punishment.

But instead, he laughed. It was a low, quiet laugh at first, but it grew louder, filling the chamber and it sounded like the cackling of vultures. I looked up, startled.

“You’re laughing?” I asked before I could stop myself “Why?”

He leaned forward again, his silver eyes glimmering with something I couldn’t quite place. Amusement, yes, but also curiosity, and maybe something darker.

“Do you know what it means for a Beta to go to such lengths for a human girl?” he asked at once, his tone almost playful.

I shook my head in confusion.

“It means,” he began slowly, settling back down into his throne, his voice dropping to a near whisper, “that she isn’t just any human, she must be special. Very special. And I intend to find out why.”

His words sent a chill down my spine, and I felt the weight of his gaze as if it could see right through me.

“What do you want me to do?” I asked, forcing my voice to remain steady. I could not help but feel the biting curiosity on my tongue.

“You will go back,” he said simply. “This time, you won’t act so recklessly. You’ll watch and wait. I want to know who she is, why they care so much about her. Learn everything you can. And when the time is right…” His smirk widened, revealing sharp teeth with the captured dim light of the cave lingering on it.

“You’ll bring her to me.”

I nodded, though my stomach churned at the thought of returning to the Shadow Pack’s territory. In any case I could not tell him no.

“As you command, Master.”