CHAPTER TWENTY

RILEY

My eyes travel to where Beta Stephen stands. I am eager for response as that would determine a lot of things.

From the silence, I don’t even to look at the crowd to feel the tension they feel too. I can bet, I am not alone in this.

“The neighboring pack…,” He begins, but stops halfway as Jude’s voice interrupts him.

“Stanley Pack?”

Is that tension I hear in my Alpha’s voice?

I was not even aware that we had a neighboring pack, until now. And how strong could they be to make my powerful man fret at the mention of their name?

Stanley pack?

What sort of name is that?

Well, it is decided. I don’t like them.

Don’t ask me why.

“Yes. Them. As you all know, I live in very close to the silver store, so I spend most of my time guarding it. At the initial stage of being Beta, I had literally slept in front of it every night, as I was still very anxious at that time.” Beta Stephen had a strong grip on the side of his coat, which he adjusted every second.

Am I the only one that sees all these as unnecessary information?

My eyes are itching for the explanation of the emergency and what has happened to the Silver store.

I admit that I have no right to be this worked up or interested, as I was never aware of the existence of a silver store in a pack where I am the Luna. But, I am fully aware of what silver can do to our kind.

Have totally no idea why this pack has a store full of it, that they even assign the Beta to be watchman over it. But, if it has gotten into the hands of a pack that is not trusted, then we should expect one thing.

Disaster.

That, I know.

“But as time pass, and as I am in my second year of being Beta, I get comfortable with the thought that we have no enemies, so the store is definitely safe. Well, it’s a shame that I was wrong.”

Murmurs fill the space.

Okay, I guess everyone is growing impatient like me.

Beta Stephen takes his time to listen to this noise, before, finally, speaking again.

“I had heard strange sounds earlier today. Footsteps. Perceived a strange smell. It smelt weird, like burnt flesh. But in my foolishness, I had ignored these signs, as I thought it was one of the maids, roosting meat in preparation for lunch.”

Louder murmurs.

When will we get to the part that concerns us? Is he deliberately delaying this?

“Then I had gotten outside my house, as this nagging feeling I had, wouldn’t just let me be. So I stepped outside for fresh air. And then I saw it.” He pauses.

Saw what?

I hear not even as much as a sigh as we all wait earnestly for his conclusion.

“When will you stop dragging this out, Stephen? Speak.” Jude barks, patience lost in his voice.

Finally, someone has said what I have wanted to scream for the longest. Like is he stalling to heighten suspense or what? This is no stage play. It id reality.

This, I keep to myself.

In my head.

“So sorry, Alpha. I’m just giving you and everyone a detailed explanation of how it happened. I never knew I would get you and everyone angry. Well I’m sorry if…”

“Speak on important things Stephen. Trust me, I can get angrier. And I’m sure you don’t want to see that.”

Jumping about with my both hands up in the air, is how I hail my husband, in my head.

“Yes, Alpha. Um, where was I? Um…aha, when I got outside, I saw it. The iron door of the stir had been uprooted from the walls.”

Goodness.

The crowd go into panic as they all begin to talk. Louder murmurs with very loud expressions.

“Wh…what do y…you mean?” this comes from my husband.

My Alpha. Stuttering?

“The door was uprooted and thrown to the side. But, of course, they didn’t leave it at that. The whole store was emptied.”

I don’t know how to feel. But, I know this is bad.

Very bad.

I watch Jude run his both hands across his face. I hate to see him like this. This is a first, but I already hate it.

The crowd has gone awkwardly silent. Nobody is saying anything anymore. I guess they now have full knowledge of what we are in and are wise enough to picture what will become of us if nothing is done quickly.

This knowledge has taken away their voices.

Now they have their eyes trained on my husband, their Alpha, waiting for his reaction. Contribution. Solutions.

“As of now, it is still without door and empty. I wonder how they were able to do that with very little noise.” Beta Stephen continues, thinking out loud.

Is he unable to recognize the mood around him? He just rub salt into injury.

“Enough!” Jude barks, taking myself and some others aback; as when I flinch, from my peripheral, I see about two women mirror this. “Enough of your very organized and detailed narration. Now, solutions. That is what we need now. Solutions, Stephen.”

