Chapter 159 Until I Left?
Rowan woke with a sharp breath as awareness rushed back into his body. For a brief moment he remained still, staring at the ceiling while his mind tried to settle. Then something felt wrong.
He pushed himself upright immediately.
The room looked quiet, almost too quiet, and the first name that came to his mind escaped his mouth without hesitation.
“Mira?”
His voice carried across the room but no answer followed.
Rowan turned his head toward the chair near the window where she had been sitting before he slept. The chair was empty. The blanket she had wrapped around herself earlier had been folded neatly over the back as if someone had left in a hurry but still cared enough to put things in order.
His brow creased slightly.
“Mira?” he called again, louder this time.
The silence that followed made his chest tighten with unease. Rowan swung his legs off the bed and stood quickly. The moment his feet touched the floor he heard a noise from somewhere beyond the room.
A loud crash echoed down the main hall.
Then voices followed.
Rowan moved toward the door immediately.
As soon as he stepped into the hallway the sounds became clearer. Someone was shouting, and another voice struggled to respond through what sounded like choking breaths.
Rowan walked faster, his steps quickening as he moved toward the main hall.
When he reached the corner and turned into the large open space he stopped abruptly.
Fernando had a guard lifted against the wall with one hand wrapped tightly around the man's throat.
The guard's feet dangled slightly above the ground while his hands clutched desperately at Fernando's wrist. His face had already darkened from the pressure and the veins in his neck stood out sharply.
Two other guards stood nearby, clearly uncertain whether to intervene or stay where they were.
“Where is he?” Fernando demanded.
His voice carried a dangerous calm that made the question feel more like a threat than a request.
The guard tried to speak but only a strained sound escaped his throat.
“I... do not know,” he forced out weakly.
Fernando shoved him harder into the wall.
The impact echoed through the hall.
“You expect me to believe that?” Fernando asked.
The guard shook his head frantically while trying to pull Fernando's hand away from his neck.
“I swear... I do not know.”
Rowan stepped forward.
“Fernando.”
Fernando did not react.
Rowan moved closer.
“Let him go,” he said firmly.
Fernando's grip tightened slightly as if the request had only sharpened his anger.
“If you know where he is then you will speak now,” Fernando continued, ignoring Rowan completely.
Rowan reached for Fernando's arm.
“That man cannot answer you if he cannot breathe.”
Fernando reacted instantly.
Without even turning to look he shoved Rowan away with sudden force.
Rowan had not expected it.
The push sent him stumbling backward across the room until his body struck a table near the wall. The table tipped sideways as Rowan crashed into it and then fell to the floor.
For a moment the impact knocked the air from his lungs.
The guards stared in shock.
Fernando still had his eyes fixed on the guard he held.
“You will listen carefully,” he said quietly.
The guard gasped desperately for air.
“If you and the rest of your men fail to provide Alberto's whereabouts within two days then none of you will live long enough to regret your silence.”
The guard's eyes widened with fear.
Fernando finally released him.
The man collapsed to the floor coughing violently while trying to pull air back into his lungs.
Fernando glanced at the other guards standing nearby.
“You heard what I said.”
None of them responded.
Fernando turned and began walking down the hallway without another word.
Rowan slowly pushed himself back to his feet. He brushed a hand over his shoulder where the table had struck him and watched Fernando's retreating figure with concern.
Before Rowan could speak a voice came from behind.
“Fernando, wait.”
Lucia hurried into the hall.
She moved quickly until she caught up with him and reached for his arm.
“You need to stop for a moment,” she said.
Fernando halted but did not look at her immediately.
His shoulders rose and fell as he tried to steady his breathing.
Lucia stepped around him so that he would face her.
“This is not helping anyone,” she continued gently.
Fernando looked at her.
His expression carried exhaustion mixed with anger.
“I should never have trusted him.”
Lucia frowned slightly.
“Trusted who?”
“Darius.”
The name hung between them for a moment.
Lucia studied him carefully.
“You trusted him to escort Alberto to the old temple house,” she said.
Fernando nodded once.
“And now Alberto is gone and you believe it's Darius's doings?.”
Lucia folded her arms slowly while considering the situation.
“Remember that there were guards with them,” she reminded him.
Fernando looked away down the hall.
“None of them returned.”
Lucia's gaze softened but her voice remained steady.
“We searched the road from the gate to the old temple house and there were no traces of any of them.”
