Kane's POV
The voices of the elders arguing were muffled to my hearing. I could barely hear a thing from the banging noise of my own heartbeat.
"She was supposed to be dead."
"Alpha Kane!" Elder Tobias voice thundered, snapping me out of my thoughts.
"The problem will keep growing if we don't eliminate the root,"
I exhaled and gave him my attention, "And how do you intend we do that?"
"We can't keep fostering slaves that were saved from the Deep Traders, we don't have the resource,"
"You didn't answer my question, Tobias," I pointed out.
"Please, how do we eliminate the root? I'm curious,"
"We take the fight to the one who is behind all these. We take the fight to the so-called Grand Alpha and we take him out, once and for all," He said, raising murmurs in the council room.
"Silence," My beta, Rod, called for order.
"You want me to sacrifice the lives of our men, for what? We won't even be able to get through the Rivers alive,"
They were all quiet but their expressions conveyed their thoughts.
"I think what they are trying to say," Rod hesitated,
"The search for Alicia had been going on for over a year now. We don't even know if she's still alive, we don't even know what's out there,"
My countenance shifted, "Are you asking me to give up on my mate? To stop searching for the woman who I have sworn under the Goddess's light to protect?"
"You also swore to protect the people of Crescent and bringing more mouths to feed doesn't help these people," Rod retorted swiftly.
"Please Kane, think this through. We have stormed almost all the Trade point around the Coast but came up with nothing,"
"For all we know, she could be dead," an elder uttered.
"What did you just say?"
"Kane, he didn't mean it that way," Rod quickly chipped in.
"I can't take any more of this. We move out again in five days," I replied as I stood up abruptly. I walked out of the room agitated, frustrated about the so many roadblocks.
"Hey!" Rod hurried after me.
"What do you want?"
"You know I'm not your enemy here, right?" he inquired with concern.
"I will back you up everyday, any day but you have to promise me that we won't search for one person at the expense of hundreds of thousands depending on us,"
I looked him straight in the eyes and replied, "My people are my responsibility,"
"Thank you. Now you can tell me what you are hiding,"
"What?" I reacted.
"The girl we saved from the Traders. There was something about her that startled you, what was it?" He pressed.
"I don't know what you are talking about Rod," I turned away to leave.
"You sometimes forget that I'm your beta," His words stopped me in my tracks.
"I feel the frustration you are going through, and the shock when you met her yesterday. Who is she?"
A smile appeared in the corner of my lips as I let out a gentle sigh. " I will see you tomorrow, Rod,"
I approached the door cautiously, unable to think of the best way to start the conversation. I was hesitant to enter until a sudden cratering noise split the silence within the room.
I opened the door and met her trying to escape through the window that she had forcefully pried open.
"What are you doing?" My voice startled her. She made another attempt when I stepped in, getting desperate out of fright .
"Enough,"
"What?" She panted.
"Why am I here? Where am I exactly? Am I at Crescent?"
"You are familiar with my pack,"
"I am familiar with Crescent. Everything else is confusing," She replied. She talked like the Aurora I remembered, walked like her too. She also still carried the beauty that stole my heart as a boy.
"The person who captured you also took my mate from a medical outreach last summer," I said.
"I'm sorry but I don't know anything about my captor. I was taken less than twelve hours before your arrival," She responded calmly.
"The rest of the people beg to differ. They believe the leader, Salem, was interested in you. Gazing and chatting,"
I noticed her reaction, clenching on to the sheets firmly.
"The same way you are gazing and chatting?What is this? I have been asking questions but no one wants to give me an answer."
"Maybe because no one knows the answer to give you," I responded while scanning her quietly. The mark on her hand – definitely her.
"Who are you?"
"I'm Aurora," She gave a swift response.
"I'm guessing you already suspected that. The question is who are you? You can't be the kid I saw last year,"
"Last year?" I chuckled lightly. I got up from my seat and paced about the room, unable to believe what I was seeing. It wasn't possible.
"You were supposedly executed for treason, for taking the life of your own father,"
Her hand instinctively went to her chest, rubbing a particular spot as she appeared overwhelmed with thoughts.
