Part two- Chapter 24
“Don’t blame the hunter if you aren’t paying attention enough to spot the traps.”
― T.T. Escurel, The Conservancy
ORSELINE P.O.V
“So you told him everything?” Granel asked Darya and she nodded slowly. We were in Alpha Peter’s house. Once we picked Darya up from Duncan’s pack, we headed straight here. I saw Darya stealing glances at me while we were returning but I maintained and silence and didn’t speak anything. She did try to talk to me, however when I gave cold replies, she seemed to get the message.
I was more than furious; I was actually worried what might have happened to her when she ran away like that to meet Duncan. First, I was worried about the rogues and then I was worried about Duncan. How he might have reacted to the information she was going to share with him. I didn’t want him hurting her and not believing her after she tells him the truth about herself. When I had gone to tell him the truth, he didn’t even give me a chance to speak and I was really scared what will he do to Darya, a young pup, even though she doesn’t like being called one. She might be gifted but she still isn’t as strong as in her wolf form because she still has to learn a lot. Her wolf is a pup and we all know how a toddler reacts when we give it a crayon. The toddler draws everywhere and doesn’t know where to stop. With Darya we have the similar problem. She is still learning to control her gift. She doesn’t know how to use it commendably.
“Did he believe you when you said you are his sister?” Alpha Peter asked her.
“He… he…” Darya stuttered.
“He took her blood for a DNA test” I said cutting her off. I was furious to know Duncan would do such a thing. His dad had done the same thing, all though he didn’t take a test; he did fool us and called us so that he could take Darya’s blood samples for the test.
“It’s reasonable from his point of view” Granel said. “Duncan and everyone in his pack believe their Luna lost her second child. We should not forget that they were made to believe so by Marvin. So, it’s justifiable why Duncan did what he did. Anyone in his shoes would do the same” Granel said and I nodded. I knew he was telling that mainly to me because I was angry as to why he did that.
“Dis he believe you when you told him about what his dad did?” Tyson asked her.
“He didn’t… but he didn’t try talking against it either” Darya replied. “I am sure if he digs his office, he might get more proofs against… dad” she said slowly.
Darya hesitated a little and then said dad because she was still adjusting to the fact that her parents were not her real parents and that she was taken away from her family as a child.
Once Jane told me that Darya was an heir of the Emperor Pack, I collected meticulous information about their pack and of the Alpha, Beta and Third-in-command’s family.
“Duncan Navid Rhoades” I read the name out loud and stared at the Alpha heir’s photo. At that time, I didn’t know he was going to be my mate but even then I felt him to be quite handsome or as my grandpa would say it fine lad. If you look at Duncan and Darya closely, you could see that their hair was the same golden blonde color and their eyes steel grey. But Darya bore scrupulous resemblance to her birth mom just like I look a lot like my ma.
“And?” my pa asked me. Shaking my head, I read the details.
“Born on April 2nd, 1990. Studied at Valley Green School until 3rd Grade and later in Hampton’s Boarding School where he also graduated.”
“Where is he currently?” my pa asked me.
“He is pursuing MBA currently in th-”
“No I meant, is he in his pack?” my pa asked me and I shook my head. “And Abraham didn’t even hand over the title to his son?” Again I shook my head. “He is 21 years old right?” this time I nodded. “What is wrong with Abraham?” my pa muttered to himself while I just shrugged and stared at the Duncan’s photo. I wondered why he wasn’t fighting for the title.
I then read out the other information while my pa heard everything patiently. Turns out my pa knew that Darya was adopted, Marvin had told him that just moments before he died. My pa had kept quiet about all of this because he didn’t want Darya knowing she was adopted.
“So, she has a dad and a brother” I said.
“And a whole pack. Never forget a pack is your family.” My pa said sternly and I nodded.
“What do we do?”
“Since Darya doesn’t know the truth, we keep quiet and do nothing about It.” my pa said and I scowled.
“But she deserves to know, doesn’t she?” I asked him.
