Chapter five

“High Alpha,” a man bowed in front of Damien and the man sighed.

“What is it now?” he asked.

“It’s the rogues,” the servant answered.

“Again?” Damien asked.

“Yes Alpha, and they looked more deranged the more.”

Damien sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. “Any news from the high chiefs?”

“Not yet alpha. We have sent ten letters to them upon your request but they have not replied to any.”

Damien exhaled. “Malachi is still in mourning for the death of the prince so it’s understandable. Any news about Aliyah?”

“Nothing alpha. The witches are also looking for her as well.”

“So she has not contacted her parents since then?”

“No single news. We have kept close eyes on them and they have never left their pack. The Luna hardly leaves her room in fact and Alpha Alan, although he carries out his alpha duties, he is like a walking corpse.”

Damien nodded and waved the man away. He rested his head on his chair’s headrest as he was overcome with thoughts. The witch Melissa had confessed to them using the rogues to search for Aliyah then and had promised that everything would stop once the vampire prince is killed. Now, it’s been over two months since the fight in the meadow and rather than regaining themselves, the rogues are being used more and more. He can’t even count how many they have killed in the last months and talk about other packs. His worry now is what would become of them when the rogues diminish? A few of some packmates have sustained injuries from the rogues and they have not been themselves since then and are constantly under lock and key. Not even Catherine, the world-renowned healer has been able to figure out how to treat the infection.

Malachi has withdrawn since the fight and he doesn’t even know his fate with the High chiefs if a big war should break out now. What is going on? Why won’t the witches leave the rogues alone? Even if they want to be using the rogues, why do they keep sending them to fight them, shouldn’t they be sending them to find Aliyah instead?

He sighed and got a pepper and peacock feather with ink to write another letter to the High chiefs. He has a pen he could have used but sometimes, he just loves writing with the feather and ink. After writing down the words in his heart, he sent for a servant and ordered him to make sure it gets to the High chiefs and to stay till he was given a respond to bring for him.

***

 “Luna,” Monica knocked on the door as quietly as she could. “Luna it’s me,” she whispered. Soon after, the door was opened and she was pulled inside the room. “Oh,” she gasped, covering her protruding belly.

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry my dear, did I hurt you?” Scarlet asked worriedly.

Monica smiled softly and shook her head. “I’m fine Luna.”

Scarlet sighed in relief. “I’m sorry but you know Damien’s wolves are everywhere. One can never be too careful, you know,” she smiled painfully.

“I understand Luna, you don’t need to explain,” the younger girl replied and frowned, grunting softly as she placed her hand on her waist to ease the pain.

Scarlet watched her and felt bad for her immediately. “I’m sorry my dear. Your peers always look froward to being pregnant and having their males watch over them and you, you have to go through this alone and it’s not that your mate is gone but because of my daughter.”

Monica waved the woman away and went to sit down her bed. They have gotten really close during the past months that she knew she wouldn’t mind. “I admit, I used to be jealous of Aliyah and how Sean always protects her but at the time, she really needs that. It hurst sometimes that I am just beginning to see what Sean used to say. He used to tell me that if there was going to be anything between them, it would have started long before he was mated to me. Back then, I didn’t used to see it that way but right now,” she shook her head. “It hurts because I can’t get to see Aliyah now and to tell her how sorry I am. She had wanted us to be friends immediately I mated to Sean but I have been so stupid and so young.”

“You are still young.”

“Yes, but life has forced me to grow up. I would rather live like this, knowing one night a hologram of my mate is going to pop up in my room and we are going to chat and tell ourselves how much we miss each other than to live knowing that…” she sniffled, her eyes tearing over, “knowing that I would never see him in this world again. Knowing that he would never see his son nor play with him. No,” she shook her head, wiping away the tears. “Life is really tough on Aliyah and I don’t care if Sean is with her anymore or taking care of her. If I can, I would be there too, she needs it. She needs all the care in the world that she can get but she can’t even come home, the one place she would get that. Why? Because the people we considered our leaders chose to believe outsiders and are willing to hand over one of us to them.”

“Shush,” Scarlet rushed to her and pulled her into her arms. “You don’t need this now dear, you don’t need it.”

“Why is it so hard on Aliyah? She spent so many years searching for him, waiting for him and just when she found him, he was brutally taken away from her. Why is Selene so unfair to her, why?”

“Calm down my dear, I believe everything has a cause and I know that one day Selene would remember my daughter. Just one day, okay?” she ran her hand up and down Monica’s back, settling on her waist to give her a little massage, knowing it would hurt there more. “Did Sean come to you?”

Monica nodded. “He said Aliyah had a breakdown today.”

Scarlet sighed and sniffled, trying to be the stronger person. “It’s expected.”

“He also said that she fed on blood tonight.”

Scarlet was stunned but after going through it in her mind, she shrugged. “It’s expected,” she repeated. After all, her mate is a nightwalker, it shouldn’t come as a surprise if her son needs blood.

“Do you think they will ever come home?” Monica asked, looking up at the woman.

Scarlet exhaled and was quiet for some seconds before she answered, “of course. We just have to pray for it to happen sooner.”

“Yeah, you are right. And also pray that Catherine finds a way to detoxify the infection from the rogues, it would help really greatly.”

“Indeed.”

***

Rasmus ripped out the throat of the last rogue and growled, his eyes burning red as he fetched out Irene’s potion and sipped from it. He was soaked in blood but he didn’t mind that. The most important thing is that he was finally in the castle and the sun would soon be up in the sky. He looked around the living room, despite the blood coating the walls, anyone who stepped into the house would know it belonged to a prince, the riches aren’t lost on it.

He tried not to be nostalgic and quickly rushed to the treasure room, however, he had to pass Edward’s room to get there and he couldn’t resist going into the room. As he pushed open the door and spotted the black coffin he had laid Edward in the first time he stumbled upon the man’s sleeping body, he felt the heaviness in his heart and he knew that if his tear glands weren’t already dead, he would be crying his heart out. The room was as it used to be, nothing out of place and he could still perceive Aliyah’s scent along with his Prince’s own and he closed his eyes.

He thought of that day, the look the man gave him in the kitchen right after he mentioned the rogues and which was what that told he must have known of his betrayal onset but he still followed him, pretending to be lost. Just why didn’t he use his demon powers? Why didn’t he kill his father when he had the chance to?

He knew he shouldn’t be asking that question, after all, he knew why. Three weeks before the fight, a certain servant had asked his prince to please spare the life of his father and should injure him instead. The man had honored his wish till he took his last breath and all his father walked away with on the fight was an everlasting injury on his pelvic girdle that has affected the way he walks now and sadly or rather, fortunately would remain so till the day he dies. He had been able to meet his mother four days after the fight and she had told him his father wasn’t healing and somehow his injury has affected his running speed. He had told her that he deserved it, at least every day now when he felt the pain on his waist, he would remember that he killed his prince, the man who had loved him like a son.

However, no matter how much he thinks his father deserves his injury, he always believed he deserved one too but the prince had forgiven him, why, why did he forgive him? He should have killed him for betraying him but he didn’t. The man talks about how coldhearted he was but in fact, he was the warmest person he had ever known and he didn’t deserve to die. He deserves the happiness he has always longed for, to finally be with his mate and have his own children and not leaving them in the time of need to be gone forever. He heaved a deep sigh and made the vow to himself that his own punishment would be to serve his son and he would never depart from it unless he dies.