six

Alpha Jayden 

"Five wolves are missing?!" Alpha Jayden exclaimed in horror. "What do you mean five wolves are missing?"

He asked a quivering Philip just to be sure he wasn't hearing wrongly.

"That's not all," Phil said. "Their bodies have been found."

The Alpha slumped to his chair in frustration.

"How did you let this happen, Phil How?"

Phil bowed his head in dismay. "There were guards stationed everywhere as demanded of you but whoever killed them was very skilled."

"But there's a trail."

Phil was quick to add to not seem utterly stupid. The Alpha raised a questioning brow.

"Yes, a trail." He pulled himself together.

"These people were killed yesterday during the Red Moon." Phil pointed out. 

They both exchanged looks.

"I only have one suspect in mind," The Alpha said bitterly

"The Crystal Moon Pack," they chorused. That name left a bitter taste in the alpha's mouth.

The Alpha hated to hear that name and now to say it. He felt disgust crawling up his throat and he felt like clawing at his lungs to get rid of the feeling.

It couldn't be the Red skull pack as only two packs were allowed to move freely on the Red Moon night. His pack and the Crystal Moon Pack. Every other pack would be locked up and guarded tightly. Especially the Red Skull Pack.

The Crystal Moon Pack also had a ritual he had heard of every Red Moon night. He had never seen it with his own two eyes but he had heard rumors of it. Sometimes it was better to believe rumors and take precautions than discard them. He had learned that the hard way.

He was beyond pissed, he hated them. Especially their Alpha.

Sincerely, he hated them because of the man.

He'd visit them and if he discovered his suspicion true, there would be war!

                        ********

Alex Heartman

Alex was pissed. He had lost the man again. Not just that, he had taken a stroll in the woods early that morning in hopes of discovering a trail to the mystery man but was wounded to see five of his people dead in the woods–two females and three men.

He mind-linked Gerald and instructed him to meet him in the woods.

"How did this happen under your watch, G, Gerald?!" He yelled at an already frightened Gerald.

"I-I'm sorry, Sire. I deserve to die." He cried out falling on his face and crying in regret.

He was right. He did deserve to die, he had let five wolves die under his watch. He sure as hell deserved to die but he wouldn't kill him, not yet. As stupid and utterly useless as he seemed, he was still one of his most trained soldiers.

"On your feet," Alex commanded; his tone laced with disgust. 

"I'm not killing you this instant boy not because I have taken a liking to you, I can never like such a fool. But because you're still needed." Alex snarled. "You're only alive for a short while, boy. Use your time wisely."

At this point, Gerald was visibly quivering in raw fear and Alex feared he had shit himself.

"Now get your shit together and tell me what you believe happened here," Alex demanded.

He watched in feigned patience as Gerald struggled to 'get his shit together'.

"Start talking!" Alex roared in anger. He was beginning to reconsider sparing his life.

"Sire, this happened on the Red Moon." He pointed out the obvious.

"And?" Alex was irritated.

"No other pack is allowed to move freely on that day except the Crystal Moon Pack and the Diamond Shadow Pack."

"So?" Alex was truly confused and he could only hope he wasn't saying what he thought he was.

"This only means that the killer came from Diamond Shadow Pack," Gerald announced. 

Alex stared at him in bewilderment his palm itching to slap some sense into him.

"Your past enmity blinds you from seeing the big picture." Alex snapped. Now it was Gerald's turn to be confused. "We are misguided you fool!"

"That conclusion was an easy root of distraction. Look at them"

Alex pointed to the bodies on the floor and when Gerald still didn't get it, he added, "This was a ritual."

How did he get such a fool as a Chief? No wonder nothing was ever done around here.

Gerald's eyes widened in realization.

All their throats had been slit the same way. The blood drained out of each of them. Whoever killed them took his sweet time doing so.

"They were killed somewhere else and their bodies were dumped back here to make it seem like a call for war by the only suspect, the Diamond Shadow Pack." Alex raked his fingers through his blond hair, squatting to look intently at the bodies, examining them closely

As Alex kept pondering on how this was achieved and what the perpetrator's motive really was, they were interrupted.

"Alpha." It was Hendrix. He was here to inform him of Alpha Jayden's arrival. He had heard them while they still approached his territory. 

Well, it seemed Alpha Jayden wasn't a smart man after all. Let his resentment blind him just like his father had all these years. 

"I know alpha Jayden is here, I can hear them." He finished up for Hendrix who wasn't surprised he knew. He had worked with him long enough to know about his high senses. He just couldn't tell how high they were.

Gerald however, was taken aback. He could hear nothing.

"Escort them to the palace." He instructed Hendrix who nodded and made his way back.

"You." He rose, looking at Gerald who straightened his already straight back. "Finish up here and find a trail."

Alex wasn't happy with their arrival and as he made his way back to his castle, he let every ounce of displeasure and disappointment for how his day started to consume him.

He had no problem with the Alpha however, his father had problems with him. Alex couldn't understand though. They had once been best of friends so why? 

'How time changes people.' His wolf pitched in.

Alex let his mind travel to alpha Jayden's daughter. He had forgotten her name now. She used to come along with her father when they were kids.

They had even been friends then before he turned ten.

She was a happy bean and Alex always found it weird but contagious.

Just thinking of her threatened to bring a smile out of him and he fought to keep his thoughts off her.

He hadn't thought of her for years. It was understandable why he did it now though–Of course, her father.