3rd Person POV
“What were you doing with a knife to your wrist two days ago? What were you thinking?” asked Charlotte.
“So you spy on me now?” demanded Reginald.
“You forget that you're my other half. I know what goes through your mind,” returned Charlotte.
Harlin sensed that it was best to remain quiet in this situation.
“She was my first love,” Reginald broke down and began to cry. It was the first time since that time he had shed tears. His friends wrapped their arms around him and allowed him to mourn his beloved.
“I want to visit her grave,” said Reginald when he was a lot calmer.
“Are you sure?” He was scared that his friend’s progress may be rescinded but he knew that the fact that he had asked to visit her grave was a sign that he was healing.
“I need to say goodbye,” was Reginald’s response.
They told Dagen during dinner that they were travelling to the Blood Moon pack the next day. He wanted to stop them but Charlotte sent him a look that said it was okay.
****
“We need to go now,” said Harlin to Reginald. They had been sitting in front of her grave for hours now and it did not seem like Reginald was ready to budge from where he stood.
“Your Highness,” they turned to see Lord Augustine. He had come to drop flowers by his daughter's grave. He felt sorry upon seeing Reginald. Since the death of his daughter, he had been living in regret. If only he had known that she would go that far he would not have forced the marriage.
“I was going to burn these but I think you should have them,” said Lord Augustine as he handed over the letters that Thippe had written to Reginald but he had never sent out.
Charlotte collected the letters. She could not have her brother reading them tonight. He'd had enough for one day already.
****
A Week Later
All the Alphas, Betas and important representatives from various packs were gathered to discuss the zombie situation. Some packs were having it tougher than others. It was so serious in some packs that no one could leave their houses as zombies littered the streets.
“And the Dragon king has refused to help?” asked someone.
“The dragons do not have enough resources to help the situation. Besides, they face real danger from poachers,” said Regina. She had discussed the matter with the Dragon king and the truth was that he had valid reasons that could not be overlooked. He had helped where he could but there was only so much he could do.
“Some will take advantage of their kindness by trying to kill them for their skin and body parts, I understand,” another said.
Harlin was wondering when his mother would bring up the sky people.
“The Shadowclaw pack does not seem to have the same problem, perhaps, Alpha Dagen would be willing to spare your army…”
“We will not be willing to do such,” it was Reginald who spoke. He knew the Alpha that had suggested his father spare his army. He was well aware that the Alpha had the capacity to drive the zombies away from his pack but chose not to. He hated when people tried to take advantage of others.
“May I speak?” asked Irvette. Everyone became quiet.
“You may speak your mind,” encouraged Elder Davis.
Irvette felt a little bit self-conscious. She knew that news of her losing her mind had spread throughout the werewolf clan and whatever suggestion she made would be scrutinised carefully.
“Many of you know about Ashton keeping me hostage. I watched first-hand the experiments he performed on the zombies. I also know how to prevent a full-blown apocalypse from happening,” said Irvette.
“How can we be certain that you were not working in tandem with them?” someone hissed.
Harlin wanted to punch the person who had made that comment but his mother’s stern gaze told him to remain calm. Irvette had anticipated this so she was not too surprised.
“I will urge us all to speak with respect to one another. I can also assure everyone here that the Council has done its due diligence as it concerns Queen Irvette’s time with Ashton. She was kidnapped while trying to help us all and she is not in cohorts with them. She is a respectable woman with good intentions,” Elder Thaddeaus' tone left no room for doubts.
“Queen Irvette, please carry on,” said Elder Walker.
“The Lord of the Sky can put an end to the zombie menace. The zombies were once sane people with families and healthy lives before they turned. They can return to their normal lives.”
“And how will they do that? They will face stigma even from their own family and many of them will be displaced. We’ll be doing them a favour by ending their lives,” someone said.
“If we take on the approach to kill all, it may prove impossible. We only need one alive to spread the virus again. But if there's a cure…. a way to get rid of the thing completely, it would be a great relief.”
“We need a timeline, Queen, how quickly can you get this done?” asked Elder Walker.
“A month,” came her response.
“A fortnight. After that we shall do everything possible to exterminate them all,” replied Elder Thaddeaus.
****
Irvette wasted no time. The second the meeting was over, she went to see Alpha Dagen.
“I am going to need your help if I am going to pull this off,” she said to him. Dagen raised an eyebrow, wondering what she was talking about.
“Pull what off?”
“Get Caephas to help us,” she said.
“I still do not understand how I can be of help here,” replied Dagen.
“You and Caephas are good friends,” she said. Dagen was a little surprised that she knew this.
“And you know this because?”
“I know many things, Alpha Dagen.”