A TOUGH DECISION

THIRD PERSON'S POV

"What are you even saying?" She asked, glaring daggers at the man who had just revealed the recent plot twist in this game of chess he played.

"Now listen to me!" He lashed out against Isabella. "You will lay with the Gamma, and have my pup as his! He will become the Alpha of coldmoon, and my pup will be next!"

"This wouldn't work! Ray wouldn't look at me that way."

"Who says we need him to look at you in 'that way'?" He mocked. "All he needs to know, is that you're his mate."

"Are you going crazy or what?" She was slowly losing it. "Ray isn't my mate!"

"And you think I can't make him?" Guilford grinned devilishly, making her eyes slightly go wide.

"What are you saying?" This time, her words came out as a whisper.

"What I'm saying is.... it takes nothing for me to create a mate bond that has never been there. I did it before, and I can surely do it again."

"What?"

"Hmm." He nodded proudly.

"All you just have to do Isabella, is listen and do as I say." He muttered.

"But I....." She began, but he cut her off.

"No BUTs, Bella. I would handle it. All you just have to do is accept the mate bond when Ray recognizes you as his mate. Have sex with him as soon as you can, and coldmoon will be yours. I will ensure that you're Luna."

"W... wh.. what?" She stuttered, feeling so confused. It seemed to be, that she had underestimated this man for what he was. He was far worse than she had imagined. "I want to be Ryan's Luna, not Ray's!"

"I decide whose Luna you'd be, okay?!"

"Okay." She nodded. "Let's assume your plan to fake a mate bond pulls through, how would you make Ray Alpha? Let's even assume that Ryan is not in the picture, there is Philip; his Beta, who is the next in line to be Alpha, given the wolf laws."

"Smart question." Guilford nodded. "You are right to put Ryan out of the question, because he will soon be. You don't have to worry about Ray not being able to take over as Alpha, because I would ensure he does. Philip would be as good as useless when the time comes."

All the while he talked, Isabella's mind had been elsewhere.

"What do you mean, when you say Ryan would be out of the question?" She asked, no hint of subtlety on her face.

"Darling, for your soon-to-be Gamma mate to be Alpha, the current Alpha has to go." Guilford shrugged, making her forehead crease into folds.

"What do you mean by 'go'?" She pressed, and a frown replaced the fake smile on Guilford's face.

"It seems to be, that I gave you too much credit for your brains."

"We would kill Ryan!" He finally yelled, unable go help the series of satisfactory laughter that followed after that revelation.

All the while, Isabella shook her head in disbelief. He couldn't be serious.

"You're joking." She muttered. "That's not even possible, you wouldn't be able to pull that off."

"You think?" Guilford grinned. "I have just the medicine for the pompous hybrid Alpha, and you would help me serve it!"

"No!" She yelled in realization of the fact that the man was both serious and mad.

She genuinely thought he couldn't manage against Ryan, but then, what if he could?

"What?" He growled angrily. "Since when do you disobey my orders?"

"Since you became mad!" She shot back, shocked to her core when he landed an backhanded slap on her face, making her cheek swell up instantly.

"You would do as I say, Isabella."

"No!" She shook her head in fear, slowing stepping back, away from a seething Guilford. "I love him. I would never do that to him. I would never help you kill him, Guilford. No matter what."

It was as if the weight of what Guilford was actually demanding of her, suddenly dawned on her.

"I'm done with all of these. I'm leaving." She turned to walk away, but he roughly pulled her by her hair, his anger over the roof.

"It's like you don't realize you have gone past the point of no return. You think I would let you walk away with all that you know?! Never." He chuckled bitterly. "I would have actually killed you, but then.... this particular pup is still quite useful to me." He whispered, rubbing his palm against her belly.

"For that reason, I would send you to a time-frozen sleep. You wouldn't age a second, neither will my pup in your belly. When I am ready to make full use of you both, you would be woken. But for now...."

Isabella was still trying to understand what was going on, when Guilford pulled out a tiny container from his pocket, and blew some of the contents against her face, while chanting some spells.

That was all it took and the next minute, Isabella was a floating matter in the air, fast asleep and oblivious to anything happening in the world

He was going to kill him. Both of them, he thought. But before he killed Rosa, she would birth his weapon.

He chuckled, feeling extremely satisfied at the outcome of things. At some point, it seemed like his plans were failing, but now it only seemed as though they were shaping him for a better destiny.

Who needed to be Alpha, when they could be king?

That seemed like a far fetched ambition that a normal person shouldn't even dream off, but Guilford was different from a normal person.

Moreso, he couldn't overlook this opportunity, especially when it seemed like the odds were in his favour.

Thanks to the relics, he had gained a stronger footing inside the castle, without necessarily having so much help on the inside. More reason why he was desperate to have possession of the other MacQuoid relics. There were a lot of things he could achieve with the powers those relics contained.