“i plan on going over there at cock crow tomorrow. I’ll go over there and enquire if this is a sign of looming war. For now, it will be a peaceful visit, but I can’t guarantee how the ones that would follow it will be.” Beta Stephen scratches the back of his head as he gives a small shrug.

“What pack?” Guess who says this. Me.

My voice sounds foreign to my own ears and I feel a pinch in my throat from probably not speaking for so long.

This is my smart brain working in isolation again. But despite the taunting stares it draws my way, I like that I had spoken. There are so many loopholes in his narration, and someone has to question it.

I am Luna.

“What pack? Luna Riley, I have said that already. Weren’t you paying attention? That’s bad, because this is something as serious as an earthquake.” Beta Stephen is sure smarter than he is given credit for.

I smell something fishy in the way he emphasizes on what kind danger we are in, while avoiding telling us how we got into this mess.

“My self and every other people here were so attentive, we almost broke our spine in anticipation for your next words. But there’s still something I don’t understand.”

I have no idea where this confidence is coming from, but I make sure to avoid every eyes. They might scream at me to shut up. And I’m afraid I might actually do that.

Shut up.

“Go ahead and ask Luna. This humble Beta is definitely going to fill up your curiosity with the exact thing that had happened.”

See?

“You stated that you heard strange sounds around the store. And you ignored that.”

“Yes. I said that.”

“You also perceived a disturbing smell of burnt flesh. This, you also ignored.”

“Right.”

“So you didn’t see any of them?”

“None. They had gone by the time I came outside.”

I can only imagine how the crowd must be turning their heads here and there, looking at Beta Stephen and I, as we play interrogator and witness. I can only imagine, as I refuse to turn my neck and look at any of them.

Even Jude.

And besides, raw honesty is drawn from the eyes. So I maintain eye contact with Beta Stephen when I ask the next question.

“So what pack are you going to pay a visit to tomorrow?” I raise one eyebrow, hinting on my curiosity.

He hesitates. Guess he’s getting what I am driving at. After all, he is smart.

“Stanley Pack. He mentioned it earlier. So? What are you driving at? Speak quickly.” Jude comes in and orders.

But I have my mind made up to ignore him till I have no use for this confidence I feel pulsing through my veins anymore.

I train my eyes, still on Beta Stephen. “You saw none of the culprits, so where is the trace to the people of the neighboring pack?”

Murmurs arise.

But I still don’t take my eyes off his. For a moment, probably taken aback, he looks away. But I don’t. I watch his eyes move here and there, searching from answers from…whatever.

I ignore the reaction of the crowd as I watch him.

“Don’t get me wrong. I am Luna and I want the absolute best for this pack with all of my heart. But this story does not add up. Before we think on solutions, they detail on how it happened is very important.” I too can’t believe that all this had come out of this very shy mouth of mine. I sound like a majestic royalty, seeking answers.

Like a Luna.

“I too, I’m Beta, and I want the best for the pack too, but this is more serious than words can explain. So forgive me if my instincts had gotten into instant work on sighting the chaos they had created and suspected the ones we share boundaries with.”

I perceive pathetic blackmail.

“Is this Stanley Pack the only Pack we share boundaries with.” I direct my question to him.

But Jude answers, “The other is not an option.”

I hate being ignorant and asking so many questions, but that is fully needed now.

“Why not?” I divert my gaze to Jude and pray that I don’t regret it.

“You really know nothing about this pack. The other pack we share borders with are not wolves. They are Lycans. And after the disagreement on who should own the creek, which our fathers won, they have remained diligently in their space. Neither trespassed into either’s space.”

“See? We actually hold a history of a past grudge with this pack of Lycans. So does that not answer our question that they might be the culprits?”

Am I the only one seeing sense in this?

The incoherent noise that comes from the crowd points towards my angle. I guess.

“Th…that would be disastrous, Luna. Let’s just hope it’s Stanley pack that made away with our silver. Let’s just hope.” Beta Stephen has a deep frown on his face.

Why?

I try dissecting this wish of his, but come up with nothing.