"The records. Where are they? I can't find them. This was where I kept them long ago." I heard Mr. Daniel panicking from his inner room.
What was going on? Did any of those rogues stole them from his room during the last attack? What could they possibly know about the records, mere papers with maybe some few pictures?
"Annie, did you take some couple of old papers from my old shelf?" I heard him asking his wife.
"Not at all. You had something in there? It has not been opened in years and you last told me there was nothing in there and the lock got bad, so it can't be opened and hence, it's useless. I hadn't bothered to use it all these years." I heard his wife's reply.
This was strange. Did it vanish?
Mr. Daniel came back to meet me, disappointment and panic written all over his face as he began sweating. He had some old papers in his hands that I would have thought were the records of the great war if not for his current facial expressions.
"These are empty, empty papers. The records were binded together with quality paper that can't get bad in many years to come. An Alpha from a rival pack wanted it back then but his own pack member that became a traitor, stole it from him and passed it over to my friend who passed it to me before he died in a recent battle. And ever since then, I had carefully placed them in a big book to further secure the longevity, before putting the book inside a particular shelf in my room that I made sure no one, not even my wife had access to. The strange thing is that it's the same padlock and key that I used in securing the shelf years ago that is still there. In fact, the padlock is now rusty but the book that has the records isn't inside. Someone must have stolen it somehow."
I saw tears threatening to start falling from the elderly man's eyes. Still in shock, I was speechless.
"I don't want you to start thinking I deceived you into following me back to this pack, far from it. I actually had the records right here with me but it must have been stolen somehow. I can't even remember anything because I know it has been under lock and key right here inside a particular shelf in my room. I've searched everywhere I know I could have hidden it if I had unknowingly removed it from that shelf by myself, and I still can't find it."
"It's okay sir. Please don't cry. I believe you weren't lying to me just to get me back to this pack because at the end of the day, nothing would have kept me here anyway if that were to be the case. It's fine. Let's just keep searching for it, hopefully, it could be that you had recently removed it from the shelf and kept it somewhere else that you can't remember right now. Or did any rogue went as far as searching for things in your inner room the last time?" I asked, hoping that shouldn't be the case at all.
"No rogue entered this house. My wife and grandchild confirmed it. There were four of them that attacked us that night, right there at our balcony. Two were fighting with us while the other two were trying to run away with our grand child. It was difficult for me and my wife to fight all four of them, especially as we are elderly, so we had to beg for your help after we had managed to defeat three of them but we were badly wounded in our wolf form and didn't have the strength to prevent the last one from running away with our only grand child, that was when you miraculously came to our rescue and you fought or scared the last rogue off and he ran away during the fight, without even touching your wolf form after he saw you. Back then, we thought you had scared him away somehow, it's only now I've come to realize that he had run away on his own accord, due to your special wolf form. But the point is, none of them was allowed into our home. And if anyone had managed to sneak in unknowingly, he wouldn't have been able to pass through any window or door without us hearing a noise, because as soon as we heard the alarm, before the rogues started attacking anyone close to this area, we made absolutely sure to shut all doors and windows of this house and even had the time to rush down to the balcony on the downstairs to prepare for any attack. Thus, if there had been a break in, we would have heard the noise."
This was very confusing. What could have happened to the records then? If not the rogues, if not his wife or grand child, and if not him that had taken it away from the previous place he had kept it, then how on earth were the records missing?
"We should keep searching for it. Hopefully we can find it in a place you least expect it to be." I said assuredly.
******
(Unknown POV)
"Call me Byron and co."
"As you wish, Alpha"
It was morning and I needed reports on the whereabouts of the records I had entrusted to my most honorable pack guard. If he had no positive news for me today, he will have to face the dire consequences.
"You sent for me Alpha."
"Idiot, where are those records?"
"Be merciful and give us a little more time to find them. We will definitely find them soonest. We are on the process of doing so, mighty Alpha."
"Mercy? Do I look like someone that is capable of being merciful? Don't ever mention that word or the likes in my presence again. That's your last warning."
They shivered at my words, rightfully so. These idiots knew the kind of person I am. To me, killing is my favorite hobby. I won't hesitate to slice their throats once I've reached my limits of patience.
"We have got news that the records could be in the possession of a rival pack we once attacked many years ago, according to multiple traces and findings. I'm afraid someone from this pack must have stolen them from where I kept them. But I don't know who would have the guts to do such a thing, and how on earth the person managed to steal them without any of us noticing."
"What rubbish are you saying? Who would dare and how come? The person must really be tired of living. But I placed those records in your care, whatever happens is your responsibility. Find out who the traitor is, then I will first of all kill him and his entire family, before I kill you and anything related to you if those records are not brought back to me. And if you try to run away, remember I have everything I need to track you, wherever you are in the world. And also, your relatives are in danger of experiencing a very painful death before I find you, in case you run away. Now get out of my sight and first of all, mobilize your warriors to go to that pack at night as usual, to search for whoever is in possession of the records, take them by force and bring the records back to me. If you have to fight with everyone in the pack to make sure you get those records, do it, kill them all if you have to and make sure you come back here with those records. After that, you can find the traitor and bring him to me alive, let me personally deal with him. Is that clear?"
"Yes Alpha!"
"Good, now get out of my sight before I lose my temper on all of you." They hurried away, knowing how short-tempered I am. No one in this pack, in their right senses, would wish to be in my bad books.
*****
(Katerina's POV)
We have searched everywhere for the records all day and it was currently dark at night. Still, we haven't found them. It was clear that it was no where to be found in this entire apartment. Where could they be?
"Now we have to take a rest. We have been searching all day. There's no point anymore. I'm sorry, Katerina, but without those records, you will never get to know the truth about your parents' death."
Mr. Daniel looked sorrowful as he said those words. He walked into his room to spend the night with his wife and grandchild.
I was speechless, feeling disappointed and lost in thoughts. Could it be that Mr. Daniel had purposely brought me back in order to lure me to stay in this pack, live with him, with the food and shelter he offers me? Or was he really being sincere about the missing records?
"Everyone out! Safeguard yourselves and prepare to fight along with the pack warriors. Rogues are attacking us again!"
I was snapped out of my thoughts by the pack's alarm speaker as Mr. Daniel came running back into my room.
"Quick, hide. We can't let you be discovered. They will think you had led these rogues to attack us as a way of revenging on how badly the pack had treated you before you left. And then, I will also be punished severely if the Alpha learns that I was the one that brought you back to this pack."
"I wouldn't want you to be punished because of me because I know Alpha Kol is unreasonable, otherwise, since they are rogues, maybe my wolf form can just scare them away like last time. Although I'm more concerned for you and your family's safety and for Renee my only friend in this pack, I would have..."
"Just hide somewhere, they can be here in any minute. Don't worry, we can defend ourselves. But if you are discovered, I will be doomed. It will be assumed I'm associated with these rogues as well and it will be hard for me to defend myself. It's illegal how I brought you back here."
"In that case, shouldn't I just run away and hide somewhere outside this house? Maybe in the nearby bushes. What if the rogues are many like last time? I will be easily discovered anywhere I'm hiding in this house once they smell my human form. I don't think it's safe to hide here. They might have not gotten close enough to this house, maybe there's still time for me to....."
"Open up at once! We won't bite as long as you cooperate nicely..."