I looked up at the unfamiliar face, frowning slightly, though not so much as Cole, who looked more than a little bit annoyed at having his path blocked in such a way. "Beta, Luna," the man's deep, gravelly voice said, as he looked down at both of us. I couldn't help but think it odd, the way he did that, given that no one I'd met before had been taller than Cole and Finn, let alone Thane, whose height this man easily matched. "It's a pleasure to finally meet you," he continued, offering me his hand, "I've heard so much about you." I glanced at Cole, and took it hesitantly, and the stranger brought my hand gently to his lips, as he bowed forward in a gesture of respect. "Likewise.. " I said uncertainly, lowering my head slightly in return, and Cole tensed beside me. "Laila, this is Alpha Yannick, of the Silver Waters pack." "A pleasure, Alpha Yannick," I said politely, and he smiled, finally lowering my hand. "Indeed. I'm eager to get to know you more, I hear you have quite the inter
I frowned at him, and exchanged a quick glance with Cole, wondering what anything this man had to say would have to do with me, but Cole sighed, standing up and gesturing for me to follow. I gave him a confused look as we followed the two of them up to Thane's office, but he only shrugged, not seeming to have any insight to offer. As Cole closed the door beside us, the rest of us took a seat, Yannick stretching out casually, seeming to feel quite at home. "We're one short," he said simply, and Thane stared at him, "He's otherwise occupied," he answered, and Yannick raised an eyebrow. "Oh? Whatever it is, I'm sure this will be far more important," he said, watching as Thane bristled with anger. "I'd be able to judge that myself, if you'd bother to tell us why you're here," he said impatiently, but Yannick only smiled casually, tilting his head towards me. "I've been hearing a lot of rumours lately," he said, making Thane roll his eyes, clearly fed up with the indirect answers. "Some
Thane nodded thoughtfully, but hardly seemed convinced, "How?" he asked, and Yannick grinned brightly. "Well, the thing is, that this Fearmonger is something of a Royal witch speciality," he began, "They were the only ones who could summon or control them. And control them they truly can." He paused, looking satisfied as he watched our uncertain reactions, "Just so happens, I've got exactly one of those. Well trained, too, now that she's broken in.." Thane cut him off with a raised hand, "No," he said sharply, and Yannick raised an eyebrow, laughing as though he were being ridiculous. "No?!" he repeated in disbelief, "Are you in your right mind?" Thane only stared at him, his face hard and serious. "We've no wish to use your 'broken in' witch," he said angrily, "I hate to even think what that term implies. We don't keep slaves of any kind here, or support those who do." Yannick's face grew darker as Thane continued, clearly taking offense to his words. He scoffed derisively, "I gues
Marian looked stunned, the colour draining from her face, and she closed her eyes, rubbing her forehead, seeming to process what he'd just told her. "Okay," she said shakily, ".. okay, okay.." she took a couple of deep breaths, her eyes still closed as she calmed herself, before looking back at Finn and I. "Are we still trying to keep the South Wing clear?" she asked, sounding much more composed. Finn nodded, "Yes, if we can manage without it," she nodded again, seeming to have fully recovered from her shock as she took charge, and I had to admire her ability to react well under pressure. "We only have five patients at the moment, in wards One through Three," she said, seemingly half to herself. "Camille!" she called out, and the other nurse stuck her head out of one of the nearby wards, "Prepare ward Twelve for emergency triage, we might have a lot of incomings. Eleven too, just in case."Camille stared at her in disbelief for a moment, and Marian raised an eyebrow, "Now! Laila and
Elyanna opened the door a moment later, with a small frown in her face. Seeing us, she stepped outside, rather than inviting us in, pulling the door closed behind her. "Finn, Laila," she said with a warm smile, though her forehead still held a small crease, "What's happened?" she asked. Finn and I exchanged a glance, and he gave her an apologetic smile, "This.. probably won't be a quick conversation," he said hesitantly, "Would you prefer to have it inside?" Her lips pursed together as she shifted uncomfortably, "Ah, at the moment, I have.. company," she said awkwardly, "That you may not wish to overhear?" she continued, her tone suggestive. He sighed, and nodded, "We hoped it might have been the kind of company that might have offered further insight," he said gently, "We've just had some ourselves." She raised an eyebrow, "You have learned something?" she asked, seeming surprised, and Finn shook his head, giving a short laugh. "No, I don't think so," he said, "It was Yannick, from
"Just like Margrethe herself," Mathilde breathed softly, half to herself, and Anne stood, coming closer and peering over her friend's shoulder. "Truly!" she gasped, seeming just as surprised and impressed as Mathilde was. I frowned at them both, as Lisbet began to withdraw again, "Margrethe?" I asked, and they stared at me in mild disbelief."Queen Margrethe, of course!" Josefine said, sounding a little offended, and Anne turned to face her. "She is so young, you cannot expect her to remember a Queen long before her time," Anne said gently. Josefine tilted her chin up slightly, "She was also a werewolf, do they not teach the history of their own Royals?" she asked, and Elyanna sighed. "Whether they do or not, Laila had no control over what she herself was taught as a child," she said sternly, "Do not place the blame that belongs to the generations past on her shoulders."Anne nodded agreement, along with Sofie, and Josefine scowled. "It may be the fault of generations past, but will sh
Josefine turned to him with an arched eyebrow and a stern look, before looking back to me, "Which one of you does the Fearmonger seek?" she asked. "They said it was me," I answered quietly. "Have you confirmed it?" she asked, and I frowned, asking her, "How would I do that?" She gave a brief nod, then turned to the others, who already seemed to be gathering some things up. "Leave it with us," Josefine said, as they all began heading for the door, and Elyanna ushered for us to follow, "We will do what we can," she said encouragingly, "For now, take care of your pack, defend them if need be. We'll find you when it's time," she continued, as we followed the others outside. "When it's time for what?" I asked, as she pulled her door closed behind us, locking it with a key on a ring full of others. My mind caught on that detail for some reason, it seeming odd, given her tiny cottage, for there to be so many. She smiled and reached over to touch my cheek gently, drawing my attention back t
As we reached the green, we noticed the tension in the air. Nerves were frayed, and some were frightened, knowing something was happening, but having no clear message of what. A few people stopped, staring at us, seeming to be waiting for something, and I sighed, looking up at Finn. "They need to know," I said gently, and he frowned, shaking his head, "Thane.." he began, and I gently put a hand on his arm. "Check with him," I said gently, "but he's not down here, he doesn't see their nervousness. They'd feel better if they knew, and knew it was being handled." He sighed, but nodded, his eyes going blank for a moment, before they came into focus again, "He still doesn't want to share much," he said, looking mildly disappointed, "but we can let them know a little." I nodded, giving him an encouraging smile, and he turned, making eye contact with those watching and waiting nervously, beckoning them over. When a small crowd had gathered around us, he lifted his head, raising his voice,