"I remembered the dagger piercing my heart but that's the last thing I recalled before waking up in the woods," she muttered lightly.
"Is this a joke to you?" I blurted with a sharp gaze.
"People don't just miraculously wake up from the dead after a decade. You better give me an explanation that can be understood or I will —"
"Sorry … what? I have been dead for ten years?"
I couldn't tell if she was faking it but her expression was one of utter confusion.
"Princess Aurora died a decade ago,"
I could tell she was overwhelmed by shock. Her lips were parted but there were no words.
"If you remember any information that would help me find Salem, let me know,"
I left the room, allowing her to the sanctuary of her thoughts. Besides I had other pressing matters that needed my attention.
"Luna Valerie," I walked up to the leader of the Dire Pack with a smile.
"It's always a pleasure to host the Sacred Wolves of the High Mountains,"
She pecked my cheek delicately and her expression passed the message needed.
"What happened?" I inquired curiously.
"We were expecting delivery last night; food, medications and other necessities," She exhaled heavily in between sentences.
"It was ambushed, the whole cargo burnt and now my people starve. Some whisper of it been my fault for backing you against our mutual foe,"
"Do you share their view?" I asked as I poured her a drink.
"We have been allies since I took my father's seat. Feel free to speak your mind,"
"I have a responsibility to my people. I can't watch them suffer," she replied.
"Then I will take care of them, I will handle the affairs," I insisted desperately.
"This is not a time for us to lose allies. This is his plan, it's what he wants,"
"Whose plan?" A voice shot from the entrance. One that had me immediately on edge.
"How did you escape the room?" I asked Aurora. She approached with a blank look.
"Who is she?" Luna Valerie asked. Aurora took a seat across Valerie, staring at her in suspense.
"Whose plan?" She repeated.
"Your brother," I answered.
"He took over the entire region across the River and called himself Grand Alpha. He allowed traders of the deep to run the market in his system. He took our lands and businesses, now he is making his way this far North,"
"He framed me," she muttered under her breath.
"It's not possible," Valerie scoffed in disbelief.
"Aurora died over ten years ago. So you are trying to tell me I'm sitting across some dead princess?"
"I'm pretty confused myself," I answered.
"I found her when I raided the Hounds convoy,"
"Its still not —"
"I have to leave," Aurora declared as she headed for the exit.
"Where do you think you are going?"
"To find answers and stop these nightmares," she responded swiftly.
I snarled in frustration and held on to her as firmly as I could.
"You are not going anywhere,"
"Back off!" She growled and immediately something spiralled within me. A recognizable energy that scorched my heart. From that point of contact, an electric feeling shot both ways.
I could feel her in my head, flashes of her memories went through my mind as I even felt her die. The feeling got intense by the second, creating an ecstatic emotion that made even my wolf to react.
"Enough!" She pried my hands off. I backed away slowly, panting heavily as it dawned on me.
"No …" My voice cracked as if the sound itself was betraying me.
"You can't be mine, I already belonged to another,"
"Did you both…"
"Don't!" I ordered, stopping Valerie from completing her statement.
"Don't say it,"
"I already had a mate. This can't happen, it doesn't happen," Aurora panted heavily. I could still feel her in my head, my heart intertwined to another.
I couldn't afford another complication at that point. With a slow shuddering breath, I called out.
"Gaurds,"
I had no choice, the gnawing hunger in my chest had left me cornered.
"Take her to the pits,"
"No!" she resisted as they pulled her away.
The weight on my chest grew heavier when I tore my gaze away.
I forced myself forward until I stood beside Valerie, who watched the scene in stunned silence.
Leaning close, I whispered through ragged breaths, "This never happened — no one will ever know what took place here."
She hesitated for a moment, then let a small smile break across her face.
"To my understanding, nothing ever happened. So I assume that my people will get the resources we need?"
We had been stretched thin and could barely sustain the people we
accommodated. But the situation had quickly turned into a random demand; not a request.
"The Dire people will get the resources they need," I gave the answer at the expense of my own clan.