Reborn as the Lycan Beta

Chapter 8. What’s With Me Today?

Duke POV

“Alpha”

Tom called out, his voice gruff with worry.

It was dimmer than usual — the kind of dimness that humans and those with no night vision wouldn’t be able to see, but still visible to us shifters. All the lights in the hallway were out. It was cold and clammy, and the floor was riddled with puddles of water.

There was, however, no sign of the Luna. That only meant one thing.

A shudder ran through us as we felt our Alpha’s doom-like countenance.

The entire walkway looked like one of those magic-induced nightmarish hallways the pack and I have encountered whenever we fought an intruder from Castor or a rogue witch we were tasked to hunt.

Just some steps ahead of us was a large shadowy creature with hellish blue eyes.

“Alpha,” I whispered.

He growled. The whole ground shook — heck, our minds shook and Tom and I had to bare our necks.

Orion, snap out of it!

Suddenly, echoing through the hallway and even in our pack channel, a royal voice boomed from the side where we stood, just perpendicular to where Orion was.

Hurry! Do it now before he moves!

If there was one thing I, Tom, and his Highness Crowned Prince Adolf, it was not to half-a*sedly mess with Ori when he was like this. The last time he went on full rampage, only his Dad and Mum, the Alpha of Alphas and Luna of Lunas of the entire Lycan Empire, could stop him.

We rushed — and just as well, for Orion suddenly disappeared, only to reappear in front of his brother, Crown Prince Adolf. It had been so instantaneous that when we reached where he initially had been, Ori was already grappling with his brother.

Instead of getting between the two Alpha princes, I went over our conference link map. More Moonblade pack members have arrived, crowding the rooftop as they fought the invading Lycan and wolves.

Use the seal formation, I hollered through the pack mission link, taking temporary charge since the two Alphas were busy. Ted, get everyone up in the buildings and scour for survivors and enemies. Make sure our magic shield generators are up to leave any media coverage out of it!

Duke, look out! Tom link-shouted.

I let my Lycan spirit Miles take partial control so I could dodge as Orion flung a wide and violent torrent of matte black blade-like projectiles. I pulled up a shield, yet whether it was too slow or Ori’s missiles were just too strong, but I felt a sting when one of them managed to singe through my facial helm.

D*mn spikes hurt like hell, Tom growled through his mask. Unlike me, he was hit on the shoulder.

Focus, Prince Adolf growled. Hurry!

We flipped, rolled, and ran through walls like hellhounds as we tried to dodge and find a way to get closer to Orion, who grappled and fought with his older brother.

As we dodged and parried the blades and claw attacks, I noticed Orion wasn’t even in his Omicron form yet.

Still, it took us three in our strongest phase to keep Ori back — all because a while ago the Luna had been taken by the enemies.

Was this how strong a mate’s effect was?

Snap out of it, id*ot! His Royal Highness growled with his royal voice.

Mate! Where is my mate?!?

Don’t waste her effort, d*mmit! Prince Adolf roared. She’s waiting for you to rescue her and end our enemies once and for all!

An idea suddenly popped into my head. I crossed my fingers and wished the goddess to forgive me for my lie…

We got a lock on Morrighan’s location! I hollered through our mind link.

It was momentary, but with Prince Adolph’s assurance and my own statement, Orion slowed down.

NOW! His Royal Highness roared both aloud and through the mind link.

In a nanosecond, Tom and I pulled out the capsules and crushed them with our claws as we jumped. We let our claws dig into Orion’s limbs, then bit on his shoulders. I even reinforced both Tom and I with our shields. It was risky, but it was our most desperate wish for the excessively high concentration of wolfsbane-silver-tranquilizer to work quickly.

Pain shot through me as we found ourselves hurled, smashed, and rammed through several walls, but we held on. I felt my mask slowly loosen and a splitting headache develop, but I growled nonstop through a private mind link.

Orion! I hissed. Listen to me! Listen to your bro! Listen to everybody! Morrighan is waiting! She’s on the other side!

A whine escaped me as I felt my head smash through a wall and a chokehold on my throat.

Goddess, he had better snap out of it, or else…

My vision became blurry. From my peripheral view, Tom was barely conscious, too. Prince Adolf, on the other hand, managed to occasionally land a jab, but even these were also sometimes blocked by Orion’s foot; other times it was counter-kicked.

