Free Web NovelChapter 167: Enemy of an Enemy
In the end, Alpha Thorton reluctantly gave his approval, and we made our way out quickly in case he suddenly changed his mind.
Darach was waiting for me, wearing an argyle vest along with slacks. Blaise shot me an incredulous glance― I hadn’t told him about what Darach was like, and now he was forced to draw his own conclusions.
I bet he expected someone more like Dahlia, who had an overwhelming presence, and not a man who seemed more like a student dressed like an old university professor. In fact, Darach vaguely reminded me of Doctor Thomas in his old age.
Meanwhile, Darach also stared at Blaise in surprise, but it wasn’t because Blaise was dressed oddly. I had a feeling it was because Blaise was present, to begin with.
"Harper, you did tell him that I was coming along right?" Blaise whispered in my ear, deliberately putting an arm around my waist.
I paused, recalling my previous conversation with Darach. I had only said that he was to bring me around if he didn’t want Damon to marry his sister.
"Ah. It might have slipped my mind," I said shamefacedly. "But I did tell him that I was your fated mate, though."
Whether Darach believed it or not was another story. Judging by the shell-shocked look on his face, he must have assumed I was lying to get out of trouble for trespassing. His mouth gaped as his eyes were focused on Blaise’s arm wrapped around my waist.
"Fair enough," Blaise said, cheerfully going to Darach and holding out his other hand for him to shake. "Hi Darach, I’m Blaise. Thank you so much for offering to help us with this."
"I didn’t do it for you," Darach grumbled, but he shook Blaise’s hand in return. He didn’t look me in the eye. I guess he really must not like humans all that much. "The both of you should get in. It’s going to be a long drive."
There was a look in his eyes, warning us not to ask more questions. With the rest of his pack in easy eavesdropping distance, I guess he wanted his plans to remain a secret for the time being. Which of course made me curious. freeweɓnovēl.coɱ
"Where are we going? If you don’t mind me asking," I said when the last of Thunderstrike’s impressive buildings faded from the rearview mirror.
Darach had driven like the devil himself was hot on his heels; the car was already pushing nearly a hundred kilometers per hour. He kept looking at his rearview mirror, as though he expected his father to send a search party to haul us back.
His nervousness was making me nervous. My palms began to sweat, and Blaise had to rub my knuckles to calm me down.
Thankfully, there weren’t many other cars on the roads, and I found myself breathing more easily when we left Thunderstrike’s borders for good. Their territory was too big for my liking.
"We’re going to Hornstead," Darach said. "After I spoke to you in the gardens, I made a mental list of possible allies we could ask for help from. Unfortunately, every pack nearby has close ties with my father and would never dream of going behind his back if he gave an order."
"So this is a useless trip?" Blaise demanded, "You dragged us out here for nothing?"
"Blaise!" I scolded, "Of course Darach wouldn’t do something like that, right?"
"I wouldn’t waste my car fuel on such a futile errand, let alone my time and energy," Darach said, the back of his neck turning red. Blaise’s comments must have upset him, and why wouldn’t they?
I elbowed Blaise, wordlessly prompting him to apologize.
"Sorry for accusing you," Blaise said politely, after a pained wince. "I was just anxious. I’m guessing you do have a destination in mind and you’re not planning on depositing our bodies in an empty field?"
"Of course not, body disposal is not my forte," Darach said with all seriousness that I wanted to snort with laughter. "Like I said, we’re going to Hornstead. They are the one pack that’s most likely to help us, but it’s at least a full day’s drive away, which is why I had to make haste. Thankfully, my father did not insist on keeping you back for long― we are already cutting it close." freewёbnoνel.com
"So long?" Blaise and I exchanged glances of dismay. Damon had to give a reply in three days; that barely gave us enough time to visit, negotiate a deal, and return.
"Why is Hornstead more likely to help us than the others?" Blaise asked.
"Because my sister rejected their heir, Milo, three years ago, when she found out he was her fated mate," Darach explained. "He took it in stride, but his parents and pack were very upset. They thought Dahlia was looking down on their pack."
"Was she?" Blaise asked.
Darach winced, "Yes. Hornstead isn’t as prosperous as Thunderstrike, and their focus is more on living well with nature than the expensive nonsense my family is obsessed with. They saw each other during one of the mandatory annual inter-pack meetings and realized they were mates."
"Bet that didn’t go well," I said.
"Understatement of the year if I ever heard one," Darach shook his head. "Dahlia thought she was better than them, and she wasn’t willing to move to some backwater place to live out the rest of her life when she could remain a princess in Thunderstrike and a Luna of Fangborne. She rejected him in full view of everyone."
"Ouch," I hissed. That must have been massively humiliating. If it happened to me, I would be rightfully furious for a long time.
"So that’s why you’re so sure they would help us," Blaise said with a small grin. "The enemy of my enemy is my friend, eh?"
"Exactly." Darach nodded. "They might not help you out of altruism, but they’ll certainly help you to spite my father. Seeing Dahlia be paid in her own coin would be too enticing an offer for them to refuse."
