Chapter 43: Journey to Fairbanks

Wolfgang

As I was about to reach the village gates, I saw my gamma standing there, waiting.

“Welcome back, Alpha Wolfgang,” he greeted me.

I bowed in response.

“Did you find out anything about the witch, sir?” he asked as I came closer.

“Nothing at all. There’s no trace of a witch by the name Eleanor. It’s like she disappeared,” I answered, frustrated.

I’d spent the last three days searching the western cities for the witch who’d raised Aurora’s mother, or any information about the pack they’d come from, but had found nothing.

I looked at my gamma, and noticed he was anxious about something.

“What is it, Remus?” I asked him. It was rather strange for him to be waiting for me outside of the pack’s house.

“It’s Lady Aurora, sir,” he started to say.

I felt all the color drain from my face. “What happened to her? Is she okay?!” I asked. My mind started to imagine all sorts of bad scenarios in which my mate could have been hurt.

“Relax, alpha. She is unharmed,” he chuckled. “It is rather refreshing to see this side of you, Alpha Wolfgang. So overprotective over your mate.”

I growled. “Then what is it, Remus?” I snapped at him. I started to walk toward the mansion, my gamma following close behind.

“She came to the mansion’s library, searching for answers about something peculiar that happened to her the night you left,” he said.

My curiosity was piqued. “And what was it?” I asked, urging him to continue.

“She claimed that she was holding something, and thinking about burning it, when purple flames erupted out of nowhere.”

I halted in my tracks. “Purple flames? How is that even…”

He cut me off. “I have no idea, alpha. But it gives us more reason to believe that she may be a royal.”

~“You see, kid? Our mate is awesome, isn’t she?”~ Cronnos said.

I couldn’t agree more. She had proven over and over again what an incredible person she was.

“I gave her the book, and told her that we’d been looking into her mother’s background,” Remus said, breaking me out of my train of thought.

“What?” I growled and took a step toward him. He backed away and raised his hands in defense.

“She told me to inform her once you returned. She wants to talk to you, and hear everything you’ve found out,” he said.

My anger disappeared. “Very well. I’ll go see her right away,” I said to my gamma. I increased my speed, but stopped when I remembered something important.

“Tell all members of the pack to be cautious when leaving the village. There have been reports from the neighboring packs, about the disappearance of some of their members.”

My gamma became alert right away. “Do they know who is behind the disappearances?” he asked.

“So far, there are no clues as to who the perpetrators might be, but we won’t let our guard down,” I said to him.

Aurora

I sat in the mansion’s library, going through the book Remus had given me about the moon descendants.

I hadn’t put it down since he’d given it to me.

It spoke about the creation of the werewolf monarchy, and its political affairs. Back then, we werewolves were known to exist by humans, and they had suddenly felt threatened by us.

That was when the hunters had been created. ~The Grosvenor’s…~

They had hunted each and every kind of shifter, forcing us to go into hiding for the safety of our people.

The royals had still ruled over all the packs for the following centuries, until one day they were ambushed, and all royals had died…

Or so it was believed.

I was pulled out of my thoughts when Rhea suddenly began jumping in excitement.

~“He’s here! Our mate is here!”~ she said as I felt his scent just outside the library.

I lifted my gaze just in time to see Wolfgang walk into the room. I stood up and bowed my head. “Alpha.”

“Aurora…there is no need for you to do that. Not anymore,” he said to me.

I just stared at him silently.

“Did you need to speak to me about something?” he asked.

I knew that by now, Remus would have told him the reason why I wanted to talk to him, so I just closed the book and slid it across the table over to him.

“I need you to tell me everything you know about this, and about my mother’s past,” I said, cutting straight to the point.

He looked at the book, then brought his gaze back to me before nodding.

He took a seat, and motioned me to do the same. I did so, waiting for him to start talking.

“Remus said he already told you about her arrival at Buckland. I’ve been looking for the witch that was with her, Eleanor, but so far there’s no trace that she might even be alive.”

He shook his head. “No one has heard or seen her in over eighteen years. The only useful piece of information I got was that the Howling Moon Pack was last seen in the city of Fairbanks.”

All I could do was sit there, listening, trying to process everything he’d just said.

“Aurora…Remus said you burnt something using your mind. What was it? How was it triggered?” he asked.

I had to think back to the night it had happened. The night he came to my house and left roses for me at my door. The answer was clear.

“Anger. That’s what triggered it,” I said to him. “I need to go there. I need to go to the village where she grew up, and to Fairbanks. I need to find out more about this.”

I stood and started walking to the door, but Wolfgang caught my hand.

“You cannot leave this village without my authorization. It’s too dangerous,” he said in an authoritative voice.

“And who’s going to stop me? You? Are you gonna force me into working as your maid once more? Are you gonna threaten me? Go on. Try me,” I said.

I snatched my hand out of his grip, then walked out of the library and down the foyer to the front door.

There was nothing he could do or say that would stop me from leaving and getting my answers.

“Aurora, there is a new threat lurking out there. You can’t go out there,” he growled.

I ignored him and kept walking, when I came face to face with Remus, who apparently had been headed our way.

“Alpha Wolfgang, Lady Aurora,” he said to us as he bowed, “leaving so soon?”

“Yes, I need to get home and pack if I want to leave for Fairbanks first thing in the morning.”

Remus looked at me in disbelief for a moment, then turned to his alpha.

“Fairbanks? Is there anything there?” he asked Wolfgang.

“There might be. But I won’t allow her to go there. Not alone, that is,” Wolfgang said in his authoritative voice.

He looked at Remus. “Inform Max that he’ll be left in charge of the pack for another week. Aurora and I are going on a trip.”

I turned and looked at him in shock. “What? No! You are not allowed to come with me,” I said.

“As a matter of fact, it is you who are not allowed to leave unless I say so. So you can either come with me or not go at all. Your choice,” he said.

He turned and headed toward the stairs. “I’ll be waiting at the village gates at eight am sharp. Don’t be late.”

~That son of a bitch.~