Chapter 27

Okay, I was in the mood... plus the chapter was ready. So here is chapter 27 which is dedicated to @Winter_Deer :D

Oh! This chapter is about the past events of the series.

Just a list of characters-

Paulo- A soothsayer/ astrologer (dead at present timeline of the story)

Isadora- Granel's mom (dead at the present timeline of the story)

Leo- Konrad and Ruben's father (dead at the present timeline of the story)

Serge- A rogue involved in the attack of Elegance Pack (dead at the present timeline of the story)

***

"A waiting person is a patient person. The word patience means the willingness to stay where we are and live the situation out to the full in the belief that something hidden there will manifest itself to us."

- Henri J.M. Nouwen

SWIFT FALLS,

ON THE OUTSKIRTS OF SERENE PACK, 1998

Using the thin stick branch that he was holding, Paulo pushed aside the bushes so that he could march ahead.

He had a mission to do today and nothing could stop him. Not even the fact that he didn't know where exactly he was going. He just had a vision, where he could clearly here the sounds of water flowing from the huge waterfalls and faint, sounds of person breathing.

All Paulo knew was that Stephen Sanders was alive. It had been thirty years since he left. No one had seen or heard from him. Some say, they had seen him. Richard, Stephen's younger brother, had gone crazy after hearing such news. He would immediately rush there, only to be disappointed for days when that person turned out to be someone else.

Some say, he is dead but no one was sure.

Paulo, too used to believe others words but now he knew all those news were lies. Stephen had never been seen after he left and he was not dead.

Paulo, a soothsayer, had always been curious to know, where the young Alpha had gone. He wanted to see the future of this young Alpha but it never worked. He just couldn't see Stephen's future. He couldn't figure out where he went.

It was humorous and intriguing for Paulo because he could see everyone's future. But Stephen... nothing!

Something had always been protecting the young Alpha. Something very powerful to which Paulo was of no match!

Until last week, Paulo did not know what it was. But now he knew- it was the Nature Goddess herself. She wanted Stephen for some purpose and he had been under her protection all these years.

What Paulo could not understand was why suddenly he was getting this vision. Why could he always see and hear the constant flow of water? Though now, Paulo knew the nature Goddess wanted something from him too and that is why, the vision.

That is why he was going to the Swift Falls. Alone. He needed answers for many questions that had been haunting him from years.

After trekking for another hour, Paulo threw his head back and let out a sigh when he heard the sounds of water flowing.

He was here. Near the waterfalls!

Within no time, he reached the plunge-segmented Swift Waterfalls. It was a beauty. There were nearly three falls and each moved in their own style. The place was relaxing and that's why it attracted a lot of tourists. He collected a handful of water and gulped it down, soothing his dry throat.

Later, he stood facing the waterfall and closing his eyes, he smiled in relief.

That's when the vision's hit him. He couldn't see where exactly, but he could hear the sounds of a person breathing.

As his eyes flew open, he took a step back.

Stephen was here. But Paulo did not know where. Was he buried under the ground? Enveloped by a tree trunk? Or covered by the rocks?

Where was he?

Paulo looked here and there; nonetheless he still couldn't see Stephen. He tried to hear the sounds of a person breathing, but he couldn't. He could hear it only in his vision.

Paulo covered his face with his hands and almost gave up, until he realized something. He could not hear Stephen... but Stephen could certainly hear him.

Standing straight, he took in a deep breath and began talking loudly, looking nowhere in particular.

"I know you are here Stephen. I know you can hear me. I do not know how long you have been here. I do not know why you are here. Why you gave up everything to come-"

Paulo stopped talking, the moment he grasped what he said.

Stephen gave up everything! He sacrificed everything. His title, his family, his pack, his wealth, his... oh dear Goddess! He sacrificed his life.

He was the ultimate sacrifice!

Why did he do it? He had everything... a very good life and one day, he suddenly gives it up. Why the sacrifice?

To enter through the gates of heaven?

No... no. This was for something else! But what?

Paulo shook in fear the moment he heard sounds something cracking. At first, he thought it was an earthquake. Only when he felt no tremors did he realize that it was sounds of rocks cracking. His eyes drifted to where he could hear it and then, he watched in fascination, as more cracks framed on a giant rock, through which the water was shooting downwards.

Slowly, the rocks came apart and completely hidden behind those rocks was a standing Stephen Sanders. It was as if, the rocks were covering him from everyone... everything!

Stephen wasn't the boy Paulo, once remembered him. He looked old and frail. He was naked and bone thin. His skin was covered by mud and long dreadlocks of his hair, had lost the glow. His eyes were closed and he looked... dead!

Except he wasn't because he was still breathing. But it was weak, barely audible.

Paulo's eyes clouded and he gulped, wondering why would Stephen do this to himself? This looked painful. It felt like a punishment!

