Chapter 27: SECRETS REVEALED

ZARA POV

“Waitt What!!” I overheard Mrs Arins's toned scream in shock coming from the tent. “Do you mean he was really among those that attacked our village that day?”

“Of course he was!! His father, the Alpha, murdered our king, and he murdered the Commander by himself…he will surely pay for it.”

“So, it was that son of a bi*ch who murdered my brother?” King Arin rhetorically asked in anger; I could sense his teeth gritting in rage.

“So why then did he save you?”

“I mean, Why does he want Eastern Coast dead?” Mrs Arins cuts in.

“He didn't want Eastern Coast dead; he wants his father dead if that would be the only way to make him the king! Then he's left with no option…That is why he needs you…us, that is why he needs Zara.” Emily explained to the couples who were getting drowned in the revelation.

Mr Arin was said to be a careful observer and a man of few words, crafted his observing skills from the several wars he has survived. He carefully paid close attention to every detail Emily provided without saying a word, filtering which to choose and which to discard. But his wife was the opposite.

“Emily, listen, we have to act fast,” She snaps in. “We have to let everyone know about this, especially about what you have been through; we need to tell…”

“Shhhhhh,” Emily shuns her. “We are not telling anyone anything, and you need to lower your voice, miss; the walls have ears, remember? ...he never wanted you guys to know about this…no one should know…you have to pretend you don't know anything about what I'm telling you”

“Alright…alright?” She responded, anticipating Emily's next words

Emily briefly explained to them how cold and devastating the day of the Brindlemarks’ invasion was!

“...I witnessed my whole clan unjustly murdered right before my eyes, but for some reason, he didn't kill me that night,” Emily continued, her tone gradually turning cold

“Rather,” She continued, “he has made me his puppet, his sex toy; I run risky errands for him, he uses me as his sex slave, molests and rapes me at his will, and even threatened to kill whoever mates I intend to have,” Emily voiced in pains and anguish, her words sent a sharp pain into my spine.

‘Was this true? Why is it that Emily never told me any of this since? Has Kael been molesting her? Who else has he done this to?

Oh, I remember she told me she went for an errand to the Oakland region some time ago; that was why she wasn't around when I came into the pack. Could it be one of the dangerous errands she was talking about?

I quickly felt my thoughts jam-packed in my head; my eyes widened in shock, and my heart raced.

No!! This isn't true, maybe she's just exaggerating. Kael couldn't do it.

“It is time to put an end to this!” She said, sounding bolder, “Kael has always felt like the top dog in the game, but soon, his monkey business will be over!!”

“And how do you intend on doing it?” Mr. Arin finally spoke.

***

HOURS EARLIER

Emily had insisted on speaking with the Brindlemark couple alone, “Zara, you should be outside here, please. Keep watch soon; Kael will be coming… I know he would, so you would alert me,” she persuaded, slightly pushing me fewer miles, away from the tent.

I looked at her, amazed at her plea. “Did you just say alert you?... I thought you could find people by reading their thoughts, you could easily know when he is coming!”

“Yes, I know, but….” she paused, rolling her eyes, her expression looking suspicious “C'mon, Zara.”

I sensed something fishy from her actions but, maybe it's not that necessary to focus.

“Fine, you have to be quick” I had reluctantly agreed.

I stood outside the couple's tent, my eyes scanning the surrounding area for any signs of danger.

As I waited, my mind began to wander. What were they discussing in there? Were the couple revealing more about their plans, or was Emily probing them for information?

I shifted my weight, my ears straining to pick up any sounds from inside the tent. The rustling of fabric, the murmur of voices, but nothing distinct.

My curiosity was piqued. What secrets were being shared behind the closed flap of that tent? And why did Emily feel the need to keep me out of this conversation?

I glanced around, ensuring we were still alone. The excluded tent area was quiet; the only sound heard was the distant howling of wolves.

My gaze returned to the tent, my mind racing with possibilities. What was Emily getting herself into? And why did I have this nagging feeling that something was off?

I decided to move closer to the tent, from a side which neither of them in the tent could see me, and that was when I discovered a shocking secret about Emily I wished I had never known but also hoped I had known earlier.

***

“Only one way we can, and that is through Zara! She got our support and that's all we need”

“Can you trust her?” Mr. Arin asks suspiciously

“She’s the only option we've got right now, aside her no one is a match for Kael”

Oh, God, what have I gotten myself into? I knew I had made a great mistake by succumbing to her plea for assistance. I have to figure out how to go about this.

“Emily,” Mrs Arin called lowly “What's our next plan now, and when should we initiate?

“That…I don't know yet, we need to strike at a very suitable time, when he least expected”

“And that should be after he conquers his father; that would be the best time to capture him alongside all remnants of The Eastern Coast… they would then become our slaves, and we would own their lands!” Mr Arin's deep voice echoed in the tent.

His suggestion leaves a chill in the atmosphere; it is well written in their face that it is easier said than done.

“One more thing to know is that…”

“Emily!!… Kael is here!!” I snapped in hurriedly in a low tone, pretending as if I was never there. Then I joined them in the tent, making it seem as if I'd been in there all along.

“Wow…wow…wow!!” Kael storms in silently, “Why the sudden silence, guys? Oh, am I interrupting something?” He asked strangely, a weird smile etched on his face.

"I see you're getting cozy with my pack members,” From his look, it was obvious he was up to something, but he masked it with a fake smile.

“Oh, of course not!!” We all played along with a broad smile. “We were just getting along…you know, getting to know ourselves better.” King Arin faced him boldly but humbly. “Considering how long you've excluded us from your pack!” He cheaped in.

“hahaha…Getting to know yourselves better huh?” he asked rhetorically, suspiciously looking at Emily,

“Alright then,” he sighed, “In that case, I must be interrupting; I guess I should take my leave then,” he said, pretending to leave.

“No…no…no, you can join us,” Mr. Arin cuts him “You know Zara here has told us about your enormous strength, how you singlehandedly took out a pack of rogue wolves, it's amazing,” he lied.

“She said so?” He asked mischievously. “well maybe she was just exaggerating, but I'm flattered though” he pretended

Mr Arin's response aroused a whole lot of thoughts in me. I have never told anyone about how Kael saved me and how he defeated the rogue wolves alone, not even Emily. How, then, did he know about it?

“Since I am not interrupting,” Kael started, his face quickly turning mean and cold as usual, but his gaze was fixed on Emily suspiciously. I couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong between the two of them, something he wanted no one to know about.

“I would love to interrupt!!” He dropped, leaving us all in suspense.

KAEL POV

SOME MINUTES AGO

I stormed into the arena, my eyes fixed on the tent where the Brindlemark couple were. I knew Emily must have been conversing with them, and I had to stop this conversation, no matter what it took.

I burst into the tent, my presence sudden and commanding. There was a sudden halt to their conversation. What could they probably be hiding?

Emily and the couple turned to me with a broad smile; I knew there was more to the smiles I was seeing.

I ignored Emily, my gaze locked on the couple. "I see you're getting cozy with my pack members," I said, my tone dripping with sarcasm.

“Well, we were just getting to know ourselves better!!” King Arin replied

“I see…”

I flashed my eyes to Emily, my gaze demanding answers to questions I didn't ask; if she wanted to get back at me, then she should be four steps ahead; she was too slow; I already saw everything coming, though it came unexpectedly. This is the time to interrupt.

PRESENT

*The time has come, and the time is now. The time we all have anticipated is now.” I broke the air after a brief silence.

“The time to bring down Eastern Coast has come!”