Under the Devil's Claws

Chapter 10

DEREK:

“Remind me the girl’s name again,” Father says, his expression telling that he is trying to recall something.

“Layla,” I say without hesitation.

“Oh yes, that’s her name. And I think the boy’s name should be Caleb,” he pauses briefly while still maintaining the thinking expression. “Anyways, back to the matter at hand, you said you want to know the reason I granted them refuge when they sought one from this pack?”

I nod in the affirmative. “Yes, father.” I declare.

“Well, it is nothing big of a deal. When they both came, they explained to me their predicaments. They were both running from the Night Blaze pack, you know, the one which has Rasmus as the alpha. So according to what they told me, Rasmus was trying to force the girl to be his woman and she had no choice but to get away from his reach because it seems he was being abusive to her or something.”

The story was just what I expected it to be. I knew for sure that what they were running away from was something big. And to make matters worse, it just had to be the devil of an alpha from the Night Blaze.

“Don’t you think you made a wrong decision?” I have to ask a little while later.

“Why do you say so?”

“Because now the girl was attacked by wolves that are not of this pack. Possibly from the Night Blaze which means Alpha Rasmus is preparing to take her back. Doesn’t that mean you have indirectly gone against him? He has found out now that it is you who is harboring the girl so it means he might be counting you his foe.”

My father raises his brows at me, giving me the look as if wondering if I was not thinking before speaking. Don’t know why I like to speculate whatever expression he makes before he says what he has in his mind. Mostly turns out to be right, though.

“You think I should be afraid of Rasmus?” he asks me.

I shake my head. “Not at all. I’m saying you should not get in his bad books. He is an alpha like you, yes, but we know what he is capable of. Which is why I would have advised you didn’t take the girl in,”

“Well, it’s rather too late for that. I already did and if it might mean I would have to go against Rasmus, then it’s no problem. One thing I know is that I do not condone abuse so it was what triggered me the most to take a little bit of action in helping the girl.”

Apparently, there is no way I can talk my father out of this one. Perhaps I need to let it go and focus on something else to discuss with him. But I still have more things to say about the girl and her friend.

“The girl is human,” I blankly say instead of making it a question. Why should it be a question when I can tell for myself what her identity is?

“She is,” Father affirms.

“How do you think the pack members have been coping with the idea that they have a being of a completely different identity with them?”

He shrugs. “They’ve been taking it well, I suppose. I have not had any cause to receive a report about an issue between the girl and any other wolfling since arrived here two years ago. And well her friend is always with her to protect her at all cost. Heard he was a pack warrior of the Night Blaze,”

Some protection he was doing, I scoff in my mind while that thought goes through me. He was protecting her yet she still got into a situation like that.

Come to think of it, those wolves were not sent to harm her. They were sent to bundle her out of here to possibly get her back to Rasmus. That should be it because they didn’t seem like they wanted to hurt her while they were chasing her down.

That would mean I have indeed seen through the whole event of that day even though I do want to get the full info from the girl instead. Father might have told me a lot now but there is no way he is going to know all of the things that the girl went through before she came here. And that is what I would have to find out myself.

I don’t know how that fragile human wants to get herself out of not possibly being taken back to Rasmus but I do know that she needs a new form of protection. The one she’s got now is simply not enough.

*****

LAYLA:

A few days after the incident, I can say that I feel much better. With Caleb’s help, I have been able to work on my broken back which was not as serious as I thought. Was just a mild fracture.

Now I am back to my daily activities. The problem is that I can still feel the pain in my back at least once or twice during intense activities. But they were nothing I should be worried about.

I noticed something when I got back out of my room. I can see more and more warriors around unlike before when there were fewer of them walking around. Seems they have made a move in increasing the security measures.

“Hey,” I turn back at the sound of that to see Caleb there all along. “How do I look?” he demands to know, flashing his guard uniform in my presence.

It was a new one which he has been trying to get on since he had it sent to him a week ago. Now he has finally done so and without even telling him how the silver mixed with blue piece looks on him, I can say for myself that it is great. Accentuated the features of his body.

“You look good,” I do not hesitate to say which makes him happier than he already is. Even much happier than when he found out he was going to be appointed a guard in the Dark Crescent pack. I’m kidding. Nothing has beaten that feeling since he got it about six months ago.

I recall how he had rushed to meet me the day he was appointed as one. I had been training alone when he got to the training area and then almost crashed into me. The elation in his tone was what I needed that day to make myself happy as well because I had been going through a bad day myself.

“Where were you stationed today? Let me know where to most likely check on you when I need to.” I demand to know as I watch him adjust the clothing on his body.

“Outside the main areas. I think it is the route leading to the other part of the woods into here. That should be the place. I haven’t entirely confirmed that yet so it is not even a genuine response,”

I nod. “Okay,” that is when I look around for a little while and notice what had caught my interest initially. So I proceed to ask him, “But can you tell me why there is an increase in the number of warriors around the streets today? Is there a special occasion I need to know about?”

“Not that I know of,” Caleb admits instantly.

Well, since even the one that should know something like this has no idea as well, I would just have to observe until I find out myself why the increase in the number of guards. It would be better than getting myself back into my room where what I can do alone is simply lay down in my bed.

“Give me a few minutes. I have to go fetch my weaponry. I forgot it again,” Caleb states, and I shake my head at him because of his negligence. I’m not surprised because he tends to forget his weapons each time he is about to head for a watch. I mostly remind him about it but guess today isn’t part of those days.

I just have to wait now because, at the end of it all, I would be going back inside truly. Sure of that now because after looking through things, there is no possible way I would be staying out alone. And my body is not fit enough for training yet.

Perhaps I should take a walk. That could be fun. Yeah, I might not be entirely fit for it but it sounds like the most logical thing for me to do in this situation. But my mindset declines before I could even process that in my head.

I finally decide to head back into my room. Guess nothing was in for me today.

Just as I take the first step back up the balcony to the pavement leading into the pathway to my room, I hear a voice that seems to be directed to me.

“You look like you need someone to talk to.”