A morning of drama

There was no better agreement that Lord Horgan, Daciana, Fenris, and Skoll could make other than that Skoll will be sent to the Ultimate Pack. There, he will act on behalf of the whole family and bring back their daughter. Ashina would follow him. He had waited the whole night. He could barely sleep.

Last night was a very interesting night. Fridolf, Aaron's father had come to meet his father and accuse him of not being loyal.

"There is no man that is so two-faced other than you," that was the first statement he heard the moment he entered his father's courtroom.

"You should try to understand the situation before blaming me," his father answered. He wondered what was going on.

"What do you have to explain about your daughter being betrothed to the Ultimate pack," Skoll was shocked the moment he heard that. He walked closer to them and looked at his father. He didn't ask for an explanation at that point. He waited till Fridolf left.

His father didn't give Fridolf a substantial explanation. He promised to explain things to him when Fridolf is calmer.

"Never will you see me here," Fridolf swore.

"I promised to be at your doorstep," his father replied, and that comforted Fridolf a bit. Fridolf knew never in his life had Horgan been in his pack. Most of the time, he and other Alphas meet here so they could make decisions and have a plan.

"Father, what is he talking about?" Skoll asked his father immediately after Fridolf left.

"Well, he is just angry that his son was captured," Horgan replied. He stood up from his seat and headed towards the exit.

"He talked about Mara being married to the Ultimate Alpha son. When was that arranged?" Skoll asked, as confused and angry as every other person might be. His father who had always preached towards the downfall of the Ultimate pack can't simply just allow his daughter to get married to one of them. It's not just one of them, it's the son of the Ultimate Alpha. The person his father hated the most.

According to what he has heard, his father had once been a friend of the Ultimate Alpha. When they were young, they fought side by side. It's usually referenced in their meetings. But he has never asked for what happened back then.

"Skoll, did you hear that from me?"

"No,"

"Then why do you doubt me?"

"It's because my sister is under the Ultimate Alpha's roof and for some reason you are calm. It's either you know about this arrangement or you just don't care for her," he asked. His voice raised higher than usual.

"Go get me your mother and brother. You all should be here now," Horgan replied.

Skoll didn't say anything else. He left the room. He headed towards his brother's room. On the way, he saw the two maids that came to deliver Mara's message coming out of his room.

"Why are those maids here? Did they come to tell you what happened too?" Skoll asked.

"Yes! I heard Mara is with the Ultimate Pack. She was injured by the one father wants her to marry. How diplomatic?" Fenris said mockingly.

"Do you question your father's decision?" Skoll asked, pissed at his brother.

"I don't. But hasn't his decisions always been what you follow? And every time, you get surprised at the end of it all," Fenris said. He walked away from his bed. He picked up an apple. He walked closer to his elder brother.

"Think for yourself for once, brother. Why do you have to do everything father has to say? It's a free world. Don't be confined by some laws positions. Is everything just being the Alpha," he said.

"Fenris, you know nothing. It's your weakness that makes you think this way. Asark is a world run by power. Weak ones like you are killed off to climb the chain of authority,"

"Well, with my weakness, I still have access to information more than you. And more than you will ever have access to information," Fenris said. He picked a robe hung around his cupboard.

"Where does father want us?" He asked.

"Courtroom," Skoll replied. He left immediately. He barely has conversations with his brother. Ever since childhood. And when they do, it's to argue the difference between their opinions. His brother had always been one who ran away from training to read. His brother makes friends with people. And he knows lots of things. Whenever they argue, he doesn't consider what his brother says. He never thought about them. Ever since he was born, he has seen proof that political and physical power supersedes the power his brother is accumulating.

He got to his mother's room. He knocked.

"Come in," his mother's voice came through the door. He went in. She is doing one of the most detestable things in the world. The same trait Fenris got from her. Reading.

"Father requests your presence," he said, irritated at what she is doing. She closed her book and turned at him.

