Chapter 58 Providing Clear Passage

*High Lord Wolf *

I woke up with a start. I was in my office and I had apparently dozed off. The black wolf again came to me in my sleep. This dream begun like the first where the black wolf hid within the shadows, her green eyes casting an ethereal glow. However, instead of me speaking to her, my wolf took it to himself to speak for me.

"Elder Lockwood continues to pursue Diana and her father. I require you to provide them clear passage into New York," the black wolf whispered.

My wolf, Goliath, bowed his head at the black wolf before he addressed her. He had warned me of the repercussions when I did not obey her commands. Thus, he took the liberty of addressing the black wolf in my stead to guarantee the black wolf would no longer punish me.

"My queen, how should we do what you require?" Goliath asked.

"Send the Elder away to deal with a business transaction. Promise him an endorsement as High Councilman if the business deal becomes successful. He will certainly jump at the opportunity to please the High Lord Wolf," the black wolf said, her voice laced with contempt. "Are there any more questions you need answered or are you as incompetent as your human form?" She asked Goliath impatiently.

"I apologize, my queen. However, the High Lord does not speak with the Elders. They are of low  rank and are below his stature."

"Is that so? I believe you and your human form are below the Moon Goddess's stature, yet the Moon Goddess allows you an audience when you pray to her. Perhaps I should take everything that provides you comfort as well as remove you from your position that serves you nothing but privilege so you can have a taste of how low ranking wolves live?" The black wolf growled low. "How dare you think you are above all others when YOU can not even live without the help provided to you by so-called low ranking wolves." The black wolf snarled at my wolf. "Spare me your ego, Goliath and do as I say."

"But, my queen, that is how it is done, how it has always been done," my wolf, Goliath, continues to argue. The black wolf suddenly emerges from the shadows, clearly annoyed by Goliath. She circled him, baring her teeth, as she growled at him. Goliath whimpered and laid down on the ground in submission to the black wolf.

"I do not care about niceties nor decorum. What I want is to obtain a corresponding result, you halfwit. Do away with the etiquette you foolish wolves favor and do as I command." Her eyes flashed green as she approached Goliath. "You are so concerned with refinement, you forget to do what is right."

"I will make sure my human form will obey what you command, my queen." Goliath stands up and bows his head once again. My wolf was so small compared to the black wolf. I felt so small.

"Now wake up! Work has to be done!" The black wolf disappeared with a menacing growl and I woke up. Although dreams usually vanish from memory when fully awake, my dreams of the black wolf were practically seared into my brain.

I ask my assistant to come to my office. He was a middle-aged man who moved as high society permits. He will not be too pleased that I will be breaking protocol.

"Get me the number of Elder Eric Lockwood. I wish to speak to him." My assistant looked at me puzzled.

"Lord, you mean you wish for ME to speak with him, if I'm not mistaken," he said.

"No, Cavendish. I wish to speak to him," I correct him.

"But, my Lord..."

"GET ME THE NUMBER OF ERIC LOCKWOOD NOW!" I yell at him. "Or it will be your head."

"Right away, my Lord. Apologies, my Lord. I will never question you again." My assistant rushes out of my office to get the number I require. I rubbed my forehead. This job was starting to become a problem.

I rose to fame when I went after the mages who were providing rogues with the Elixir of No Scent. I was from the Amber Eyes Wolf Pack who inherited the Alpha position from my father who obtained the position on a technicality. The true Alpha, Alpha Matthew, went missing.

The position was reserved for those with amber eyes, hence the name of our pack. However, the last known heir who had amber eyes left the pack to bring home his mate, yet never returned. My father, who was the brother of Alpha Matthew's dead father, gained control of the leadership since he was the nearest of kin. Each time a pup is born within the pack, the color of the eyes of the pup was always the first attribute everyone wished to see. All the pack members prayed the Moon Goddess would bless the pack with a pup with amber eyes once more.

My eyes are light brown with a hint of amber in the center, one of the closest to amber eyes since Alpha Matthew. When I accepted the position of High Lord Wolf, my brother who had dark brown eyes became Alpha. His firstborn pup was blessed with eyes like mine and is now ready to become Alpha of my pack.

I was able to capture all mages except for one, who was still producing the forbidden elixir until this very day. I have speculated someone was protecting the mage, someone with enough authority to provide the mage anonymity. Eric Lockwood was rumored to be in league with the rogues and it could most probably be him. However, there was never enough evidence to pin Eric Lockwood for any crime.

Now, for the first time, I will be talking to someone of lower rank in hope of appeasing the black wolf. I heard a knock on the door.

"Come in." My assistant had a small sheet of paper in his hands. He placed it on the table.

"My Lord... as requested." He bowed low to me.

