The deal.

“The mothers?” Vlad raised an eyebrow, finally speaking up.

It took quite a while for the Alpha to take in everything that was happening right before his eyes. Dominic had never mentioned any relation to forest faes, let alone the woman who addressed the Alpha as her father.

No wonder he had heard so many times that blood wasn't as thick as everyone thought, and sometimes family were those who came into one's life unexpectedly, turning everything upside down.

“Yeah, the mothers,” the beautiful fae repeated the exact words.

Judging by the confusion written all over the Alpha's face, she soon understood that some men needed more information than just a couple of words. Dominic knew what she meant, but Ryder and Vlad, on the other hand, didn't.

She couldn't blame them; not everyone was lucky enough to spend as much time in their community as Dominic used to.

Taking a deep breath, Lucinda prepared herself to explain herself as well as she could. It was funny how something she thought to be normal could cause shock to outsiders.

“You see, there is quite a difference between the societies we live in. I've done a lot of research about the werewolf community for obvious reasons, and we did have some classes about shifters in school. Even though you're not the most ancient of societies, you guys have some pretty harsh rules. First of all, your system is built on patriarchy, meaning that men rule. Back in the days, you had many packs instead of one Kingdom, and all of them had an Alpha such as yourself. An Alpha was the primary provider and leader in the pack, then, when the concept of mates was real came Luna. The Alpha's mate was said to be equal to her soulmate, yet most of the time, they weren't. Women made sure that the pack was happy and well cared for while men took the important decisions upon themselves. There were little to no things a Luna could change or leave any kind of effect on. Changing the Alpha's mind was nearly impossible, and there’s still the same problem up to this day. However, now, you have a King who rules over everyone, Alphas included, yet his Queen doesn't get a taste of making any decision for herself or the people. Same as a relationship - if a man chose a woman, he has the right to drag her away from everything she had known, everything she loves and holds dear, to take her along themselves. Women have no right to choose a partner of their own, every little detail in your society is ruled by men. Doesn't that sound a little unfair?”

Lucinda eyed the men, raising an eyebrow. It was her turn to look puzzled, but her words seemed to shock Alphas more than give them a reason to jump into the conversation. None of the men did anything to protest against her words.

After a few minutes of silence, the fae spoke up again: “Our lives are built differently, but we still follow a similar model. Our society is built on matriarchy; therefore, important decisions are left for women. The mothers are something similar to your elder Council - a group of wise women who had lived their lives gaining knowledge, reaching a certain age to stand along with the ones who would guide others. The most significant difference is that in our society, men still have the right to make decisions for their families, but the important ones have always had to be discussed with the mothers. They are our eyes and ears, our protectors and guidance. They are the ones who hold us together, balancing everything perfectly for everyone to follow their primary purpose. For example, I am a healer, meaning that I'll spend most of my life within the walls of our hospitals. No, don't jump to conclusions - they didn't decide for me. I've dreamt of helping those surrounding me since I was a small girl, and as soon as I voiced my desire to help the mothers, they made sure I got a proper education. Unlike your elders, our mothers will stand by our side and help us reach our goals or dreams. Your system is rougher - often what elders say goes, there aren't enough shifters who have the right to say no to them, but we can dismiss suggestions, and we don't have such things as orders here.” Lucinda had no intention to make the men feel bad about the world they lived in since no one had the power to choose where they were born.

However, she did try to show them that there were better ways to form a society than theirs was. Perhaps most shifters thought that their way of life was fantastic, but that could be the power of addiction to something that was deemed to be normal among them.

“Alright, I get it now. Not going to lie - I do prefer the way you guys are leading your lives. It seems to be less stressful, and I'm sure people enjoy freedom more than anything. Perhaps it's about the time when we learn from others and advise our King to change a couple more things around the Kingdom. Thank you for sharing this with us,” Vlad smiled at her, somewhat deep in thoughts.

She was right; the way everyone around them chose to live seemed way better for the people than the ridiculous rules previous Kings forced on them.

“Let's go to the mothers and ask if they know where your King is. First of all, you guys have to find him; the advice can come later on,” Lucinda started dragging Dominic once again, leading the men towards her home.

