Chapter 6

Alpha Gedon and his inner circle were facing a perplexing dilemma. They desired to keep Martin, but they weren't exactly thrilled about the idea of welcoming the unpredictable Crescent Black Beta onto their territory. Martin, on the other hand, was ready to move into the Crescent Black pack house without hesitation, as long as he could be with his impatient mate as soon as possible. A mate who was brazenly entering the Full Moon pack without any prior notification, much to the scrutiny of Eva’s father.

Eva couldn't help but smile as she reminisced about a few nights ago when Costa had burst into their home during dinner. He was drenched from the rain, covered in blood, and wearing nothing but underwear. With a thunderous growl, he had swept Martin off his feet and carried him away, leaving everyone in shock. Thankfully, her dad and Martin’s dad were attending a meeting in Crystal Wolf territory at the time.

"Hey, hey!" A deep voice called from behind Eva and Martin. Eva’s face immediately lit up.

Lex had just joined the group with his typical cheerful expression, sporting his casual attire and carefree demeanor.

"How's it going, sis?" He came over to Eva, planting a wet kiss on her cheek, leaving a smudge of saliva. On purpose, of course.

"I already showered, Lex! Thanks!" Eva retorted with an eye roll, wiping her cheek clean and seeking revenge.

"Can't believe you managed to spill so much tomato sauce on your shirt! Such a klutz!" She said, pointing a finger at his chest. When her mischievous friend glanced down to see what she was pointing at, she flicked her finger upwards, catching him off guard and causing him to yelp in pain. A classic trick!

"Babies!" Martin scoffed.

"Hey Martin! Where's Crucy?" Lex couldn't resist going back to his teasing ways. He was still nursing his chin from Eva's earlier attack, and Eva had managed to escape Lex's grip.

"Oh, don't ask that question, please!" Eva quickly interjected, but it was too late. The damage was done.

"I'm glad you asked! That crazy mate will be the death of me! Do you know what he did yesterday? He—" And Martin began to recount his story once more, adding even more details.

Eva, meanwhile, had managed to escape from Lex and punched him before making her getaway.

"I'm heading to meet my dad at the refugee homes, guys! He just mind-linked me!" She lied without hesitation, giving Lex an evil grin.

"No, Eva!" Lex called out, looking at her in despair.

"Lex! I'm talking to you!" Martin barked.

With a theatrical sigh, Lex crossed his arms, giving Eva a glare, who was laughing as she quickly disappeared.

Phew! She was safe!

"Hey, sweetie!" Her father welcomed her into his office with a tired smile. She had decided to pay him a visit anyway.

His desk was littered with documents, and several books were scattered around the room.

"What are you working on, Dad?" Eva used her favorite nickname for him, moving closer to him and giving him a peck on the cheek. She felt comfortable and safe in his presence, his scent a reminder of home and unconditional love.

"Just some issues with that crazy mutt, Alpha Christian," her father replied, massaging his eyes.

"He wants to take back the young boys who escaped with their mothers. He doesn't care how young they are or about their mothers," he continued.

Eva frowned. "We won't allow that to happen, will we?"

"Of course not, darling. Full Moon and Crystal Wolf have joined forces to be prepared for any attack from that madman. And I—"

"What about Crescent Black, Dad?" Eva asked with a serious tone.

"What about them, sweetie?" her father replied, looking puzzled.

"I mean, now that Martin has mated with their Beta, should we try to reconcile with them and reach some sort of agreement for an alliance? The more allies, the better!" Eva suggested. "Alpha Christian is a ticking time bomb, a threat to every pack. I'm sure the Crescent Black Alpha would agree to some sort of negotiation with us, to fight together."

"Eva."

Uh-oh, he had used her full name. "While it may make sense for other rival packs to reconcile with us, it doesn't for Crescent Black," her father replied, choosing his words carefully.

"Even if I turn a blind eye to our history, they are still the pack without mates. Where there are no mates, there's no control over their warriors and organizational structure. Years have passed with most of their wolves remaining without mates, with a few exceptions, of course, but still." He then stood up and walked over to the window. The treetops were visible from where Eva stood, swaying and dancing in the strong wind. In that moment, her father seemed like a figure from a fairy tale, bathed in moonlight.

"But, Dad, they allowed us to attend their high school," Eva countered.

"True, but that may have been a move to rectify the fact that they haven't done much about the madman and all those who escaped from him," her father said, now looking directly at Eva. His shoulders were tense, and his features wore an exhausted expression from the heavy workload of managing so many refugees.

"But if—"

"They just aren't the pack you want to associate with, Eva. End of story," her father interrupted.

"Now go, sweetie. Later, we can watch a movie together with your mother and make some popcorn," he added in a gentler tone.

"Okay, Alpha," Eva smirked before leaving her father to his work, giving him a quick peck on the cheek.

Alpha Gedon’s POV

Once my daughter left the room without detecting any unusual scents, I let out a deep sigh of relief. It was never easy to conceal the scent of death, especially from an alpha wolf.

'You have to tell her,' my wolf, Rub, finally spoke, after remaining silent during my conversation with Eva.

'She will be a leader one day, you must—'

'I know, Rub. Just not tonight,' I replied, sinking back into my chair and glancing around the room, as if unseen eyes were observing me.

'Let her be young and happy a little while longer. The storm is coming.'

When I opened the drawer, the putrid smell filled my office once again. I found myself alone with my wolf, staring at the gruesome contents inside the box that had been delivered to me earlier that morning.

A pair of eyes and a severed head with its gaping mouth...

For assistance that never arrived.