8: INFORMATION.
1126 Words
LYCAN KING THOMAS GOULD.
I had summoned Donald to meet me at his house. He lived in the village outside the palace. I had considered going down to the gates to see him, but figured it would be better this way, as we would have guaranteed privacy. He responded at once, asking whether he should arrange cover for the gate or if I was sending someone to relieve him. I let him know that this meeting was to remain between the two of us and that, as such, no one needed to know that he wasn’t at his post. The gate would be fine left unguarded for a short while. We weren’t expecting any visitors, and there was a call button anyway that would alert my secretary if someone was waiting. I told him to simply lock up the hut and come to meet me.
Donald was already at his house when I arrived. He invited me inside politely and placed his hat down on the table while offering me refreshments. “No, thank you, I’d rather get straight to business,” I told him. I hadn’t seen Donald much recently, but I noticed how he seemed to have aged. His snow-white hair was beginning to thin, and his once solid frame looked a little more worn. Ever the soldier, he still stood up straight and carried himself with dignity, but I couldn’t help but wonder if it might be time for him to retire. “What did you need, your majesty?” he asked respectfully, standing stiffly as though he was back in the royal guard and awaiting inspection. “At ease, Donald,” I told him with a smile. “I just need you to look at this photograph. I know that you have travelled to many of the neighbouring packs over the years, and I was wondering if you recognised any of these people?” I asked, holding out the photograph that I had taken from Leo’s room.
“Hmmmm,” he grunted, his thick white moustache vibrating with the sound. “The man does look familiar, actually. Though he would have been much younger when I met him. I believe that he is, or was at least, the Alpha of the Moonlit Sky pack. I accompanied your father to his Alpha ceremony back when I served in the royal guard. I think his name was Alpha Anders, Adams, Allen, something like that. I’m sorry that I couldn’t have been more help,” he said. I smiled and gave his shoulder a friendly squeeze. “You have been more help than I had hoped. Now, on another note, how are you doing?” I asked. He looked away, not meeting my eyes for the first time in our conversation. Something was definitely bothering him. He opened his mouth to speak, but a bang outside stopped him. We looked out of the window and saw Leo hurrying by. He had been in such a rush that he had knocked over a bird table, causing the noise. It annoyed me that he didn’t stop to pick it up.
I bid Donald farewell and righted the fallen bird table before heading back to the palace. I didn’t have to guess where my son was going in such a hurry. I knew that he was going to see her. Jack must have let him know that she was awake. I thought about going to see her myself, but decided to wait a little longer and find out a bit more about her first. Unlike my son, I would not be swayed by her pretty face. Even if this woman was truly nothing more than a victim of a heinous crime, as my son seemed to believe, I still saw her for the trouble that she was. Leo seemed far too invested in her for my liking. I didn’t want her thinking he was her knight in shining armour either, that this was some fairytale that ended with her marrying the prince and living happily ever after. Leo’s marriage would be one of use. When the time came, I would marry him off to the daughter of a foreign king with no male heir, bringing their land under my family’s control. Though I didn’t expect him to be pure, that horse had long since bolted. I still didn’t like how interested he was in this random woman who wasn’t even a full werewolf. I needed to nip that in the bud at once.
I headed straight for my quarters, locking the door behind me. To be honest, I didn’t really care if returning her to her pack put her in danger; I just wanted her away from my son. I looked at the photograph again. Donald had identified the man as an Alpha, but it was highly unlikely that an Alpha would sire a child with blood as weak as that of the woman. When Leo had brought her here, I could barely smell the wolf in her. Perhaps it wasn’t a photograph of her parents as I’d thought. It could just be a picture of a pack member with their Alpha. I wasn’t sure about the other woman yet; Donald hadn’t mentioned her. She could be the Luna, or the woman’s mother. Of course, she could be neither, but there was only one way to find out.
I pulled out my pack directory, which held the details of all the packs in my kingdom, and looked up the number for the Moonlit Sky pack. Their address told me that their grounds were in the direction that I had worked out that she came from, too, so her belonging to that pack seemed highly likely. I lifted the receiver of my telephone and dialled. A woman answered almost immediately. “Hello, this is Rose Adams,” she said, her voice sounding worried. “Oh, hello Rose, if I may call you that,” I began, hoping that by using her first name I could avoid the whole miss, mrs, ms thing. I didn’t want to waste time guessing her marital status. “I am calling to enquire whether you currently have any pack members missing?” I continued. “Yes! My daughter!” she replied. So this mystery woman was the secretary’s daughter. “Do you know where she is?” she asked. “Yes! I have her,” I replied. “What do you mean you have her? Is she okay? Who is this?” Rose asked one question after another, leaving me no time to answer any of them. A knock at my door drew my attention. “I will call again later,” I said abruptly before hanging up and moving to answer the door.
- Writer
