Chapter 66: Knowledge is Power

Kayden's POV:

Marcus and I have been at these books for hours now. After reading The Prince I go back to reading Loiza's VERY detailed notes in every single page. The book is no joke, well I guess anything out of the head of Machiavelli would be no joke. Loiza is 19 and even though It's not a long book, to think she has read this since she was 14 and many times over, gives me an idea of how she thinks. Or at least what she thinks the virtues a strong new ruler should have and even though it's a bit chilling it's very in tune with how to lead a werewolf pack, yet her notes are indeed the key like the voice said... her interpretation is where the real insight lies. 

She points out in every page where she agrees and disagrees with Machiavelli and why, again in great detail. And as I read her opinion I am inclined to agree with her point of view and not because of any bias because she's my mate... It's logical. She was a Gamma until a little over a week ago yet even Marcus agrees that her thought process is like that of a Beta. No wonder a 19 year old Gamma is a successful Alpha, she processes information in different perspectives. 

"Damn Kayden no offense, but reading her notes on both books we never stood a chance! I have read many opinions in Political Science and warfare in The Council library, including both these books, but her notes are the most introspective and logical ones I have ever read. I am going to the library to get a chess set, she even uses chess moves and strategy to describe both offensive and defensive moves to prove her theoretical hypothesis to a practical one. I have to see this, are you up for a game?" I have never seen Marcus this exited and impressed by someone's brain and I became even more curious of my mates mind. 

"Yeah and can you have Jolene bring coffee? It's going to be a long night, for me at least." Marcus had to go to outside to get books on Cicero. I want to check them to see if it jogs Deacon's memory. 

"Kayden, Jo left, she went to Avalon with Kendra to be a trainee Priestess's Handmaid." I rub my temples, I guess you would not want to be where you are under appreciated. 

"I'll link Nancy, I'll be right back." Over 400 members gone in one night... Alpha Everet of Half Crescent Moon in West Virginia has only little over three hundred members. 

In the last blank pages of The Prince, Loiza wrote down the entire Greek Alphabet pointing out the element that rules what rank along with both their strengths and their weakness and any special particularities... she didn't miss anything. And I am more in awe of her, when I was 14 my head was in getting strong and making out with girls while she was analyzing Machiavelli and Sun Tzu, who knows what else! Of course she got the better of me... And I can't help but smile, I felt proud of having such a mate! Now it's the getting her back that will be the tricky part and I am more determined than ever to achieve it! She was a pearl in my hand and I didn't even know how valuable.

Marcus comes back with the board and coffee, we do a warm up game just us to fucking remember HOW to move the pieces... "Damn Marcus we are a disgrace!" 

"Speak for yourself Bozo, I'm not the one who moved the Rook diagonally!" We were actually having fun just figuring out the game again. By the next day we were just playing naturally and got a clock to time ourselves. On the third day we decided to use Izzy's strategies... and holy fuck, she would have massacred us! Every strategy she interpreted from Sun Tzu to chess she would win every time no matter what color you played. We did this for several days in intervals. We did have a pack to run after all but if we can get THIS we have a chance at repairing it correctly and better our defences against attacks. And being able to determine which guards should be where and at what time among other things. 

"I definitely do not want to go to war with your mate Kayden... And after days of registering Loiza's moves and counter moves all I see is that The Council would be over their heads trying to test her. And now I suspect they did have spies in Karaya and opted to kill Loiza rather than Yaya who is a freaking Truth Seer." That's right... they got Yaya out so she couldn't give Izzy support basically leaving her to tackle the mountain alone. If she wouldn't have been ordered to evacuate she would be dead. And for the first time in days I am angry, whether or not she was my mate, she is a 19 year old girl that they wanted dead because they knew that if she would be the one leading the pack they're chance of conquest would be greatly diminished. 

And yeah, the fact that she's my mate makes me take it personally. 

I link Avis and Gabriel to come to my office. Marcus and I kept going over the moves and changing the them up, however, whomever played with Izzy's strategy won. She was able to get their island back three days after a mayor catastrophy not even taking the other problems into account. And she did it by placing the correct people in the positions that played to their strengths. Just like a chessboard...

The guys arrive just as Marcus takes my last knight and is only 2 moves from getting his queen back, he is playing Izzy's strategy. 

"Alpha you called for us?" I hand them a print out of the Greek Alphabet.

"I need you guys to verify everyone in the pack per household and list who belongs to which letter. I want to know who in the pack is a Delta, a Kappa, a Mu, and so on. We are basically conducting a census. Got it?" I take a bite of a sandwich and try to think of my next move.

"This looks like Osupa philosophy Alpha." Gabriel states. 

"That would be correct Gabe. You don't agree with how they structure their pack?" I want their opinion. 

"Alpha did you get to taste the venison stew they made for their ceremony for the dead?" Already I am imagining his opinion and smile. 

"Didn't get the chance man, but I did taste something else their Kappas made. Why?" I ask.

"Alpha I have had venison stew before, I used to think my Nana's was the best until I tasted the one the Osupa chefs made. Now I think my Nana's stew is crap! Do you have any idea how bad that makes me feel? I love my Nana, but I won't be able to eat hers without comparing it to the one the Osupa made. My Nana is a Chi and was able to put my broken shin bone together súper easily and almost painlessly so it would heal correctly in no time! So that damn stew made me a believer in this... system they use. We have only Henry in medical now. The Osupa had specialist in just about everything. I will go to the Village and get on this, Avis, do you want to start here?" I look to Avis, he has been quiet. 

"Are you telling me that the stew came out like THAT because it was prepared by Kappas?!" I nod my head. 

"I swear it, come here." Both Avis and Gabe come over to look at the chart we prepared and the pages of Izzy's book that show the pattern. 

"Fuck me! This explains A LOT my mom is an Omega and is not strong and can't cook for shit, yet everytime I come home from training aching like Hades she will give me a massage and the moment she is done I'm ready for another round of pounding, for some reason her massages help me heal in half the time, maybe faster... I thought that was just a mom thing. How did we not know this?!"

"It's not in any book in The Council library and we base our knowledge in the information they have. The Osupa are not under the jurisdiction of The Council, but Avalon... And their information is much more accurate." Marcus responds. 

"That's why we want to implement this system and give it a trial run to see how it goes, what do you think?" I ask. And I start noticing that I am asking for other's opinions... Thinking of it, I never really used to do that. 

"Good, because my brother is a Kappa and is a teacher at the middle school, he hates his job and sucks at it! Then he gets home he won't stop bitching about it! Gabe we'll do it as you say, when I'm done with the pack house I'll link you to help in the village, got it?" He says looking at the chart. 

"Got it!" Gabe replies. Avis is game!

"Alpha, why did they leave? Why did the Luna leave?" Avis asks sounding a little sad.

"Avis when you guys are done we will call a meeting to explain everything. Ok?" Marcus answers, he knows I am in no mood to go into it. And they leave. I'm still looking at the board and I am not finding a way out. 

"Kayden we are going to have to get everything from them and try to contact Avalon..." It tastes so bitter in my mouth... just the thought of Mordred in my head again with no backup makes me feel sick, but not having Izzy in my arms again makes me not want to wake up in the mornings. 

I lower my king. "Let's get this over with!"