Chapter 40

CHRISTOPHER'S POV
I found myself on what looked like an island and I was wandering on the streets of this new place without knowing where I was going nor did I have anyone to help me find my way back to where I was coming from. As I continued the journey, I met a lady who had the body of Miriam but it was not her face.
Everything about her reminded me of Miriam. She had the exact birthmark that Miriam had on her neck and I was so surprised that somebody could share such a striking resemblance with another person.
"Hello young lady please can I have a moment of your time?" I called out to the lady that looked exactly like Miriam but she refused to give me a response. I had to walk to where she was standing and pull her arm and the next thing that happened was she gave me a slap.
"Don't touch people anyhow." She scolded me and I apologised for touching her and also explained to her that I have been calling her but she refused to listen to me.
"Whatever it is you want to ask I'm so sorry I cannot help you,'' she stated bluntly so I had to walk away from her. I knew I was lost and I was trying to find my way although it was really difficult because I think I have never been here before.
As I moved further, I kept meeting most of the person's I had met before and I wondered how they got there even before me. I am sure they saw the shock and surprise on my face because as soon as they saw me they started laughing at me. I confronted one of the old men and asked him why they were laughing.
"You seem to be new here." He asked me in a very friendly tone.
"Yes I am new. What is this place? What is going on here?"I asked him with so much curiosity in me.
"Don't be scared, be rest assured that you are in a safe place, however those that are very much dear to you the other way would be missing you by now.Anyways you are welcome." The man responded and shook hands with me before walking away.
"Please excuse me sir, can I get something like a lodge around? I have been walking around for hours now and I have not gotten anywhere to at least sit down. I really need to rest, I'm very tired."
I added and the man turned back and looked at me with a mischievous smile on his face and I wondered what was funny among everything I just said.
"You can live anywhere. There is no lodge here, everybody leaves everywhere." He stated and moved away from me shaking his head in a sorry manner for me.
I rested my head on the trunk of the tree and closed my eyes. I started thinking of my life and what had become of me at the moment because I could not understand anything that was going on. Then someone touched me on my shoulder and immediately I jumped up.
"Take it easy brother it's me,'' my brother said and as I turned to look at his face I saw blood in his eyes immediately I went down on my knees pleading with him not to harm me but he didn't say a word instead he walked away.
Since I did not know where I was and you don't know my way around I decided to follow him although he was ignorant of the fact that I was following him.
When we got to a certain place he sat down and I sat some feets away from him. He turned to look at me with his bloodshot eyes and I tried not to sustain my gaze on him.
"Come over here," he beckoned to me but I refused to come, then he walked up to me and sat down beside me.
"How did you get here?" He questioned me but the truth is that I really did not know where I came from or how I got here so I could not give him any definite response. I sat down staring at him like an idiot and all he did was shake his head in pity just like the other man did.
"You should go now Christopher," my brother said and walked away. I had to run after him to ask him where I should go back to and my way out of this place because I really don't know where I was going to and where I should go from.
He walked faster than I did and even when I tried to run I could not catch up with him. I kept running and running after him until I found myself in somewhere that looks like a door.
I pushed the door and it flung open and immediately I walked into the door the place I found myself looked like a cave. At first it was very dark and it felt as if no atom of light could even penetrate.
I tried to go back but the door was shut and I could not find my way to the door. Then in a twinkle of an eye the whole place lit up with fire I started shouting and asking who was in there but nobody responded instead I heard the echoes of my own voice coming back to me.
"Somebody help me, somebody,,,help me.'' I screamed and at this time my eyes were already filled with tears. No one came to my rescue. Suddenly, I started hearing a very strange sound that I've never heard before.
After the sound I started hearing drum beats. It was not just drums, there were other musical instruments whose sound I also heard. They made a great melody and before I knew it I was already enjoying the song that was being played.
So I moved my body gradually and nodded my head to the beat of the song as I kept walking further.
Later on the music stopped and the cave was as quiet as a graveyard. I could clearly hear my heartbeat and immediately fear gripped me. Goosebumps appeared all over my body and at the same time I was sweating profusely.
I tried to move my legs but they could no longer move. It felt as if I had been stuck to the ground. My whole body began to shake in fear then I let out a loud scream and at that moment I fell on the floor.
After staying on the ground for a while I tried as much as I could to pick myself up and I was back on my feet again. So as I stepped further, I moved and I saw an opening which looked like a tunnel.
