Free Web NovelChapter 69: The Alpha Dies
There was a long silence, as though the air had been pulled out of the room. Eloise’s hands stiffened around her staff as she stared at her grandson. Her eyes drifted to the window for a second before returning to him.
’’Did you remember something, Rio?’’ Her voice was calm as she asked.
He did not respond. His hand remained still on the table for several seconds, and then she smiled.
’’You’ve always been against me regaining my memories. Is there something you did not want me to remember?’’
The distant dripping sound of water from the fountain in the courtyard suddenly became very loud in the room. Eloise’s eyes darkened as she stared at him, her jaw clenched tight.
She stood and turned toward the door, then stopped and looked back at him.
’’Some things are better left in the dark, Rodrigo. I have never stopped you from seeking answers from your past. I only wish for you to be ready for what you want to find.’’
She held his gaze.
’’Because the answers you seek may come with revelations you are not ready for.’’
Rodrigo’s brows pulled tight. ’’What do you mean?’’
Eloise stared at him for a moment, then smiled.
’’You will find out soon.’’
Then she turned and walked out of the room.
Rodrigo sat still for a long moment, staring at the door she had gone through, his eyes dark and dazed.
Just then, Seven walked in.
’’Alpha?’’ he called when he saw the expression on his face.
Rodrigo’s eyes lifted to him.
’’Send for the guard placed in Charlotte’s quarters.’’
He ordered flatly.
...
Lady Charlotte stood outside the huge tall gates of the old mansion with her hands folded behind her. Her eyes stared at the wrought-iron gates, her gaze fixed on a spot as though thinking. Three guards stood behind her.
A long moment passed, and then she dropped her hands. ’’Knock,’’ she ordered, and one of the guards stepped forward and knocked thrice on the gates.
Silence followed, then the movement of locks. A small opening in the gate pulled open, and a guard looked out.
’’Who are you?’’ he asked, his voice rising a notch. His eyes moved through them, and when they landed on Lady Charlotte, he quickly bowed.
’’Your Grace,’’ he greeted, and quickly opened the gates.
Charlotte stood by the gates for a long second, and then she stepped forward.
The courtyard seemed to stop as she walked in, the servants lifting up from whatever they were doing as they watched her.
The guards situated at the front doors pulled them open as she approached and bowed, her guards stopping behind her as she walked in.
She turned toward the hallway and stopped in front of the double doors. Voices emanated from inside. Charlotte stood outside for a long minute before she pushed the double doors open.
Her eyes lifted to the men seated around the long table, and they all turned, the conversation dying.
"You are here," Radeon spoke as she walked in. He pointed at the empty chair across from him. ’’Please sit, we have been waiting.’’
Charlotte crossed to the chair and sat down.
"You said there was urgent news. I hope it is urgent enough to bring me here in the early hours of the morning," she said, her eyes going over the table once more. Six other councilmen sat at the table, three on each side. Radeon sat at the head of the table, and she was at the other end.
Radeon cleared his throat. ’’I assure you, it is.’’ He smiled and nodded toward the guard standing at the connecting door.
The guard nodded and opened the door, and a maid walked in. Her eyes were fixed on the ground as she walked into the room carefully, her head already dipped.
She stopped a few feet away from the head of the table and bowed.
Charlotte stared at the girl for a long second, her brows furrowed in a frown. "Who is she?" she asked.
The table was quiet. No one answered.
Charlotte turned to Radeon. ’’What is going on?’’
Radeon leaned forward slightly and then turned to the girl, who was almost shaking on her feet. "Repeat what you told us, child."
The maid lowered her head even more, her shoulders trembling.
"The Alpha came... to receive a pill from the High Priestess. I overheard them talking... about memory recovery."
The room grew still in an instant. All of the color drained from Charlotte’s face. She looked at Radeon, whose eyes were still on the girl, and she glanced back at her.
"When?" she asked. ’’When did this happen?’’
