Chapter 102

When Jeffrey was a young boy, he loved listening to the mainland stories his parents told him. His mother, in particular, often spoke of a grand pack that stood at the pinnacle of power, where people wore extravagant clothes adorned with jewels and smelled of jade plants, milk, and honey. Such luxuries were rare and precious, beyond the reach of most packs.

His mother had mentioned four large packs: the Crimson Stone Pack, the Night Ridge Pack, the Maiden Lotus Pack, and the West Wood Pack. Jeffrey had always wondered what it would be like to visit one of these esteemed packs. He even dreamed of dueling with one of their fighters, driven by his father's belief that only through combat could one truly gauge their own skills and strength.

Yet Jeffrey never imagined that his chance would come during a mission, nor that he would face not just any fighter but the alpha prince himself – the eldest prince of the West Wood Pack, Alpha Prince Zeke.

"Which pack do you belong to?" Jeffrey echoed the prince’s question to his companions. "Does he think we'll just tell him if he asks?"

Billy sighed. "You should've stayed silent, Jeffrey."

Reo hummed in agreement. "Yeah, we don't know what he's planning. Don’t piss him off too much or you might regret it later."

"Shut up! I know what I’m doing," Jeffrey retorted, his voice edged with annoyance. He turned to Billy, "Didn’t you say we need more information to find out where the captain is being kept?"

The basement they were held in was dark and damp, the walls slick with moisture. A single, dim lamp outside the room provided the only light. In addition, all their hands were tied by chains made of metal. Reo could use his tricks to untangle their chain but at the moment, they had to find out where Naya was first.

“Captain must be with that alpha prince from before,” Billy said.

Jeffrey’s frown deepened. “What prince?”

“Her mate,” Nile said, his voice barely a whisper. “I heard Alpha Princess Darlene and her brother talking about it before. The day after she left with that boat…”

Jeffrey’s eyes widened in shock. He looked at his companions, his anger evident. “And everyone knows this except me?!”

Billy’s hand pressed against the ground, signaling for silence. “Someone’s coming. Everyone, stop talking.”

Hot fumes of rage still simmered within Jeffrey. He felt utterly betrayed. Not only had Naya met her mate, but it also turned out to be one of their enemies. How insane could their situation get? And why was he the last to know?

“Do Sage and Kevin know too?” he hissed to Billy in a whisper.

“Shh!” Everyone hushed him as they heard footsteps descending the stairs.

Jeffrey wanted to punch the wall but could only grit his teeth in frustration.

Soon, a guard stopped in front of their cell, his expression stern and impatient. “One of you, come out and meet the Luna of the pack,” he ordered.

The four members of the Midnight Seven exchanged uneasy glances.

“Didn’t you hear me? Hurry up and come out here, now!” the guard commanded.

Before Billy could stand, Reo interjected. “I will go.”

The rest wanted to argue. Sending Reo to meet a lady wasn’t the best idea. While skilled in stones and metals, his encounters with women often ended disastrously. He was known as a capable fighter with a notable weakness for women.

Predictably, Jeffrey shoved Reo aside and glared at him.

The guard, growing impatient, opened the cell and barked, “What are you waiting for? The Blood Moon? You rascals, I’ll take one of you myself!”

With that, he grabbed Jeffrey, who responded with a sharp glare, his anger simmering just beneath the surface.

Yet, the guard was a little too oblivious for his own good. He glared back at Jeffrey and even shouted up close, “Start moving! Wasting Luna’s time like this… Do you have a death wish?!”

Jeffrey hissed, his muscles tensing, but when he caught Billy’s faint head shake, he huffed and turned away, biting back his retort. He followed the guard out of the damp, dim basement, the clanking chains echoing with each step. They climbed up the stairs, emerging into a brightly lit room. Sunlight streamed through two windows, casting a clear contrast to the dungeon's gloom.

“I heard Alpha Prince Zeke came to see you and your companions earlier for interrogation,” Luna Sierra said, seated proudly with an air of arrogance and detachment across from Jeffrey.

Jeffrey stared straight at her. This woman was the Luna of the West Wood pack? Her cold authority was clear, but her graceful movements seemed to lack something, he mused. Though her beauty surpassed that of many women, she didn't match the overall aura of Alpha Princess Darlene of his own pack. Was she truly the Luna here?

“You’re not truly rogues but assassins,” she continued, unaware of Jeffrey’s internal judgments. “I’m sure Alpha Prince Zeke already asked you those questions. Who sent you, which pack do you belong to…”

“Yes, he did, and my answer is the same,” Jeffrey replied with a hint of boredom. “Nobody sent me. Nobody sent us.”

Luna Sierra chuckled, her voice chilling. “And you expect me to believe that?”

Her expression turned more serious as she leaned in. “What he asked you are all important questions, but I have another question for you. If you answer this, I might even help you leave this place.”

Jeffrey, who had been casually listening with no intention of speaking, found his attention piqued by her words. Luna Sierra’s proposition pulled him in, curiosity mingling with caution.

“Whose head are you after?” she asked, her voice a menacing whisper.

The question hung in the air, laden with implications, making Jeffrey’s mind and heart race.

He studied Luna Sierra's eyes and suddenly understood why she felt different from Alpha Princess Darlene of his pack.

It was rather simple.

She didn’t come from this pack. Her eyes lacked the same loyalty that other members held. In other words, she, too, was an outsider. And from the looks of it, she wanted something else—something different from Alpha Prince Zeke’s plan.

Jeffrey let out a low chuckle, unable to believe his own thoughts. For a second, he felt proud of himself for calculating things as quickly as Billy and Naya would.

Trying to calm himself down, he fixed his gaze on Luna Sierra and asked with a sharp tone, “If I tell you, will you really let us escape?”

Luna Sierra’s expression remained unreadable. The sunlight streaming through the windows cast sharp shadows across her face, highlighting the intensity in her eyes. She leaned back slightly, a faint, arrogant smile playing on her lips.

“Your escape depends on the value of your information,” she replied, her voice smooth and unwavering. “So, whose head are you after?”

She paused and asked discreetly, “Could it be… One of the Alpha Princes?”