Chapter 21: Chapter 21

ADOLPH

Legs crossed, hands tapping nervously on his thighs, Adolph tried to keep calm as they approached the gates of the castle.

Finally, they were in Alaska, in his hometown rather, and when they had arrived in the pack house, passing through tents, wooden bricked houses, and some modern houses too, Adolph had kept his sight at alert as he kept looking outside taking note of his surroundings.

Even though the atmosphere was cold, with the sun still appearing, Adolph could see many people standing at the front of their houses.

He could see able bodied men, women too and children of course, and they were all waving palm leaves in the air as they passed, beaming with smiles on their face this early morning, as they were already welcoming him.

It was evident that they already knew about his arrival, and even though the gesture warmed his heart a bit, making him feel welcome, Adolph couldn’t hold back the anxiety of the whole situation.

Coupled with the fact that he had a witch at the back of his van, he couldn’t think straight as his entourage drove swiftly.

He had no idea what he was going to do to the strange lady, but nevertheless immediately they got to the castle, and she came down he was going to ask her more questions.

“Son, we’re here.”

Adolph looked at his mother, whose hands were on his shoulders, and dragging his gaze away from her warm smile he looked straight and that was when he saw it.

The iron gates that housed the Castle, the mansion that had belonged to his generation since ages past.

Adolph was awed, as he gasped a little marveling at the huge iron fence surrounding the building.

He was in absolute shock.

Everything, from the gates, the way it opened, and even the building he was seeing as they sped inside, looked like it was straight out of a historical romance, and he blinked his eyes wanting to make sure he was seeing well, but he was.

This was no dream.

This was his castle.

From the outside, it looked imposing, grand, magnificent, and every other thing in between.

The entrance stretched in an arching long curve, with trees covering up the streaming sun, shading them from the sunlight, and even as the vehicles drove inside Adolph mouth was wide open, as the setting of the castle enthralled and amused him.

The main mansion itself, was a bit farther from the gate, and it took minutes before the car finally stopped in front of the large building.

Opening the car door immediately without waiting for any guard to do so, Adolph looked around the castle from a clearer point of view.

He could see that the walls of the castle were old and brown, different vines decorated the various towers which caught his attention by their uniqueness, and still he was surprised at everything.

To think his parents had never told him how the castle looked like, because it looked so ancient, yet aesthetic and magnificent at the same time, that it seemed like something out of a dream.

There was a fountain right in front of the castle, before the entrance where he was standing on, and he could see two statues of a cupid pouring water from its mouth into the fountain.

“Son…” He heard his mother approach him from behind.

“Wow mother… This is so…” He trailed of not knowing what to say, “I know son. You’re awed right?”

“Of course I am. This is do out of this world. The building is magnificent and so large. I was expecting to see tents, and maybe some little ancient architecture, not these…” He paused, using his hands to demonstrate widely and he could hear his mother and Uncle Fenris chuckling from behind.

“Why’s everywhere empty though? I could see people when we drove by, obviously welcoming me right?” Adolph asked, confused his eyebrows arched waiting for a response.

At the pathway, while they had driven he had seen some men, whom he knew were guards standing around, but now no one was coming out of the castle.

The only people around him, where those whom he had driven from New York with, and they were busy packing their things, and leaving to their various pack houses.

“The Castle is buzzing. I personally warned that no one should accost you when we arrived. I know you must be tired, and all that, so I told no one to bother you with any unnecessary demands.”

Despite wanting to see more people, his people actually, Adolph couldn’t deny the fact that he truly needed to rest, and he was more than grateful to his Uncle now, for making this decision.

He had a long list of things to do tommorow, as he had already been briefed by his mother in the car, during the ride here, and today he needed to rest very well.

“I solely agree with your Uncle Fenris, son. You need to rest, I can see you’re so tired. You have to be fit, and strong to face the pack members tommorow.” His mother said, cutting through his thoughts and Adolph nodded not saying anything as he turned to face her.

“Well, about the witch…” Fenris began, and again Adolph’s mind was drawn back to the lady, in tatters that they had seen by the roadside, and raising his eyebrows he asked quizzically, “What about her?”

“We’ll just put her in a cell and…”

“No!” Adolph interjected abruptly, his hands raised up immediately as if in defense and he added, “Where is she?”

