Chapter 44

**The day of the quarter moon**

**Alpha River’s P.O.V**

The day I have been waiting for was finally here. It has not been easy these past three weeks. Searching for leads and finding none. Finding some only for it to lead to a dead end. In as much as I had wanted to give up I couldn’t. I had made a promise and I was hell bent on keeping it. Over the past weeks, Kaeden has been quiet. Quiet in the sense that his low whimpers and growls have even stopped.

It must have been my wild sense of imagination but I could swear that I felt something moving around the house. Strangely enough, that presence sent tingles and goose bumps all over my body whenever I felt it around. I wish I could talk to someone around it but I buried that thought. They were all walking on egg shells around me since they found out that my wolf and I were probably going rouge.

I didn’t need then thinking I was delusional and need to be detained in a Psych ward. The ever-growing pack work kept me occupied most of the time and it is now that I knew I had it easy before because I used to share this workload with Chaos. I know realize that she did more than half the work load and left me with little to do. It was the little things like this that made me realize how stupid and selfish I had been.

If I could turn back time, I would do it without a single shred of doubt or hesitation. The worst of these past weeks has been Tricia and my mother. Those two women have been acting funny and it arouse certain suspicions in me. The two women who used to sit and chat for hours now spent their time arguing, hurling insults at each other, snarling threateningly at each other or acting as if the other didn’t exist when they were in the same room.

Many of us acted like we were oblivious to what was going on but we were all watching them like hawks. Kiara more so than anyone else. I wish so badly that Tricia would take a hint and leave me the fuck alone. I know we had something in the past but that is it. The past and it’s not going to happen anymore. I don’t want her anymore that I did, the moment I had her thrown out and I just wished she would also realize that and stop trying to get in my bed at every turn.

The funniest aspect was when she inquired about her Luna position. Can you imagine? Her Luna position? My mother and I had a good laugh about that for hours on end. That girl was in way to over her head with delusions. Kiara has changed tremendously over the past weeks and I did not feel good about it in the least bit.

She had a permanent scowl on her face and only smiled when Matthews was around and even then, it was a full smile. Just a slight twitch of her lips. I haven’t voiced out my unwanted opinion because her mate seems alright with it. Of late she walks around oozing so much rage and restlessness that she has to spend hours running around pack lands or punching a bag to help her calm down.

Thanks to her, we have had to fix the gym so many times in the past few weeks to last us a life time and I couldn’t even complain because she paid for the damages each and every time. I wonder why she wouldn’t call her uncle to fix it. I walked out of the house at first light to go for my usual walk since wolf wouldn’t let me shift and walking through the forest placated both of us.

I stepped out only to stop dead in my tracks at what my eyes was seeing. The sight of glowing red and black obsidian eyes bustling around the empty field setting things up, set my nerves on fire. There wasn’t even this many of them at the funeral. I guess the quarter moon must be a very big deal for them than I thought.

I stood there contemplating on how to question them on why they were on my land without me knowing when Kiara approached me. It calmed me a little to know that a familiar face was here.

“River” she greeted coldly. She never calls me alpha.

“Kiara” I replied in the same tone.

“I apologize for not letting you know beforehand that my people will be here. It was too late when I remembered and you had already left for bed so I decided to wait till this morning”

“No problem. But isn’t it a bit too early for all these preparations?”

“No. some have waited three long weeks and three weeks is a long hell of a wait for the people of my realm. Moreover, certain preparations have to be made at first light and only then. The rest will continue as the day grows till the sun sets and that’s when the fun starts”

“Okay. The pack is going to get curious. Are they allowed to partake in whatever will be going on?”

“Of course they can. Before they fully wake up and get ready for the day, stalls with merchants selling exotic foods and jewels will all be set up as well as weapons, clothes and so many other things. Things beyond their wildest imaginations. Let them know when they wake up to enjoy the day to the fullest and to make them understand that my people don’t want their money. They batter trade.”

“I will let them know. I will be on my way now”

“Okay.” And with that I walked around her and made a beeline for the forest.

A sigh of contentment escaped my mouth when I was enveloped with the calmness of the forest. The early birds chirping and singing. The trees waking up and the little animals scurrying around for breakfast without a care in the world. I wish my life was that simple and easy for once in my lifetime. But that was just wishful thinking.

The further I got into the woods, the calmer I became. I could feel the tension escaping from my tense muscles. When had life gotten this difficult? Everything was okay one moment and then ugly the next. So many people have been hurt these past months and I can’t help feeling that I played a major part in it. In my selfish quest, I have hurt so many people. And crossed the ultimate line with my mate and I was paying the price.

This immense guilt and loneliness didn’t get better. They only grew worse as the days go by. There are times that I want to end it all but I look around me and see all those I would be hurting yet again. Just because I want an easy death to help me escape the misery that was now my life. My life felt empty with no purpose. I was not living anymore just merely existing and it was one of the saddest and pathetic aspects of life.

I settled on a rock and closed my eyes. Clearing my thoughts of everything and allowing myself to soak in the temporal peace and serenity of this forest. I was still soaking when I was interrupted by the rustling of leaves and the presence of something I couldn't pinpoint.

Turning around swiftly, I cried out in shock with what I saw. The flaming phoenix that was swirling around without taking its eyes off me. Until today I thought they were a myth. An extinct species until now. Something in its eyes called to me. It looked familiar but I couldn't pinpoint where I have seen it before. It flew closer to me and I mirrored it with a step back. I watched mesmerized as it spread its wings and burned brighter than any fire I have ever seen yet it did not burn its surroundings.

It rather caressed them as if they were communicating with each other.

I blink for a second and the next thing I realized was the phoenix dangling right in front of me. I stumbled back in shock only to be blocked by a damn tree. I could have sworn I saw amusement flash in the eyes of the phoenix but I might have been my imagination. I mean how is that even possible. We stared at each other for goddess knows how long before I shakily reached out and touched the wings of the phoenix.

I was shocked yet again when my hand entered it's body and though it didn't touch it's solid body, it submerged in it. It felt like hot lava yet I didn't burn. The tingles that raked through my body had my mind in a jumbled mess.

What in this world was going on?

My day just started and I have been freaked out enough to last me a lifetime.