Goddess…

S**id f**king i**ot Orion! Came the all-too-familiar voice of Orion’s mate, our Luna Princess, and Second Alpha, Morrighan, through the conference and the pack links. My guess was it even reached through their private link. I couldn’t help tears from springing up in relief. Cease hurting our pack! Stop mucking around and get here already!

—

I can’t believe that intense exchange only took what, five minutes?

By the time we got Ori under control, I had to switch to Beta mode and, with the assistance of the Crown Prince, ensure that the whole couple of blocks worth of the Hotel was clear.

His Highness Alpha Adolf quickly assembled a press conference to ensure that the media didn’t blow up the entire event. According to the Official Statement and Press Release, faulty wiring and some gas leaks had triggered the problem, and areas involved —including the top floor — were now strictly closed off to the public. With the combined efforts of his mages and our Wepawet, we also made sure that every key witness to the event got their memories “influenced.” Beta Raul, as per His Royal Highness’ instruction, had already mobilized all the mages to “seal and redirect” any Hotel guests not involved with the Party.

Or so I thought.

“All of them have been accounted for, except for one,” Gamma Ted sighed as he approached me while I had been busily directing the cleanup here at the rooftop. Ted’s twin Tom, on the other hand, stayed with Beta Raul and His Highness Alpha in ensuring the smooth flow of the emergency PressCon.

“What do you mean?” I said as I took a sip from a mug of green tea handed to me while awaiting for my wounds, now looking more like scratches and bruises, to totally disappear, before putting back on my shirt and jacket.

“It’s Eric,” the Field Marshall replied. “He said one of their new employees brought their 4-year-old son today.”

My Lycan spirit Miles perked his ears, and huffed. Strange, but I let it slide — after all, I, too found it not good when a packmate’s pup is left unattended. I c**ked an eyebrow at Ted.

“Why didn’t they leave the pup in their company daycare?”

The Bennington Brothers managed and owned a private security company, which we occasionally outsource to maintain the Moonblade and Wepwawet covers. Because Ori, in reality, was part of its Board of Directors and owned a huge share of its stocks, the company enjoyed what every other business and institution that had my Alpha’s share: a complete package of privileges for all the employees, even the new ones. That meant like all the other companies, the Bennington Security Group had its own daycare center for the pups.

“I heard the new employee is new in the Capital,” Tom shrugged. “Eric said they let the pup stay in the Family Suite in 1902 while his dad was at work with the brothers.”

Since this hotel was generally owned by the Royal Family, some members of their pack have certain designated suites on the top floor whenever they use this hotel. Family Suite 1902 was the brothers’ own reserved suite.

“Now not only was the werewolf missing, the kid is nowhere to be found, too,” Tom continued.

Suddenly, I felt Miles not only perked his ears up, but his entire red and charcoal gray head.

“Wait… werewolf?” I c**ked the other eyebrow. “Why would the Benningtons employ a mere wolf?”

“Eric said Sylvan was a special case,” the Gamma replied. “Not only was he from the same region in England as the Luna, he also happens to be a well-known hunter among the Human Commune of Kirknewton-Hethpool Lake for the past five years.”

Miles suddenly sat up and began to pace. Duke, Let’s go, my Lycan wolf said.

What’s with you?

Let’s go, he lifted his snout in the air, sniffing as he continued to pace.

What’s making you so antsy? I asked my wolf.

Come on, let’s go.

What for?

To look for this Sylvan, Miles huffed restlessly. Or at least the kid.

Wait… why?

Let’s go, let’s go!

Stop it.

Nope, Miles barked. I’m not stopping unless we go.

You are such a pain in the…

Let’s. Go. Now. Puh-leeeeeease?!?

What the — did he just bat his eyelashes?

“Uhmm… Ted,” I said aloud. “Where’s Eric now?”

Puh-leeeeeease?!?

I rolled my eyes… mentally. Then, without waiting for Ted’s reply, I opened up a direct mind link to Eric Bennington.

Eric, Duke here.

Beta, how may I help you? Eric replied.

Are you still at the Crown?

