Chapter Twenty

“Did you find anything?” Hayden asked Ace quietly. He didn’t want to disturb Alexia, as she was sleeping.

“We could not pick up any trace of a scent, so our assailant was smart enough to use masking spray; a very powerful one at that. Romulus and Athena have tried to see if they could detect any leftover aura from the person, but they found none. This person had their bases well-covered. What they want to do now is trace the source of the figurines’ power. They will prepare a potion that can absorb and identify the kinds of spells used to enchant the figurines, then they will extract those spells, reverse them and then trace it,” Ace explained.

“How long is this whole enchantment-disenchantment process going to take?” Hayden asked.

“They said about a week,” Ace replied.

“A week? No, I can’t wait that long. Bring in forensic experts. I need that floor examined and swept for fingerprints and footprints, DNA sample analysis, fibre testing…everything!” he commanded.

Ace looked shocked, “Forensics, Hayden? Isn’t that taking it a little too far? I mean…the warlocks are already working on it and the…”

His words suddenly garbled because he started choking. Hayden held him by the throat and raised him up, glaring at him with blue eyes that flashed gold.

“Taking it a little too far? TAKING IT A LITTLE TOO FAR? Someone had the audacity to enter the packhouse and climb up to my floor, entered my bedroom and my office without permission, violating my privacy, and planted two enchanted figurines that were created with the intention of splitting me and my mate. It doesn’t stop there, no. My mate was the one who found the figurines, and she was harmed by their sheer evil power,” Ace’s face turned a ghastly shade of purple as he kept clawing at Hayden’s hand.

“What if Alexia was not powerful? Don’t you think about the implications it would have had on our relationship and on the Supernaturals in general? The Second-Chance mates, the hope of the Supernaturals suddenly hate each other, and cannot figure out how to save us all? How about that? And then you have the nerve to—”

“Stop! You’ll kill him! He has turned blue!” Alexia yelled hoarsely from the bed.

The sound of her voice broke the spell of fury that Hayden was feeling, and he released his hand from Ace’s throat. Ace dropped to the ground, clutching his throat and gasping for air. She came to stand in front of him, glowering at him.

“Do you realize you could have killed him? He turned blue! And you’re supposed to be his friend! You should be ashamed of yourself!” Alexia screamed at him. She bent down to look at Ace.

“Are you okay? Do you need water? Can you breathe well?” she asked him in a concerned tone.

Ace had regained his breath and his colour was back to normal, “I’m fine, Alexia. Thank you. You really should be resting,” he said and stood up. He pulled her back to her feet gently and helped her back to the bed.

He turned back to face Hayden who was still breathing heavily, trying to keep his anger under wraps.

“I realise that I didn’t see it from your point of view, but try to see things from mine. I will leave now. Take care, Hayden,” he said and left the private ward.

Alexia sat on the bed and glared at Hayden, “And you call him your best friend and your Beta; your second-in-command. Yeah, right!” she sneered.

“You are really not taking his side, are you, Alexia?” he asked, barking sarcastic laughter, “You don’t know what he said, what he insinuated!”

“And so? And so? Whatever he might have said doesn’t warrant you choking him almost to the point of him turning blue! You attacked your best friend, Hayden!” she yelled at him, then exhaled, closing her eyes. When she opened them again, they were closed off and distant, and Hayden felt a tightening in his chest.

“I won’t argue with you anymore about this. Do whatever you like. However, I would like you to leave. I don’t feel like seeing your face right now,” she said and laid down, turning her face away from him.

Hayden clenched his jaw tight and walked silently out of the room.

***

Hayden walked out of the clinic, and raced into the woods. The tree branches and thorns slapped and scratched at him, but he did not stop. He took off his clothes and flung them as he went, until he was fully naked.

Mid-sprint, his bones cracked and rearranged themselves. His face pushed forward and elongated into a snout. Fur grew from his body, covering every inch of him. His ears became larger. His limbs elongated and his nails grew into claws. His posterior extended until he grew a tail.

The transformation was complete. The wolf that was Hayden had glossy brown fur. It was big, and it emitted airs of royalty and power. It sat back on its haunches, then raised its head to the sky and let loose a long, piercing howl with undertones of sadness. It continued to howl for a long time, before it stopped.

Each howl that Alexia heard twisted something in her heart, but she refused to acknowledge it. Instead, she turned on her side and slept.

***

Hayden went back to the packhouse and headed straight for the gym. He did not perform any warm-up exercises, instead, he taped his knuckles and started hitting the punching bag as hard as he could. The more he hit it, the more clarity returned to him and he started to think the situation over.

One. Two.

Bringing forensic scientists to the pack would alert the perpetrator that he is being investigated. That may prompt him to take drastic steps to cover his tracks or maybe even leave the pack.

One. Two. Three.

Sweat dripped into his face.

There was no hurry, now that he thought more about it. The warlocks could do their spell tracing, and find out the source of the figurines’ magic. Whomever it was traced to can then be placed under close watch, and one they take any suspicious step, they will be dealt with as such.

One. Two.

He and Alexia could stay in another room until the cleansing and the tracing was over. He could always create a temporary office, and work remotely with his laptop, since it was also backed-up to the pack server.

One. Two. Three.

Alexia was angry at him. Shit. He had to apologize to Ace. Double shit.

He hit the punching bag harder than he had been hitting it, and the leather broke, spilling the sand in it. He sighed, and took down the burst punching bag. He went to the gym storage and took out another punching bag.

He hung it up himself, then mindlinked Ace, “Can you please send somebody down here to clean a mess? I burst another punching bag.”

“Sure thing,” Ace replied. A couple of minutes later, Ace came down into the gym with one of the pack’s helping hands. He quickly cleaned up the sand and the burst leather, then went back out of the gym as discreetly as he could.

Ace turned to follow the helper, but Hayden stopped him, “Hey Ace. I have something to say.”

Ace looked at him neutrally and expectantly, “Yes?”

Hayden heaved a sigh and moved closer to his friend, “I am sorry for going apeshit crazy on you like that. It was uncalled for,” he said apologetically.

“It’s fine,” muttered Ace and he turned to leave. Hayden grabbed his shoulder and turned him around so that they could make eye contact.

“You don’t get it. I am sorry. I am very sorry. I made a huge mistake. I realize that I have been neglecting you and treating you a little harshly since the time the clans came here for the Half Moon. I am sorry for that.”

Ace sighed and patted his friend’s shoulder, “You are under a lot of pressure, I understand. I just wish you’d share some of these burdens with me. I am your friend and your second-in-command. You don’t have to carry it all alone.”

“Thank you. That means a lot,” Hayden said sincerely.

“Anytime, bro,” replied Ace. They gave each other a one-sided hug and both walked out of the gym.

Hayden went up the stairs, past his landing to the second floor. He used one of the spare bedrooms there, and freshened up. He took a shower, brushed his hair and put on fresh clothes.

Then he went downstairs and prepared lunch for Alexia, because he knew she must be hungry. He carefully packed it, along with some fresh clothes for her, consisting of his t-shirts and her pair of yoga pants. He took her hairbrush, and some body lotion too.

The bag fully packed, Hayden walked towards the pack clinic. Time to pacify his mate.