At first, she was doubtful about their intentions, but she knew that the men had to be good if they were her dad's friends. Sometimes it felt weird to address a werewolf as her father, but then again, she hadn't known her biological father, so she was ecstatic to have someone she could call dad.

Besides, Dominic didn't seem to mind, no matter how annoying Lucinda could be at times. In her case, father wasn't the one who helped to bring her into this world - it was the man who saved her from danger and ensured that she would stay here until her time ran out.

Dominic wouldn't let other kids bully her, constantly reminding her that she was worth everything she thought of, and she didn't need to compromise for someone's attention or love.

The four of them walked down a rocky path until they reached something that reminded them of a gate, but unlike the metal construction, they were so used to - this one was built out of branches and twigs.

As Lucinda led the men closer to a huge building, more and more fae's dropped whatever they were doing, curiously moving closer and whispering something to each other. The main concern was the reason behind their arrival; werewolves weren't seen as a good sign in their community.

Without answering any questions, she dragged Dominic inside the building, Vlad and Ryder hot on their heels. Even though all of them knew that they weren't quite welcomed here, the faes still sent warm smiles towards them, trying to be as welcoming as they could. It was a well-known fact that these forest creatures were nicer than others.

“Mother's, I have brought guests!” Lucinda yelled out loud. The older women knew that there were wolves in their sacred town, so technically, they didn't need an extra warning, but it wasn't like they could stop the firecracker who willingly adopted herself by a wolf father.

The silence nearly killed Vlad; he had never felt as worried as now.

Ryder stood next to him, curiously glancing around, taking in the details of the building.

Dominic still stood closer to Lucinda, smiling down at the woman who couldn't stop talking about something - perhaps even bragging about reaching some kind of success.

Within a couple of minutes, the most marvelous thing happened right before their eyes. Huge flowers slowly lowered from the ceiling, opening torturously slowly and revealing women sitting in the flowers as if those were chairs.

All of them nodded their heads and gave the men reassuring smiles before their eyes fell on Lucinda. “You have done a great job, my child. Now, tell us, what is the reason for the honor to meet you? We have known Alpha Dominic for a while, but he had never brought any guests before, let alone those of his own,” a red-haired woman spoke up.

Her voice was low yet kind. The woman didn't seem to have any kind of anger towards the shifters, so Ryder and Vlad instantly felt how their bodies relaxed. The women didn't seem as intimidating anymore.

“Rosalie,” Dominic chuckled. “You're shining, as per usual. It seems like you ladies haven't heard about the fact that you're supposed to get older as the years go by, not the other way around,” he added, making the women blush.

The one he had just addressed as Rosalie laughed, and soon enough, others joined her. “Silly boy, quit the flattering; we all know that we're just a bunch of wrinkly old women. What has brought you here, my boy?” The woman tried to hide her flushed cheeks but failed miserably.

Of course, the woman's age didn't matter - each of them deserved waves of compliments. Vlad and Ryder noticed that Dominic was right - all of the women didn't look to be more than thirty years old. Perhaps it was a fae thing, but they did look way better than the men imagined them to be based on the information Lucinda shared.

“This little ladybug,” Dominic replied, motioning towards Lucinda, but she didn't buy his excuse.

She raised an eyebrow and scanned the Alpha, soon enough getting back to questioning him: “You've lost something. Something important. What are you trying to find, boy? We might help; that's the least we can do,” Rosalie leaned forward, giving the Alpha her full attention.

Watching their interaction from the side, Vlad instantly understood that Rosalie had to be the eldest of them all. She was the only one who spoke, and the rest of the women mimicked her movements and actions.

For him, it was something new and exciting, especially if seen so close. Up to this day, Vlad had little to no idea what faes looked like and how they managed to build a system of life to be productive, powerful yet hide from outsiders.

No matter how their conversation might end, he knew only one thing - there was a lot more for him to learn and many things to adapt to.

“The King, my best friend, you should remember him. But that's not all. I just found out that he had asked for forgiveness, so the curse was lifted, but someone still had to suffer. I'm sure you can understand what I'm trying to say.” Dominic had to fight the urge to growl at the women.

