Missing The Girl

Chapter 24

The wolves of Inverno were bred for war. Throughout the kingdom's history, they were warlike and fought for many reasons, including trivial ones.

Mostly, they attacked to seize territory; other reasons included seizing magical artifacts or sometimes just out of boredom.

Their bodies, both in wolf and human form, were tall and bulky, with fierce amber eyes and arrogant grins.

Most of their fur was brown, in various shades.

However, the most beautiful fur belonged to the wolves of the Kabar family.

Kabar’s own fur was a bright brown that shimmered in the moonlight as he howled to assert his dominance over the pack.

During the day, when he transformed into a human, his square face with a haughty smile firmly planted on it, combined with a lean, muscular body, made him the envy of female wolves who dream of becoming his mate.

However, he has always been with Nalani for the past few years. Nalani, now almost 18 years old, with her uncertain status at the Alpha’s side, annoyed the Counselors.

Kabar faced a debate with the Advisors about whether the Alpha needed a suitable partner, especially since Nalani had been sent to Alpha of Mond.

“The offspring of your family have always given birth to the best Alphas,” said Arald, his father’s longtime advisor. “We must not miss the opportunity to continue your bloodline, Alpha.”

Kabar only nodded. His mind was elsewhere. He thought of Nalani and the letter that had just arrived. The contents of the letter further piqued his curiosity about the Mond clan.

“I’m too busy to think about that, Arald,” she said. “My attention is focused on Mond.”

“Since you have given Nalani to them, you can now find your mate, Alpha. You wouldn’t have found your destined mate if you hadn’t spent time around she-wolves.”

Kabar laughed. Inwardly, he was very annoyed with old wolves like Arald, who always criticized every decision he made.

This older generation was too naive for Kabar. They only knew how to fight and mate. No strategy, no preparation, not even a plan.

Kabar growled. “Look, I didn’t send Nalani for nothing. If you want to go to war with Mond, then I will fulfill your wish. But my way is different from my father and his father. It's Different from the way the alphas did it before.”

They all fell silent. Then Arald asked, "What information did Nalani send? Is it true that the Mond clan has lost their magic?"

Instead of answering, Kabar turned the question to Arald, the oldest among them. "Have you ever heard the name Lorelei of Mond?"

Arald was stunned. "Lorelei? That name hasn't been spoken in a long time."

Kabar leaned forward, his gaze sharp. "Tell me everything you know."

Arald sighed. "Lorelei was once a powerful figure in Mond, renowned not only for her magic but also for her beauty and wisdom. She was said to be the key to Mond's power. That's Why it's so difficult to prove that the Mond lost their magic 50 years ago as the story goes. Rumor has it that she mysteriously disappeared after Alpha Kahn died and was replaced by Alpha Deegon.

Some say she was betrayed, others believe she left on her own accord, but no one knows the true story. However, people say that her magic can still be felt in Mond. Maybe she left it intentionally for her people."

"I mean, who is she to the Mond people?"

Arald frowned as if he couldn't believe Kabar didn't know that. "She's Kahn's mate," he replied. "Karyan's mother."

“But they had no alpha for the last fifty years, how is this even possible?”

******

The only ones who could match the Inverno wolves were the black wolves of Mond.

Their bodies were equally large, though more slender. The Mond clan was known for their agility and cunning.

Their slim bodies could easily leap high to lock onto an opponent’s nape and break the neck, or dodgean enemy’s attack.

Because of this, with or without magic, Kabar felt the need to be cautious and uncover the enemy's weaknesses. He became excited about learning more about Lorelei.

“Tell me about this Lorelei, Arald,” Kabar said. They were now alone in the hall of his palace. “Why is she so special and possesses magic stronger than other wolves?”

Arald stroked his white beard. “She has fae blood from Sivandell, Alpha. That’s why.”

Kabar was stunned. “But isnt the union between fairies and wolves forbidden?”

Arald smiled. “Apparently, that wasn’t the opinion of her fat grandmother and wolf grandfather.”

Kabar grinned mischievously. “You know, if you want the best Alpha offspring from me, maybe we could go to Sivandell to kidnap a fae for me….”

“You naughty child! That’s forbidden. Don’t even think about it, Kabar! You don’t know how much has to be sacrificed for such a foolish love story!” barked the old wolf fiercely.

He was so angry, he forgot that Kabar was no longer the mischievous young wolf he used to take hunting in the woods.

Kabar wasn’t offended. He chuckled, but his face quickly turned serious again. “I was just joking, Arald. But regarding Lorelei, shouldn’t we find out more about her? Maybe she's somewhere in Sivandell? I believe she is the key to Alpha Karyan’s weakness, so we can defeat them.”

“But we still don’t know for sure if magic has truly vanished from Mond. And their forest remains impenetrable.”

“I will order Nalani to dig deeper. In the meantime, find Lorelei. Haven’t I made that clear?”

When Kabar was left in the hall alone, he transformed himself into his wolf shape and ran quickly into the forest surrounding his territory.

It was hungry and restless. In his mind, he envisioned Nalani with Karyan, the mysterious black wolf.

“You’re too slow to dig, Nalani,” he thought irritably. “What On earth are you doing? Why would anyone want to kill you anyway? You’re useless and pathetic…” he sneered.

His steps halted as his nose sniffed out prey ahead. His sharp eyes spotted a large rabbit, eating grass near a clump of bushes. He briefly remembered Nalani’s fondness for roasted rabbit meat, before lunging at the rabbit and ripping it to shreds with his sharp teeth...

“This is for you, Nalani,” he said in his mind, somewhat missing the girl .

***