Chapter 28: Chapter 28

Unedited

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Something didn't feel right today. I don't know what it was, but the second I woke up I knew that something was wrong.

Shiva felt it too, this strange aura around the day that she couldn't seem to understand. She had been pacing in my head not understanding what was going on, because this feeling was making her restless, and it was in turn making me nervous.

The sky had taken a dull, lifeless grey for the first time since I moved into DanStar's half of the combined territory. It had always been bright, with warm sunshine and thick clouds floating around in the sky. Even during the day when Carrick was shot in the neck with an arrow, the sky remained its happy self, unreflective of the somber mood us wolves possessed.

I've been feeling weird ever since I was forced to watch Carrick be removed from the territory. I cringed at the way he begged Kaden not to do it, the pain in his eyes as his childhood best friend chose me over him.

I still shudder every time I remember the pure hatred in his eyes when he looked at me.

Pack life has started to settle down though, which is a good thing. The packs have integrated well, training has now been taken over by my dad and Atticus, their experience a much better suit for the role.

Plus, my dad is really glad he has something to do, because I know that he still feels the loss of Sophia and Mark like I do.

Kaden came with me to visit where they were buried now that the tombstone had finally been built. It was made of white marble and they both shared it so it was large, with the respects that belonged to an alpha and the moon carved into the stone.

It's still sore, seeing them there, but I'm slowly coping.

Today, myself and Kaden have a meeting to attend with the local orcs in an attempt to bring together an alliance. The moon goddess told me we needed to unite local supernatural, and the orcs are a good place to start. The faeries are already with us after the loss of one of their own, and we have begun informal conversation with the vampire lord Alaric who lives two towns over. The orcs haven't lost anyone yet as far as we're aware, at least not on our territory, so we need to ally ourselves with them in hopes this rogue psychopath doesn't get hold of one of them, and bring us a step closer to whatever he's planning.

I step out of the house beside Kaden and lock the door, my eyes instinctively raising to look at the sky. It doesn't even make sense as to why there's still light, the sun is nowhere to be seen.

Everything is just grey.

I slide into the passenger seat of my mate's four by four, taking a small comfort in his large hand resting gently on my thigh. The drive is a couple of hours into the surrounding forest, where the orcs have set up a temporary camp in order to meet us.

They're very secretive about their customs and their location, so the fact they're willing to meet us to discuss this threat is impressive. We've briefly exchanged emails with their clan leader, because whilst they live in the middle of nowhere they've still heard of WiFi and technology.

Urgnot Azul was happy to meet regarding the strange deaths, word had spread across country that we as a supernatural community were being killed in strange ways, and if talking to us protected his people then he was more than willing to talk.

"Hey." I hear my mate say softly, his grip tightening around my thigh. I snap out of my daze and look at him to see him staring right back, a soft smile on his face. "We're going to smash this."

I snort at his choice of language, like he's referring to a meeting that could possibly form an alliance like it's a basketball game against our rivals. I watch as his eyes brighten up, a deep chuckle vibrating through his chest as he returns his gaze to the road. I sigh quietly and look at the trees flying past, how the greens and browns blur together to make an abstract picture.

I hope that this works.

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Considering they'd met us on neutral ground, in a location that neither of us had any claim to, they had set up quite the impressive camp.

I felt like I was walking into a set from game of thrones as I gaze in wonder at the landscape in front of me. In the centre of the woods there was a field multiple acres wide, with tall and thick grass grasping at my ankles and swaying in the wind. Multiple tents had been set up, various fires burning outside of each one, with boisterous chatter and various sources of laughter calling out from various directions.

The orcs were milling about, some stumbling around drunk, others tucking into various bits of meat that was plucked from above the fires. I noticed with my enhanced eyesight, a few orcs stationed in the woods, their bows drawn as they looked for danger. Others were patrolling the grass, various, crass looking weapons held in their meaty hands, objects ranging from baseball bats topped with barbed wire, or double sided axes mounted on thick metal poles.

I swallowed harshly at the sight of two guards walking towards us, their beady yellow eyes staring straight into my soul.

Orcs stand well over seven feet tall, with lean muscled bodies barely covered by their fur armour and various pieces of leather. Their green skin looks paler in the bright light of the sun, their black hair oiled and pulled into various hairstyles ranging from ponytails to buns. Their mouths are generally too big for the rest of their faces, and various sets of crooked and snapped teeth jut out due to their genetic overbite.

"You better have a good reason to be on this field 'ere." One of the guards states threateningly, his small eyes narrowing and his grip on the mace in his hands tightening. Despite it looking blunt and rusted, it could still do a pretty good job of bashing someone's skull in.

