Chapter 3

Garrett Hunter sat impatiently in his office at the pack house. Although he had another office in his personal residence nearby, he had opted to hold this meeting in the pack house office. The space was as dark as his personality, with walls painted in dark hues. In one corner, a bookshelf brimmed with files, and opposite sat comfortable chairs with a middle table. In front of his desk, there were two armchairs for visitors. Otherwise, the office was sparse.

Impatient for his visitor, Garrett demanded an update through a mind link with his Beta, Davies Harris. "He is on his way, Alpha," replied Harris.

Garrett said nothing, waiting for the footsteps he heard approaching his office. The door swung open, and Garrett's cousin, Drake, strolled in nonchalantly. Garrett reacted swiftly, grabbing Drake by the neck and pinning him to the wall. Surprised, Drake looked down at Garret, his hands clutching the king's grip.

"What do you think you're doing?" Garrett demanded. "Is it your hand that has been responsible for the killings?"

"They deserved what came to them," Drake retorted.

Garrett tightened his grip, furious. "You have no right to decide that. I make the decisions, not you."

"You're becoming weak, cousin," Drake taunted.

Garrett threw Drake across the room, where he collided with the chairs. Garret followed, delivering blows to Drake's face and grabbing his neck. The two males held each other in a deadlock, growling and glaring. The room shook with their roars.

Garrett managed to control himself before shifting and gave Drake a good blow to the head, sending him crashing to the floor. Drake raised his hand in surrender, but Garrett, blinded by his anger, ignored it and pinned him down.

"You do not interfere in things that are not your concern," Garret said.

"Fine," Drake conceded.

"You're not getting it," Garrett snapped.

Just then, a new voice interrupted. "Are you back, Garrett...?" Garrett knew without looking that it was his grandmother, and Drake seized the opportunity to escape.

Garrett's grandmother, Mrs. Hunter, entered the room, dismayed to see her only grandchildren at each other's throats. "What is going on?" she asked.

"I was alone, talking to Drake," Garrett lied.

Mrs. Hunter surveyed the disheveled office, unconvinced. She wished the two could get along. "You're excused from my office," Garrett dismissed Drake.

Drake tenderly kissed his grandmother on the forehead, and exited the office. As he left, Mrs. Hunter approached Garrett's desk, slowly taking her seat in the chair opposite him. She studied Garrett, whose anger was palpable. She knew better than to tread lightly when dealing with him.

"Son," she began after a moment's pause, "what is going on?"

Garrett's gaze shifted to his grandmother, who, despite being in her seventies, still appeared remarkably youthful. She was concerned for both him and Drake.

"There have been killings among the humans," Garrett replied.

Mrs. Hunter nodded gravely. "But do you think your cousin is involved?" she inquired.

Garrett's response was swift and certain. "Yes."

"But Garrett," Mrs. Hunter pressed on, "what if he is not?"

Garrett was aware that there was little he could say to change his grandmother's mind; she had always held high hopes for Drake. "You should rest, grandmother," he urged, hoping to steer the conversation away from this topic. "I will handle the matter. You needn't worry."

Garrett needed to dismiss her before she could delve into her next matter of concern: his mate. "I feel like you are driving me away from your office, son," Mrs. Hunter lamented.

Garrett reassured her. "I am not, I am simply exhausted. I need to rest before training, and I am sure you need to rest as well." He used his own health as an excuse, and Mrs. Hunter nodded in understanding. She gave him a motherly smile before leaving the office.

"Davies, get me a list of the packs that are involved in these killings," Garrett instructed his Beta.

"Certainly, Alpha," Davies responded through their telepathic link, demonstrating his respect for Garrett's authority as pack leader.

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Garrett sat in his opulent office, situated in the confines of his home, engrossed in paperwork that Davies, his loyal assistant, had delivered. As a werewolf Alpha, Garret had to stay up-to-date on the happenings of the packs under his jurisdiction. He flipped through the pages, searching for something specific.

"What about this one?" he asked, holding up a file.

Davies looked at the file before answering, "That's the Skyline pack, Alpha. They recently appointed a new leader."