They weren't the blame for what happened to Seth or Luciano, but it did take a lot for him to stay calm. Whenever a thought of their loved ones getting hurt crossed his mind, Dominic grew restless.

“Let's start with the curse. You are right; we got rid of it, so we will not take any blame for those who had to suffer. My boy, you should know that life happens, and sometimes people get hurt even if they don't deserve that. We don't hold control or power over everyone. There was no way for one of ours to involve themselves in your life. Aside from that, I assume you want us to track him down, am I correct?” Rosalie smiled down on him with so much love and adoration; even a fool would notice that the older woman was rather fond of him.

“Let's discuss the first part in private, okay? My friends here, the same as myself, are really worried about the King's whereabouts. Honestly, I came here and wandered around the forest thinking that our friend could be here. However, Lucinda met us, explained some details, and offered to bring us here, hoping that you might help. Rosalie, I'm begging you, if you can - please, help us. I will be forever in your debt,” at this point, Dominic looked so desperate, he could drop to his knees and beg the bunch of women.

Ryder and Vlad didn't dare to join their conversation - it wasn't their place, not until some of the women let them speak up. Those ladies were influential leaders and a bunch of unique personas in general; none of the Alphas wished to disrespect them in any way.

“If there is someone who would be in debt, it is I. Dominic, you have brought a lot of hope and happiness upon our community, we will gladly help you whenever you need us. Now, please, step away from us, perfectly press your backs against the wall. We shall perform a reading ritual to see if we can track down your friend,” Rosalie waved her hand, showing everyone that they had to back away.

The spells the mothers used were too powerful for most of the faes, so those were performed behind a closed door. Like younger faes, wolves could get easily affected by their magic, so even the men had to stay away. The mothers were there to help, not to harm.

Dominic, Ryder, Vlad, and Lucinda followed the orders immediately. Within seconds, all of them stood close by the wall, silently waiting for the following orders. As the mothers got ready for performing the spell, nobody was allowed to speak up.

“Close your eyes and lend us a little of your energy. Men only, Lucinda, you try to step a bit further aside, my child. We need the energy and memories of wolves to tie them down to the tracker and see if we can find the King,” Rosalie explained in an authoritative voice.

The women started mumbling something in the background, and even the sensitive werewolf hearing couldn't grasp what they kept repeating.

When their voices died down, another woman spoke up, telling the Alphas that they may open their eyes and silently wait for Rosalie to talk. Dominic opened his eyes first only to see the woman floating right in front of them, her eyes closed, face hidden behind a wave of wild, red locks.

“He is near, but not here. The King crossed the borders, seeking revenge for those who wronged him and defied his Queen. Driven by the lust for blood, he made a deal with the Basilisk. The snake sought lost souls, and the King offered more than anyone before; he couldn't resist. The resistance movement has been swept from the face of the Earth, soul after soul sacrificed to the monster. You shall find the King in the East, around a hundred miles straight from this building. Do not take detours, do not change direction even when the whispers and voices keep warning you. Walk in a straight line; better yet, run. You must hurry!” With the last words leaving her lips, a loud scream followed before the woman fell on the floor. Everyone stared at her motionless body, shocked.

A woman jumped off one of the flowers and warned the men and Lucinda that no one could approach Rosalie now. She had to go through a state of shock before getting back to her senses.

Tracking took a lot from her, but at least now, they knew where to find Luciano. Before turning her back to the Alphas, the woman gave them the last warning: “Run before it's too late. He might be breathing, but even that could change in a matter of hours. Go, get your friend; we shall prepare the healers and hospital. Don't be foolish and take the man here; he might not survive for long enough to get back to his palace. And if he does - nobody knows if he could get it through the night. Stay safe, boys,” the woman faded, her voice still echoing against the walls. Rosalie's body was gone, probably taken by the other mothers to take care of her.

Dominic's eyes widened in shock. He was right - Luciano was alive. At least for now. Without thinking, the Alpha turned towards the East and ran off, shifting mid-air. “Hold on, buddy, I'm coming to get you. Please don't die, don't leave us!”