Chapter 13: A TRAIL OF BLOOD

**FLASHBACK: One Day Ago**

KAEL'S POV

I stood in the shadows, watching as Emily gradually escorted Zara back to the pack, with her face anxious.

She gradually slipped away from the group, her eyes scanning the surroundings to ensure she wasn't being followed while she looked for me. She spotted him and hastened her pace, her movements fluid and deliberate.

"Kael," she whispered, her voice barely audible.

I raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "What is it?"

Emily's expression turned mean. "Ren has escaped. I overheard him talking to Zara, telling her about... our secret, about your plans."

“What!!” my eyes narrowed, a spark of unease growing within me. "How much does she know?"

Emily's face twisted in concern. "I don't think she knows everything, but Ren's getting desperate, he's determined. We need to act fast, Kael. We can't let him reveal it to her."

I clenched my jaw, my mind racing with possibilities, I knew how stubborn Ren can be. "Agreed. We'll take care of Ren. Permanently."

Emily's eyes sparkled with curiosity “What do you have in mind?” she asked eagerly.

I raised my head, straightly looking into the thin air with a cold deadly low voice “We would kill him”

“What!!?” Emily asked in shock, using her hand to hold her mouth “No, Kael it hasn't gone to this”

“That's the only option” my gaze still fixed on the same direction “I have been betrayed, and overthrown by my half brother, I won't let history repeat itself anymore, I must get what belongs to me, and whosoever comes in the line would pay the price”

The air remained cold with no words for some minutes.

“Ren has made his choice; he will have to face its consequences,” I continued. “This night, we would do away with him while he's asleep in his tent. I would signal you when to come out.” l concluded.

“Okay,” Emily replied with a faint voice with mixed feelings in her face; she mixed into the pack.

***

While it was late at night, the half-moon cast its faint light on the cold earth; everybody was fast asleep. I and Emily crept through the shadows, our eyes fixed on Ren's tent. We moved swiftly, our footsteps silent on the damp earth.

As we entered the tent, we were met with utmost surprise. Ren was packing his belongings, he wanted to leave the pack as he had known the implications of revealing my secret.

Ren's head snapped up, his eyes locking on me and Emily's. For a moment, we stared at each other, the air thick with tension. He knew Emily had told me of his break free, and I would stop at nothing to capture him again.

“What do you want Kael?” He asked trying to keep a stable tone.

“You would know what I want very soon,” I said, gradually coming close to him “Why would you betray me, Ren? I trusted you, why would you tell Zara of my plans? I warned you Ren, but you didn't listen.”

“I can't stand and watch you exploit her, Kael; Your plan isn't right!!, can't you see it yet? Exploiting and killing someone innocent isn't a good way to get justice” He said gradually raising his voice,

“This is not you, Kael; why have you allowed your quest for power to turn you into a monster? You have always been an advocate of saving lives but now, I don't even recognize you anymore…” he spat in anger

“Don't worry, you won't have to recognize me anymore…not when you are dead”

I launched myself at Ren, and the two of us crashed to the ground. Emily joined the fight with her hands clawing at Ren's face.

The struggle was intense, the three of us kept rolling around the tent, sending belongings flying. In the chaos,

Emily's cloak was torn from her shoulders, the fabric unknown to anyone ripped as she tried to free herself from Ren's grip.

Ren, badly injured, managed to break free from my grasp, his eyes blazing with determination. He stumbled backward with his blood splattering in his tent. Ren managed to stumble out into the night, using his hands to press on his blood-gushing stomach, his footsteps echoing through the forest. I and Emily gave chase, but Ren had a head start.

As we emerged from the tent, we saw Ren's trail of blood leading into the woods. My eyes locked onto the trail, my jaw clenched in anger.

"He's not getting away that easily," I snarled, taking off after Ren.

Just as Emily followed closely behind me, She caught sight of someone from a distance leaving her tent to Rens’, she hastily retreated from the chase and sneaked into her tent to avoid being seen.

After some time, l emerged from the woods, my chest panting with exertion. I had lost Ren's trail, and the frustration burned within me.

As I approached the camp, I spotted the person from a distance walking towards Ren's tent, it was Zara. What could she want with Ren by this time? My instincts kicked in, and I swiftly moved to conceal myself behind a nearby iroko tree.

I quickly transformed my body, shifting into a wolf-like state; I intentionally revealed partly my wolf figure but kept my face hidden. My eyes fixed on Zara, watching as she pushed open the tent flap and slipped inside.

