CHAPTER 30

THADDEUS

I couldn't believe what was happening. This was the third time we'd argued, and it all started over those rodent creatures. While I was still fuming, my wolf was in a completely different mood. He couldn't stop gushing about how adorable Hazel looked, comparing her to a cute little angry puppy. I rolled my eyes at his silly thoughts.

She was cute, I would admit, but that wasn't important right now. We had more pressing issues to deal with. 

'Would you stop? We have to deal with more serious and pressing issues right now and her cuteness isn't supposed to be one of them.'

He froze and shook his fur out as the seriousness of the situation hit him once again. I was lucky that my wolf knew when to stop acting like a pup and start acting like an Alpha. 

I took his silence as a good-to-go signal and headed towards the dungeon where my father was dealing with the dead rogues.

"Father," I called out, my voice echoing softly in the dim, stone corridor. The heavy silence that followed seemed to stretch on forever, until finally, a figure emerged from one of the shadowed cells. It was him, my father, his face etched with a look of weary frustration.

"Let's talk in my office," he said, his voice low. Without a word, we headed towards his office. Once inside, he sank into his chair with a heavy sigh.

“What happened to the rogue?” I asked, leaning against the wall with my arms crossed. 

“One of the pack doctors tested the wolves' blood. They found something strange inside. This strange stuff made the wolves sick and weak, and it also made them very dangerous.”

“It seems they were either given a strange injection from another creature or put under a powerful spell that controls their minds.”

“I wonder if they might have sworn a blood oath, a pact sealed with their lifeblood, to signify their unwavering loyalty.”

We were silent for a while as we thought more about what to do.

"We need to find another witch, fast. The witch from the west isn't cutting it. We need to find someone else who can help us. Do you know any other witches who are close enough to visit in a few days? We need quick answers, even if we have to wait a day or two for them to get back to us.”

My father scratched his chin, “how about that witch, Molly?”

“You mean, Mollsy?”

“Yes, whatever her name is. She lives on the north side of the woods, right? It would probably take you two or three days to get there if you move very fast.”

I sucked in a breath, “I don't know. The last time I visited her, she was a little too fond of me.” 

My father gave me a dry smile. “I wonder why. You are not much to look at, son.”

“To you, maybe. But from the way she kept touching me, it seemed as if she wanted to turn me into a damn statue and keep me with her forever.” I said, nearly shuddering at the memory from a few years. 

Mollsy was a very… frisky witch. 

“Well, she is the closest I can think of unless you want to try travelling to a different state.” 

I sighed, “No, she will have to do. I’m sure I can handle her for just a few hours, I was thinking of leaving the day before tomorrow and I want Sparrow and Thea to tag along.”

“I want you to take the girl with you.” My father said, catching me off guard. 

“Why, she is already in danger, Father. Travelling would put her in a bigger risk.” I said and he frowned.

“You are not travelling alone, you are taking some pack warriors.” He says. “I’m going to make sure you go with enough warriors. Mollsy may want to see the girl herself before giving us answers.”

I pursed my lips, but reluctantly nodded. “Fine, I would bring her along.” I said turning to leave. However, the door slammed open and Kara ran in frantically. She seemed shocked and scared at the same time. 

“Kara, what's wrong?” My father asked, standing up from his chair as he walked over the worried wolf. We exchanged a look as Kara struggled to form a word. 

“The– p–pup, they–just gave birth too,” she stammered while trying to breathe at the same time.

“What about the pup, Kara? Is he okay?” My father questioned sternly. 

“Yes, but something new happened.”

“What do you mean?”

“He has the blessing of the moon goddess. Alpha, he has silver blood.”

I could practically hear crickets chirping after Kara stuttered out the announcement and it wasn't even nighttime. We were all that silent.

My father's face was a mask of shock and horror. I couldn't blame him. Our problems had just taken a terrifying turn. If these creatures were truly after Hazel, they might not stop there. The newborn pup could be their next target. Hazel, had her strength and could defend herself. But the innocent pup was defenceless, a tiny creature against this monstrous threat.

“On second thought, I think we would leave today. The faster we get to the witches, the faster we can. Get out answers and plan ahead,” I said, breaking the tense atmosphere. We couldn't wait around anymore. We needed to act quickly before the wrong people found out about the newborn boy. 