"Yesterday, Your Grace," the maid said. Beads of sweat had gathered on her forehead as she spoke.
Charlotte’s gaze dropped to the table, her eyes wandering. ’’We cannot let this happen. If the Alpha finds out...’’
"It was always going to come to this, Your Grace," Radeon cut in. "The Alpha was going to regain his memories sooner or later."
Charlotte’s fingers tightened against the wood.
Oregon, another councilman, unclasped his hands and set them flat on the table.
"We are running out of time."
His voice was even. "The Vothraki matters, but more than that,’’ he paused for a second, his eyes lifting to Charlotte,
’’Rodrigo must never find out what happened to his father fifteen years ago. All our efforts would come to waste if he finds out."
Charlotte shut her eyes as she remained still, a thousand thoughts clashing through her at once. Her thumb pressed hard against her index finger as she evened her breathing.
A moment of silence passed, and she opened her eyes. They lifted, locking onto Radeon’s.
"Before anything goes wrong,’’ she paused, ’’the Alpha must die."
Radeon shifted in his chair. "How do we get the key to the Alpha’s vault if he’s dead?"
Oregon chuckled. ’’You of all people know what Alpha Rodrigo is capable of. If he finds out what we...’’ he paused.
’’The key would be the last thing you need to worry about.’’
The hall grew quiet, everyone lost in their own thoughts.
Charlotte drew a breath.
"Rodrigo can never find out the Vothraki is hidden there." She looked at Oregon, then back at Radeon. "As for the key — once he’s dead, the Matriarch would have to find it. She has no choice but to make Dominic Alpha, and only the Alpha can have the key to the vault. So, it would fall into our hands either way."
Radeon crossed his hands on the table.
’’And how do you suggest we do that without raising suspicions?’’
Charlotte was quiet for a second, and then she leaned back, a small smile stretching across the corner of her mouth.
...
There was a single knock on Rodrigo’s private study, and then it opened. Seven walked in first, and then a lanky guard followed.
He bowed to the Alpha, his eyes pinned to the ground.
"Report," Rodrigo’s eyes glanced at him and returned to the last scroll he was looking at.
"Alpha,’’ the guard started, ’’there has been nothing out of the ordinary. No one strange has been to the quarters." The guard’s eyes moved once across the room before settling back on the floor.
Rodrigo was quiet.
He didn’t speak as he waited for the guard to continue. The guard’s eyes wandered, and then he cleared his throat. "Only — she left the pack house earlier, taking guards with her.’’ frёewebηovel.cѳm
At that, Rodrigo lifted his head.
’’Where did she go?’’ he asked.
’’I am not sure, Alpha, but a letter came from Elder Radeon’s house very early in the morning, and she left immediately after."
Rodrigo said nothing for a moment. His eyes moved to the window, then back.
"Is there anything else?"
"No, Alpha."
"Report anything strange. You can go."
The guard nodded and turned around, walking out quickly. The doors closed behind him.
Seven stood near the door, the room returning to its quiet.
"Send men to Radeon’s house. Track his movements. Anyone he meets, anywhere he goes, and anyone who comes to meet him. Select the best of your men. We need to know what they are planning."
"Yes, Alpha," Seven replied.
Seven waited until the door closed behind him before he pulled the chair out and sat down.
Rodrigo didn’t look up from the papers on the table.
"Alpha."
"What?" he replied flatly.
Seven set his hands flat on his knees. "Let me take over the operation tomorrow."
Rodrigo’s eyes lifted, his brows fixing in a frown.
"If they are indeed planning something," Seven said, "being outside the pack house right now is a risk we don’t need to take."
"No."
Seven opened his mouth, but Rodrigo was already on his feet. The chair scraped back hard against the floor, and he was moving before Seven could find the next word.
"This matter is closed." He said it to the room as he continued walking toward the door, not waiting a second. "We set out at first light. Get the men ready."
