Part two- Chapter 4

“Tis the privilege of friendship to talk nonsense, and to have her nonsense respected.”

― Charles Lamb, The Life, Letters and Writings of Charles Lamb

DUNCAN P.O.V

“We will be there in five more minutes Alpha” Vernon said.

He was driving the car while I was seated in the back seat, working with my laptop. Vernon and eight more fighters chosen by me had accompanied me. They were in a car behind me.

“Good” I said closing my laptop.

I turned my gaze outside the window and looked at the scenery outside. The last time I had been here was when I was eighteen. Nothing much has changed in the Supreme Pack in the past five years. We were driving in the street that leads to three different routes, one to the Hampton’s Boarding school, and one the pack main territory. The last one leads to the town.

The school was divided into two parts. One building was for the primary students and the other one was for the high school students. More or less every wolf in my pack has studied in this school and hence everyone knew the route. I recalled how many of us used to leap through the walls and run into the town to have some fun. I belonged to the first and notorious batch of the school. We have been caught a numerous number of times but the punishment was totally worth the fun. I doubt Principal Travis and Coach Luther will ever forget my name.

They had built the walls higher when we were in our senior year, but that didn’t bother us either. It was only after they spread the electric wires in those walls that the students stopped hurdling through the walls.

The school was very close to the Elegance Pack and we could still see the ruins of the Elegance Pack through the roofs of the school. Whatever happened in the pack was terribly wrong. The rogues still used to stay in those lands but they would never come to attack the children studying in the boarding school. I don’t know if it is true but there are rumors that one young pup, an Alpha blood at that, was killed by the rogues but that happened after I graduated and left the school hence I have no idea whether it is truth or some lie. As far as I know the securities of the school was very tight to let something like that happen.

Granel’s mom, Isadora Hampton had made sure everything was well in the school. She was like a hawk watching our every move with the millions of camera’s installed in and around the campus. I smirked when I recalled the day how I and Granel had thrown stones on three to four cameras breaking it. Though Isadora was Granel’s mom she had made sure that there would be no partiality between him and other students. He was given the same punishment as others.

I spoke with Granel only three to four times after I left the school. He got busy in his life and I, in mine.

“We are here” Vernon said which snapped me out of my thoughts. Sighing, I put on my jacket.

As soon as I opened the door of my car, I was greeted by Granel and Isadora Hampton who were waiting for my arrival. This was the main pack territory of the Supreme Pack and here was where all the wolves lived. I had been here few times to have dinner at Granel’s home in the past during weekends. He has changed a lot, just like me because we were no longer teenagers. We had now a responsibility of whole pack as well as of our work.

“Duncan” Granel said extending his hand for me. I smirked at the formality because he was doing this for his mom who was strict about those stuffs.

“Granel” I said and shook his hands.

“Duncan” Isadora whispered and I turned to look at her.

“Hello Aunt Isadora” I said. Aunt Isadora was still as beautiful as I last remembered her to be. Her black formal wear matched well with her straight black hair that was neatly brushed. She had sympathy in her dark eyes and I hated that. “I am so sorry about your father” she said sniffing and then hugged me.

I didn’t reply just hugged her back. She pulled away and kissed both my cheeks. “Welcome to the pack son. You can stay here as long as you want” she said to me and I nodded.

Aunt Isadora had faced a lot of problems in her life in the past. Having lost her mate at a young age she had raised Granel as a single mom. She not only had to manage a kid but also the pack because she was the Alpha of the pack after her mate died through viral fever, when Granel was around five.

But hat’s off to her because she had done both jobs tremendously well along with managing a school. She was a confident as well as a strong she-wolf. Since my dad was good friends with her, she used to take care of me when I was in the boarding school. She was like a mother figure to me.

“Thank-you” I said and kissed both her cheeks. She then welcomed everyone else from my pack who had accompanied me. Everyone who accompanied me studied in the Boarding School and they knew this town well, just like me.

“Well, I know you both boys have some things to catch up to. So I will leave you two alone.” She said smiling and I nodded at her. “Call me if you need anything” she told Granel and made her way towards her car where a driver was waiting for her.

We watched until she was gone and then walked into the house.

“Great. Welcome to my pack, buddy” Granel said grabbing me for a bear hug. “Really pleased to see you”

“Same here” I told him. “How are you doing loser?” I asked him.

“Great and I see you are ugly as always” he said his hazel eyes enlivening, and I grinned. “So, where are you staying?” Granel asked looking at my pack members.