I said to myself that this must be the only way out of this place so immediately I rushed towards it.
Then I heard a very loud voice that said stop. The voice was thunderous and I was really scared but I did not stop running.
In my haste it felt as if somebody grabbed me from behind and raised me from the ground. I began to plead and beg for my life but the force holding me would not let me go.
Then suddenly something that looked like a throne appeared although I did not see anyone sitting on the throne, it was obvious somebody was on it because I heard him call my name.
While still hanging in the air I turned to look around and the cave was filled with people. Many of those people I saw outside, including my brother, I saw him standing at the corner in the cave.
"Let the initiation process begin." The voice that called my name as soon as the throne appeared stated and I was really really frightened. What initiation are they talking about? Where was I? How was I going to get out of this place? All these and more crossed my mind immediately and I only hoped that a miracle could happen and take me out of this place.
"I cannot subject myself to any initiation. I refuse to be initiated." I objected as two elderly men carried something that looked like a bowl but it wasn't exactly a bowl and walked towards me.
"He has rejected initiation and we cannot initiate him without his consent." One of the elderly men spoke and both of them went back with the bowls in their hands.
I turned to look at my brother where he was standing thinking he could say anything or do anything to help me but it turns out that he was as helpless as I was. I put myself into this mess and I must get out of it by myself.
"What are we going to do with him now?" Another person screamed from the crowd and I wondered what business he or she that made that statement had with my affairs.
"They are going to do nothing with me." I attacked whoever it was that made that statement immediately as I tried to catch my breath because I have been hanging for quite a while.
"Where did you come from?" The voice from the throne asked me and I didn't know what to say to him all I could remember is that I am an alpha.
"The alpha of the blood Moon pack, that is who I am,'' I responded to him as soon as that came into my mind.
"So what are you doing here? Or do you think you can come and lord over us?" The voice from the throne asked me again and I didn't know what to say to him.
"All I ask is to be freed and shown the way out of this place and I promise never to find myself here again. Coming here in the first place was a mistake. It was never intentional." I responded sounding as beggarly as I could.
The crowd began to chatter and the whole place was becoming very noisy. Suddenly a loud bell rang and the whole place became as quiet as it was the first time I stepped my foot into it.
"I think you should let him go,"
"Thank you, thank you so much." I stated as soon as a person said that. Then, the voice from the throne thundered a 'kept quiet' and immediately I was quiet.
"Do whatever you please with him. I am out of here." The voice from the throne roared and the throne that I saw disappeared and the whole place where he came from turned black.
"Please let me go, please. I mean no harm and I'm not going to harm anyone here just let me go and you will never see me again." I said in one breath and I was panting at the same time.
The bell rang again and immediately the whole cave was empty, everyone that was standing around disappeared and it was just me in the cave because I could not even see the person that was holding me up.
"Please let me go. I beg of you." I pleaded with whoever it was that was holding me and then I heard a very loud sarcastic laughter.
I tried as much as I could to breathe because the whole place turned red and it was as if the cave was set on fire. I started feeling the heat of the fire from where I was hanging . No fresh air was coming in from anywhere. I was damn thirsty and at the same time I could not even breathe.
It was as though the person holding me saw that I was dying. Then he let go of me and I fell face flat to the ground.
Immediately my body touched the ground. It was as if the ground opened and I kept falling and falling and falling until I found myself on my bed.
I jumped off immediately and Louisa and Emily rushed me.
"What is going on here? What happened?" I asked as soon as I sat up on the bed.
Louise walked out of the room immediately.
I turned to look at Emily and she was in tears already. I wondered why she was crying because to the best of my knowledge nothing was wrong with me.
"What's wrong Emily?" I asked her but all she could do was to climb the bed and hugged me so tightly.
"I thought I was going to lose you too,'' she said amid sobs and I did my best to calm her down.
She finally dried her tears and was just staring at me.
"Please get me water to drink. I'm very thirsty," I said to her but she refused to move an inch.
"Emily I said I am thirsty could you please get me water?" I asked again and she smiled.
"I will go get the water when Louise returns. I don't think I can leave you here all alone, she stated and held my arm.
As I tried to move my body I started feeling pain all over. Then I was convinced that something actually happened although I could not really place my hand on what it was.
CHRISTOPHER'S POV
Moments later Louise and the doctor walked into the room and Emily stood from the bed just to create space for the doctor to properly examine me.