Pointing towards the van, as everyone clamoured out, Fenris replied, “She must be inside, probably waiting for everyone to get down. She would be scared to and afraid of her surroundings, that is if she already conscious.”

“I see.” Adolph said sarcastically, his jaw ticking slowly as he pondered on what to do.

“Yes, so just go on ahead inside m I’ll the care of her.”

“No…”

“What? Son, don’t tell me you want to talk to that lady. You have to be careful you know right?” His mother interrupted, her tone showing her worry but Adolph already had them tuned out as he started walking straight to the van where the witch was.

Yet again, it was his inner being, his wolf propelling him like a magnet towards this mysterious creature, and striding purposefully amidst the murmurs from the dispatching crowd, without waiting for anybody, he said to himself, sure that they’d hear him too, “I will take care of her myself.”

…….

RUBY’S POV

Ruby stretched her arms slowly, trying to get a grip on herself, as she tiredly turned her body left and right, wanting to know where she was.

She was hearing noises, men and women alike shouting, with words such as ‘get down’, ‘go to your pack house’, ‘Alpha Adolph is coming’, filling up her ear drums and she stretches her ears, wanting to know where she was but still she had no idea.

‘Alpha, Pack house…’ Those were werewolf acronyms.

She had heard a lot about them, from her aunt Helene, in the marketplace too, and she was not much afraid of them as they were normal humans like her.

She knew Alaska was a place filled so many mysterious mystical beings, from vampires, witches, and wolves, so her subconscious wasn’t that surprised but then what was she doing in their midst?

Oh, the visions of vehicles approaching, that she had gotten earlier while in the forest, was this it? She asked herself even when she had no idea.

The last memory she had, or could recall was falling on a tarred snowy road, passing out and ever since then, she had kept switching in and out of consciousness.

She had no idea of who many time had passed since she had collapsed helplessly by the road, but she had been switching in and out of consciousness in the last minutes, and she had felt her body been moved as if she was in a vehicle or something and…

She heard noises.

This time louder than the ones she had been hearing, and then suddenly she heard something opening and as she lifted her face up, from where she had been covering it, she was immediately blasted with the streaming sunlight streaking through.

Her eyes were dizzy, and even when she was not seeing clearly, she could definitely see some people from afar.

Where was she? She asked herself, mustering enough strength to get up, but she was so weak.

Her limbs were so stiff, and she couldn’t move at all.

“Young lady.” She heard a husky voice say, her eyes looking around she tried to get a clearer picture of who this mysterious man was but she got nothing.

Her vision was so blurry, and hissing silently even when her throat were so sore, Ruby tried to say something, but nothing came forth.

“Young lady.” The bass voice said again, and immediately she felt a shiver down her spine.

Not of fear, but of curiosity actually.

The aura surrounding this man, and whoever was with him was peaceful and calm.

She had no reason to be afraid, and she could recall that she had thought the incoming vehicles would bring her danger, but it seemed it had brought her the opposite.

The noises now were becoming louder, and she could hear people obviously murmuring, and even when she was staring straight at the man, or the crowd maybe, she could see nothing at all.

Just some blurry build, faces and what not.

“Get her out.” She heard the man command again, and swiftly without even wasting any time, Ruby heard foots climbing the place where she was and soon she was being dragged out of the vehicle probably into the open.

Her weak arms held by two men, Ruby head was bent, shame filling her up, but there was nothing she could do.

The minute her foot touched the ground, the man spoke up again.

“Who are you?” The man asked her again, but she said nothing.

She was floating in and out of consciousness, and she was so limp.

“Who are you? A witch probably? Why were you running? I rescued you so talk!”

This time the voice was nearer, and she could practically inhale the musky scent of this man whom she couldn’t see at all.

He was closer now, and his words from earlier was enough for her to know that he was getting impatient.

She was gradually slipping back into unconsciousness, and even when she had no idea what fate awaited her in this place, she knew he deserved an answer from her atleast before she slipped back into her head.

The grip on her arms were tighter this time, and she still had her head bent, her hair falling down at all sides, as she sniffled gently.

Forcing her throat to work, licking furiously at her chapped lips, Ruby said before closing her eyes, and giving into her weak slumber, “You’re right. I am a witch, and an orphan. I was running away from my wicked aunty. She wants to kill me, me… me… me… and my sis…”

Everything went black.