CHAPTER 26
LOGAN’S POV
“Your highness! We finally made it.” I heard the coachman happily yell from front of the coach. It was evening already, and I could really do with some nice meal and a warm bed.
“Ahhh…” I stretched my arms and a few cracks were heard. That was expected, considering how cramped up I had been in this coach the whole day. I wondered why they didn’t make preparations for a bigger sized coach. My legs could barely stretch themselves out in this small coach. At least, I was grateful it hadn’t been a straight journey. We had been delayed for two whole days, due to our coachman’s sudden illness, making us take refuge in an interpack guest inn, while waiting for him to get better.
“Don’t worry, you would get a better and satisfying stretch once we step down.” Uncle Justin managed a small smile.
Why uncle Justin had accompanied me to the cold moon pack instead of Liam? Even I, wasn’t sure why father insisted his Beta went with me.
The coach drove for a couple more minutes, before it finally came to a stop.
“We are here.” Uncle Justin nodded with a small smile, and I returned with a wider smile of my own. The door of the coach was pulled open by the coachman, and we both hopped down. I looked back to the the second coach that had carried my guards as they alighted.
It was then, that I took the liberty of looking around the surroundings, and that was when I realized this was the cold moon pack indeed. We were currently in the large estate in which Alpha Ryan’s castle was situated, and the place was as dry as could be. I could count the number of guards that were stationed around a few target areas of the castle. They weren’t supposed to be that few. I had also wondered why the pack roads had seemed deserted on our way here, but that was a question for Ryan later on.
“Your highness!” I turned to a few guards running towards us. “You’re welcome, your highness.” They bowed, and I quickly made a signal for them to arise.
“Royal Beta Justin.” They turned to him and gave another bow. “It is indeed wonderful to have you here.”
“Thank you.” He nodded.
“Dare I ask why this castle is so….. empty?” I queried.
“Oh?” The higher ranking one amongst the guards muttered.
“Yes.” Uncle Justin nodded.
“There had been an unplanned rogue attack earlier in the day.”
“So the whole troop left for some group of rogues?” I asking, weirdly not buying such explanation.
“Not exactly.” He muttered, scratching his ears.
“Let me hear it.” I pressed, making the guards share some looks amongst themselves, probably contemplating if they should let me have the present information I was asking for. Something seemed to be off.
“Ever since the first official outing of Alpha Ryan after so many years, it seemed to have caused an unpleasant call for alertness from the neighbouring packs.”
“Unpleasant, you say?” Uncle Justin asked, his head creasing into lines. Even I, had found a problem with that particular adjective. It was indeed okay if his debut back into society caused a stir, but definitely not something to be called ‘unpleasant’.
“For a few days now, we have been receiving information of missing women and children. At first, we thought they were rogue attacks, until the Alpha….”
“Oh my!!! Logan!” A voice interrupted the guard and we turned to see a familiar brunette making her way towards me. An unmistakable face. Ralia.
“Ralia?” She was Ryan’s elder sister, and was mated to the Alpha of the Silver heights pack, which was just a neighbouring pack to here. She had probably come here on a visit, after getting word that her brother was now out of isolation.
“Yes.” She grinned. “The one and only.”
“This is such a pleasant surprise!” I walked to where she stood and hugged her.
“Same here.” Her grin widened.
“How about Ryan? I’m just learning he is not on seat at the moment.” My words seemed to have unnerved her because the next minute, she was sharing suspicious looks with the guards that I had been speaking with earlier. “Oh, really?” Her smile seemed forced this time around. “They told you that?” She gestured to the guards and I nodded.
“Is there a contrary information to the one they have given me?” I asked, and she shook her head slightly, looking like she wasn’t so sure of her response. That was when I knew something was off.
“Hmmmm…” I hummed to myself. “I suppose we would be made to settle comfortably, while we wait for Ryan to be back from this rogue confrontation.”
“Rogue confrontation?” She quickly asked, before realizing she did. “Oh! Rogue confrontation! Of course.” She nodded, and rushed out her next words before I could say anything. “Please, come with me. I would show you to the west wing of the castle, which has been reserved specially for your visit.”
“We would…..” I sensed that uncle Justin had been quick to smell out a fish, and was about to refuse Ralia’s show of hospitality, when I quickly cut him off.
“Sure!” I rushed out. “We would love to settle down. I trust the cold moon pack for their wonderful sense of hospitality. They are definitely great friends of the crown.” I purposely made the last statement, and watched as Ralia visibly gulped. Nonetheless, she led us towards the west wing and we followed. I made a signal to uncle Justin, asking him to remain calm. We walked into the west wing and a few maids were on standby to assist us.
“The west wing!” I suddenly muttered, and Ralia turned to me.
“Is it to your liking, your highness?” She asked in clear worry, and I slightly shook my head.
“Of course, Ralia.” I sighed. “I just realized that it isn’t the west wing.”
“What?”
“This isn’t the west wing, Ralia.” I smiled. “I have visited this pack a lot of times during my teenage days, to realize that this isn’t the same west wing that is always being prepared for the visit of the royal family. They sure look very similar, but I can definitely spot out a few differences.”