“A hotel.” I told him shrugging and motioned with my head for Vernon to go and book one room for me.

“If you don’t mind, you can stay in the new building built in the territory” Granel suggested and I turned to look at him.

“Thanks but I have to take care of my pack too” I told him.

“Well there are many apartments vacant in the building; Vernon and others can stay there. It is more like a guest house or… uh… building” he said laughing. “Many of my friends stay in such apartments” he added and I nodded. “Alex will escort your pack there” he told and Alex, his Beta and few other wolves from Granel’s pack drove ahead while everyone from my pack followed.

Vernon hesitated a little about leaving me alone with Granel but he later agreed. It was always Beta and Third-in-command’s duty to see through the protection of their Alpha. But I needed no protection from my friend.

“How is your pack taking it?” Granel asked me once we were in his office. He knew well enough not to ask me how I am taking it.

“Not good. It has got them worried and me leaving the pack to come here, doesn’t exactly help the situation” I told him honestly. True, everyone in my pack frowned upon it when I announced in the morning that I am leaving for Supreme Pack.

“Yeah, it is pretty soon. You should have not hurried here. This could have waited” he told me and we both sat on the chair.

“That’s not something my old man would have appreciated” I said smirking and Granel just shook his head.

“I am sorry about your father” he said in a straight face without any pity or sympathy towards me and I respected it. I just nodded once.

I then decided to ask him the question that I have been itching to ask ever since I entered here. “The rogues still next to the school ground?” I asked him.

Granel snarled and I noticed how he held the table in a tight grip. He always hated the rogues and used to tell that once he becomes the Alpha he would make them leave their occupied territory. But the rogues were still there, in the Elegance Pack.

“It’s my mom. She believes in the principle of live and let live” he roared sarcastically, his hazel eyes turning pitching black in the process.

“What happened?” I asked leaning back in the chair.

“She states since they have done us no harm, we shouldn’t do it to them either. They are staying in their territory and we should stay in ours” he said frowning. “I am just waiting for a moment when they will do something wrong so that I can attack and chase those filthy mutts off there” he said and closed his eyes to take deep breaths. Granel wasn’t a huge fan of rogues just like me. After he opened his eyes, he held a photo in the desk close to his chest and surprisingly his breathing was back to normal after few seconds. I wondered whose photo was it.

“You think O is a rogue?” I blurted out casually while Granel was staring at the photo.

“O?” he asked me after few minutes of silence.

“Yes. Can’t leave the bastard alone after all, he killed my dad” I snarled and Granel nodded.

“I understand. But no one has seen O and hence we can’t say whether he is a rogue or a pack wolf” Granel said.

“Three Alpha’s in a year. Got to give it to the guy” I said and Granel looked at me in surprise and smiled. I narrowed my eyes at his smile. “What?” I asked him.

“Nothing” he said shaking his head. “Just thinking how everyone comes to conclusion of their own about someone so anonymous.” He said smiling.

“What do you mean?” I asked him frowning.

“I mean, we don’t know anything about the person but still we have made our own opinion about him.” he told me.

“What is your opinion about him?” I asked him.

“I think, O is for revenge. Reasons best known only for…. him” he said shrugging.

“Revenge?” I asked growling. “What revenge on three Alphas?”

“Calm down. Like I said it is my opinion. Need not be the truth” he muttered the last part frowning.

“You think he killed my dad for revenge?” I asked growling.

“I repeat again. Need not be the truth” Granel replied.

“Or are you saying he didn’t kill my father?” I asked him.

“There is no denial to the fact that the deed is done by O” he said.

“I think the guy is some psychotic killer” I said frowning.

“Okay then” he told me smiling and kept the photo frame back on the table. I wondered how Granel was so calm about O. It bothered me especially after doubting that he might be O’s next target. I hoped with everything that my doubt be proved wrong.

“What are you doing nowadays?” I asked him changing the topic from O.

“Well, being an Alpha comes with lots of work and currently I am working with Cortez Moreland and Tyson Grier on a new project for the school. Since pups from different packs come here, we three have a joint venture planned where a homely environment is given to the kids, who opt out of staying in the hostel.” he told me enthusiastically.

“Cortez Moreland?” I asked him.

“Peter Moreland’s son, he didn’t study in the school with us and neither did Tyson Grier” he said confirming my doubts.

Both were Alpha sons.