I did not recognize the doctor that Louise came in with. This was not our doctor and I wondered why they had to call someone else when we had a personal doctor.
Nevertheless I still had to allow him to check me, it was for my own benefit.
By the time he was done with the examination, he nodded his head affirmatively and it's suggested that I was good.
Then he turned to Louise and asked her "when did this happen?"
"Three days ago." She responded and he nodded again and turned back to me.
He gave me a few injections and also kept some drugs on the table and told Emily and Louise how to administer the drugs after I had taken some food. They thanked him and he walked out of the room.
"Can you both please tell me what is going on?" I queried the both of them but they just stood there staring at me like a statue.
"Well since you're not going to talk it's fine please call me Michael." I said to them but nobody moved.
"What the hell is wrong with the both of you or have you people started learning how not to take orders?" I yelled at them and they made gestures telling me to calm down.
"What do you mean by I should calm down? I cannot believe that I am here telling you girls to do something for me and the best you can do is tell me to calm down." I lamented and they both still insisted that I can't down.
"Alright I'm hungry now get me food and water I'm really starving." I said and Emily walked out of the room immediately.
Louise sat down on a stool and started touching the drugs that the doctor had left. We stayed quiet for a while. Later on, I was beginning to get tired of the silence so I called her name but she did not respond. I had to raise my head to look at her and I discovered that she was probably in deep thoughts.
"What must be going on in her mind?" I asked him myself but I did not get a response because I was not in her mind.
I had to move from the bed and sat at the edge of the bed where I could reach her. Since calling her was not making a difference, I decided to touch her and immediately she snapped out of her thoughts and took a deep breath like she was startled.
"What's going on? Could you please talk to me?'' I asked her but she said nothing.
"I know you're worried I know something is wrong. The best you can do is to tell me so we can know how best to sort it out." I continued and she gave me a weak smile.
"You would have to recover first Chris before we can do anything else." She stated and touched my face and caressed it with her fingers.
I took her hand that was on my face and kissed it and she smiled.
"Where is Michael? I asked her
"I don't know," she responded with a very calm voice.
"I haven't seen him in three days." She added and I was surprised
"Three days?" I asked in shock and she nodded her head affirmatively.
"You mean I have been lying on this bed for three good days? " I asked her with a confused voice and then she came close to me and wrapped her hands around my shoulders. I held her by the waist and then she bent her face to me, while I lifted mine to her.
"I will tell you everything but definitely not now. You just have to relax both your body and your mind for now." She responded and pulled my head closer and held me tightly.
We were still in each other's arms when the door flung open and Emily walked in.
"Should I bring the food in here or you would come downstairs to eat?'' she asked as soon as she stepped into the room.
"He doesn't have to leave the room now. Please bring the food here." Louise instructed her.
"Okay," she muttered as she walked out of the room.
"You're going to be fine please okay?" Louise said and those words ignited something inside of me. This woman is indeed a good woman I thought to myself as I smiled at her.
"I think you need a vacation. You really need to relax and clear your head." She stated as she went back to her seat.
"That vacation should be after our wedding." I said and she was flattered as she began to giggle.
"So did you bring up the discussion at the council of elders meeting three days ago?" She asked me as she pulled her stool closer and held my hands.
I stared at her without saying anything because I was still finding it very difficult to believe that I have been lying down here for three whole days without doing anything.
The funny thing was that I couldn't even remember the incident that brought me here.
"The meeting ended abruptly, there was no such discussion." I said to her and I saw the light on her face turn dim.
"Don't worry Louise we are going to have the wedding in no time just trust me." I touched her cheeks and she forced a smile.
Then everything became clear to me. I started feeling the heat I felt in that cave. At that point I remembered everything that happened. I wanted to tell them about it but I felt it was not a good time. I also felt they might not be interested so I decided to keep it to myself.
Come to think of it, how is it three days? I barely spent six hours in that godforsaken place where I found myself . Maybe their time and ours is not the same, I thought to myself as I continued eating the food.
"You should be grateful you are here," my wolf said to me and then I remember that all through the period that I was at that place I found myself he did not say a word to me. I was even beginning to forget that I had a wolf in me.
"Please look for Michael and tell him to schedule a meeting with the council of elders and that should be done immediately. I need to meet them no later than tomorrow." I told Emily who was sitting beside me.
