Chapter Twenty Four

Author's POV

It was currently early winter in Seattle and the snow was falling from time to time. It hung over the buildings and roofs, coloring them in white. And, it split over the asphalt roads as cars drove past. The wind came along with the freezing cold, howling from time to time, as though it wanted to show how intense it was.



In the huge tower, Alaric walked into his office. It had been three days since he woke up and it was very hectic and stressful considering that he had been asleep for years and needed to understand the situation of things.



He also could not rest when he knew the enmity between their pack and the vampires. He had heard from the elders of the pack that they had launched several attacks on the pack in the past years in an attempt to exterminate them all but were not successful because of the blood seal he had put around the pack when he collapsed.



Alaric removed the windbreaker he was putting on due to the harsh cold and handed it to the young man behind him who in turn, walked to the rue coat rack placed in a corner of the room and hung it there.



Alaric settled behind his desk and looked around his office. Everything in the office, his tower, and even the world had changed and it was very hard for him to keep up. Everyone didn't wear their hair long any longer and most of them trimmed it short.



The clothes were also unusual and unattractive. Women didn't dress in beautiful ball gowns and men in patterned kilts.



But regardless of how confused he was about the situation, he was quick to adapt. He had to.



He was the ruler of the kingdom and needed to always be active. Thousands of the pack members and their children had waited for the day he would wake up from the deep sleep he was in and had faith in him.



He could not disappoint them.



Alaric's fingers drummed on the arm of his swivel chair as he contemplated. Suddenly, he looked up sharply and his gaze landed on the man who had followed him in. He was his assistant, Cain and according to what he heard was the current manager of the pack.



"What were the reports from the people you sent to spy on the vampires?" He asked.



Cain immediately stood upright when he heard him speak. He looked solemn as he began to report, "According to them, everything seems peaceful on their side and although most of our pack members survived during these few years, the vampires managed to snatch some of our neighboring packs so their territory has expanded a lot."



Alaric was silent for a moment. He seemed to be full of thoughts. When he finally spoke, he said, "Tell them to continue watching their movements. They will eventually catch on to the news that I am alive."



" Yes, my lord."



"Why was another alpha not appointed while I was in a coma?" Alaric's gaze was sharp as he inquired. He seemed very curious about this.



Cain also didn't waste a second before replying, "My alpha, it is your powers that protected the pack all through the years you were asleep. There was no need for another alpha when you protected us even in death."



Alaric sighed. He seemed stressed and weary.





"Are there any other things I should know of?" Alaric asked, looking up at Cain.



Cain didn't reply at first. He shifted uncomfortably while standing and looked at Alaric warily.



He announced, "Yes there is, my lord."



Alaric raised an eyebrow immediately. "What is it?"



Cain was reluctant to speak. He paused for a moment seemingly pondering on what to say. Then, he said, "Pardon my manners, my lord. But I can not say it plainly like this. Walls have ears. I hope you can grant me a chance to move closer and say it."



Alaric didn't hesitate to nod in approval. He breathed a little, trying to pick up scents of any wolves nearby that could be eavesdropping on them.



He smelled nothing but he didn't relax nor tell Cain to simply speak. Cain moved closer to him with a bow and began to whisper.



"My lord, it has been a long time since you slept and a lot has happened since then. Some of the elders and pack members are beginning to defect and joined hands with the vampires."



Alaric's gaze constricted when he heard this. He clenched his fists slowly but there was hard to note any expression on his face so Cain didn't even notice the change in his mood.



Cain went on. "There haven't been any wars or scuffles since my time but according to my father, there were countless times that we had internal scuffles and some of the elders tried to steal your body while the others wanted to kill you."



Alaric's expression was quick to morph into surprise as he looked at him. He asked, "What happened then?



Cain's tone revealed excitement. " It was the seal you left around you. According to the witch we consulted, no one can enter the hall you were in except your mate."



Alaric was about to lean back into his chair when he heard this. He paused for a moment and he asked sharply, "My mate?"



"Yes, my lord. It was her that woke you up."



Alaric took in a deep breath and his thoughts strayed back to the girl he saw when he woke up. The encounter wasn't very long but he could still remember how it had played out.



He had suddenly woken up then and it took him a long while to regain his senses. When he did, he saw the girl standing near the coffin he was in and watching him curiously,



He remembered seeing the varying expressions on her face. She was scared of him yet she was curious and in awe. The girl was very young and he didn't recognize her.



He hadn't placed any attention to her but he remembered feeling very weird when he saw her. It was a surreal feeling he was very familiar with.



The feeling of the mate bond.



Now that he was thinking of it, it felt even more familiar to him and it made him confused. He knew what it meant to feel the mate bond. But he was also aware that she looked nothing like his mate.



Even though it had been years, he would never forget what his mate's face looked like. Saira; that was her name.



"Are you sure the witch didn't make a mistake?" He asked Cain.



"No, my Lord. No one could really see you in that hall except your mate not to talk of waking you up."



Alaric sighed. Since he was lost, he had to take things slowly. He would try to understand what was going on gradually.



He ordered Cain, "In the meantime, I want to know everything about that girl. Everything in full detail."



"Yes, my lord."



"You can leave now."



Cain instantly bowed. After he was gone, Alaric leaned back and folded his arms thoughtfully. Everything seemed surreal to him and it was hard to keep up.



But it was his responsibility. So, he would try to understand them gradually.



One step at a time.