Chapter Thirty Eight
Chapter Thirty Eight
THORAN'S POV
I reached out to Kaida through the mate bond and sent comforting thoughts her way. She was going through a tough time. I could sense Kaida's thoughts through the bond, and she was wondering if there were any signs that she had missed, if she could have done something to prevent the evil things that had befallen her family.
“Kaida.” I called out to her.
“Hm?” She answered absentmindedly.
“What do you think about us creating an alliance with other packs, especially the packs who have been affected by Elara's evil schemes?” I suggested. It was an attempt on my part to get her mind off the news about her step-mother and her father.
Kaida tilted her head sideways at me. “Hm?” She was still distracted by her thoughts. It took a second for my words to register. “Oh! Yes, Thoran. That's an amazing idea.” Her reaction caused me to chuckle humourously. She took notice of my outfit just then and dedicated a few seconds to checking me out. “Wow, you look…” Her eyes roamed over my body once again. “... good. Where are you heading off to?” She asked, her voice tinged with curiosity.
“To get started on gathering our allies.” I replied. “I figured: Why wait? An all out war against Elara and her rogue pack is inevitable, so I figured we should begin our preparations as soon as possible. She is not one to be underestimated.”
Kaida gave a tight-lipped nod. “That makes sense, actually. Want me to tag along?” She offered.
“Yes. I was hoping you would come with us.” I admitted.
“Us?” She enquired, raising a brow.
“Auri and I are visiting the packs together. “I clarified. “She is a Diplomat, so her skills will be useful. Zarek and Zeph will remain to look after the pack while we are away.”
She nodded thoughtfully. “Alright, give me a few minutes to get ready and I'll be with you soon.” She placed a kiss on my cheeks, and with that she left.
—
Three hours later, Kaida, Auri and I pulled up to the final pack on our list of potential allies: the Crescent Moon Pack. It was one of the largest packs in the city, besides ours. They were yet to encounter Elara herself but they had already fought against her rogue pack once, and they had lost a few loved ones in that attack. The Alpha was someone I had met as a kid, back when father was still Alpha. He was one of the packs that had supported me with funds and resources when the Stormhowl pack had moved its base. He had sent an envoy back then, so I had not seen the man in eighteen years. The last time I saw him was when I was at the age of twelve. I remembered that he was someone who was very jovial and boisterous; he had encouraged some of my pranks, even against his pack mates.
His mate had been the opposite, a quiet calm in contrast to his stormy character. It made me wonder if their personalities had changed. Werewolves aged pretty slowly so I knew that they would still look fit and younger than their age.
The Alpha of the Crescent moon pack was there to welcome us as soon as we walked through the massive gate. The man was very muscular, with big arms, broad shoulders, and a strong chest, this was how Kaida would later describe him to Zeph. He wore a black tank top and green shorts that were a bit torn, giving him a rough and rugged look. His hair was short and spiky, and he was spotting a neat beard. He laughed heartily at the sight of me. “Thoran, my boy!” He said in a loud voice. If people weren't watching us before, they were very much paying attention to us now.
“Uncle George, it's been a while.” I said, holding out a hand for him to shake. The next thing Alpha George did stunned everyone around, including myself. He embraced me, lifted me off the ground and spun me around. Me, a thirty year old man. I was still in shock when he placed me back on my feet. From the corner of my eye, I spotted Kaida and Auri trying to stifle their daughters. I cleared my throat in embarrassment.
“Young Thoran! Wow, look how you have grown! Thank the moon goddess, I can still lift you! But my my, you've become so big now.” He said, patting my shoulder fondly with his usual loud laugh.
I sighed in what was a mixture of exasperation and fondness. “I am an Alpha now, Uncle George. You can't go lifting me up like some kid.” I scolded gently.
He laughed out loud once again. “What's wrong Thoran? You used to love when I did that!” He blurted out. I facepalmed to cover up my embarrassment.
“George, will you at least let them settle inside before the torture begins?” A woman asked. I looked sideways to find Alpha George's mate, Ivory. She hugged her mate from behind.
The action made me turn my gaze towards Kaida. I wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled a giggling Kaida closer to me. “I want you to meet my mate. This is Kaida Nyx, my Luna.” I said to the Alpha couple before turning to her, “Luna mine, this is George and Ivory Crescent.”
Ivory stepped away from her mate and moved to hug Kaida. They exchanged their pleasantries and then Ivory pulled Kaida towards the pack house. I shot her an encouraging smile when she turned to me with a confused look.
The next one hour was spent sharing all that we had learnt concerning Elara and her rogue pack and coming up with tactics and strategies. In the end, they decided to send an ambassador to our to serve as a liaison between the two packs. He sent for the ambassador, who showed up a moment later.
As soon as he stepped in however, his gaze shifted to Auri’s instantly. I glanced at Auri, and found that she was already staring at him. The both of them continued to watch each other intently even as the other Alpha was speaking. “This is Dylan Phillips, he is our Diplomatic Envoy. He'll stay with you as a symbol of our alliance.
I turned to Alpha George. “Seems we're going to be allies in more ways than one.” I stated with an amused smirk. The other Alpha finally took notice of how our Diplomats were watching each other. Auri was the first one to break eye contact. She turned away to hide the blush on her cheeks. Kaida looked from Auri to Dylan. She turned back to Auri and began to gush at her friend.
“May I know your name, miss?” Dylan said politely, but the happiness in his eyes was unmistakable; that same happiness reflected in Auri’s face. The four of us Alpha pairs exchanged knowing looks and began to exit the room in pairs, to give the new mates some time to talk.
As Kaida and I walked out hand in hand, the same thoughts went through our mind: even in the midst of conflict, there was joy. I was suddenly glad to have taken Kaida with me to experience her friend's happiness.