Chapter 13 CHAPTER THIRTEEN
CAIUS
“Why were you the one they came to?” Alpha Hills asks.
I look at Alpha Brent who shakes his head. After the witch left, I called Alpha Brent and he advised me to come to the council immediately. I refused and he also refused to hear what I had to say if I refused to say it to the other members of the council. So now everybody is at an emergency council meeting at night.
“I asked but she wouldn’t tell me anything.”
“So you want us to believe that the witches broke the treaty just to see you.”
I nod and square my shoulders. A subtle sign that he should choose his next words carefully. I don't like being called a liar.
“You must admit, Alpha Caius that this is impossible to believe. Witches cannot enter wolf territory without permission from the council. We granted them that courtesy and you are telling us that they decided to disrespect us?” Alpha Evan adds.
“That is exactly what I’m saying. She came through a portal and left through one.”
“Those fucking witches. Untrustworthy, the lot of them.” Alpha Morgan says.
Alpha Haze and Alpha Hill are still watching me suspiciously.
“So what was their message?” Alpha Brent asks.
“She said that two very old witches are missing.”
Everyone waits in silence for me to continue. They look from me to each other.
“That’s it? That’s the whole message?” Alpha Hills asks
“That is the whole message. They want us to find the witches ourselves if we’re going to find a solution to this.”
“That doesn’t make sense, any young witch can work a locator spell and the council of witches can’t?” Alpha Haze says.
“That is right. This feels like a trap. The witches sensed our confusion and they came into our territory to spy on us. They broke the treaty by coming without permission and we should declare war on them.” Alpha Hills adds.
I lean back on my seat and I sigh, of course this is the direction he’s going.
“Before you start declaring war on the witches, Alpha Hills, maybe we should ask Caius what he thinks.”
“What he thinks? He let the witch get away. They insulted us and they used him to do it.” Alpha Haze says.
“Maybe, but we still need to know what he read off her face, if he thinks she was lying about the missing witches and if we have cause to worry.” Alpha Morgan adds.
“I don’t think she was lying, the witches are missing.” I say, standing up.
“If anything, I’m sure she was understating it. She spoke to me alone but I could smell other witches hiding around. They wanted to show confidence but this thing affects them as much as it affects us. Two very old, very powerful witches who practice dark magic are missing and their locator spells aren’t working. That doesn’t sound good for them.”
“You’re right,” Alpha Evan says. “The witches have always been at war. Dark witches and light witches. Two dark witches being unaccounted for is bad news to the light witches and could start a revolution.”
“So we find the witches and be on the winning side of the revolution?” Alpha Haze says.
“Alpha Haze, why would you think that two dark witches who are creating these rogues, will be beneficial to us?”
“Do you have anything better to say?” he asks.
“Pass a message to all the packs. If anyone manages to capture these rogues, they should make sure the rogues don’t kill themselves. We need answers and we need them fast.”
Alpha Hills snorts. “Well, we’ve heard the non-member of the werewolf council who thinks he calls the shots, let’s all go home and do as he says.”
I crack my knuckles to keep my wolf calm. I know they’re looking for a fight. I would give them one but Alpha Brent won’t like it.
“Alpha Hills, if you have something else to say, please say it and we will seriously consider it.” Alpha Brent asks.
“I don’t have anything else to say. He’s right, as usual.” He says.
My eyes blaze red at the snark in his voice but I keep my calm. Fighting the council members doesn’t serve any purpose even if he deserves it.
“Since there’s nothing else left to be said, let us all go home and do as Caius says.” Alpha Haze adds.
I ignore him and zone out of the conversation until Alpha Brent taps me. Everyone has gone and it’s remaining just the two of us.
“You didn’t drive here, are you planning on running home tonight?” he asks and I nod.
“You can spend the night at my pack and I'll have someone drive you a little of the distance tomorrow. It’s a long run home.”
“I can handle it and I need to be home tonight. There’s someone I want to se as soon as morning comes.”
“You have a lead?”
“It’s not a lead, it’s my mate.”
His surprise is evident and I try not to smile at the proud look in his eyes.
“You didn’t tell me you found your mate. Why is she still in her own pack? Why haven’t you brought her to your home and marked her?”
Finally, someone who understands the natural order of things.
“It’s Alpha Maeva.” I say and he loses his smile.
His face morphs into wonder and amazement.
“You’re sure? It’s really her?” he asks, whispering and I nod.
“This is a shock. What are the odds? I’ve never actually thought about her having a mate but I always assumed it would be a Beta since that’s what has been recorded for years. You are sure she is your mate?”
I laugh at the question. “I’m sure.”
“Oh, I can already feel the power,” he says, stretching out his fingers and grasping air. “The pups you are going to have will be the most powerful werewolves since the Lycan's.”
Pups. I’ve not thought that far. I have to touch her to be able to make pups an since that hasn’t happened, it hasn’t sunk in yet.
Alpha Brent pulls me in for a tight hug. “You don’t know how happy this news makes me. Tomorrow I will come to your pack and see the both of you myself so I can’t believe it. It still feels like a dream.”
“Not yet. I’m still trying to get her to accept me.”
His smile falls once gain. “What do you mean?”
“She doesn’t want me as a mate.”
“Nonsense. Does she know that this is no longer in her hands? A mating of this magnitude is now for our entire race. I’ll call another meeting and we will make her accept.”
He’s reacting just like I assumed he will react.
“Not yet, Alpha. I want to convince her some more before it gets to that.”
“You have two weeks, Caius. Once you made a connection, it stopped being about just the both of you.”
I know.