"I don't know where Michael is and he has not been answering his phone either so there is no way I can reach him." Emily replied as she got up from the bed and walked towards the door.
"Where are you going?" Louise screamed at her but she did not stop until she got to the door. She opened it and then turned to us.
"Let me give you two some time alone," she stated and walked out the door.
"I could schedule a meeting with the council of elders for you if you want." Louise offered to schedule the meeting since Michael was nowhere to be found.
"Don't bother yourself. I think I will do it myself." I responded to Louise who had offered to help me out.
"Alright if you say so,'' she said as she passed me the glass of juice.
"I think you should stop taking alcohol." Louise said to me and I just smiled.
"This is no joke Christopher, you almost drank yourself to death the other day and that was what got you into this. There is no way I'm ever going to watch you take alcohol again." She roared while I kept smiling at her.
"I'm really sorry that it happened , it wasn't intentional. I was in a delirious situation at that point in time I did not know what to do." I said to her and she kept her stern gaze at me.
"Why is your face looking like a stone?" I teased her but she did not find it funny . She still insisted that I will not take alcohol.
"Alright, you win, please make sure I don't take it." I stated as I dropped the spoon.
She stood up immediately and picked up the tray and then walked out of the room.
I kept looking at her until she closed the door behind her then I laid back in bed and waited for her to come administer the drug just as a doctor has instructed.
It took a long time before she came back. I tried asking her what kept her that long and she told me she just had to stay back to schedule the meeting with the council of elders.
"Why did you do that? I thought I asked you not to bother." I yelled at her but she concentrated on the drug she was unpacking.
Seeing that she wasn't ready to get into any argument or fight with me I decided to let it slide.
"So which day did you schedule the meeting for?" I asked her as she pulled the drug from its back and started opening them one after the other.
"Day after tomorrow." She stated plainly and continued what she was doing.
Well that's fine thank you very much I thanked her and she handed me the drug with a glass of water.
When I was done drinking the ones that she gave me she gave me an extra two tablets.
"I thought these were the only drugs I was supposed to take. Where is this one coming from?" I inquired and she instead I took them so I had to take them from her hand but I did not drink them.
"Come on, take the drug. It is going to help you relax." She tried to persuade me but I was not moved. Besides, according to her, I've been lying here for the past three days. There is no form of relaxation that I need right now that I have not gotten.
Thank you Louise, you have done enough already. I don't think I need this particular drug. I'll be just fine." I thanked her and she looked at me and took the drug from my hand.
"You're becoming too aggressive,'' she said to me and that actually sounded really funny so I started laughing.
"What the hell is funny about what I just said now? I said you're being aggressive and you are laughing." She flared up in anger and I tried to calm her down but she would not calm down.
In that anger she walked out of the room but I laid my head on the pillow that was right beside me and closed my eyes.
For the first time in a very long time I said a word of prayer. I didn't know what I wanted but I knew fully well that I wanted something and what I wanted was the best life had to offer.
So I prayed that I would succeed in all of my endeavours whether good or bad.
After saying those words of prayers I tried to sleep but I couldn't so I got up from the bed and walked out of the room.
As I entered the living room I could not recognise the whole place. Everywhere was looking so new and different the only thing that was still familiar was the painting on the wall and the wallpapers.
Louise walked in immediately and sat on the couch.
I pretended as though I did not know that she had walked into the room as I continued examining the whole place.
"You like what you see?'' She asked me and I turned to look at her.
"What happened here? Why all the changes I queried her immediately because I felt she must have done this. She has a very high taste for quality but the reason she had to replace everything was something I couldn't explain. The ones there were not bad yet so I don't know why she had to replace them.
"Why did you have to replace everything? I am sure those items in this living room were still very much ok." I said to her at the top of my voice and she stood up to me immediately.
"Don't you dare talk to me in that manner again. She stated and walked out of the living room immediately.
I couldn't believe Louise had come back to the real person that she had always been. I mean she has been soft and sweet lately but this one that just played out now is the real Louise.
"Good afternoon alpha," a servant walked in and greeted me.
"Good afternoon." I responded to him and he walked out of the living room towards the kitchen.
"Hey, please come back here." I called out to the servant that just walked past me and he turned back immediately.
"Have you seen Michael?" I asked him and he nodded saying he had not seen him. I decided not to bother him with the question of how long he had not seen him so I discharged him and he walked away.