Garrett's eyes narrowed as he examined the file, his wolf bristling with suspicion. "Arrange a meeting with their Alpha. I want to see things for myself," he commanded before placing the file back on his desk. "And keep an eye on Drake's movements."

"As you wish, Alpha," Davies replied with a respectful bow before exiting the room.

Alone in his office, Garrett walked to the window overlooking the water at the back of his home. The tranquil surface of the water, reflecting the sky above, and the lush greenery surrounding his home did nothing to calm his raging emotions. He knew what he had to do to release his inner turmoil - go for a run in the wild.

As he made his way to the pack's patrol, he punished anyone lagging behind, as his pack's welfare was his top priority. Garrett was known for his fierce loyalty to his pack, and he handled any issues with fairness and justice. Any Alpha who dared cross him faced his wrath, and their pack would be left bare until they found a new leader. Garrett didn't care about that as long as the human world didn't discover their existence.

Garrett leaped out of his office window and mid-air, transformed into his giant black wolf, Beast. He ran into the wild, releasing a thunderous growl into the night. The moon shining above illuminated his path as he sprinted with the speed of a bullet. He felt free and alive. But his mind couldn't shake off the Skyline pack's file. Something was not right, and Garrett was determined to get to the bottom of it.

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THE ESCAPE

Emily overheard the conversation in the Skyline common room where Alpha Anon and his mate Annabel were discussing the letter that arrived that morning. "Is it a good thing that the Alpha king is coming here?" Annabel asked. Anon was busy packing the room when his father and former Alpha walked in with his wife Sidney. "I heard the Alpha king is coming here," the former Alpha stated. Sidney was uneasy about the news and turned to her son. "What have you been up to?" she asked. "Nothing, mother," Anon replied.

Annabel frowned at the former Luna of the pack and asked, "Are you suspecting the Alpha?" The former Alpha interrupted, "Stop. We need to prepare for his visit. Make sure the Omegas are scared, get your warriors in order, and dispose of anything that may implicate you for now. Watch how you speak to him. The king is known to be merciless. Your goal is to win his favor."

Emily quietly left the common room and went to their hut to share the news with Fanny. "That's great news. If we don't have to serve the king, I don't think we would last in his presence. The king is evil," Fanny shivered. "He is known to be merciless, cruel, a killer. He is a very bad nightmare, a story to scare little ones. On top of it all, he is cursed, cursed by the greatest evil witch. Have you forgotten his story?"

"No, but I hope we will be safe from him as long as we do not cross his path. I don't mind seeing him if it is just once," Emily replied. Fanny was shocked and said, "Emily, are you out of your mind? We should be planning how we can use this opportunity to escape."

"We should?" Emily frowned.

"Yes, do you want to remain here for the rest of your life?" Fanny asked.

"What if we are captured again? Or fall into the hands of people far worse than this?"

"At least we tried. We can die smiling," Fanny said with much conviction.

Annabel walked in with a cruel smile and interrupted their conversation. "So you are planning to run away?" Emily shared a deadly look with Fanny. They knew they were caught by Annabel of all people. The girls went on their knees directly. "Please, Luna, we were just kidding," Emily pleaded.

"Why don't we take you two to the Alpha and let him decide what to do with you? Killing you lowlifes to entertain the king is not such a bad idea too," Annabel smiled at her own suggestion. "We never planned on running away, Luna. Please," Fanny begged.

"We have an issue on the ground, dear," Annabel mind-linked Alpha Anon. "Get yourself to the pack house, dogs. The Alpha king is here."

"Please, Luna," Fanny pleaded.

"Do I need to drag you two out? The king wants to see everyone in the pack, and I guess that includes the two maids. After that, we can report your evil plot to him and let him decide what to do with you," Annabel clapped her hands together for her bright idea. "Out with you two," she pushed them out of the house with force.

The girls knew they were in deep trouble, caught by Annabel of all people. With no escape plan in sight, they could only hope for the best but prepare for the worst as they headed to meet the Alpha King. The thought of what fate awaited them left a knot in their stomachs as they walked towards the pack house, wondering what would happen next.