Chapter 28

Kyril’s POV.

I stood in a corner, watching and listening as his footsteps echoed in his room. I needed to know if there were things I could get a hold of, fight him to win over Lila. Nothing came from him, just muttering.

I removed my head as Ryan, his beta, stepped into the hallway. He looked at the ground, drawing out his blade. “Maybe he thought someone was with the alpha with the spilled drink,” I thought, walking away as I saw other guards approaching the door.

“There was nothing for me to do there. My purpose was achieved- for now,” I said to myself as I walked away from there, holding a wine jar in my hand. Courtesy of my father.

“Sure we wouldn’t have an Alpha that’s always missing in action? Disappear into thin smoke like he never existed.”

I turned, facing Andy with his hand folded over his chest. “I don’t see any reason where I cannot have some me time.”

“There’s no rule against it, but putting your pack in constant tension is creating room for an uprising,” he said as he came closer to me, lowering his head in a bow.

“I do not intend to rule like my father, placing most of the problems over my shoulders,” I answered as I walked past him. My stomach grumbled, reminding me of the food I refused to eat in a hurry to stop father’s message.

Andy gazed at my stomach and back at my face. “Looks like the future alpha has to eat or else — his pack never has one.”

I chuckled at his statement as we made our way towards the kitchen.

“What of the wine jug? What are you doing with a wine jug in hand?” He asked after he noticed it in my grip.

I looked at my hand, shrugging my shoulders. I had to tell him what I had done. “The alpha gave it to me to celebrate.”

“Never knew the alpha was that type of person.”

I shrugged my shoulders to let him know I was of the same opinion as he was as I opened the kitchen door. The aroma from there hit me, knocking my senses clean with the chaos that ensued.

“What was the cause for celebration?” Andy asked as we walked past the kitchen staff.

“Let’s just say I did something stupid.”

“Lady Helga informed us about your coming. Your food is at the dining,” a maid said, bowing low as she stood in front of me.

“The wine came in handy then,” Andy joked, rubbing his hands together as we walked through the other door to the dining. “You still haven’t told me about the stupid act you committed to have your father give you a wine jug for a celebration.”

“I accepted the marriage proposal he had always brought between me and Ara,” I said, facing the dining room.

Andy chuckled, looking around like he expected someone to be just as shocked as he was. “You are joking, right? Tell me you are,” he said, smacking a playful fist to my chest.

I turned to him with a serious look on my face as we stood in front of the dish, steaming and its aroma diffused around the dining hall.

“Oh! He is serious.”

I dropped the wine jug on the table, staring at the food while I calculated my next steps.

“Why would you do that? I thought you never wanted Ara,” he asked as he walked to another chair, pulling it out while gesturing for me to move into it.

“I never wanted her,” I said as I fell into the sitting, relaxing my head to the headrest while rubbing my face with my hands. “It was just a makeshift.”

“For?”

I raised my head, turning towards the door as I saw men walking past, escaping the need to answer the question my beta asked of me.

“Doesn’t matter,” I said as I stood, walking out to the hallway. We weren’t on a war march, neither was the alarm bell rung for any reason. What reason would the soldiers have to march out? I thought as I followed them.

Ryan sat atop a horse in front of the castle, prancing in front of the men that were in front of him while they took to their stations.

“What could all of this ruckus be for?” Andy asked as he came to my side.

I turned to look at him with a wine cup in his hand. He had wasted no time to pour himself a cup of wine before he walked out with me. I stopped a guard, pulling him closer to me. “What’s happening?”

He bowed when he realized I was the one. “We got a call with some of the commanders selecting us to go for a mission with Beta Ryan,” he answered, keeping his eyes on the ground.

I hummed as I let go of his arm, walking with them until I was outside the castle with the men arranged.

“Not still enough,” Ryan cried out as he saw the men in front of him.

I looked around, counting around a hundred or two hundred men which he counts as not being enough.

He continued his look, but seemed he had a change of mind. “We will leave the castle at sunset, heading for Crescent Moon.”

“Without the alpha? Isn’t that a cause for them to attack us on sight?” Some people asked from inside the group.

“More reason they have to see us as a threat. Them and every group that might want to attack us on the way, because we are going for someone important and we have to bring her here in one piece,” he said.

The group murmured about how good the idea was, as their number was large and comparable to a platoon. If anyone should raise a number equal or more than them; it was almost equal to calling for war.

“Under the order of the alpha. We are to bring the lady, Ms. Ara, daughter of the alpha of Crescent Moon to the back on prearranged business.” Ryan continued.

I could feel my stomach sink deeper as he mentioned those words. Father had other plans, even as I made plans. “I have to do something about this.”

“The mission is to bring her quickly and in one piece,” he said, overlooking the crowd. “If you have anything unattended to. You have from now till sunset to put them in order while we recruit more men into our calvary.” He said. The horse neighed as he pulled the horse’s rein, raising its forefeet.

“Your father must be in a haste to have you married,” Andy said as he sipped from his wine, watching the men disperse to settle unsettled issues.

I turned around, walking back into the castle. “There must be something I could do to delay,” I thought to myself.

“Did I say something wrong? I will apologize to you right now,” Andy said as he chased after me.

I turned towards him, heaving a deep breath. “You can have the food to yourself. I need to get to my room.”

“But you were hungry some minutes ago.”

“Andy.”

He kept shut, rubbing his hand over the wine cup.

“I’ll meet you at the dining table if my eating would stop you from worrying about me,” I said as I patted his shoulder, throwing him a smile. “A potty break. That was the thing I just needed.”

He nodded as he turned back. “You should have told me at least instead of keeping me worried.” I heard him mutter as he just stood with his hands on his waist.

I turned away, thinking of what to do to get Lila to me. “You know what?”

Andy turned to meet me, eager to do something for me.

“Ask the maids for Lila.”

His eyes widened, waiting for further instructions from me.

“Ask her to take a wine jug to father. You can have yours after she’s done that, and I’ll join you to eat since you really want me to eat,” I said.

He pumped his fist into the air. “That order was quite direct, but as long as it involves you having something to eat. I’m all in.”

I smiled as he moved away, clattering his way through people to do my bidding. It was left for me to do only one thing.