Chapter 63

Sahid did not return to his apartment for the rest of the night. I slept alone and had those awful nightmares again. I woke up wondering if Nyla was ok and whether Rowan was worried about me.
As soon as daylight began to peek in through the windows, Jax burst into the apartment and said, “Boss says you gotta leave now!”
“Damn, Jax,” I groaned.
“Get up and get out!” He snarled at me.
I knew he was still angry about how I embarrassed him in front of the brothel guests yesterday. He was probably looking for an excuse to get rough with me but I wasn’t going to give him that chance.
“Sure,” I said calmly and got up to leave but he blocked my way.
“What?” I asked him.
“What did you steal this time?” He asked me.
“Nothing!” I snapped. “Now, get out of my way.”
My confident tone surprised him. I remembered Rowan’s advice to me about making people fear me enough not to disrespect me and it made me bolder.
“Get the fuck out of my way,” I said coldly.
“And what if I don’t?” He challenged me. “Are you going to try to kick my balls again? Or are you going to pinch my nipples?”
“You wish I would. Now, get lost!”
“Make me.”
I summoned all of my strength and pushed him backwards. He hadn’t expected that move, so he lost his balance and staggered backwards. Then he tumbled down the stairs while grunting in pain.
“What the hell!” Sahid barked at the bottom of the stairs where Jax landed.
“He wouldn’t let me leave,” I replied.
“She pushed me!” Jax shouted and then struggled to his feet.
“Yeah, I can see that,” Sahid remarked dryly. “Get out of the way.”
Jax was shocked. “Are you going to let her get away with this?”
“You shouldn’t have tried to stop her,” Sahid replied. “Now, get out of the way and let her pass.”
I would have laughed but that would be inappropriate given the situation. However, the look of awe on Jax’s face was priceless. He had been so sure that Sahid would support him but that was not to be.
“Thank you for your hospitality,” I said to Sahid when I reached where he stood. “I will never forget it.”
He stared at me for a while before he spoke again. His voice was low enough for only me to hear his words.
“If you ever come back here again, I won’t let you go,” he said quietly.
His eyes told me what he meant. His words weren’t threats, they were promises. I could see that he still wanted me, but as for me, that ship had sailed.
“Thank you,” I said again and walked away. It was the best response I could give under the circumstances.
Outside, the new day was bright and cold. The fall weather was brutal in the east and I longed to return to the Highlands. But not after I settled my unfinished business here.
There was a small crowd gathered in front of Freya’s house. I saw a few of the Lycan royal guards too as they asked bystanders what had happened.
I managed to push through the crowd and enter the house. I choked on a scream when I saw what had happened to Gerald and Freya. They had been butchered beyond recognition.
“Freya!” I cried and ran to where her remains lay with the necklace nearby.
“Who are you?” A guard asked me.
“I’m her friend,” I said. “I brought this necklace to her to destroy it but… she got attacked before she could do it.”
“So, you were here when this happened?”
“Yes.”
“Come with us!”
Before I could speak again, the guard grabbed my arm and led me out of the house. Another one picked up the necklace and followed us. He left instructions with his colleagues to clean up the mess in the house.
“Where are you taking me?” I asked the guard holding me.
“To the Alpha King’s palace,” he replied curtly. “He wants to know the cause of last night’s disturbance in the seer’s house.”
My first instinct was to try and break free from his grip or beg him to let me go, but then I remembered who I was and my confidence returned. The last time I came here, I was a runaway mateless she-wolf seeking refuge.
However, now, I was the mate of one of the most feared werewolves among the territories. Nobody would dare touch a hair on my head, except Dominic, of course. He was a lunatic and the rules don’t apply to him.
“My King, this she-wolf knows what happened at the seer’s house last night,” said the guard.
We were in front of the Lycan Alpha in his guest lodge where he had been entertaining his friends. He was a white-haired tall fellow with hard eyes.
“Who are you?” He asked me.
I stood straighter and raised my chin with pride. “I am Luna Jade of the Highland Pack.”
“Alpha Rowan’s red-haired mate?” He asked with a raised eyebrow.
“Yes. I am she.”
“What are you doing here? Where is your mate?”
“I came here alone. Well, not alone. I came with my guards but an old enemy attacked them along with my friend, the seer and her lover.”
“Why?”
“It’s a long story.”
“I have all day.”
I exhaled. “It’s not a story that I wish to share publicly.”
“Is that so?” He asked with a frown. “We Lycans are very welcoming to every kind of werewolf, but what we will not tolerate is a bunch of wolves coming to our territory to disturb the peace.”
“I assure you, my Alpha King, that was not my intention. But my enemy is an unhinged wolf who is determined to kill me at all cost.”
“Who is this enemy you speak of?”
“Alpha Dominic of the Woods Pack.”
“I thought the triplet Alphas were all dead.”
“All but one. He is the one chasing me across the world, determined to take my life.”
“I’m dying to know why. Come with me.”
I followed him to an inner room that was scantily furnished but screamed of wealth. We sat down across from each other and he nodded at me to speak. I told him my story from the very beginning, making sure not to leave any detail out.
When I was done speaking almost an hour later, he was intrigued.
“This is the strangest story I have ever heard,” he said. “I never knew wolves could be mated multiple times.”
“Neither did I. Apparently it is my destiny and that cursed necklace didn’t come to me by chance. It’s a sort of marker for people like me with a unique life journey.”
“Listen, I would really love to help you but I don’t like getting involved in wolf business. You guys tend to be very messy and petty, case in point.”
“I know but it would mean the world to me if you could grant me safe passage back to the Highlands.”
“I don’t want to sacrifice any of my kind for your sake. What’s in it for me?”
“I’ll put in a good word for you with my mate,” I said quickly.
He snorted. “Don’t be ridiculous. I don’t need a wolf’s help, no matter how powerful he is. I’m a Lycan!”
“I understand that you’re very powerful but so is my mate and he is feared by all werewolves. He can be your strongest ally in the southwest region. That territory is the melting pot of all werewolves.”
He stroked his beard thoughtfully, watching me. “Hmm…”
I was silent, waiting for him to think about my offer carefully. Lycans were treated like outcasts among werewolves because of their famous temper.
However, coming to the east has shown me that they’re not half as bad as they’re said to be. With Rowan’s endorsement, they could be welcomed into regular society without bias.
“Sounds like an enticing offer,” he admitted. “I think we Lycans keep to ourselves too much and it has made all the silly gossip about us appear to be facts to those who don’t know us.”
My heart was lifted with hope. “So, will you send some of your guards to accompany me back home?”
“No. I will send them to invite your mate here. I would like to discuss the terms of our alliance with him, Alpha to Alpha.”
Disappointment hit me like a slap. What an insult!
“You can’t just summon him here. He’s with our daughter!”
“Oh, I didn’t realize he was a nanny too.”
I stood up. “I thought you and I could reach an understanding here, given the urgency of my situation but you’re being unreasonable.”
He smirked. “The only reason why you’re still alive after calling me unreasonable is because of your mate.”
I glared at him but said nothing.
“You can either sit down and wait for him to come here for you or you can go out there and let your enemy devour you like a cow. Either way, be my guest.”