“Your highness…” She whispered, but I interjected.
“Is my familiarity beginning to be seen as stupidity, Ralia?”
“Of course not, your highness!” She rushed out, falling to her kneels, as the maids follow suit in the same manner.
“Ralia, tell me what is going on, this instant.” I managed to remain calm, regardless of how alert my senses had become. All the while, I prayed to the goddess to not allow my fear become a reality. I never wanted Ryan to become my enemy.
“I’m sorry your highness, but my brother has warned me not to speak to you, until he returns.”
“And where exactly did Ryan go?” I asked, but she remained silent.
“I would like to know if his highness is safe around the walls of this castle!!” Uncle Justin suddenly thundered, catching me off guard. The next minute, he was wielding his sword, and the guards who had accompanied us did the same. No no no. This was fast escalating.Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDrâ/ma.O(r)g!
“Uncle, no.” I muttered, slowly shaking my head in disagreement, and he eventually had to sheathe his sword reluctantly.
“Of course, his highness is safe here.” Ralia finally spoke up.
“I know.” I sighed. “But your pack isn’t.” I whispered in realization.
From the moment we stepped into the castle, I could tell something was off. Ralia had deceived us into believing we were being taken into the west wing, when infact, it wasn’t true. The west wing was the biggest wing in the castle, and that it why it was the wing the royal family inhabited while on a visit. Another important detail was that, the biggest wing of the castle was where the women and children of a pack were lodged, during a looming war. No wonder the journey through the pack had been awfully silent. The women and children weren’t in the pack houses. They were here.
Before I could even process my thoughts, I started walking out of the wing.
“To the west wing!” I yelled out my order, and a couple of maids rushed before me to lead the way.
“Your highness!” Ralia continued to yell after me, but I paid her no heed. Something was wrong, and I was definitely going to get to the bottom of it.
Just as we got to the west wing, my suspicions rose to the peak when I saw that the doors to the wing were barred.
“Unlock these doors right now.” I gave that command to the guards, and they went into action immediately. Within a couple of seconds, the doors were opened and to my greatest shock, there they all were. So many women, teenage girls, and children in the reception hall of the west wing! I didn’t miss the good number of soldiers that surrounded this very wing.
“What?” I whispered, as I slowly made my way in. Despite the unusual situation, the entire crowd was silent, the children inclusive. What in the goddess’s name, was going on?!
I contnued walking down the hall and kept seeing more and more women and children. The west wing was literally full, down to the hallways and rooms. Most especially, the soldiers guarding the place increased in number the more I looked.
Haven gotten to the last room down the last hallway, I slowly made a ‘u’ turn and headed towards Ralia. All the women and children continued to look at me in silence. I whispered to one of my guards to make an introduction, which he efficiently did.
“Standing before you, is his royal highness, the prince!” He announced, eliciting a lot of gasps, and I decided to speak.
“There is something unusual going on in this pack, at the moment. Anyone interested in giving me the information I need?” I asked, and they all whispered between themselves, yet, no one coming forward to speak. “I said, I want one of you, to explain to me what is going on….” I was still talking when the sudden sound of marching soldiers interrupted me. The sound had been distant at first, until it got closer and closer. I looked back to see that Ralia was gone. No one had to tell me that her brother was back, and she had gone to feed him with the information of the current situation.
“The pack’s troops seem to have returned.” Uncle Justin whispered to me, and I nodded in understanding. I started making my way out of the hall and before I even reached the doorstep, Ryan caming walking in.
“Your highness!” An almost invisible smile on his face, as he walked up to me, opening his arms for a brotherly hug. Reluctantly, I allowed him to hug me, despite my growing agitation and annoyance. Regardless, we were in the presence of his pack members, and it was disrespectful to question him before them. So I swallowed my curiosity and played the nice guest.
“It is lovely to see you too, Ryan.” I forced a smile, as we both made our way out of the west wing. A few more soldiers marched into the wing as we left, only further spiking my curiosity.
“It’s so nice to have you here. I’m sorry, I wasn’t around when you got here.” He said, looking quite disoriented. I simply gave a nod, and waited until we had walked quite the distance, towards the wing that had been prepared for my visit.
“Ryan….” I was about speaking, when he cut me off.
“I’m sorry, your highness.” He apologized. “But I suggest you wash up and have some rest.”
“That’s great.” I nodded, not a slight trace of subtlety in my tone. “No matter how long we may have been apart, Ryan, I still consider you…. my brother.” At the sound of my words, he released a sigh, a look of guilt crossing his face, before disappearing as soon as it came.
“But before I am your brother, I am your prince.” I continued. “If you wouldn’t show me the loyalty of being your brother, then atleast, accord me the respect of being your prince.”
“Your highness….” He began, but I raised my hand in refusal of him to speak.
“I would have a wash and take a rest.” I smiled. “I expect you would tell me all I need to know during dinner.” Without giving him a chance to speak again, I turned my back and walked into whichever wing it was, that had been prepared for me. Uncle Justin and our guards silently followed me behind. A couple of maids had still been diligently stationed around the wing, doing well to lead us all into our different rooms. Never had I been so eager for dinner.