2. The Eavesdropping Reven

Natalie couldn't seem to understand Life anymore, she looked around and watched how everyone was talking and panicking about the Skull pack as they rode in the night, they were all forgetting about the main person, Yvonne, who was about to be buried six feet under the ground. Her hatred for the Skull pack knew no bounds now more than ever as she saw them as wicked and heartless beings who wanted to ruin Yvonne's burial. She also despised the so-called new tradition which says that whenever an alpha dies, other alphas must be present especially during the Coronation of a new Alpha. Natalie didn't understand why the rest were scared of the Skull pack, probably because she had never met one. 

 Handogan and Reno talked throughout the journey, trying to reason why the Skull pack were attending the burial, but they just got more and more confused. 

 They finally reached the Furnace pack wall and were welcomed heartily by the guards. 

  As they walked inside the city, Natalie noticed that the city wasn't as beautiful as it was before. 

The death of a great Alpha like Yvonne must have removed most of it's beauty. Natalie thought. They were ushered into a very large brick made house, which was where Yvonne Ney and her daughter once lived. Now, it was only Delia Ney, Yvonne's only child, who lived alone here. The portraits and sculptures of Yvonne made Natalie's eyes watery. She missed Yvonne so much that she couldn't prevent the boiling tears from falling down her cheeks. Yvonne was like a mother to her, the only person apart from her father and Arie that she could communicate with.   

 Handogan noticed Natalie's mood, despite her efforts in concealing her pain. He walked towards her and placed an arm over her shoulders and drew her closer to him. Seeing Natalie bitter, was always a horrible sight for Handogan. He loved his daughter so much, more than anything in the world and he couldn't bear seeing her sad. He knew he had to find someone to fill the hole Yvonne left in Natalie's heart. 

 The house was large, so they walked a long while before they met Delia, Yvonne's daughter. She was seated on her mother's rocking chair, facing a large window which had a wonderful view of the gardens and the bank of the popular Wolfblood river. 

  She stood up immediately she noticed their presence. Her eyes were red and swollen, she looked miserable and pitiful. 

 "I'm really sorry, Delia." Handogan said. 

  Delia attempted to talk but choked on herself and a flood of tears ran down her face. 

  Handogan hugged and patted her back, whispering words of consolation.  

 The sight only made Natalie feel worse. She wished she could cry like Delia, she wished she could cry for a whole day, a week, a month or probably a year, to ease her pain. She could feel the heaviness on her chest, and her head was full. 

After a while, Delia stopped crying and was talking again. They were seated on wooden chairs, facing one another. 

 "My heart aches for my dearest mother, she deserved more than this. If only she had died in a befitting manner, my troubled heart might ache less." 

It was then that it occurred to both Handogan and Natalie that they had not asked of the cause of Yvonne's death. They had both assumed that it must have been due to age or health issues which she suffered for several years. 

  "What was the cause of her death." Handogan asked with his heart jumping in his chest. 

 Delia stared into Handogan's eye and then broke into tears. Amidst her tears, she managed to say, "She was murdered. My mother was killed." 

 That statement changed the whole situation for both Handogan and Natalie. 

  To Handogan, it meant that something really horrible was about to happen.  

 To Natalie, that Yvonne Ney left the world in a frightening way. She couldn't imagine how terrified Yvonne would have felt as she drew in her last breath. 

 After a long-lasting silence, Handogan said with an angry voice."Who is the Killer? 

 "I…don't know. I was in the gardens when I was called by some guards. They ushered me into my mother's room, and…"   

Natalie stood up and sat beside Delia and gave some motivating words. 

 At last, Delia continued,"My mother was lying facedown on her reading table, with a Six foot Sword pierced through her back."

"What do you think Father and Reven wants from here?" Simion Darke asked his twin brother. Euvene Darke, who was concentrating on his ramen meal took a while before replying with his mouth partially full."I don't know, but I guess it may be some kind of object or something related." 

 Simion sighed, "It hurts me so much that Father trusts that bastard son of his more than us, which is highly ridiculous because I see nothing special in him." 

 "Yeah, there is nothing special about Reven apart from his strength, good looks, sharp brain, speed, stealth, good judgement, leadership skills, sword mastery, loyalty…" 

  "That's enough. Are you supporting Reven now?"Simion asked angrily. 

  "No!Never! Why would I ever support a beast like Reven. I was only stating what was in my mind." 

