Indefinite

Eating was my biggest concern now because I was too hungry to waste any more time. I do not still know what awaited me in the so-called Pack of mine, so it was best to replenish my strength. Already judging from the way the Moon gazers Pack stared at me and the manner in which the people here accessed me, I could tell that I may not be in a favorable situation when we arrive at the Alpha’s residence.

 

            Anyhow, we soon finished our meal and the rain had thankfully stopped coming on strong by then. I found the sword’s position uncomfortable as I walked to the counter to drop my tray. I felt like it smacked on my thigh and could get between my legs, either causing me to fall or walk in an awkward way that could attract embarrassment.

 

            We left the inn. Phyllis led me along the broad, main street road of the town that had us squashing ourselves amongst the crowd to get past. I still felt the harsh gazes on me, but now I was no longer concerned about them. They can glare at me all they want.

 

            For a moment, I almost lost trace of the fast walking Phyllis. I could not keep up with her pace, as I was a bit distracted. Moreover, I also could not walk any faster due to the less space among the crowd, so I only had to keep my eyes on her honey hair, which now seemed to prove futile since I could no longer see it. I needed no one to tell me that I had lost complete trace of the girl.

 

            I instinctively walked away from the main route and found shelter under a shop along the road, willing to look carefully for Phyllis amongst the crowd. It would be too bad if I lost her in a place like this.

 

             I subconsciously moved back, not aware as I bumped my behind into what felt like a wall, only that now it no longer seemed to be, as a strong hand tugged at my arm and pulled me out of the shop to where I knew not of. 

 

            Everything happened so fast and left nothing to my imagination; initially from the strong hand grabbing me, to everything around turning blurred, then to my back hitting painfully against a real wall. I groaned as I fell to a squatting position, trying to recover from the sudden speed with which the unknown carried me.

 

            I slowly looked up, surprised to see Phyllis standing before me, her eyes glaring down at me with fierce demeanor. I groaned, “What was that for?”

 

            “You obviously do not know how things go on here, do you? How could you just stand before a crowd of wolves and witches, looking sheepishly around? That is like inviting your prey to come at you. If I did not take you away, you would have been at the mercy of a blood-sucking witch by now.”

                                                                                                                       

            I stood on my feet, my right hand clutching onto my left arm. “I could not find you. I thought I lost you,” I pouted.

 

            Phyllis huffed, turning around to enter the stable, which obviously we stood on its porch. “We will purchase two Horses to lessen the Journey,” She muttered and walked into the stable. She did not precisely say it, but she was not purchasing any horse. The owner rendered the same services the attendant at the inn did. The Pack’s Alpha certainly owned some of these buildings.

 

            The ride with the horse indeed lessened the Journey that supposedly would have taken us a day. It was fortunate that we seemed to have arrived at our location before the sun even thought of setting. In front of me was a Tower surrounded by a tall, strong wall. I instantly felt Goosebumps run through my skin as nervousness evaded me, as well as the feeling of wanting to go home to see my Father and Brothers if they were.

 

            We reached the gates of the hundred and fifty feet, rotund Tower just as I heard two howling wolf cries coming from the inside. There were five able-bodied men standing before the gates, two at each end and one in the center, they had no tool in their hands.

 

            “Ace!” the one in the middle called, approaching us as our horses stopped before the gates. I must admit, he was handsome. He was so good-looking to the extent that I began to compare who looked best between him and me. He cast me a long stare, eyeing me. “I am sorry, Ace, but I was instructed not to let a stranger into the Tower,” He said as he went to stand before Phyllis’ horse, rubbing its Mane fondly.

 

            “He is no stranger, Flynn. He is the one I was sent to bring,” Phyllis responded, glancing back to me. The young man’s eyes did not for once leave me; he left the witch’s horse and approached mine. Standing beside it, he looked up at me and chortled. “This being looks so feeble, how could he be one of us?” he remarked, and I swore I felt my throat find its way to my stomach.

 

            Anyhow, he left me with a shrug, moved to the gates and blew a whistle. The iron covering instantly opened to give us the view of the magnificent inside. Phyllis’ horse moved her in and I kicked mine to move too. However, as I passed the gates, I turned to the handsome wolf and we locked eyes. He narrowed his eyes and the green orbs pierced into mine. I instinctively looked away.

 

 

            Regardless of the way I thought of it from the gates, the Tower seemed actually taller, as it looked as if Phyllis and I were merely standing like ants below it. There was a massive statue of someone, who appeared to be the Alpha, overlooking the Tower. Colorful flowers exuded their glory at the flanks of the building and it matched with the view of a small, pool-like, trimmed lawn at both sides of the entrance. Apart from the Tower, there were also houses that rather seemed to be stables, barns, and stores, whatever they were.

 

            When our horses came to a stop, I watched as two men came forward and led them away after we had gotten down. Phyllis gestured to me to walk toward the Tower and I did as she instructed, but not without turning back to cast one more glance at the closing gates. I found the wolf still staring at me and I turned away, curiosity invading me.

 

            “Who was that wolf at the gate?” I asked Phyllis as we moved into the widely opened door that led us into a hallway.

           

             “He is just among the first-ranked sentinels and the younger brother to the Alpha’s beta.”

 

            I turned to look back one more time even if I could not see the gates anymore. The look the wolf, Flynn rather, gave me that latter time was utterly weird― it was not fierce, nor was it otherwise. I could not explain what I saw in his eyes, but I was sure it sent chills down to my spine.

 

            We turned to a pathway that led to the staircase. I finished the first few treads that made me realize this staircase was more than what meets my power, as its length was longer than I could imagine. I groaned, getting myself ready for what was to come.

 

             Bred in a castle where I had handmaids at my disposal all the time is something that should not have happened, even the menial works I assisted the servants do could not be as strength draining as this. This was certainly going to be a long ride.

 

            It took us minutes before we finally arrived at what I suspected to be one of the upper floors. Then Phyllis led me to a room where I met the like of the Anastasia crouching before the bed as she dressed it. She rose to her feet the moment we got in and I saw that she was, though not so, pretty. Simply clad in a pink voluminous dress with fluffy designs at the ends of the half-length arms. She had dark hair, which she dressed into a messy twin bun. She looked young, tender, and mild.

 

            “Elspeth, this is your new master,” Phyllis told the innocent-looking girl who turned to me with an obeisance. Despite being surprised at the verity that I was going to have a new maiden just when I thought Phyllis would take me to some part of the tower for hard work, I was more surprised that I seemed to have perceived my scent on this woman. Her scent too was familiar to me, making me feel I had met her somewhere.

 

            She casted a look at me before our eyes locked. They were those ocean blue eyes that made me feel I was directly staring at the Coral Sea. It did not take more than four seconds before ‘Elspeth’ tore her gaze away from mine and looked down at her feet.

 

            Phyllis tugged lightly at my arm, making me turn to her. “She is going to serve you from now on. Have a rest. In the evening, you will meet my mother.” She immediately left, leaving me behind with my new handmaid.