30. Knights

"Calm down Wolfie."

Eden looked up to find a smiling guy standing on the broad branch of a tree. The stranger's hazel eyes gleamed with mischief as he gave a crooked smile, flashing his little sharp canines. The man had curly brown hair which was flowing over his marble smooth face.

Eden changed his stance to the attacking position, ready to charge on the intruder.

"Forgive our sudden arrival, Alpha." Another voice spoke up followed by a small thump, making Eden turn around. It was another man, hoisting himself from a kneeling position. "Also forgive my mate's slippery tongue," he said in a thick accent, narrowing his eyes at his grinning mate.

The other man had the same textured skin like his companion. However, his light blue eyes and cropped white hair were in contrast to his mate's appearance. His stature too was relatively smaller.

Not even a minute later the two trespassers were surrounded by other wolves. Eden had already mind linked to Oliver about them when he caught their scent. Werewolves had the ability to mind link neaby wolves or pack members in their wolf form. Pack was ready to rip apart the strangers at their Alpha's command, and seeing this the white-haired man raised his hands in surrender.

"I am here to help," he said staring at Eden's wolf form. "We can help you in finding your abducted mate, Alpha."

Eden narrowed his eyes at the man but didn't attack, intrigued by what they could probably do to help him find Marley. However, he didn't break from his attacking stance, ready to pounce on them if they made any suspicious move.

"I am Iosif." The man continued, extremely cautious of his every movement. He had no doubt that wolves wouldn't hesitate to draw blood if they found him a threat to their pack. He looked above at his partner, who was still casually leaning against the tree branch. "And that is my mate, Kyle."

On hearing his name, Kyle without any care in the world jumped down and landed swiftly on the muddy ground.

Every wolf surrounding them watched them suspiciously. These two definitely weren't humans but neither were they werewolves. Their scent was different.

"Now that the introductions are out of the way, we should get down to business. Shouldn't we?" Kyle spoke up, smirking at the puzzled faces of the wolves. He looked at Eden and flashed a smile. "I am sure we will get your mate sooner if you guys too made some effort to talk to us instead of growling and glaring."

In reply Eden growled threateningly.

****

Kyle walked around the spacious room, not in the slightest way restricting himself from touching the sculptures and photos that were decorated on the drawers and tables. He was the sort of a guy who made himself at home without any reassurance from the host.

Iosif and Kyle were in one of the rooms of pack house accompanied by Eden, Oliver, and Nicholas. The wolves made sure to not let the two get too comfortable but Kyle didn't seem fazed by their inhospitality, in fact, he rather enjoyed it.

Oliver studied that where Kyle was nonchalant and a bit rash, his mate Iosif was stiff, refined and always in control of his tongue. Oliver was having a hard time to figure out which one of them was more dangerous.

"Spill," Eden commanded, his voice stern and face blank of any emotion.

"The man that you're looking for goes by Odis." Iosif started, glaring at Kyle who almost dropped a vase while examining it. "He's the head of the clan that charged on your territory the other day."

"What were they?" Oliver asked and then narrowed his eyes. "What are you? And how do you know about all this?"

"Easy boy!" Kyle exclaimed mockingly, replacing the vase. "One question at a time please."

All three werewolves and Iosif glared at Kyle who raised his hands in surrender with a shrug.

Iosif let out a small sigh and continued. "They were half-shifters, the ones who attacked you. They have many names depending upon the legends or folklores like man-wolf, colossus and Odis's favourite, Lycan. Their role in the supernatural cycle was to keep peace between the humankind and werewolves. They were supposed to be a myth but so were the werewolves." He shrugged and made himself comfortable in a wooden chair. "They had existed alongside us but they became extinct during the War between the humans and wolves. So much for keeping the peace." Iosif shook his head.

"After the war, their existence for a time being was reduced to legends and then centuries later into nothing. But apparently taking into consideration our present circumstances, they don't seem to be that extinct. Do they?" Iosif raised his brows.

"They are not hunting rogues. They are turning them into Lycans." Nicholas concluded, his voice barely above a whisper but everyone still heard him. He still remembered stories about them that his grandmother used to tell. Nicholas didn't know how many facts about the lycans were true from the tales he had listened as a child because, in reality, lycans looked nothing alike to the ones in stories.

But stories and tales are a misconstructed version of the truth and all the evidence that they gathered till now pointed to one specific fact: they could turn others into one of them (just like what Nicholas' grandmother used to tell him to add thriller to her story). Male rogues were hunted but their bodies were nowhere to be found; it was like they vanished. There's only one use that lycans could have of those bodies...