 "Well, keep those thoughts in your mind and to yourself, because they aren't true. He's not as strong as he looks, nor as…good looking. So finish your Ramen quickly, and stop saying foolish things, okay?"  

 Simion stood up and dashed out of the bedroom they shared. He silently cursed his mother for giving birth to Euvene as he walked outside to the empty fields. The sky was filled with constellations and was cloudless. The moon was crescent and it would be a while before a full moon would emerge. 

 As he walked farther into the wide beautiful fields, he thought about Reven, his stepbrother, then he thought about his father, then he thought about himself. He thought about being the Alpha of the Skull pack, the thought of him being the Alpha of Reven sweetened his heart.  

  After a while, he turned back with a wide smile across his face. His gladdened heart jumped as he caught sight of his father and Reven talking outside the lodge which the skull pack had been given to occupy for the next few days.  

 He so much wanted to go and interrupt their discussion or at least hear what they were talking about, but he knew his father will  get annoyed if he dared interrupt them, so he walked away with his heart heavy again

Delia had just finished addressing Handogan and Natalie and she was so exhausted. She had taken a hot water bath and was still getting dressed in her night robe when Heathrow, her mother's adopted brother (Delia's adopted Uncle) walked in. 

 Delia saw him from her mirror and her face brightened instantly. She turned and laughed happily and he reciprocated. 

  "Thank you so much." She hugged him for a half-second and backed away. Then she asked impatiently, "Now, What's next." 

        "What's next is, we wait for Yvonne to get buried then we plan." 

        "No. We can't wait till she is buried, let's do something now." 

         "No, like I said we will wait." 

          "But how are you sure something wouldn't go wrong."Delia said pacing around her bedroom anxiously.  

        " The Burial's tomorrow, Delia. So calm down. " 

         "Why should I calm down, Heathrow!" 

        "Shhh."  

  She faced her large window facing the open fields. The window was shut, but was clear enough  for her to see the beautiful night sky and the wide fields (vice versa).  

         Heathrow walked gently and turned her around to face him. "Delia, are you regretting your decision?" 

        "Of course not," she spat out." I will do it over and over again if I were given the chance." 

          "Your mother was indeed a weak Alpha, so i'm in support of your bold actions and I promise to assist you in every way possible in becoming the new Alpha." 

            "Thank you." 

          "No problem…." Heathrow's eyes diverted from Delia to something outside in the fields.  

        Delia turned to look but saw nothing, "Heathrow, is everything alright?" 

      His eyes turned back to her. "Yes, I guess… I  just thought i saw something like a shadow outside." 

      Delia turned but still saw nothing. "I can't see anything, Are you sure of what you saw?" 

       He looked out again, "Probably not." He closed the curtains. "We need to be extremely careful these next few days." 

        "Yeah, sure." 

    "You have to trust me, Delia." 

     "I've always trusted you, Heathrow." 

     "Yes, I know that but you have to trust me without any form of doubt now more than ever, okay?" 

    She stared at him and nodded. 

      "Okay?" He asked again. 

      "Yeah." 

    "Great. Have a good night, Delia. Tomorrow will be somewhat stressful." 

    "Goodnight."

Handogan sat beside Natalie, boiling with Fury. 

    Oritz couldn't believe what he had heard, and so did the rest. 

      Reno broke the silence, "So, what do we do now?" 

      Handogan stood up and paced around, then he stopped and faced the rest. "We bury Yvonne, then we have a general meeting." 

       "What do you mean by a meeting?" Oritz asked. 

       "I mean, everybody here including the Skull pack will be summoned." 

     Natalie said,"And what is the aim of this meeting." 

     "The meeting is where we'll find the killer or killers." 

     Everyone became silent again and was in deep thoughts. 

    Then, Handogan said,"Be prepared because the meeting may most likely end in dangerous terms."

 Reven walked fast back to the lodge, he wasn't sure that they had seen him , but he walked fast anyways. He was so surprised and shocked from what he had overheard. 

         He had been walking through the lovely fields after talking to his father when he overheard laughter from Delia's room and had heard another person's voice. He had wanted to continue walking but an instinct told him to use his wolf ears to hear why the grieving daughter of the dead Alpha would be laughing a few hours before her mother's burial, so he did and he got the greatest shock ever.  

    SHE KILLED HER OWN MOTHER!!!