"What is it about? Why does he want me?"

"Probably to explain how much of a two-faced person he is,"

"Hmm!" She sighed and dropped her book.

"I will be with you soon," she said.


His mother came in earlier than expected. Her usual style of attending such a meeting is usually a grand one. The last person to come in and for some reason, her opinion is the one most accepted. In past meetings they have had, she is usually the last to come, last to speak, and one with the accepted opinion. If it's not hers, it would be Fenris. Their mother will only build on his opinion. And Mara is mostly silent. She supports her mother's actions and ideas. And their father is the one who determines what happens or not. Skoll is usually just there. No one listens to his opinion about anything. If the concluded opinion requires someone to put it into action, it's mostly him.

"I guess everyone has heard about the information somehow," Horgan said, with his eyes fixed on Fenris.

"About what?" Fenris asked. No one replied.

"There is so much information around these days. Help me narrow it down to something," Fenris said.

"Mara was wounded by Aaron today at the market," Horgan said. He stopped to see everyone's reaction. Skoll is still as angry as ever. Fenris smiled. And his wife has her eyes fixed on him.

"Her supposed beloved spouse," Fenris commented when Horgan least expected it.

"And she is under the Ultimate Alpha's care," Horgan said.

"But that's not all. Four days ago, she met with Leowulf. The ultimate Alpha's son. He somehow used a breathing technique on her. This was to know if she could be his perfect woman or not. She got caught in it. By the law of Asark, she is meant to be his wife," Horgan concluded. Skoll is the only one surprised about the situation. He looks confused.

"What breathing are you talking about?" He asked.

"It's a characteristic particular to the Ultimate Alphas. They can't just pick any woman. They must marry the one that fate has picked for them," Fenris answered. Teasing his brother.

"And I thought we weren't meant to have anything to do with them?" Skoll said.

"That would have been the situation if this hadn't happened?" Fenris replied.

"And none of you were aware of this? Couldn't you have prevented her from being his perfect woman?" Skoll frowned. Horgan looked at him and shook his head. His mother chuckled.

"Ehm! There are two things you can't do that I can do one of them," Fenris said. Skoll looked at him with contempt.

"That's thinking and future seeing," Fenris laughed.

"Fenris," Horgan growled.

"Sorry, father,"

"What's the next step father? How do we get Mara out of the Ultimate pack?" Skoll asked.

"The reason I will allow her to marry Leowulf is so she can serve as an insider for us. We will use her to get information directly from them. Know their moves," Horgan replied.

"That was why when I heard of her meeting with Leowulf the first time, I wasn't angry at her. Thanks to your mother,"

"And tomorrow, Skoll, you will go to the Ultimate pack. Get her. You will accept whatever proposition of marriage given to you by the Ultimate Alpha. And you will come home with Mara tomorrow," Horgan said.


And that's the reason he is here now. At the entrance of the Ultimate Alpha's palace. The territory assigned to the Ultimate Alpha is way larger than that of his Pack. He has even met more people than his pack. Some gave him the aura of being warriors, some were just normal people.

He entered the palace. He followed a maid who had volunteered to take him to see the Ultimate Luna. The appearance of the palace is different from that of other packs he has been to. Even though he might not be intelligent to think or to retain some things. There are some parts of history that he has enough knowledge about. He knows that's after the humans created the barrier to divide them. This palace is the first building ever. And it was built by very creatives who utilized every resource they had then. Some parts of the Palace were built even before the War.

"My lady, there is a man here to check on Lady Mara," the maid guiding him said at the entrance to a door. It's the infirmary.

"Come in," a lively voice said from within. The maid opened the door. She bowed her head and left the room.

"Skoll? Brother!"Mara called. She tried standing.

"Hold on. You can't just stand up. Take things easy," Elvis stopped her. She was smiling when Skoll came in. She isn't excited to see him. She is more petrified to see him. How could he be here? And seeing her in such a mood.