My ears hung up, listening to the sounds from within the tent. Zara's gasp echoed through the night air, followed by the rustling of fabric and the creaking of the tables.

My eyes narrowed, my mind racing with possibilities. What had Zara discovered?

After a few moments, Brody approached Zara in the tent and after some minutes, they both emerged from the tent with Brody holding onto Zara tightly, as if he caught her in an act. Her hands were dripping with blood, possibly, Rens' blood she had touched on the floor to get a scent of it. I watched as she scanned the surrounding area, her eyes searching for something – or someone.

l remained still, holding my breath as Zara's gaze swept past my hiding spot. I knew she had seen me,e but she couldn't assert the face she saw; I watched as Brody dragged Zara out in the direction of my tent. Once they had moved out of sight, l transformed back into my human form and cleaned myself as if I had just woken from sleep.

I took a deep breath, carefully smoothing my features into a calm, innocent mask to avoid being suspected. With a deliberate slowness, I emerged from the shadows and made my way back to my tent. As I approached my tent, I could see Zara and Brody waiting at the entrance; I slowly approached them, pretending as if nothing had happened.

“Hey guys, what's going on? Why are you two looking so serious?” I asked jovially, masking my deadly features behind a broad smile. Something I rarely do.

**PRESENT**

The bright morning sun hung on its usual position, casting an awful heat to the earth but accompanied by a cool wind that gradually swept into the tent we were in; I had intentionally sent the Betas and gammas out to train for the forthcoming war with Brody to supervise them while we attend Zara's case.

My eyes pierced into Zara's timid eyes, carefully looking for nothing, she's knelt with her hands bonded in chains, I brought her out, not to the pack but to only Emily and Miera, I wanted her to know she owed me a lot since I didn't reveal her murdering to the entire pack. I want her to know I did her a favor.

“Zara, why would you kill Ren” Emily broke the silence, suspiciously asking Zara. We knew she didn't kill Ren. We all know she didn't but making her feel guilty would extract her strict obedience to me afterwards, and she won't think of running away again since she's guilty of death.

“What were you both dragging when I saw you in the woods? I overheard you quarreling about something. What was that? Was that why you killed him? How could you kill him, Zara? At least you should have told me whatever the matter is, I’m your best friend for crying out loud!! You said so,” Emily continued with a shaky, loud voice, tears forming in her eyes. She is quite a good actor.

Zara was faced down, her eyes dripping in cold tears with no response, as if masking her thoughts so that Emily wouldn't read them.

“I am talking to you, for God's sake, or have you suddenly gone dumb!!” Emily's voice echoed harshly in the tent.

“Emi..ly… you.. you know I can't do such, I didn't do such, how do I explain to you I'm innocent” She stammered, “you have to believe me.” she said in tears, short of words.

“Then what's it with the blood on your hands” I cut in, rendering her clueless of what to say next.

“I've always known she's up to something from the very moment she stepped into the pack” Miera muttered, adding pepper to a painful injury.

Silence took charge of us for some minutes; the only audible voice was Zara's barely audible cries of confusion with her face bent and Emily's fake sobbing and sniffing, giving Zara the impression she had betrayed her.

I glared at Zara, my voice low and menacing. "So, you think you can just pretend like nothing happened?"

Zara's eyes darted between me and Emily, confusion etched on her face. As if she was suspecting us but had no evidence.

I took a step closer with my eyes blazing. "Don't play dumb, Zara. You know exactly what I'm talking about. Ren's blood... it was on your hands."

Zara's eyes widened, her face pale. "Kael, I...I didn't—"

I cut her off, my voice dripping with malice. "Now listen very Carefully, You'll never speak of this to anyone. You'll never try to escape. Because if you do...I'll make sure you suffer a fate worse than death. I'll make sure you beg for mercy." I wanted her to know that she was indebted to me and that she would pay back with her powers on the battlefield.

Zara's eyes locked onto mine, fear and confusion swirling deeply in them. She nodded, her voice barely audible. "I...I won't run, Kael."

I leaned in closer, my breath whispering against her ear. "Good. Because if you do...I'll be waiting. And next time, you won't be so lucky."

As I pulled back, suddenly, Zara's eyes gleamed with some sort of hope, as if remembering a clue she should have remembered since she sent a sharp, suspicious gaze into Emily's eyes. She struggled and dipped her hands in her trousers' back pocket and brought out Emily's Cloak stained in blood.

Mustering boldness she raised her bent head, piercing her eyes in Emily's “What was

your thorn cloak doing at the scene of a murder!!?”

The tent went cold, I could hear Emily's heart racing a thousand miles.