"Alpha Daddy knows his stuff," Kyle spoke up, making Nicholas glare at his direction. "You're right they are not hunting but reviving their species. But there's a plot twist; only Odis is capable of turning wolves into half-shifters."

"Why?"

"Because he's an original. Meaning that he is a pureblood shifter and only pure blood can turn others. Apparently, he's the last one." Kyle added. "Not only this, purebloods are packed with some powers too and one of them happens to be altering the nature's aura; like its scent or wind..."

The three wolves now understood why they couldn't track those lycans' scent. Odis had altered it.

"Why did they take my mate?" Eden said, his jaws clenched in anger.

"That is something we too are curious about," Iosif answered, "but don't be too concerned about her because as far as I know, Odis doesn't harm defenseless humans."

Eden gritted his teeth. No matter what he would always be worried about Marley, even more so when she was held hostage by those monsters.

"You still didn't answer." Oliver interrupted and glanced at their guests suspiciously. "What are you?"

Iosif stiffened and Kyle chuckled.

"You are not going to let it go. Are you?" Kyle grinned. "I like to consider ourselves as vampires." He took a look at his mate, who was glaring daggers at him. "But Iosif takes great offense at being referred as vampire. He thinks it is a degrading term for us but I think it's quite cool; ever since twilight came out people think of us as mysterious lovey-dovey-"

"We are knights." Iosif cut him off. "We are not in the least like those leaches made up by humans." He grumbled arrogantly.

"Sorry, he's quite sensitive about the subject," Kyle said, placing his hand on his mate's shoulder.

"Do you drink blood?" Oliver asked and both nodded. "Then dude you are a vampire." Oliver thought how Sanjay would be ecstatic to hear about the news that vampires do exist.

"No." Iosif said stiffly. "We only need our mates' blood to survive and until we find our mate, human food is enough for us."

"Blood is like a wine to us. We may drink it if we like it but we don't necessarily need it unless it is of our mates." Kyle butted in seeing Iosif tensed. "Till now I've tasted human blood only few times, it wasn't that appealing but I heard werewolves' blood is quite tasty... You all do smell delicious." He licked his lips and grinned, purposefully showing his sharp canines.

The wolves positioned themselves for the attack.

"Don't be offended by his meaningless chatter." Iosif said, wanting to ease the tension in the room. "He's a newly turned and doesn't have any control over his tongue. I fear one day it might've him killed."

"Turned?!" Nicholas asked.

"Yes. We are gifted with a power to turn our mates into one of us. Kyle turned into a knight seven years ago. He is still learning our ways."

"Newly?! Just how old are you?" Oliver questioned. Seven years time wasn't short for him.

"He hit his century about ten years ago." Kyle answered for Iosif with a shrug.

"And you say you're not vampires!" Oliver muttered in awe.

"First lycans, now vampires. What else? Are there fucking fairies and elves too? How the fuck authorities don't know about you all?" Eden slammed his palm on the table irritatingly. The world was now not the same for him. Everything was spiralling out of control.

Eden knew that humans weren't fool and the government spied over them all; that's how the officials knew about them. There was a secret treaty between humankind and werewolves that normal citizens have no idea about. It was kept that way to not to disturb the peace because frightened humans were no good news. The government was conniving, so how the hell did lycans and vampires hid from them.

"If I ever see a fairy or an elf, I'll let you know." Kyle joked. "Don't worry about the shifters. With the way they are going, they won't remain hidden for long. And as for us; we just happen to be good at avoiding humans and we hope you keep it that way."

"And we are knights, not vampires." Iosif added stiffly, earning a dismissive look from everyone.

"How do you know about lycans and this Odis?" Nicholas asked.

"Odis and I were allies." The three wolves stiffened at Iosif's words. "I needed him to bring back the peace in *our* world. Finding him was not an easy task and believe me if he wants to be not found, nobody can find him. The only lead that we had were few hushed exaggerated stories and rumors. But after a year of mindless chasing after thin air, we got him. I had no idea then that my companionship with him would backfire on me later. He got too invested in my business that he forgot the real purpose. Which brings me here?"

"You are here to ask us to do what Odis couldn't do?" Eden narrowed his eyes at Iosif, who looked up and nodded.

"It is just not for us but for your race too. Soon, he'll be upon you wolves too and I can say without a doubt that stopping him is not going to be easy," Iosif answered, his voice dark and Eden could detect the hint of fear slipping into it.

"Stop who?" Eden asked.

"My brother."

*****