166 The Silent War

Kirsch's POV

I expected Willa to hate me, but I didn't expect things to be so bad.

She no longer comes home.

She officially moved to the cave by the beach where we usually keep some emergency stuff. By "move" I meant she left the Alpha house with only the cloak on her back.

She didn't even take the shoulder bag I got her.

Cerberus had been staying there with her. It was the first time that Cerberus was the tin can telephone instead of Willa.

[Alpha, I'm at the edge of the forbidden forest with food and some cloth.] I mindlinked Cerberus, [How's Willa today?]

[Not talking.] Cerberus was obviously not doing well either. Willa's low mood was taking a toll on him as well.

It was almost Christmas and it was freezing cold at night even for werewolves. Cerberus had been shifting during the night to be her bed these days. He was the only one Willa allowed to stay close, but she wasn't even talking to him. She would just sit there with her arms around her knees, crying in silence.

[Can I send the stuff over?] I asked cautiously. Willa would leave if I or Scarlett try to get too close.

[No. I come.] Cerberus grunted as he glanced at Willa with a worried look, "Willa, I go a while?"

Willa nodded before she tiled and laid down on the wet floor of the cave, still with that empty look and empty eyes. Cerberus went over and took her into his arms: "I don't go. Stay with you."

Willa nodded again, and just closed her eyes and buried her face in his chest.

[Can not go. Later.] Cerberus told me, sitting there and gazing into Willa. That was basically their only routine right now.

I suddenly missed the days when all I needed to worry about was that they might have sex.

[Willa, I know you are mad at me, you have every right to. I wanted to talk to you about the Treaty, it's about Cerberus.] It was my last resort for Willa to talk to me.

She refused the mindlink.

[It's reported to them that Cerberus is a mad rogue, wandering around our pack, so, the Treaty is looking into it. The best way to solve it is to get Taran to take the Alpha's title.] I tried again. Willa paused for a second and rejected again.

I sighed and gave up, waiting under the tree with the stuff, just like yesterday and the day before.

[Alpha, how's Willa doing?] Scarlett mindlinked me scrupulously, and Cerberus cut the mindlink the moment Scarlett's request popped in.

Scarlett told me "everything" after Willa left, even her past. Though I couldn't forgive her for how much she hurt Taran, her hatred toward the mad king was understandable when she had suffered so much. I couldn't imagine what I would do if someone hurt Willa or Taran.

[The same...] I sighed, [At least she's eating, and is not throwing away the stuff we gave her--]

[Alpha,] Ethan suddenly mindlinked me, [There are some people at the southern border. They said they are from the Treaty.]

I could see them through the mindlink. It was Bowell, the Treaty's secretary general.

[I'll be right there.] I had to leave the stuff for the border. It was bad for the Treaty to send men straight to the pack without noticing, and there was little room for me to imagine what it could possibly be for--

They came for Cerberus.

They finally tracked him here.

I left with no other choice.

"Unannounced visit, Bowell?" I greeted him, forcing a joke, "To what do I owe the pleasure?"

"Your men have some pride alright." Bowell laughed as he came up and gave me a hug, "I have been standing here waiting for you for half an hour."

"See, you would have got at least a cup of tea if you had let me know you were coming." I joked and he punched me on the shoulder. I saved his son's life in a battle some years ago, and he had been a good friend to us ever since.

"I'll keep that in mind next time." Bowell let out a dry laugh, darting his eyes to the other two men he brought with him nervously. They stood there with straight faces as if they didn't see his look

Something was off with him.

I suddenly remembered that last time Bowell called me to warn me about Cerberus, he told me the Treaty wanted us to hand over Cerberus, and he only called to return the favor because...

The Treaty wouldn't want me to know beforehand and prepare for it.

[Willa!] I turned and shifted, dashing into the woods as I tried to mindlink her. The two men Bowell brought shifted at the same time and chased after me. Instantly there were several alerts bursting out in my mind as I felt several intruders entering the pack territory at the same time--

The Treaty tricked me to the border to invade the pack!

Seven huge wolves closed in on me and I sped up, dashing out of their ambush just in time before they could cut me off.

[Ethan! Get the warriors to the beach! Ethan?] I didn't dare look back -- they knocked him out. I could only pray that his life was not in danger.

[Thomas! Richard! Get everyone and head to the beach!] I shouted frantically before I sent a forced alert to every warrior in the pack through the pack bond. They wouldn't know what happened, but they would know there were werewolves in the pack's territory right now.

[Kirsch!] Willa accepted my mindlink right away, [There are people here and they have guns!]

My heart dropped. I could see a bunch of wolves circling around the cave's entrance where Willa and Cerberus stayed. It was the worst place because they didn't even have anywhere to run!

[They are the Treaty's men! Talk to them! I'm on my way, twenty minutes tops! They are here for Cerberus! So the most important thing is to keep Cerberus calm! Don't give them any reason to hurt him!] I shouted as I dashed forward at full speed.

[Mindlink him!] Willa threw herself at Cerberus as she buried her face in his neck when Cerberus was in a standoff with the men at the cave's entrance.

It would be the worst if he got into a fight with them.

[Alpha! Please, we can solve this problem! Don't fight with them.] I tried to mindlink Cerberus and he put it through when he saw that Willa was mindlinked with me.

[Cerberus, I need you to stay with me, okay?] Willa pressed her forehead against Cerberus's huge ear as she soothed him, [No one could take you away from me, but I need you to let me solve this one, okay?]

Cerberus grunted in frustration. He shook his head frantically, trying to keep his mind calm. If he shows his red eyes, they would kill him right there. The Treaty's law allows that.

A man stepped up from the wolves' circle. He locked his cold eyes on Willa and asked in an emotionless tone: "Little girl, did the wolf kidnapped you here?"

Cerberus roared at his words and got into attack position.