Fernando looked back at her.
“That is exactly what troubles me.”
Lucia hesitated briefly before speaking again.
“Torin would never betray Alberto.”
Fernando's jaw tightened slightly.
“You know that,” she added quietly.
Fernando sighed.
“I know Torin would never betray him.”
Lucia nodded.
“Then something else must have happened.”
Fernando ran a hand through his hair in frustration.
“All of them vanished without a trace.”
Lucia lowered her voice.
“They might have been taken.”
Fernando looked at her sharply.
“Taken by who?”
Lucia shook her head.
“That part we do not know yet.”
Rowan approached them slowly.
He had listened to the entire exchange and the pieces of their conversation had begun forming a troubling picture in his mind.
“What exactly are you talking about?”
Both Fernando and Lucia turned toward him.
Rowan crossed his arms.
“What do you mean Alberto is gone?”
Fernando looked uneasy.
Lucia glanced at him before speaking.
“There are details you were not meant to hear yet.”
Rowan raised an eyebrow.
“That sounds like a polite way of saying you were hiding something.”
Fernando exhaled slowly.
“It was not meant to harm anyone.”
Rowan's voice remained calm but firm.
“Then tell me what happened.”
Fernando looked down the hallway for a moment before returning his gaze to Rowan.
“There was a plan.”
Rowan waited.
Fernando continued.
“We arranged for Alberto to appear as if he had been abducted from the pack.”
Rowan blinked once.
“You staged an abduction?”
Fernando nodded.
“Yes.”
Rowan stared at him.
“And the purpose of this plan?”
Lucia answered this time.
“We wanted to move Alberto somewhere safe.”
“Darius was supposed to escort him there while a few trusted guards followed to make sure nothing went wrong.”
Rowan remained silent while absorbing the information.
Fernando continued speaking.
“The plan was to keep Alberto hidden there until you left.”
Rowan tilted his head slightly.
“Until I left?”
Fernando met his gaze.
“We believed it was the safest option.”
Rowan studied both of them carefully.
“You believed I would harm him?.”
Lucia shook her head quickly.
“That is not what we believed.”
Rowan waited.
Fernando spoke again.
“We were concerned that you might interfere with his memories.”
Rowan frowned slightly.
“And?”
Fernando hesitated but continued.
“There were fears you might try to use him for the prophecy and sacrifice his life to wipe out the puppet armies and their leader.”
Rowan looked at them quietly for several seconds.
Then he shook his head.
“You misunderstood everything.”
Fernando's expression hardened.
“Then explain it.”
Rowan met his gaze directly.
“Alberto already has his memories.”
Both of them looked stunned.
Fernando spoke first.
“That cannot be true.”
Rowan nodded calmly.
“It is.”
Lucia stepped forward slightly.
“You are certain about that?”
“Yes.”
Fernando looked unsettled.
“Then why were you watching him so closely?”
Rowan answered without hesitation.
“Because he is in danger.”
Lucia frowned.
“Danger from who?”
Rowan's voice grew serious.
“Maleek.”
Fernando's eyes narrowed instantly.
“And the Lycans who follow him.”
Lucia looked surprised.
“You believe Maleek is involved in this? Wasn't he reported dead twenty five years ago?”
Rowan nodded.
“I do not believe it. I know it.”
Fernando stepped closer.
“Then why did you keep that information from us?”
Rowan looked at him steadily.
“Because none of you trusted me enough to listen.”
Fernando opened his mouth but no immediate response came.
Lucia spoke carefully.
“If Alberto truly has his memories then this situation changes completely.”
Rowan nodded once.
“Yes it does.”
Fernando began pacing slowly across the hall.
“You said Maleek is hunting him,” he said while turning back toward Rowan.
“Yes.”
Fernando stopped walking.
“Then the disappearance may not have been part of our plan at all.”
Lucia's voice lowered.
“If Maleek intercepted them then those guards never had a chance.”
Rowan folded his arms thoughtfully.
“That is possible.”
Fernando's jaw tightened again.
“I should never have allowed Alberto to leave the pack.”
Rowan spoke calmly.
“You made the decision based on what you believed was necessary.”
Fernando shook his head.
“I made it out of fear.”
Lucia touched his arm gently.
“We still have time to find him and find ways to tackle Maleek.”
“I'll introduce you to someone who was the genesis of the whole issue” Rowan said slowly.