Chapter 49: Chapter 49
Sandy’s POV
I kept gaping at the empty space for quite some time; lost in my thoughts. I wondered if we would meet again in this lifetime; after all, she was a witch and I was a werewolf. A sigh of longing inadvertently left my lips, blending into the soft air of the woods.
The sun had risen and its rays streamed through the gaps between the foliage bathing everything in its golden glow. I should have asked her to stay for a while. Then, I could have taken to my favourite lake and….
The sudden sound of shuffing footsteps broke my train of thoughts. The bushes swayed at a distance as if they were being parted by someone. My first instinct was to run but I stopped myself. I was near my pack’s territory. What was there to fear?
A few moments later, the thick overgrowth parted and two men emerged. They were dressed in battling armor. A deep frown settled on my forehead as I addressed the man standing to my left, “If I am right, you belong to the Rustic Pack. What are you doing here dressed like this?”
Something flashed in his eyes but he didn’t reply. Instead, he pointed his crossbow at me. At that very moment, five to seven more men emerged led by a scrawny old man. They spread out around me forming a circle; their demeanor alert and offensive. What the in the freaking hell was wrong with them? Why were they acting like I am a rogue wolf gone mad?
The old man walked up to me with slow deliberate steps; his condescending gaze fixed on me. Pointing his trembling finger at me, he stuttered, “I can feel a strong aura of witch energy coming from him. He has probably been lialising with those creeps.” He narrowed his eyes as if stabbing me with his intense look. I looked right back into his eyes, straightening my gait. I had done nothing wrong and there was no way I would let him have his way.
My eyes drifted to Evaan. He was till sleeping. Good for him; he didn’t need anymore incidents to add more trauma to his life. Wrapping my arms around him protectively, I spoke in a confident voice, “You probably didn’t recognize me, I am Sandy Lovelock; Alpha Kevin’s younger brother.”
The man’s expression remained stoic. He eyed me with scorn and he snorted, “It doesn’t matter. You have been lialising with the witches and you will be punished.”
“I did meet up with some witches but I wasn’t colluding with them. Alpha Kevin send me to Halterland to gather information about them.”
The old man’s gaze lingered on me for a moment before he fished out his phone. After scrolling for a couple of minutes, he stated, “There are no details of your enlistment in the witchhunt program.”
Taking a step back, he continued, “I am sorry but I will have to kill you both.”
A sense of intense panic gripped my heart momentarily. Stiffling my anxiety, I narrowed my eyes and glared at him, “Are you sure that you want to risk this? Do you really want to go against Alpha kevin by killing me here like a coward?” I took a step towards him, adding a touch of menace to my posture, “Why not challenge me for a duel instead. I will fight anyone you want, just let me take Evaan back home.”
The old man’s color turned pale slightly indicating that I had already won. However, he didn’t withdraw fully. Motioning to the guards, he commanded, “Bring them to the packhouse. We will settle this matter in front of Alpha Kevin.”
It didn’t fail my notice that he had said ‘We will settle this matter’ Who exactly was this person? When did he become so powerful that he could walk into an Alpha’s court and settle the matter rather than following his orders?
Drawing in a deep breath, I followed them quietly. There was no point in arguing with him here. It was better to take it to the court. My brother wouldn’t possibly support a stranger…. Possibly….
Alpha Kevin was waiting for us at the entrance. He must have sensed my arrival. His gaze lingered on me momentarily before shifting to Evaan. He nodded lightly before turning his full focus to the old man, “General Dyke. It is such a pleasure to have you here.”
The old man grunted in response, “I had to come….” His gaze shifted to us. “Someone has to resolve the mess created by pricks.”
A sudden surge of anger made my blood boil. I clenched my jaws to stop myself from giving a cheeky reply.
“I am sure there is some misunderstanding. Sandy will never do anything that is against the natural order of wolves.”
“Is that so?” The old man crossed his arms over his chest and raised his eyebrows, “How do you explain the strong aura of energy emanating from him and the little boy?” He raised his hand, flashing the ring with the clear crystal that was glowing with a shade of dark red now.
“I told you earlier too. I had gone to the Halterland on a covert mission.”
“That is not a good enough reason to spare your life, young man! Your visit was not registered.”
“I didn’t even know that we had to register before going to the Halterland….”
The man’s face flushed with anger to such an extent that his skin took on a bluish tint, “So… You just got up one day and sauntered into the Halterland! Is that what you did?” He turned towards Kevin and fumed, “Is this how the Alpha’s family is supposed to conduct business?”
Kevin lowered his gaze and said in a pleading tone, “I apologise for his behavior…. He was away for quite some time….” He let the rest of the words trail before holding the old man’s hand, “We share a long and deep bond, General Dyke…. Can’t you show leniency this one time?”
His licked his lips and let out a frustrated sigh, “This is not what I want either, Kevin….” He tore his hair, “But, how am I supposed to answer the Lycan King?” His gaze turned to me; softer and more considerate, “If you can give me something; anything. Some sort of evidence that you were working for the welfare of the werewolves, I might be able to help you.”
Kevin walked over to me and placed his hand on my shoulder, “Sandy, why did you take off suddenly? If you had told me that you were willing to go to Halterland, I would have taken formal permission from the Lycan King.” His eyebrows knit together and lines of worry shrouded his features.
This matter must be serious else someone like Kevin wouldn’t have gotten flustered. His grip on my shoulders increased as he urged, “Did you not bring back anything from Halterland that can prove your intentions were pure.”
“I saved….” I was about to say that I saved Evaan but Kevin signaled me wordlessly to drop that topic. Damn! Was saving somebody’s life not a good enough reason to visit Halterland? I tried to replay everything I had done there in the hopes of finding something useful.
I did nothing but roam around the streets to find Evaan. A sudden wave of inspiration hit me. I didn’t know if it was worth anything but that was the only Evidence I had of being in Halterland. I fished out my phone and handed it to Kevin. “I have systematically clicked pictures of Halterland…. I don’t know if it is useful but that is all I have.”
The old man grabbed my phone before Kevin could have a good look. His eyes lit up and he exclaimed, “This is brilliant! You have noted every detail with such precision. I am sure the map created using the images would be accurate too.”
Kevin’s face blanched but his lips lifted in a smile, “Are we good now?”
“Of course! Our King will be pleased to know about this. He might even reward, Sandy.” He patted Kevin’s back, “This time the attack will be carried out with such flair that the entire coven of witches will be wiped out.”
The last part of his sentence dripped into my ears like acid, chilling me to the core. Watching his disappearing back with a stunned expression, I stuttered, “What did he mean by that?”
“The werewolves have lost every single time they attacked the witches. The main reason was that we didn’t know the structure of the Halterland. With the help of the images, The Lycan King will create the blueprint of Halterland and launch a planned attack.”
“Do you want to say that I am contributing indirectly in an attack?”
“Pretty much….”
I shook my head vehemently, “I… I can’t let this happen. I have to get back my phone from General Dyke….” I made a move towards the path but Kevin gripped my arm and spun me around, “Don’t be crazy, Sandy! If you try to stop him now, you will be considered a traitor.”
If it was just me, I wouldn’t have minded being labelled a traitor. But, I had a feeling that they would get everyone involved in this. Now, I had only one choice. I had to inform Ora about the imminent attack as soon as possible….