“She does, but she should find it out from Jane rather than us” my pa said and I sighed. “Only Jane has to tell her that, not us. We help her afterwards because at that time, Darya will be really disturbed and confused” my pa stated. “And then if she wishes to know her family, we tell her all this” he said and I gave a nod in acceptance.
“About her wolf, pa…. I don’t want anyone knowing about it” I said.
“Orion and Tito died just because their wolf was different killed by those rogues for unknown reason” pa spat and I held the handle of the chair tightly. I knew the reason but I couldn’t say that to my pa as then he would get to know I was O. “We won’t let that happen to Darya. She will be safe as long as no one outside the pack knows about her wolf. I want Darya safe, I had promised Marvin to keep his family safe and it is a promise, I wish to keep” he said.
“No one will get to know the truth about Darya” I said determinedly to my pa. Just then my cell phone started ringing and I checked to see it was Tyson calling me. “I need to take this” I said getting up from my chair.
“Hi… you reached there?” I asked Tyson. We were supposed to go to Moreland Pack today.
“No, I can’t make it today. Dad had asked me and Tyler to do the patrolling” Tyson said guiltily.
“Oh… okay. I’ll go and inform you whatever we discuss” I said and cut the call.
“She is the girl?” Alpha Peter asked me, once he saw Darya’s photo in her file.
“Yes. Black fur and blood red eyes” I told him about Darya’s wolf. Raven, who was sitting next to her dad, peeped at the photo. “She has not received her gift yet” I said.
“Whose daughter is she?” Cortez asked me.
I sighed and turned to look at Granel because he was the only one amongst us, who knew Alpha Abraham and Duncan. “Alpha Abraham of Emperor Pack” I said never letting my gaze drop from Granel.
“Bullshit” Granel spat and then snatched the photo from Alpha Peter’s hand. For few minutes he continued staring at Darya’s photo.
“They have proof” I said and Granel stared at me. “They have the former Luna’s driving license”
“It could be fake” Granel said.
“Don’t think so” I said shaking my head in disapproval. “There are similarities in features and her parents, the one who took her as a child are not making this story up either” I argued. “None of us knew Darya is an Alpha blood until she shifted and I checked the hospital files where Darya was born. There is a report of Luna’s death over there minutes after Darya’s birth” I said and Granel leaned back against his chair.
“I want to meet her. Does she know she is adopted?” Cortez asked me.
“No. and we are not going to inform her either” I said and he nodded.
“So far, no one has heard about Darya as a gifted wolf and I am pleased by that. So good job on that one Sel” Alpha Peter said.
“Thank-you” I said smiling. “But did we get any clue as to who the next Alpha is?” I asked Alpha Peter who lowered his lashes and then looked at me again. The way he looked at me remorsefully, told me he knew who the next target was. “Who is it?” I asked him with a growl.
“Not now” Alpha Peter said growling lowly, his green eyes turning dark as he spoke. “I know, the four of you barely managed to make it out alive the last time and so this time, I need you to be perfectly trained. I want you to be able to knock an Alpha down, alone, without anybody’s help and so you will train for the next two months.”
“But-” Raven began to argue.
“No but’s” her father snapped. “The fever has not died down yet. It will take two to three more months. The Alpha’s are always alert, if we try anything now then we will be caught, so…” he trailed off and we all nodded.
I agreed and left that day but when I was close to the border of the Moreland Pack, I realized that I had left Darya’s file and photo, in Alpha Peter’s office. I sighed and turned because I needed that file. I didn’t know when will be the next time; I visit to Moreland Pack so I wanted it back.
“What happened?” Raven asked me as soon as she saw me stepping out of my car.
“I forgot Darya’s file” I said remorsefully. “Where are they?” I asked referring to Granel, Cortez and Alpha Peter.
“Training” she replied walking towards her dad’s office while I followed her. She pushed open the door to his office and started looking for the file in his desk.
“The yellow one” I said walking forward and picking up the file which was beneath two other files.