"Father, I don't think Hazel should go on this trip. She's still feeling weak, and I worry it might be too much for her right now," I said.

"She's a strong wolf, you know," he said, his voice filled with conviction. "She can handle herself. We need answers, and fast. We're all in danger here, and she's the only one who can help us right now.” I nodded, understanding the urgency in his words.

After leaving my father's office, I quickly made my way to the hospital. I only nodded briefly at the pack warriors on duty, eager to reach my destination.

While en route, I contacted Sparrow and Thea, instructing them to begin packing our belongings and to alert our pack warriors of our impending departure.

I yanked open the door to the hospital and the smell of hand sanitizer filled my nostrils almost immediately as I walked further inside. My eyes trailer over the numbered doors as I tried to figure out where Hazel was. 

“Alpha Thaddeus,” one of the nurses bowed her head. “How may I help you today?”

“Hazel, I need to find her. Do you know where she might be?”

“Oh, you mean the new pack member, room number Twenty, Alpha.”

“Thank you.”

I pounded on the door, my impatience growing with each passing second. The door creaked open, and a nurse peered out, her face etched with confusion. "Alpha?" she questioned, her voice laced with uncertainty. “Can I help you?” 

"Is Hazel here?" I barked, my patience wearing thin. I was growing increasingly irritated with the constant barrage of questions. Couldn't they just let me pass?

She nodded and opened the door wider. I stepped inside and saw a woman lying unconscious in the hospital bed. Next to her, Hazel was gazing at the sleeping baby in the bassinet. She looked up at me and gave a small smile. “I’m guessing you already know,” she said quietly.

I nodded and looked at the baby sleeping peacefully in the bassinet, unaware of the danger that he was going to face. I wouldn't say he looked cute, considering he was red and wrinkled, but there was something about him that made me want to smile. 

Hazel sighed, her finger tracing the delicate lines of the baby's tiny hand. "I never thought my life would take this turn," she murmured, her voice filled with sadness and tenderness. "After everything my pack put me through, I never imagined I'd end up here, holding a life so fragile and innocent.”

She paused, her gaze softening as she studied the baby's peaceful face. "But when I think about my own troubles, they seem so small compared to this little one right here. He's so young, so vulnerable.”

"How did you find out about his blood type?" I asked, curious.

"Oh, it was during his routine newborn screening," she replied, gently touching the tiny bandage on his heel. "They prick their little heels to test for various conditions.”

"What? Already?" I frowned, my brow furrowing in confusion. "I thought they were supposed to wait a few days before doing that. This is way too soon.”

“Oh, you think you know about babies? Well, let me tell you, werewolf babies are a whole different beast. You clearly have no clue.”

I nodded, my gaze fixed on her as she gently tucked the thin blanket around the baby. Her pink, heart-shaped lips twitched into a soft smile as the little one crinkled its nose in its sleep. It was clear to see that she had a natural affinity for children, particularly infants. This was a comforting thought, given the abundance of young ones in our pack.

'This is wonderful. Mate will want pup quickly then.' My wolf purred happily while wagging his tail excitedly.

"We've got bigger fish to fry than worrying about puppies," I scoffed, "and all you can think about is breeding?”

'Making pups is fun.' He purred again. 

‘How do you even know that when we haven't even tried it?' I said. 

That shut him faster than I expected. 

“Thaddeus,” Hazel called, trying to get my attention. “Thaddeus, can you even hear me?”

I blinked and stared at her. “Yes?”

“Why are you here? I know you didn't just come to check on the baby.”

“Oh right,” I cleared my throat roughly, “I wanted to tell you that we found a witch we could talk to. You should pack a few things because we are going to visit the witch. She lives pretty far so we will have to spend at least two to three nights travelling.”

She nodded, “Okay. When do we leave?” 

I checked my watch and pursed my lips. It was already Twelve o'clock and we needed to get ready. 

"Three sharp," I growled, my voice low and menacing. A chill seemed to settle

in the air as I turned and stalked towards the door. 

The weight of the impending task pressed down on me, a heavy, suffocating blanket. There was no time for idle chatter, no room for distractions. Every second counted. The clock was ticking, and I was running out of time. What lay ahead was uncertain, dangerous, and full of unknown perils. But I had to be ready. I had to be prepared. For what, I didn't know yet. But I knew one thing for sure: it was going to be a long trip.