Yes, Beta, he replied. I’m in the Security Control Room at the moment. Is there anything you need help with?

Wait, I’m coming over.

I felt my Lycan wolf wagging his tail.

“Beta?” I was suddenly reminded I was still in the hospital.

“Please stay here to coordinate with everyone else. I’m going to help Eric find the kid.”

“Uhh… okay…?”

“And when will you ever stop being so formal?” I smirked at Ted. “Anyway, I’m off.”

—

It didn’t take three minutes to get into the Security Control Room of the hotel. Without explaining to Eric or anybody in the room, I went through one of the security cameras and went over the various locations. And that was while Miles continued to pace in my head.

Hurryhurryhurry, the Lycan wolf huffed.

Slave driver, I muttered.

“Sorry?” Eric said. I hadn’t realized I had muttered it — while non-Lycans would probably barely hear it, us Lycans had stronger senses enough to pick it up.

“My wolf talking to me,” I said. On the screen before me, I suddenly saw something. “Is that him?”

“Why — yes,” Eric said, looking at me curiously. “Is something —”

I never bothered to stay and let him finish the question; I was already running along the hallway and into one of the emergency stairs.

—

The Intercontinental Crown, being one of the largest hotels in the Imperial Capital of Amsterdam, had several restaurants with their own respective kitchens in the ground floor. The middl, top floor, and rooftop, too had their own dining halls, restaurants, pubs, and clubs, so these sections of the hotel also had their own kitchen.

And when it comes to kitchens, that also meant pantries — at least for many of the Hotel dining shops in the upper floor.

As I got nearer to the spot where I last saw the pup, Miles restlessness got even worse.

Hurryhurryhurryhurry!

D*mmit, Lycan wolf, stay still and we’re almost there! I huffed at Miles.

I guess it couldn’t be helped. After all, as I got nearer to the spot an acute aroma seemed to fill my nostrils. It was strange, really — it smelled both familiar and unfamiliar, reminding me of one of those freshly-baked Italian bread that had oregano, butter, basil, but there also had another smell, which at that moment I coldn’t register.

Or maybe it was because we were in the pantry and kitchen area?

You’re too slow! Miles groused. I’ll take over if you don’t get your b**t any faster already!

Shush it!, I growled — and most likely aloud, too, for I suddenly could hear a whimper.

You’re scaring him! Miles grumbled.

‘Sorry Pup,’ I said, mellowing my tone by tens of degrees. ‘I didn’t mean to scare you. It’s alright now. It’s safe.’

‘Are those bad Lycans gone?’ Said the small voice of a pup. In my head, Miles sat, slightly relaxed, and his eyes softened. I mentally c**ked my eyebrow. From the signs I’ve been getting so far, I had this teeny tiny bit of a niggling thought, but I pushed it away before it could even take root.

It’s not what you think, Miles said. But something close.

Despite the pup’s stable voice, fear and hesitation drifted from the locked pantry wooden door. I could also scent out a hint of doubt.

“My name is Duke Harrison,” I said. “I’m the Beta and best friend of Prince Alpha Orion. You’ve probably heard of him from Eric Bennington.”

“Eric?” the pup replied. “Is he safe and well?”

“Beta,” came a gasping voice from the hallways. I turned to see the Bennington’ Brothers’ youngest who slid to a stop just by the Kitchen entrance. “Seriously, you’re too fast –”

“He’s here, pup,” I said to the younger behind the door.

The door suddenly popped open, albeit slowly. The scent of the freshly baked herbed bread and tomatoes became stronger, mingling with the other scents in the pantry. Miles stood, his tail wagging happily.

From the near-dimness of the storage, i could make out a small pup, about three to four-years old. His eyes were glowing — yellow or purple, I don’t know, but it made Miles huff and smile wide in happiness, his tail wagging more excitedly.

“Hey Morgan,” I realized Eric was beside me, waving a hand. “Remember me?”

The pup slowly took a step, then another, then another… before running all the way to Eric and giving the young Bennington a tight hug. Miles growled possessively.

Possessively?

“Beta?” Eric stood, the boy in his arms. Both of them looked at me curiously, with a bit of fear and uncertainty in their eyes.

It was only then I realized I had growled aloud, too. D**n. What’s with me today?

—