"Ah! Welcome, dear. You must be a little Skoll. How you have grown!" the Ultimate Luna cried. She embraced him, but he showed no emotion.

"You don't remember me. I used to carry you on my back, those days," she smiled.

"Elvis, look at him. He's grown," she said. Elvis smiled. Elvis could see how irritated Skoll is. His teeth clenched together. Skoll couldn't just push her away because of where he was.

"My Lady, let's give them some time. He has come to see his sister," Edon said.

"Ah! That's true. Enjoy," she dragged him and sat him on a stool beside the bed. Elvis held Ultimate Luna's hand lightly and led her out of the room.

"How sweet you are, Elvis." she said as both of them left.

Skoll sat closer to Mara. He looked around the medical room. It's not like the one in their pack. This one is more decorated than the one they have. It has a light appearance. A calm one.

"What are you doing here, all relaxed?" He asked.

"I didn't come here by myself,"

"I didn't ask you that? Are you okay?" He asked her. She nodded her head.

"Yes! I am fine. How is mother?" She asked her brother.


-------------------------------------------------------------------

It's morning and no sane mother would sit by when her only daughter hasn't been home since last afternoon.

"Yes! Go to the palace. Ask of her from Lord Leowulf," her husband said. There is a limit to how he could move. He was just recently reported to have been involved in a physical altercation with someone. He was arrested. But was allowed to be on home arrest till the end of the next full moon.

"I am. Even if she is there, they could have sent a message. Position doesn't assure wisdom at all," Dun said.

"Be watchful of what you say?" Her husband cautioned her. You never know who is around. They might report what they heard and no one can save them.

She arrived at the palace at the most horrible time anyone should ever. She couldn't believe her eyes. Right on a truck being pulled by some guards is her daughter and some other guy she doesn't care about.

"Sassaba?" She called out silently.

"Sassaba!" She screamed and dash towards the guard carrying her daughter. Another guard stopped her from holding the corpse.

"Please refrain from doing that,"

"It's my daughter. I should touch my daughter,"

"Please ma'am," the guard pushed her back.

"What happened to my daughter? Please tell me what happened to my daughter. Lord Leowulf. What have you done to my daughter?" She screamed. She jumped and threw herself continuously towards the guard. He held her down. He grabbed her along till they dropped the body in the middle of the palace.

Most people came out. Leowulf and Audolf jumped down the stairs. She saw Leowulf and dashed towards him. She screamed at him. Audolf got hold of her immediately.

"You were the last person to go out with my daughter? What did you do to her daughter?" She cried.

"When you were away, we were comfortable. Now for the first time you came, my daughter's dead body is what I am seeing," she wrestled Audolf. She tried to get away from him. He didn't push her away. He understands what it is to grieve and for this reason, he held her closer. He tries to calm her but she is more interested in punching Leowulf.

-------------------------------------------------------------------

"Oh dear goddess, I messed up," Leowulf cursed himself the moment he came out and saw Sassaba's mother and what's left of her daughter. There were bites from animals. Probably foxes or those lurking hyenas, but none of them touched her face. Someone who knows Sassaba well will recognize her.

It is a bit irritating to look at her. Her guts and Intestines are inside out. The beasts who tried to feast on her and the servant must have been chased off by something. The reason he had left both of them to rot was that he knew those beasts would feed on them.

Immediately Sassaba's mother called him and mentioned that he was the last person that she was with, eyes turned to him. His mother looked at him in surprise. She returned to her room with Elvis. Audolf gave him a sharp look. He looked around, and around the medical room, he saw a strange face. It has the same marks as Mara.

"That must be her brother or someone from her pack. She mustn't hear of this," he thought. While Sassaba's mother was still cursing at him, he left.

"You keep leaving. Is my daughter's life worth nothing?" The woman kept screaming and the more he heard her voice, the heavier his heart became.