With the help of one of the Kennedy relics; he had managed to get information from the castle. And the latest news reaching him, was about Rosa's Tinotaur pup.

Who could have thought?

Who could have thought that in the belly of the present Luna of coldmoon, laid the power for him to become King?

Guilford had also discovered that the Alpha of shadow moon had just the very same plans as he did, but he promised himself to not fumble like the silly Alpha did.

He was going to kill Ryan with the aid of the Rainos spelled plant. During the just concluded war, the rogues had used the Rainos plant against the supernaturals, but their plans were twarted through the help of the witch elders who had casted a reverse spell against the Rainos.

This time around, his plans against Ryan would most definitely work, because he would be catching him off guard.

As long as Ryan had no prior idea of Guildford's plan to kill him with the Rainos, then....

*****************

Ryan walked towards Logan and Audrey's chambers, his thoughts basically everywhere. Logan and Audrey had remained silent for the past few days, since after Eli Anderson revealed that their children were going to be arch enemies.

Even though Ryan had resolved to act like nothing bothered him, he knew Rosa was beyond bothered. He knew she was deeply worried, and couldn't imagine her child being enemies with her best friend's child. Such an error.

But then again, what could be done?

As soon as he approached the doors of their chambers, the guards stationed there were about to announce his presence, but he gently shook his head at them.

Another step towards them, and the low voice of Audrey filtered into his ears, through his vamp hearing.

"I can't believe you're doing this." Came her voice, which was most certainly directed at Logan.

"What would you have me do?"

"We can't leave, Logan. Can't you see it is such a sensitive period to leave?"

"Can't you see that my hands are tied?" Came Logan's voice, and Ryan's attention got fixed. He released a long sigh, and Ryan knew what that sounded like.

He was drained.

"I cannot leave Rosa now." Audrey said.

"And you think I willingly want to leave Ryan? That man is my brother, Audrey. I love him so much that I haven't been able to look him in the face, since this entire thing was revealed. Also knowing that this is a bonding period between he and Rosa, I cannot afford to...."

"So then, you just want us to leave for the palace like nothing happened?" Audrey asked.

In that moment, Ryan badly wanted to hear Logan's reply. A huge part of him hoped that Logan would decide to stay back.

"Please stay." The whisper subconsciously tumbled out of Ryan's lips.

"He is here." Logan muttered. He had heard Ryan's whisper through his vamp hearing.

"Who is?" Audrey queried, and Ryan decided to come forward. He opened the door, and stepped into their chambers.

"I am."

"Ryan." Audrey muttered, locking eyes with him. She knew he had overheard a considerable amount of her conversation with Logan.

"So you want to leave?" Ryan turned to Logan, who ground his teeth against themselves. How had it all come to this? Logan was slowly going crazy and for the first time in a long while, he was unsure what to do.

"Ryan, I don't know what to do." Logan managed to say. "It is my duty to ensure that the werewolf race is safe. We both cannot deny the fact that there is a brewing storm ahead, which may significantly cause harm to.... not just the kingdom, but your pup. I don't want Blaze hurting your pup, so we must leave."

Ryan swallowed. Even if he wanted to argue, a part of him knew that Logan was right. Given the century long enemity between the Flaming wolf and the Tinotaurs, their pups both posed a harm to each other.

Much more Blaze, than his unborn pup.

"No." Audrey shook her head, a humourless chuckle escaping her lips. "What in the goddess's name can Blaze do?" She asked, and both men went silent. "We all know that were it not through me, Blaze would never have shifted and helped us conquer the rogues."

"What are you saying?" Ryan asked.

"Ryan, what I'm saying is that no matter how powerful or deadly our pups may grow up to be, they are only just pups right now. They can do nothing without our assistance. I was basically the assistance Blaze needed, to have her first shift. Who is to say that Blaze can shift on her own now? What would she shift into? A tiny fiery wolf?" Audrey asked, and Logan couldn't help but chuckle at the thought of that. It'd be ridiculous. "Personally, I think the moon goddess and Hecate have done more than enough, giving our pups burdens too heavy for them to bear. It is our duty, to determine how this all pans out, Logan." She said, not a trace of subtlety in her voice. "We are not going anywhere Logan, until we sort this mess out."

"What?" Logan's brows furrowed in confusion.

"In case you do not understand what I mean, we will be here until Rosa and Ryan bear their pup. Blaze would be here too."

"We cannot abandon our duties at the pala...."

"Layla and Liam would hold the forte just fine, until we return. The situation on ground is as serious as us remaining in coldmoon for a year, if the need be!"

"This is dangerous, Audrey. I don't want us risking it. What if Blaze hurts....."

"We either run away from this, or squarely face it, Logan." Audrey cut in. "Blaze is our child, and will only do as we allow."