"Thank you. That will be all." I waited for him to close the door behind him before turning my laptop on. I looked for a business transaction I have with the Johnson's of the Midwest which needed finalizing. It was a trivial matter, but it was something I could have Eric Lockwood do. I printed the necessary documents and booked him a round trip business class ticket to Chicago as well as a suite at The Peninsula. He would return in time for the Christmas Ball at the Four Seasons.

I dialled the number that was written on the sheet of paper. I waited for a moment while it rang, hoping desperately he would answer my call.

"What?!" A man answered gruffly. What a strange way for him to answer his phone.

"Hello. I would like to speak to Elder Eric Lockwood," I said politely.

"Speaking. Who is this?" If this was actually Eric Lockwood, he was starting to get on my nerves.

"This is the High Lord Wolf Charles Vanderbilt." I waited for a response, but it was oddly quiet.

He must be surprised I was calling him.

_______________

*Eric Lockwood *

"Any word on the pickup truck? Have you told the police to look at the CCTV cameras?" My men have gone to the docks and have searched for the pickup truck on the ferries leaving Martha's Vineyard. Was it possible they were able to switch cars and leave the pickup? Did they actually have that many cars?

"None yet, Elder. I believe they are still on the island," one of the men said. "We're looking at homes which have been booked by a large group. They could be one of them." Okay, seems plausible.

"How about at the airport? Helicopter charters? Could they have left through those means of transportation?" I asked.

"I have men at the airport sniffing out the wolf from passengers. As for helicopter charters, helicopters are not allowed to fly due to the bad weather."

I thought long and hard. Lucas must have property here. I message Chase to get a list of those properties. There lies the answer to our search.

Suddenly my phone rings. An unknown number. Must be one of the rogues back in New York. They loved changing their number

"What?!" I already had so much on my plate and I still had to be bothered by One and his minions.

"Hello. I would like to speak to Elder Eric Lockwood." The polite voice of a man sounded oddly familiar. I just couldn't figure out whose voice it was. I rubbed my forehead. The wild goose chase was giving me a headache.

"Speaking. Who is this?" I ask.

"This is the High Lord Wolf Charles Vanderbilt," he answered. I was speechless. The High Lord Wolf was calling me?! No wonder his voice sounded familiar. But he never spoke to Elders, it was beneath him. Oh my Goddess, maybe he was calling me to tell me I was nominated for High Councilman.

"Hello? Elder Eric Lockwood? Are you still there?"

"Y-yes, your Lordship. I would like to apologize for answering you so brusquely. I thought you were someone else. I meant no disrespect," I try to explain. I hope this didn't hurt my chances for High Councilman.

"Yes, about that, you can forget about it. You must be in a lot of stress." I heaved a sigh of relief. The High Lord Wolf was very understanding. "I called to ask you for a favor. I know you are hoping for a nomination as High Councilman. I have a small task for you to do. If you do this for me, I promise to put in a good word for you. My endorsement will be advantageous for the position you seek." It wasn't a bad day after all. Even if the day started bad, it seemed there was a cherry atop a rewarding future.

"What task do you need me to do, your Lordship?" I was silently praying it wouldn't be too difficult a task.

"I need you to finalize a business transaction I have with the Johnson's in the Midwest.  I have taken the liberty of booking you a round trip ticket as well as accommodations at The Peninsula. You do this for me and I will put in a good word for you. You have my word." I smiled. This was going to be easy. "By the way, Elder Lockwood, you leave for Chicago tonight." Wait...what?!

"I'm sorry, High Lord Wolf. I think I heard you wrong. You said I am to leave for Chicago tonight?"

"Yes, tonight. So you can meet with Jacob Johnson tomorrow morning. You are scheduled to return on the day of the Christmas Ball. Two days and two nights. Is there a problem? I could  call Elder Minerva Allen and have her do it. I think she wouldn't mind."

Fantastic. That old hag. She was the most disliked among the Elders because she had dirt on every one. She exploited what she knew to get her way and if she were to get an endorsement from the High Lord Wolf, she would definitely clinch one of the three spots in the High Council. No, I needed to get ahead. I will just have the men secure the island to keep Lucas and my granddaughter here on Martha's Vineyard. I will have them search the properties under the Lockwood name or have them go house to house if I had to. I'll have Chase oversee everything while I am gone. It was just two days.

Yet tomorrow is the eighteenth birthday of my granddaughter. She will be experiencing her first shift. I wanted her dead before tomorrow, but Lucas was very cunning. He has been able to thwart our every move. Well, she was a half breed anyway. The pack would never accept her as their Alpha and usually half breeds shift to small wolves. If she were to challenge Chase for the position, she will surely die.

I could afford to be gone for two days. What could possibly go wrong in two days? After years of being an Elder, it was time for a 'promotion'.

"Your Lordship, I will leave tonight as you wish."

"It's settled then. Stop by my office before you go to the airport so I can hand you the documents I need signed. Good day, High Councilman Lockwood!" The High Lord Wolf hung up. I couldn't help but smile.

High Councilman Eric Lockwood.

I liked the sound of that.