Chapter 94: Either Truth Or Lies

Chapter 94: Either Truth Or Lies
Beta Maxwell's POV:

How was I going to believe what he was telling me or not? This could either be the truth or pure lies. Lies solely concocted by one who was trying to gain favor, only later to destroy us from the inside. No matter what he would tell me, I would eventually have to take this information to His Highness Himself, and let Him be the final judge on all I find out here. The question is... whether His Highness will believe what this man has to say or not.

I have to say I was a bit unsettled when I heard about Hemming being a former Alpha. If he was this "so-called Alpha"... why were we not informed about this sooner? There would have to be some sort of record stating that was the case. Just then, Hemming spoke again, regaining my attention back to him and away from my wandering thoughts.

"It started when I was summoned to Castle Gallant by His Royal Highness for a Private Council. Once I arrived, I was told about the threats that had been stirring about. I was informed that they all started as rumors against the Royal Highness and His family, and that His Royal Highness was concerned for their safety. The decision was then made to have a few select individuals be a part of a special group, myself included, to go on a trip to find out if the threats were viable or not."

"We were told not to inform any family or other pack members as to where we were headed or for how long we might be away. As I was the Alpha of my pack, I would have to find someone to stand in my stead, as my Beta was also selected to go on this trip. We both had a very special skill set that would be vital for the success of this particular mission."

"When we arrived in the rival nation, I was pleased we didn't encounter any incidents, therefore making a clean pass without being noticed. I thought it was a bit odd and informed my Beta. We both agreed something was amiss, but continued on. The sooner we got the information we needed and left, the better it would be for all of us."

'If he had a Beta, what was his name? Instead of just mentioning 'he spoke with him', a name would help to verify his story.' (Marx added his thought.)

'I agree with you, but let's not be rude. He's still talking.' (I responded hurriedly as I tried to listen to Hemming.)

"While we were there, we managed to stay out of sight. At the same time, we gathered all the necessary information to determine whether those threats were real. And I have to tell you, we weren't expecting to see all that we found out."

As much as I agreed with Marx's point about his mentioning he had a Beta but not his name, I wanted to know exactly what he found out first. If this were the case, then I would want to know what the rival's plans were and how they thought they could get away with this.

How would they arrive here? And if they were already here at the time they took this trip, how long would they stick around before they decided to carry out their so-called plans? That is, against His Royal Highness and Her Royal Majesty before they left all the destruction behind in their wake.

"What exactly did you find out?" I asked him in the middle of his statement, pausing as he took a breath before continuing.

"I, for one, was horrified at what we found, as they all had the means to carry out this threat and so much more. We decided it was in the best interest of everyone to leave right away after we gathered the necessary information and not wait for the cover of night."

"What were you wanting to wait for?" I asked, a bit skeptical about his choice of words. I wasn't sure why he would want to wait if he found what he was looking for.

"We wanted to wait till the middle of the night to leave, but thought it was best to leave at the current time, as it was already close to dusk. We all thought that since we arrived without incident, maybe we could leave and therefore not be seen. However, just before we reached the safety of the border, we were discovered."

"I'm not sure what happened, or even how they came upon us, but all of a sudden, we were surrounded. There was a great number of men already for a fight. They had to know of our presence and allowed us to get as far as we did."

'That is a good tactic, letting them gather the information they need, then letting them think they are going to escape. Makes sense to me.' (Marx agreed in a satisfied tone this time.

'I happen to agree with you, too. A good question is, if they were allowed to succeed this far, only, who knew they were there?' (I asked in return.)

"What happened next?" I asked openly, far more intrigued than I thought I would be after everything he'd said so far.

"Well, that is when they decided to turn on us. There was no way we could have escaped from those odds without a fight. I've always been considered a decent opponent, but given the way things were going against us, I was surprised I wasn't killed off as well."

He stopped talking as he looked down for the first time while he said the next part.

"I saw my Beta... He... He died right in front of me. There was nothing I could do to stop it either. I did manage to take down several of their pack members, but that didn't help the odds in our favor."

As I continued to watch him remain silent, I wondered if he would speak again as he wore a pained expression. I looked down and away from him for a moment, thinking about everything that he said. He did say he was not allowed to tell anyone where he was going, except those who were going on this trip. I wonder if this expression was about someone he left behind.

I know for a werewolf, one who was especially an Alpha and no longer in that position, can hurt both mentally and physically. If you're no longer able to communicate with your pack, I'm sure he experienced that, and that alone can certainly take its toll over time.

I'm pleased I haven't had that experience, but I have known others who have. When you're unable to return to your duties, a form of withdrawal occurs. As I thought about it further, I realized we had recently taken a trip to the Blue Moon Pack. I do not agree with the way the current Alpha runs things, as they're under investigation currently for a separate matter entirely. However, did Hemming choose Roland to replace him? Or, could there be someone else pulling the strings there?