Betrothed to the Alpha

CHAPTER 4

This was more than bad news.

If someone wen after the head of the Moonstone clan, then they went after the entire clan. The fact that he now had his own. Family made Derrick even madder than he should have been.

He spent the next couple of months by his father’s side, in council meetings, hunting trips everywhere.

Mr Sullivan filled him in on everything. Apparently for a while the shadow clan had held some sort of animosity with the rest of their kind for centuries and lately, under the head of Nicholas Brisbane, the animosity had begun dense enough to be palpable. Throughout his reign. Mr Sullivan had tried his best to keep this animosity from growing into a fight but it has gone out of hand. The Brisbanes had solicited backing from clans outside Acorn grove, from the witches and even some humans and the other clans were forced to respond accordingly. Though there were no outright attacks on each other, until now. Nicholas Brisbane was almost never seen except in council meetings were he kept his words to he bare minimum.

People had begun to go missing, humans, witches and werewolves alike. The perpetrators had never been caught and fingers were pointed across the table. Tension was building so much that even the usually unconcerned humans were starting to notice.

Even though the werewolves together doubled their efforts in patrolling and enforcing the safety of every one in Acorn grove, there was an incident every month. Trust was in short supply and everyone was agitated. And Acorn grove was no longer alive.

As much as he didn’t like it Derrick had to leave his father’s side and join the patrols, in a show of good faith.

One night that boasted the first light of the new moon, word reached Derrick; Monica was in labor.

He literally jumped over houses to get to the Windwinder manor. For the last trimester of the pregnancy, Monica was with her mother and it was customary that all werewolf birth were handled by the Windwinders.

In different circumstances this would have been a bustling and happy day for Acorn grove as was their wedding and engagement.

On getting to the manor, there were so many people there mostly the werewolves from the three clans. Derrick was very much regarded as he hurried throw the crowd and up to the room his wife should be in. He met his father out the door with a troubled expression.

“is she …?”

“she’s fine son”

Just then Monica’s screaming poured out into the hall. Mr Sullivan held his very agitated son.

“she is in pain father, is she supposed to be in that much pain? You said only humans hurt that much ”

“I know, son, I know”

Even he was quite surprised. Monica had been in labor for too long. Longer than any of their kind should have and she seemed to be hurting a lot more as well. In all his years alive this was the first he was seeing.

Still they both stood or paced silently. The father trying to console his son anytime Monica’s scream shook the courtyard.

Slowly but surely a commotion from outside became clearly audible and it drew their attention.

BANG! BANG! BANG!

The gates of the Windwinders manor was shaken. The two men looked at each other wondering what the commotion was about.

Just then someone came running up the stairs and down the courtyard

“Oliver, what’s going on?”, Derrick was the first to ask while Oliver caught his breath. He had been running a great distance. But his humanness was becoming frustrating

“Speak boy” , Mr Sullivan intoned a bit coarsely

“The Brisbane patrol caught someone in the act of abducting a child. He had killed the child even”

Derrick was infuriated. His wife’s pain was stressing him out and he would appreciate something to tear apart.

“who was it boy?” Mr Sullivan was getting even more impatient.

“This is where it gets complicated. It was Daniel, Daniel Ryder, the Windwinder’s male heir.”

Both men were taken aback as the reason be hind the commotion was dawning on them.

“ people are gathered outside, werewolves and humans and witches. They want the Ryders.”