~Alpha Adrian
"Show yourself, cowardly beast!" I growled into the darkness.
I could hear footsteps moving around from a distance but no one emerged.
I tried to follow the sound but it quickly faded into the trees as I moved towards it.
I sniffed around desperately, trying to track its scent but the stench of perfume overshadowed every other scent.
I ran back to Daphney's limp body, my chest rising and falling as I shook her vigorously.
She wasn't waking up and there were large wounds on her arms and face.
Whoever had attacked her would have killed her if I didn't come back.
I threw her over my shoulder and snuck out of the building through the back gates.
I knew the duchess had a human sister that was a famous healer in the slums. From the many stories Daphney had told me, it wasn't hard to find her.
Vivian's face drained of colour when she saw Daphney limp in my arms.
She bombarded me with many questions that I couldn't even answer.
I was more concerned about Daphney's survival, I wanted to be sure she was going to be alright.
Vivian thanked me but urged me to leave before the sun rose. The the people in the slums despised werewolves from my pack, only heavens knows what they might do if they saw me lurking around.
As much as I hated to leave her side, I had to go. But every night, I returned, watching her from the shadows.
Her recovery was very slow and seeing her cry in pain made me hate myself.
Each night, before returning to the mansion, I left food and medicine at their door.
I knew Vivian would be too busy with Daphney and she needed all the support she could get.
It took several days before Daphney finally regained consciousness. I was beyond excited to speak to her but Vivian stopped me.
I pleaded to at least say hello to her but Vivian stood firm, saying I would only see Daphney when she fully recovered.
I hesitantly agreed and pleaded with her to pass messages to Daphney.
I thought Vivian had ignored my pleas until I saw Daphney sneaking out of the house late at night.
I was beyond excited. I would finally hold her again and properly apologise for everything that happened.
I longed to feel her warmth again and stare into her piercing blue eyes that always had this strange effect on me.
I followed her through the quiet streets till we arrived at our spot, where I planned to reveal myself.
My reveal was paused by the sound of boots coming from the entrance. I froze, my heart lurching as a tall figure slipped through the secret passage.
I could only see his back but I knew that odd red hair.
It was him, the red haired coward she had kissed at the wedding.
My wolf snarled within me, my fist curling so tight my claws threatened to tear my palm.
How did he find this place? And how did he manage to get past me?
I moved towards him, eager to reveal myself and attack but as Daphney threw her arms around him, I paused in my tracks.
He looked at her so lustfully, it drove me insane with anger.
A growl ripped from my throat, branches snapping beneath my boot as I approached them.
The sound caught her attention and she quickly pulled away from him, her eyes lingering on where I stood.
The innocent look in her eyes made my heart melt.
I loved Daphney and fighting this man would have brought me so much pleasure but she had chosen him.
He had her under some kind of spell and as much as I wanted her to snap out of it, I couldn't do anything. It would only make her hate me more.
I took one last long look at her before melting into the darkness.
I reached the mansion a few minutes before dawn, sliding into the bedroom before Iris woke up.
She stirred immediately, her hand moving around the bed like she was searching for something.
I held my breath, waiting for her to turn away.
Instead, her eyes flew open.
"Where are you coming from?" She demanded, her eyes scanning me.
"Went on patrol with Flynn. Please go back to bed," I whispered, brushing her hair with my palm.
Iris let out a bitter laugh. "Liar! I know you were chasing after that witch like a sick puppy. My sources saw you."
You and your sources are wrong," I snapped, pulling away from her.
Iris pulled the thick blanket off me and tossed it to the ground.
"I will not fight for what is mine. If Daphney continues being a threat to my marriage, I will get rid of her," she threatened, storming out of the room.
I lay flat on the bed, her loud insults echoing from the hallway.
I sighed heavily, shutting my eyes but sleep didn't come till sunrise.
Once Iris was out, I summoned Flynn and the best trackers we had in the pack.
The task was simple, find as much information as possible about the stranger.
"How do we find someone we haven't seen before?" Kent, my second in command asked.
My eyes narrowed, "he has red hair and bright green eyes, nobody else in this entire kingdom has such distinct features."
Kent sighed, his hesitation obvious. "He's a foreigner. It's against our peace treaty to bother foreigners."
"Not when your Alpha orders it," Flynn snapped. "We shall not return until we find this man, my lord," He bowed, exiting the courtyard with the rest of the men.
I paced around the mansion, trying to distract myself while waiting for news from the men. Until night fall there was no sign of them.
I sent out another troop and shortly after, they all returned together, their heads lowered in shame.
"There's no sign of this man anywhere, not even in the slums," Flynn explained.
"Search again," I barked, my fist slamming into the table.
"We searched thoroughly, my lord. This man doesn't exist."
I shook my head in disagreement, my anger slowly rising.
"There is one way we can try to find him," Flynn suggested, the hesitation in his voice obvious.
I looked up at him.
"Uhmmm....maybe we could ask Nyx."
"Are you out of your mind?" I thundered, my voice rising in anger .
The other men flinched and glared at Flynn angrily.
"I'm just trying to help," he shrugged innocently. "If this red haired man does exist, only she can find him."
I paused, the reality of my situation setting in. Nyx was a dangerous woman that had been locked up for good, but she was the only one that could find that coward.
"Fine," I snarled. "Summon her, but if anything goes wrong, you will bear the consequences."
Flynn nodded and began passing instructions to the other men. The windows were shut and the doors were blocked to prevent her from escaping.
I watched nervously, my heart racing wildly as Flynn began the ritual to temporarily free Nyx from the asylum I had locked her in.
Thick smoke curled out from the corners of the room, pooling at the middle. A loud cry echoed through the room as the smoke twisted into the form of a woman.
"Who dares disturb my sleep?" She shrieked in an other worldly voice that made most of my men tremble.
"I need you to find someone," I said, sparing the formalities.
"No!" She spat.
"I wasn't asking, it was an order!" I snapped.
Her eyes narrowed, a mischievous smile tugging at her lips.
"I do not take orders from beasts," she hissed. "Unless-" she sighed, tapping her finger on her chin.
The men and I exchanged curious glances, Kent shaking his head and trying to warn us.
"What do you want?" I asked despite Kent's warning.
"You know what I want," Nyx whispered, her face twisting into a bone chilling smile.
"Give me what I seek and I shall consider," I replied firmly.
She nodded, slamming her palms together loudly. The smoke around her feet curled into a pool in front of her.
She whispered something in a strange language and before our eyes, the smoke moved to form the shape of a man.
"Is that him?" Kent whispered.
No one dared speak a word. We watched anxiously as the figures became clearer, revealing the red haired man and Daphney.
I shifted to the edge of my seat, my eyes fixed on them. Everything played out perfectly from when he had entered the lake till when he escorted Daphney home.
Once he had dropped her off, he took an unusual route at the edge of the boundary. He kept moving even though everywhere was enveloped with darkness and there was nothing but trees for miles.
Suddenly, from the trees emerged tall shadows that followed behind him.
"What the hell?" I muttered under my breath.
The shadows danced around him until eventually, he vanished, the smoke dispersing immediately.
"I'll be expecting my payment soon," Nyx laughed, disappearing and leaving us twice as confused as we were before calling her.