Eyes of the Alpha
Eyes of the Alpha
Many people had gathered on the paths of the Enchanted Valley to welcome the soldiers. But their heart sunk upon seeing the piles of dead bodies that were brought back.
The people of Aberdeen didn't know the result of the war from which the soldiers were returning. But whatever the result, the number of dead soldiers was enough for them to be saddened.
Those who knew that the soldiers weren't any normal soldiers but they were the werewolves, that also the best of the best, were shocked by that great number of deaths. They were forced to fear the foes that those werewolves had faced.
"If those vampires came here then they would butcher us humans," one of the fathers of the werewolf soldier thought to himself while nervously and eagerly waiting to see his daughter among the survivors.
Most of the friends and families of the werewolf soldiers were present in the crowd.
They were darting their eyes at those soldiers who were alive. And when they saw that the ones who they were waiting for were alive and well, they happily waved at them.
However, those who didn't see their loved one's faces among the survivors broke down into cries and wails. They were devastated by the deaths of their loved ones.
Nigel, Fenris, and Wulfric were also seeing and hearing the reactions of those who had lost someone dear to them. They felt sharp stings in their hearts because they somehow felt responsible for the deaths, especially Nigel.
"If only I was strong enough to finish off that vampire sooner… At least there would be fewer deaths on our side." Nigel clenched his fist and thought to himself. The cries of the people and the bodies of the werewolves were going to haunt him for a long time.
The soldiers traveled for some more and then reached the base of the werewolves.
The alpha, the elders of the clan, and Rhea were also present there in the base.
Fenris and Wulfric glanced at each other with a dreaded look on their faces after seeing Conall. They had run away from the Palace and they knew that they were going to get kicked in the gut as soon as they went close to their father.
Nigel, on the other hand, was looking at his lovely wife. He felt lucky for being able to see Rhea again. If a single thing had gone wrong in the war then he would have been done for.
And that very thought made him think, "I'm going to cherish each and every single moment with Rhea and the kids like it is my last one. I want to make as many memories with them as I can."
"Nigel," Rhea came running towards the carriage that he was in. She wanted to jump and hug her husband but she couldn't bring herself to do so after already seeing the dead bodies of the soldiers in other carriages.
But she had a relieved look on her face that spoke more than a hug. Her eyes were saying that she was very happy to see her husband in a healthy condition.
Nigel got down from the carriage and gave a short smile to his wife.
Fenris and Wulfric also got down from the carriage after Nigel. And in an attempt to avoid their father, both of them tried conversing with Rhea.
"Rhea, how are the twins doing? Did they sleep well without Nigel?" Wulfric asked Rhea and waited for her answer as though his life depended on that answer.
"Yes, how are they? They didn't miss us too much, did they?" Fenris also folded his arms and queried. He was seeing the alpha from the corner of his eyes but he simply ignored it.
Rhea furrowed her brows at their 'interest' in her kids. But she still answered, "Yes, they are doing well. They slept well. And they were happily playing even when the two of you weren't there to tease them."
Wulfric fake laughed and said, "Oh, that's such a relief. I was so worried about them."
King Conall glared at his sons and then asked in a chilling tone, "Why don't the two of you ask how your mother was doing when she found out that you two had run away to the war zone? Why don't you ask if she and the whole Palace slept well?"
"We're sorry for giving trouble to all of you," Wulfric said while lowering his head.
Nigel just kept on looking down at his feet, fearing that their father would jump in at any moment and would beat them up.
However, to both of their surprise, King Conall sighed and said in a little softer tone, "I'm glad to see both of you alive… and without a scratch on your bodies." And his voice stiffened a bit when he further said, "Now run to the Palace and see your mother before she passes out from crying."
He didn't need to say anything more. Both of the Princes nodded their heads and ran away as fast as they could before their father changed his mind.
After the two of them left, Conall and the elders called Nigel so that they could talk with him. As he was the one who was leading the werewolves, they wanted to know the details from him.
They were listening to Nigel's every word very carefully when he started to brief the war to them.
And when Nigel explained how Wulfric had almost died, they noticed something different in furious Nigel. They saw his eyes turning red in color instead of amber.
---
"Nigel, do you know why I called you here?" King Conall asked Nigel the moment he entered his private chamber.
Nigel nervously breathed in and then said in a sarcastic tone, "I hope you're not going to challenge me for a duel and kill me."
King Conall chuckled at that remark from his nephew. But then his expression took a complete turn and he said in a rather serious tone, "Yes, I would have asked for a duel if it was anyone else who gained the eyes of the alpha. And if he or she wouldn't have yielded then maybe I would have even killed that wolf."
King Conall didn't find a tinge of hostility or a tinge of fear coming off from Nigel when he said that he would have killed his opponent. And he thought to himself, "That war did change him a lot, didn't it?"
He then said to his nephew, "Nigel, you know that there can never be two alphas in a single pack. So I only see one solution to this predicament of ours."