Luckily for me, Kaden is calm and unfazed by their threat, his posture loose. I notice his eyes have flickered to his alpha red, and his teeth have descended from his gums and catching against his lip. "We have official business with your clan leader Urgnot Azul."

I could hear how cold his tone had become, and I knew he was using his alpha influence to show these orcs he'd have no problems taking them both in a fight.

They also didn't know about me, and whilst Kaden has asked me to keep the knowledge of Shiva a secret, I'd still jump in and help him without a second thought.

"This is the Luna he's been emailing."  The orc who's slightly taller says, his eyes squinted as his head cocks to the side. He isn't eyeing me threateningly, it's like he's recognising me from somewhere. Kaden doesn't take it like that, and a deep growl rips out from the back of his throat, the gazed of the guards snaking his way. "Although your eyes have changed colour."

"I'd appreciate it if you didn't look at my mate." He snaps, his arm possessively wrapping around my waist and pulling me to the side. I roll my eyes and tut, pushing him away and sending him a glare.

"Oh shut up Kaden, Urgnot Azul told me he was showing our pictures to the guards. Stop trying to be macho and be polite, they've entertained the idea of this meeting, the least you could do is be polite."

By the time I'd finished my sentence, the two guards are struggling to hold in their laughter at the sight of my mate's shocked and angered face, and whilst I know I crossed a line I knew that if I didn't do it he'd continue to act like a possessive dickhead.

"I'd heard rumours you had an attitude." I heard a gruff voice call out, and I watched as the guards turned around and bowed their heads, revealing another orc several years older.

His face is scarred with battle and age, thick scars running down the skin on his face and across his chest. One of his eyes is pale and milky, an angry red scar running from the top of his forehead, through his eye and ending at his chin. His other eye is beady and aware, scarlet in colour like it's been dipped in blood. His white beard is tied underneath his chin, and his armour is made from thick, dyed leather that covers all of his body, along with various pieces of chainmail and iron. Cradled underneath his meaty arm is a large leather helmet, a large black plume of hair coming out of the top.

"I'm glad I've been able to live up to expectations." I grin, bowing my head before extending a hand his way. "Thank you for meeting us today."

Urgnot Azul smiles, but it doesn't quite reach his eyes. His crooked teeth catch on his top lip, and he grabs my hand with a firm grip, shaking it strongly. "Alpha, Luna. I'm glad you made the trip. We have a lot to discuss, and not all o fit is good I'm afraid."

We follow behind the large orc, my hand grasping Kaden's tightly as we are followed by the two guards. Many of the orcs sitting by the various campfires allow their eyes to wander, some mid bite into various pieces of meat, and watching me whilst chugging down various sweet smelling ales.

"Can we have some?" Shiva yaps inside my head, her nose up in the air inhaling the various smells of food and drink around us. "Just a quick taste."

I roll my eyes at her as discreetly as possible, just as Urgnot Azul directs us into the tent situated in the centre of the field. It stands taller than all of the rest, with a giant flag protruding from the top, crudely painted in various reds and greens. Inside is decked out with various plush pillows and rugs, a large wooden throne at the back of the room covered in thick, ropey vines. Azul strides across the room and takes his place upon his throne, discarding his helmet on a nearby table, and crossing his feet at the ankles.

He snaps his fingers, and the two orcs on patrol bring in a set of wicker chairs and place them at the foot of the throne. They are considerably smaller than Azul's throne, and when we take our seats we are beneath him. Kaden does not look impressed, his jaw set like concrete and his eyes darker than obsidian. His dark hair is matted to his head due to the humidity in the tent, and his tanned skin has a thin layer of sweat on top. His fingers are still wrapped in mine however, and the gentle squeeze from my hand has his eyes softening when they look at me, but his gaurd still remains up.

"I've heard the rumours." The old orc starts, threading his fingers together in his lap. "Of the supernatural deaths within your territory. I felt like this concerned me as well, even if we're slightly out of range so to speak."

"This was one of the reasons why you agreed to meet with us." I say, watching as his face becomes grave before nodding slowly. "I'm glad that you did."

"Another reason why we agreed to meet, because we have experienced strange deaths of our own over the past few weeks." I watch as Kaden's body tenses, his eyes casting to me with worry. He knows that if these deaths are connected to ours then we have a problem on our hands.

"Define strange." Kaden speaks for the first time, his voice gravelly and deep. "Because if our definitions match up, we as the supernatural have a problem on our hands."

"Our strange is that our orcs have been disappearing, then reappearing within our borders after being experimented on, various parts of their bodies removed and replaced with, other things."

"Other things?" Kaden voices my confusion, the gears in his head turning as I can see things swimming aorund in his head. "Other things like faerie hearts and vampire blood?"

