My eyes snapped open and my senses heightened, my body on high alert, my wolf clawing to be set free. A suffocating pressure clung to my room and pressed down on me, making it hard to breathe. Something dangerous was around!
A cold and dull, familiar yet alien scent drifted into my room, replacing my sweet pine scent. The scent was old and had a mix of musky masculine scent that made it more pleasing to the nose compared to others. Fucking vampires.
I scanned my room, and my jaw tightened when I saw a tall figure clad in black casually resting against my bedroom wall.
The midnight black eyes that seemed to suck in all light under his black mask stared at me as if he was studying me—the very reason instinct had woken me from sleep.
I grabbed the blanket from my body and sat up. My nose flared and my eyes glinted sharply. My wolf growled, clawing to break free and attack the enemy in my room. "Who are you? How dare you trespass into the wolves' region and into my room? How did you bypass the guards?"
The vampire finally retracted his gaze. "So many questions, little wolf. Slow down," the vampire casually replied, with no hint of fear whatsoever on his face, and this confidence of his made me frown.
Throughout my eighteen years, I hadn't come across this vampire before, nor had I seen someone who appeared so powerful. The thought that the vampires' coven still had several aces up their sleeves made my heart heavy.
I left my bed and bared my fangs at him. "You're a fucking vampire, and do you know what that means if I call any of my guards? You're a goner!"
The vampire chuckled as if he had just heard a ridiculous sentence. The moon seemed to reflect on his face at that moment, but due to the glistening black mask he donned, I was unable to see anything. "I expected the next ruler of the pack to be powerful and smarter than this, but you're not." He looked down at me and smirked. "In simple words, you should understand that I've successfully taken care of your guards, or else I wouldn't be here."
I stared at him cautiously and frowned, my stomach twisting in a knot. "What do you mean? What did you do to my guards?"
The vampire straightened his back, left my wall, and sat on my chair. He looked straight at me with those calm black eyes of his. "Listen, I didn't come here to answer questions or hurt you…" He paused, "…or your guards. Rather, I'm here to propose a deal with the next werewolf ruler…"
I scoffed at his words, not believing his gut. He came here to propose a deal in this manner? He must be fucking joking! I retorted with a scowl, "You barged into my room in the middle of the night, attacked my guards and left them in an unfathomable state, and you expect me to listen to your ideas? What a fucking joke!"
The vampire was unbothered by my rebuttal. Instead, he continued in that calm voice he had been using since I woke up and found him in my room. "Your pack's existence is hanging on a beam, and I'm here to offer you a solution." His lips curved slightly, and he continued, "Are you sure your wolf pack can afford to fight with our vampire coven in its state? Especially with your father's weakened state."
The vampire looked straight at me and continued, "I know you're smart enough to have figured out that we still have a lot of aces." He whispered with a smirk, "You can't fathom how many powerful beings like me are in the coven."
Damn it! My heart skipped a beat. It was as if this damn vampire was in my mind and knew all I was thinking. It was terrifying that he was powerful and knew everything about our pack's state, but he even knew my thoughts!
How did the vampire know all this information? Did they have an insider? Who could it be?
Yet I couldn't help but sigh, knowing he was right. We didn't have the strength and resources to keep fighting the vampires.
The vampire clan was more advanced than the werewolves since they were basically immortal and had gone through so many centuries.
Several of them had fought my ancestors, and they knew many things about us compared to what we knew of them.
I sat on the bed and asked, deciding to calm down and hear what he was talking about. It had better be worth it. "What did you want to talk about?"
He looked straight into my eyes and declared, "A plan to harmonize the werewolf clan and the vampire tribe. To stop the fight between the two tribes forever."
I stared at him in disbelief, my lips twitching due to a laugh I couldn't contain. What? Was he kidding? Harmonize the vampire and the werewolf clans and let them live in peace? What a ridiculous sentence. What the hell was he thinking when he sneaked into my room to tell me this? That I would believe this nonsense?
I didn't know what he was thinking and what plan the vampires were brewing, but I wasn't a fool to fall for this.
He must have noticed the meaning behind my look and laugh because he said, "I am Thane. My brother Veyron is the current king of the vampire coven and…"
It instantly clicked, and I realized what Thane planned to do. I folded my arms, raised my chin, and with my voice laced in sarcasm, said, "Oh. I guess you want my werewolf clan to be caught up in a sibling fight, don't you? I'm sorry, but I'm not interested."
What a fucking joke. Harmonizing, my foot! All of this was a trick to use the werewolf strength to rebel and settle the grudge in their vampire coven. It wasn't like Thane cared about any harmony.
Thane stepped forward and took off his mask. His face was pale—paler than any vampire I had ever met. His jaw was sharp and sculpted, his nose long and fitting his face, and his long hair seamlessly dark like his eyes. His face was handsome beyond words, yet somehow being in his presence made me calm. "The fight between the two tribes increased five years ago, and that's when my brother returned from his hibernation and became the king.
My brother aims to destroy the werewolf clan completely, and he doesn't want werewolves to exist because he still lives in the past. And some of his abilities included the wolfsbane your father was injected with, which is still a hitch in his research, I believe."
He took a step forward and returned the mask to his face before continuing in a calm and steady voice, "I believe we all have a reason to exist, and we'll do well with each other's existence, so it's not necessary to end each other. The war is stupid in the first place."
