53!

LIAM

“Beta Desmond?” I called out Ethan's father as he kept looking like he had seen a ghost. What’s going on? Why does the palace look like a ghost town?

“What’s going on Dad?” Ethan touched him and he flinched. I have never know Beta Desmond to be scared of anything, what he saw but have gotten to him.

“It’s not my blood,” he finally said, and we all let out a sigh of relief.

“Who's blood is it then?” Ethan kept asking him the question, trying to create a sense of normalcy for him.

“Over here,” he led us towards the room he came out of and we could see blood plastered on the wall. They smelled fresh, the wolves could have been killed just a few minutes ago.

“Did you do this all by yourself, Beta Desmond?” Mason asked him. He turned around and nodded. None of the blood smelt familiar or had a hint of the smell of wolves in our kingdom.

There are Castillo’s men. I hissed at the thought. Brianna’s hands intertwined with mine as we got towards the huge door.

Beta Desmond placed his bloody finger on a hole in the door and suddenly there was a bright light around it. “Alive,” the door opened and we could see the whole palace stuffed in the room.

“Father,” I raced towards him as I noticed him in the far corner of the room, sitting in what used to be a throne room.

“What happened?” I asked as I bowed to him.

“You are finally here,” Adrian said and I glared at him.

“Shut it, Adrain,” my father and I said at the same time. I looked at him with surprise, this might be one of the first times he has taken my side against Adrian.

“How did that happen?” I asked him, staring at his injury.

“I was targeted,” he said and my hands turned into a fist. “I was out in the market and a spy attacked me.”

“We had to initiate the Alpha protocol,” Beta Chris, Mason’s father said, casting a glaring look at Brianna.

“Was this spy caught?” I asked him. He turned his attention to me and sighed.
“No,” he said, “unfortunately, there wasn’t enough time to catch him before the Alpha protocol was initiated.

“We need to catch that spy and find out everything he knows before we declare war to the whole kingdom,” I said and the four of them looked at me, confused.

“War?” my father asked. “What are you talking about? If we go to war everytime i come in contact with a spy there won’t be any neighboring kingdom. It will be just us and the humans,” he said and I sighed.

“There was a battle in Greenwich along with the burning of a village before that,” I said to my father and he stood up from his seat.

“Why am I just hearing this now?” he asked, his eyes burning in rage. “This is important information. I shouldn’t be the last to hear such news!” he roared

“It’s quite complicated your majesty,” Brianna moved forward and bowed.

“Brianna,” he walked towards her and raised her chin. “You look just like your mother,” he said with admiration in his eyes. The rage that was in it suddenly disappeared.

“Tell me about the complication,” he said to her. She looked at me and I nodded for her to speak freely..

“Your majesty, I didn't know about the altercation you had with the overlord before I left the palace. I thought it was just a riot,” she said, looking straight at him. He rested his chin on his hands.

“There was a mishap in one of the streams in our plantation and I need it done for the safety and provision of my people.”

“That still doesn’t give you the right to defile the king’s orders,”Beta Chris said. He has the same dislike for werewitches like Mason does. Now we know where it comes from.

“It’s okay, Chris,” my father waved his hands. “I want to listen to what she has to say.”

“After the issue on the plantation was sorted out we got information that a village was on fire but that wasn’t the first time. A lot of little villages with as little as one thousand creatures have been burnt subtly. It is done randomly so we can’t detect a pattern.”

“And you think this is the work of Castillo?” my Father asked.

“Oh I know it is, Father. Me fighting Thane is proof enough,"I said and he leaned forward from his seat.
“Thane dared to set foot on our land?” he asked, rage igniting in his eyes.

“Yes,” I replied, my voice steady. “He’s testing our boundaries, trying to provoke us into action. This isn’t just about the villages; it’s a declaration of war.”

My father’s jaw tightened as he processed my words. “We cannot let him think he can intimidate us,” he said, his voice low and fierce. “We need to gather our allies and prepare for what’s to come.”

“Father, we need to act swiftly,” I urged. “If Castillo is behind this, he won’t hesitate to strike again. We must find that spy and uncover his plans before it’s too late.”

Beta Chris nodded in agreement. “We can set up patrols around the borders and increase security in the villages. If Castillo’s men are lurking, we’ll catch them.”

Ethan stepped forward, his expression serious. “And what about the villagers? They need protection. We can’t let fear spread among them.”

“Agreed,” my father said, his expression softening slightly. “We’ll send word to every village, ensuring they know we’re aware of the danger and that they’re not alone.”

“Ethan, you need to gather your team and find that spy,” my father ordered him. “We have a photo of him. Your father will give it to you. You report to him and Liam,” his voice came out firm and strong.

“Yes, your majesty,” he said, walking away with Trish. My guess is to say goodbye to her. He might be gone for long.

“Mason, you coordinate with your father, Liam and Adrain. I want to see a battle plan in the next one hour. Castillo is already ahead of us.”

Mason bowed and walked out of the room immediately. I noticed his hands brushed Layla. It was so subtle that his father didn’t see him.

As we dispersed, I felt the weight of responsibility settle on my shoulders. This was no longer just about me; it was about our entire kingdom. I glanced at Brianna, who stood beside me, her expression a mix of worry and determination.

“We’ll get through this,” I assured her, squeezing her hand. “Together.”

She nodded, her grip tightening. “Together.”