Urgnot Azul's face morphs into a frown, the creases in his moss coloured forehead deepening. "How did you..."

"We've had some strange deaths of our own." I grin sardonically, watching as Azul's face mirrors mine, before a deep, bellowing laughter erupts from his chest. It allows my smile to become more genuine, my shoulders to relax, Kaden to unwind the way he's coiled in the slightest manner.

"I like you, Luna Lattimore." He grins, flashing me his broken and yellowed teeth. "But I feel like we have much more to discuss than definitions and speculations." He stands from his seat and offers Kaden a hand, which he accepts, before offering me the same gesture. "We brought our most recent orc with us, and I think it's in our best interests to take a look."

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The vision of the orc lying on that wooden table, still plagues my mind. His wrecked body was a haphazard combination of crude stitching and disfigured body parts that didn't belong to him. His chest had been cut open, revealing the missing faerie heart we couldn't locate, and a proportion of his blood with thick, and black like a vampires. This kind of surgical work couldn't have been accomplished without black magic, just like completely draining a vampire of it's blood.

Urgnot Azul agreed to open his borders to the the DawnStar pack, just like we agreed to also. We are sending over a wolf diplomat, probably in the form of my mother, whilst an orc will come over to our pack every so often. They will be regularly updated on progress before returning to their homes and relaying the information. It's an old formality, a tradition that makes alliances more real, less controlled by images attached to emails.

An email can't relay emotions like a conversation can when done face to face.

When we got back to our home, the moon was high in the sky, and my eyelids were dropping in exhaustion. It had been a long trip, and whilst I could do with nothing more than a lie in tomorrow, there are things that must be done.

Kaden wraps his arms around my waist from behind, leaving gentle kisses on my neck and shoulder, coming to rest on my mark. I sigh in content at the electricity it causes to shoot through my veins, and I find myself melting into his large frame.

"I have some administration issues to deal with." He says softly in my ear, his teeth grazing against my lobe. "It won't take me long, I promise. Let us not also forget the fact you made me look stupid in front of the orcs today. That won't go unpunished."

I shudder at his words. He's only ever shouting at me after I've pissed him off, but for some reason the idea of him punishing me kind of spikes my arousal, which I know he can smell.

He kisses my cheeks softly before letting go of me and walking into the house, throwing his keys across the room before I watch his body retreat around a corner. I make a step forwards with the intent to follow him inside the house, but a cold breeze stops me in my tracks. It swirls around me like a whirlwind, kicking up gravel and small leaves at my feet. A voice, a quiet whisper, is integrated with the wind, but I'm not afraid of it, for I've heard the voice before, and I almost fall to the ground in a kneel.

"Lola, you need to shift to see the damage that has been done."

I don't think twice about it, don't look around to see who's watching. I let my bones snap and bend into place, forcing me down onto all fours. I let my white fur grow out of my skin until I'm insulated by my thick pelt, and I quickly shake out any aches that my body has.

It's been a while since I've let shiva out, so the freaks and groans from not being in this form need to be stretched away.

My head grazes the roof of Kaden's four by four, and I take a look at my reflection in the window. The black of my socks has crept up my body, covering the entirety of my belly like I've jumped into black mud. It has climbed halfway up my tail, and my snout is black around the nose.

"I don't understand." I mutter to myself, turning around in the window to get a better look. It has risen in all directions, there is no ignoring it, and a dark feeling settles into the pit of my stomach.

"Lola you are running out of time." The voice of the moon calls to me, swirling around me like her wind. "You must stop this before it's too late."

The problem is that I don't know how.

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Hi guys.

I'm really, really sorry that once again I have gone AWOL. I've had revision for mocks that had to take priority, and whilst I've finally finished sitting them, I still believe that updates are going to remain scarce.

I don't know how to take this book in the direction I'm aiming for without it becoming boring and full of uninteresting filler chapters like this one. Whilst this chapter revesled important parts of the plot, it's still not exciting for you guys to read and I'm sorry for that.

But, on the bright side, I know where the next chapter is going, and I hope it is slightly more interesting than this one.

Lovely picture of Urgnot Azul ABOVE

Anyway,

Since I revealed that this chapter revealed plot lines, would any of you like to stab a guess at where they occured and what they signify. If you get this right I'll be mighty impressed because whilst not entirely easy to guess, there have been many clues throughout the book that mean it isn't impossible.

Vote to tell me you liked this chapter, comment to tell me what you liked in this chapter, and share with your friends so they can like this book too (hopefully)

Lots of love guys, thank you for sticking with me, this torturous waiting will all be over soon because I'm trying to wrap the book up hahaha

(Please don't hit me)

Lauryn xoxo