I froze at the pieces of information that had just been dumped on me. If the silver and wolfsbane my father was injected with was a hitch in Veyron's research, then what were we going to do if he decided to go full war on us? We lost warriors every time the vampire clan came for a fight. What if…
My heart skipped a beat, and a wave of dizziness coursed through my body. I'd always been petrified that the clan would end during my leadership because of my mistake, but I hadn't expected that there was already a plan to wipe us out.
Goddess, what do I do? Even if I wanted to avoid getting involved in Thane's plan, I was afraid that there was no way to avoid this. My werewolf pack's future and life were on the line.
Despite my chaotic emotions, I tried to compose myself and not reveal anything on my face in fear that Thane would use it against me. "How do I know you are speaking the truth?"
Thane smirked at me like he knew that it was only a matter of time before we became partners. "You know who I am. Make your own research. Besides, we can even swear an oath at the end of the day to make sure no one betrays the other."
I wrapped my hand around my knees and asked, "What's the catch? What do I need to do?" After all, things couldn't be easy. If they were, he wouldn't have come to look for me. He wouldn't need the werewolf clan's support.
Thane's expression became complex, and he said, "My brother's existence is a tough bone at the vampires' neck. Everyone is unsatisfied, and there have been voices of complaint in the coven. I plan to revolt to correct this injustice, for which I need your help. Once everything is done, our vampires won't interfere with your werewolf business or attack your werewolves. And I can provide the cure to your father."
Cure? My face whipped toward him. Thane had a cure? If Thane could help my father with the cure, then things would be perfect. The offer now felt so tantalizing that my breath hitched.
If it was according to what Thane said, then the benefit seemed to outweigh the workload. Just a moment of sacrifice to ensure generations of peace and a cure for my father's state. It was pleasing to the ears. "How do I believe you?"
Thane didn't bother to convince me. He stated matter-of-factly, "You have no choice." With this, he jumped out of the window. In the blink of an eye, he left, leaving no trace of his presence.
I sighed and gazed through the window he had just jumped from and saw my guards parading the clan again. It was as if everything that had just happened was a dream. But I knew it wasn't…
I returned to my bed and wrapped my hands around my knees. Finding a cure for my father, letting the wolf clan and vampire tribe harmonize, and stopping the fight once and for all felt too good to be true. If I could do this one thing successfully, then I would have less to worry about.
Indeed, it was just like Thane had said. I had no choice with my father's ailing state, the vampires' fast research and easy access to pack information, and now the Alpha's mansion. If I wanted stability, it seemed I had no choice but to accept Thane's plan.
However, I wouldn't rush in so irrationally. I had to check Thane's sincerity first and make sure I wasn't being tricked into simply helping Thane. After years of dealing with vampires, I'd learned one thing: they were very crafty.
I didn't know when I fell asleep again, but I was awakened by the sudden yanking of my blanket and Yvette's excited shout. "Happy birthday to you, Harlyn."
After Yvette sang the song, she threw her hands around my neck and hugged me. She began to place kisses on my face, and it wasn't until I grabbed her hand that she let go of me, smiling ear to ear.
"Thank you," I smiled and placed a kiss on her cheek. I hadn't realized when I fell asleep, but waking up to such a beautiful morning was also good. I didn't have to spend my time thinking about Thane's offer or the werewolf and vampire state.
Jayden stepped forward, his mate Devina behind him. Seeing Jayden again made me realize that I felt nothing for him—not even a tug; my wolf wasn't excited for him in the way she would have felt for a mate. Not even a bit. He wasn't my mate. He was Devina's mate.
At the realization, my stomach twisted in a deep knot, and the air seemed to press on me.
"Harlyn, happy birthday," Jayden pronounced in that smooth and sweet deep voice of his, his blue eyes and black orbs softened, and his brown hair falling to his face.
I'd already fantasized a lot when it came to Jayden and my interactions on my eighteenth birthday. I'd expected that on my eighteenth birthday, Jayden would be the first I'd see when I woke up.
I thought that I'd confirm our mate bond and he'd kiss me while grabbing me with his strong hands, but now it was no more. The thought made my heart ache and tears pool in my eyes.
Jayden was the most capable youth of my time who had trained alongside me and who I had grown attached to, so which of the men in the pack would be my mate?
Except for Jayden, I hadn't been attracted to anyone. I didn't even pay a glance at them. What would I do now?
I snapped out of my reverie and responded, "Thank you." I blinked rapidly and tried to send the tears back to their sockets while pronouncing in a calm tone. Unfortunately, it came out in a shaky voice.
"You guys should leave first. I'll get prepared and be out." I explained and stood up from the bed.
Jayden's eyes flashed with hurt, and his lips parted as if to say something, but I picked up the blanket, wrapped it around me, and made my way to the restroom without giving him a chance.
What would I say? What would we talk about? It wasn't his fault that our plan didn't go as we wished. He didn't have to feel guilty. I'd just have to manage on my own.
I let the water fall on my head and allow the tears spilled down my cheeks. It was hard having to lead the pack with my father in such a position, and the only one whom I had hoped would make my burden lessen had finally become someone else's mate. Great. The Moon Goddess knows best.