Chapter 13 We must interrupt
~Taren’s POV~
I took the food back to the kitchen and tried to continue with the rest of my duties for the day, but I couldn’t. My instincts refused to let me. Something was wrong. I felt it deep in my gut, that quiet, unsettling pull that told me something wasn’t as it seemed. I tried to reason it away, to silence the thought and focus on my work, but it would not leave me alone.
Something about Lyra being taken out didn’t sit right. For a prisoner as significant as her, Alpha Kael would never assign such a task to a mere warrior like Gordon. If he didn’t handle it himself, he would have at least entrusted it to Beta Dagan or one of the elders. That was how things were done. That was how it had always been.
After struggling to shake off the unease for a while and failing miserably, I decided to find out for sure. I made my way to Beta Dagan’s office to confirm Gordon’s claim.
When I entered, he was on a call. His tone was light, almost cheerful. The moment he saw me, he ended the call and turned his attention my way.
“Good morning, Beta Dagan,” I greeted, bowing slightly in respect.
“Morning, Taren. Is something wrong?” he asked, narrowing his eyes as if he had already read my concern from my face.
“Not exactly,” I replied carefully. “I just have a few concerns and decided to come for confirmation.”
“Confirmation about what?” he asked, leaning back in his chair.
“About Alpha’s order to take the witch prisoner out of the Pack House,” I said. “I just saw Gordon leading her out, and when I asked where he was taking her, he refused to answer. He said it was Alpha’s direct order and told me to confirm with you.”
I spoke as calmly as I could, hoping to hear a simple yes, something that would quiet my restless mind.
Instead, Dagan tilted his head slightly, his gaze sharpening in a way that made me instantly uneasy.
“So you are saying you don’t believe Alpha gave the order?” His question was low and deliberate.
“That is not what I’m saying, Beta Dagan,” I answered quickly, trying to explain before my words were misinterpreted. But before I could continue, another question followed.
“Then are you suggesting that Gordon is acting out of order? Or that he intends to betray the pack?”
I froze, caught off guard. That was not what I meant at all. I had asked a simple question. A yes or no would have sufficed. Why was he twisting it?
“Beta Dagan, you are misunderstanding my concerns. Alpha placed me in charge of the lady—”
“Lady?” he interrupted, raising an eyebrow in disbelief.
“Prisoner,” I corrected swiftly to avoid further confusion. “Alpha instructed me to ensure she is well-fed and properly cared for until she recovers from her illness. She was taken away this morning without eating. That could get me into trouble, and I don’t want that.”
Dagan leaned back in his chair, his expression turning casual. He gave a small shrug.
“If Gordon said Alpha ordered it, then best believe Alpha did.”
His tone was dismissive, and I could hardly believe what I was hearing. Best believe? That was his response? Shouldn’t he know whether Alpha gave such an order? His indifference unsettled me even more.
“When did they leave?” he asked finally.
“A few minutes ago,” I replied.
He nodded once. “You may go. I will find out from Alpha myself.”
He waved a hand dismissively and picked up his phone again, signaling that the conversation was over.
I left the office, feeling no better than when I arrived. The unease only deepened. As I stepped into the hallway, I caught sight of Elder Rowan turning the corner. He had left with Alpha earlier that morning.
“Elder Rowan, you returned early,” I said as I approached him. “Is Alpha back too?”
“Yes,” he replied. “He concluded the meeting with the hunters earlier than expected, but he is in another meeting right now with the elders from Silver Crescent.”
Before I could respond, Beta Dagan emerged from his office, his eyes widening slightly when he saw us together.
“Elder Rowan, how come you are back so soon? Did the meeting not hold?” he asked.
“It did,” Rowan said with a nod. “But Kael ended it quickly. He seems to be in a bad mood this morning.”
Dagan frowned. “A bad mood? Where is he now?”
“In the meeting room with the Silver Crescent elders,” Rowan answered. Then his gaze shifted to me. “You look troubled, Taren. Is something wrong?”
“I’m not entirely sure,” I admitted. “But the witch was taken out of the Pack House this morning by Gordon. He said Alpha ordered it, but I can’t think of any reason Alpha would do that.”
“What?” Elder Rowan’s expression hardened in an instant. “That can’t be true. I don’t think Kael gave any such order. Dagan, are you aware of this?”
“The information just reached me,” Dagan replied. “I was about to call Alpha before I met you both here. But since you said he’s in a meeting and in a bad mood, perhaps it’s best to wait until it’s over.”
“No,” Elder Rowan said firmly. “This can’t wait. This is a matter of pack security. We have to inform him now.”
He started walking briskly toward the meeting room, and I followed close behind. Dagan joined us reluctantly.
Since Alpha was inside the pack house, I tried to mind link him to save time, but the connection failed. “His mind is blocked,” I said, glancing at Elder Rowan. “Should we really interrupt him?”
“His mind is blocked because the meeting is confidential,” Rowan replied. “But this is just as urgent. We must interrupt.”
He knocked twice on the heavy wooden door before speaking loudly enough to be heard. “Alpha, there is urgent information you need to hear.”
A brief silence followed, heavy and still, and I knew they must be conversing via mind link.
Then a deep, thunderous growl erupted from within the room, shaking the air and forcing all of us to bow our heads instantly.