257- When the Tree Is Shaken
POV Aldren Valmorin:
At the break of dawn, I was meeting with Orion in my laboratory, receiving information about how his encounter with Felibér had gone.
In front of us, the open camera panel showed that the impostor had approached the gate of my house but gave up and returned to the central area of the village, heading to his own residence.
“He won’t make calls or send text messages, because he knows the phone lines and internet access are tapped.”
“Did you sense tension when you shared the information?”
“Yes. He looked away, pretended disinterest, kept shaking his leg… those things.”
“Can I count on you to keep an eye on the footage until tomorrow morning?”
“Only until tomorrow morning?”
“You need to rest so that you don’t have to keep reviewing footage. Instead, we’ll monitor it in real time.”
“That’s a good plan. Are you going back home?”
“No, I’ll sleep here.” Orion frowned.
“Elowen isn’t at the house, which means…”
“Exactly. She’s here with me.”
“That means she’s ruled out as a suspect, then?”
“Yes, Orion. Elowen was poisoned and kept imprisoned in a cage. She is a victim and under my protection.”
He listened carefully and nodded in agreement.
“I trust your judgment, but just take it easy.”
“I’m handling things at the ideal pace. Calm isn’t necessary.”
“Right.”
“Is there anything else I need to know?”
“I don’t believe so. I followed the plan by laying out the bait. Now we need to wait for him to take it. If we prove the betrayal, how will the judgment be carried out?”
“I don’t want any more prisoners in my house. I need to protect Elowen from witnessing more unpleasant situations. We’ll take him—and any accomplices, if there are any—to Noctheria.”
“The elders will support us, for sure.”
“They will. They’ve always wanted to assist me more than, out of honor, I’m willing to accept. But this situation is different.”
“I had the false realization that this was the safest place in Romania for us,” he admitted sadly.
“No place inhabited by animals is safe. Some respect the hierarchy; others will risk their own lives in pursuit of power that does not belong to them.”
“We’ll shake the tree, and the rotten fruit will fall. I believe that.”
I squeezed his shoulder in gratitude.
“Call me at any time.”
“Don’t worry, Aldren.”
I walked Orion to the exit, activated the alarms, and checked security before climbing the spiral staircase again. I removed my coat and belt along the way so I could finally sleep beside Elowen.
I was surprised to find her lying on her stomach, wide awake and smiling at me. Part of the blanket covered her beautiful little ass.
“You should be sleeping.”
She stretched out her arm, beckoning me to lie beside her.
“I woke up as soon as you sneakily slipped your arms away from me. It got cold…”
“I can warm you up and make you sleep too,” I replied, lying down next to her.
The instant my back touched the fabric, she wrapped her body around mine, resting her head on the left side of my chest.
I encircled her in return, inhaling her scent, which worked for me like a soothing and at the same time pleasing balm.
“Can it be one and then the other?” she suggested mischievously.
“Yes, it can.” I ran my fingers through her hair, stroking it.
“Did something happen downstairs? Did everything go right?”
I didn’t remember how satisfying it was to have a female interested in and concerned about my affairs. Even if I couldn’t always share them, it was good to know I could open up if I wanted to.
“For now, everything is under control.”
“Just know that… if you need help, I’m here.” She lifted her head and kissed my bare chest tenderly.
This female would be my complete ruin.
“You’ll need to shift before you start tearing off heads with me.”
“Can I stick to the moral support part?”
I let out a restrained laugh.
“Did I traumatize you with that room cleanup?”
“Oh, yes… but I feel like after that, few things can truly scare me.” She managed to see the bright side of tragedy.
“You’re strong, bitch.”
“You really think so, mad dog?” She lifted her face to look at me. I loved that she never backed down, that she dared to insist on what she wanted and challenge me.
“I do. We’ll put it to the test when you become a full she-wolf.”
“How about the big wolf telling the future little she-wolf what the transformation is like?” she asked, brushing her fingers through my beard.
“Do you really want to know?” I questioned, resting one arm behind my neck.
“Yes, yes!” she replied, a mix of curiosity and tension in her voice.
“Your parents never instructed you?” She shook her head. “What shitty parents.”
“Well, it’s a good thing they’re dead.”
We laughed at the same time, and it felt wrong, even if it was justified. My bitch wasn’t so innocent, and I liked that.
“The first transformation can be difficult. There are cases where the creatures lose control and may hurt people—even those they love. It can be unique for each individual, but it’s always best to be careful.”
“And it hurts a lot, doesn’t it?”
“I wish I could say no, but you’ll feel every bone in your body breaking, along with the sensation of your skin being stretched until it tears.”
I felt her body tense, her throat working to swallow.
“The experiment has to work…” Elowen whispered, the corners of her lips falling.
“To treat such intense pain, a very high concentration of compounds is necessary, and that can interfere with the transformation. I’m trying to create something that eases it without making you lose consciousness, which cannot happen.”
“And… will I be alone in the forest, in some dark basement, or will you be by my side?”
“I will be by your side until the end.”
Her sad expression brightened, and she let out a relieved sigh.
“Then I can endure it.”
“You’re lucky that, by the next full moon, there are no future shifters who have reached the age. I’ll be able to devote myself only to you. If it were otherwise, as alpha, I couldn’t neglect my people.”
“How does it work when there’s more than one?” she asked, clearly curious.
“We do it in Noctheria’s territory, in the open.”
“Where is that?”
“Neutral territory, where the elders reside.”
“Are we going there…?” she asked, uncertain.
“No. I’ll take care of you alone.”
“I like that,” she admitted with a smile, and I clicked my tongue.
“I know you do.”
Showing she was fully awake, she climbed onto me, resting her hands on my abdomen and flashing a mischievous grin.
“Don’t provoke what you can’t satisfy.”
“And who said I can’t?” She moved her hips back and forth, brushing against my cock.
“Elowen…”