Did Stephen sacrifice everything to live like this? Without food, without water, without light?

No. He did not deserve this. Stephen was a good man and he did not deserve this.

Wiping his tears, Paulo shook his head and decide to help Stephen. However, he could not move. Without him even realizing, he had his feet buried under the rock in which he was standing.

"No" Paulo screamed and tried to move. However, it was of no use. He was aware that he was being prevented by the Goddess herself, although he did not know why?

"Stephen" he called but there was no response. That is when Paulo recognized something. Something which seemed very odd!

The water was shooting from a height of nearly eight hundred feet, and hitting Stephen on the body, yet he wasn't responding to it. No living person could bear such a heavy blow of water. Yet Stephen... it was like he could not even sense it.

Was Stephen really alive?

Paulo blocked all the noise around him and tried to tune in on Stephen's breathing.

There was a slow intake of breath and then another slow exhale. A slow intake. Another slow exhale. A slow, very deep intake was followed by an exhale, which was Stephen's last one.

Paulo screamed when Stephen's body slumped on the ground.

This time when he moved, there was nothing stopping him. He held Stephen and tried to wake him up. It was of no use because Stephen Sanders was dead.

Paulo did not how long he sat there, with Stephen's head in his lap. In the end, lowering his head, Paulo placed a gentle kiss on Stephen's forehead. That is when the next vision hit him!

It was of an infant crying in his crib and a woman gently picking the infant up in her arms and soothing him. The face of the woman wasn't visible to Paulo, but he could clearly see the baby boy in her arms.

That's when Paulo knew who was going to be born again.

Paulo himself cremated Stephen's body. He knew the Goddess had sent him here for that very purpose.

While watching the flames rise high in the sky, Paulo figured out everything. Stephen had given up his whole life to be born again for some purpose.

That very purpose is why Goddess had chosen him. That very purpose is the reason why he gave up everything in this life.

In his next life, he would be no ordinary wolf.

He would be invincible!

He would be- An Apex Predator.

That was his purpose. Paulo chuckled humorlessly and shook his head. If an Apex Predator is going to be born, then something extremely dreadful is going to happen before his birth.

He stayed there for a day and then sprinkled Stephen's ashes on the pool of water. Later, when he walked away, he swore to never tell a soul about what he had seen.

__

SIX MONTHS LATER

"Papa" Grace squealed the moment her brother, Victor Burke climbed out of the car.

"My baby" Victor said rushing forward to hug her.

Paulo, climbed out of the car and watched the brother-sister hugging. It might be the last time... or not! He wasn't exactly sure. But what he was sure about was that they only had a short amount of time with each other.

"I am so happy for you" Victor said, tears of joys in his eyes, as Grace placed a hand on her belly. She was five months pregnant now and that's why her baby shower was being held. "So very happy for both of you" he beamed and shook hands with Scott Sanders.

"Uncle" Grace said and then rushed forward to hug Paulo. The moment her arms wrapped around him, Paulo was hit by the same vision he had minutes after Stephen's death.

The infant was crying and a woman was soothing him. Unlike then, he now knew who the woman was. He had come to know it was Grace the very moment, she announced her pregnancy to her brother.

Stephen is going to be reborn as Scott and Grace's son. Their eldest child!

"Grace. So glad you are fine" he said watching her glowing face. She looked incredibly happy.... But for how long? Everyone from her former pack is going to die.

"Connell" she squealed and rushed to hug her nine-year old nephew. As Paulo, watched them he shook his head. No. Not everyone. Her nephew is going to survive and he is going to avenge them all.

"Grace, let them enter the house first" Richard Sanders said with a smile while she hugged her sisters. "Scott, bring them in" he told his son, who obliged.

"Paulo" Richard said the moment he saw him.

"Alpha" Paulo lowered his head in respect for the former Alpha of Serene Pack. Richard was not a bad person. He just carried a lot of hatred towards Emperor Pack. He blamed them for his brother's departure. But little did he know, his own brother is going to be born as his grandson.

"Welcome to the Pack" Richard said and Paulo nodded.

While people yakked, Paulo moved to a corner of room and sat down quietly. His eyes immediately drifted to Grace, who was seated in between her sisters and friends. His eyes misted as he thought about what is going to happen to her family. Her brother.

Victor would be killed very brutally and anyone coming to his help would die too. Paulo closed his eyes and immediately he could see the vision of the night Elegance is going to be destroyed. Wolves running around, screaming and asking for help. Wolves being slaughtered. Blood covering the grasses. Houses burnt. The whole pack burnt and destroyed.

His eyes flew open and he clenched his fists painfully. Three months ago, was the first time he had gotten this vision. He had thought it was a bad dream. Except, he never gets bad dreams! Anything he saw would be true.

That's why they called him the soothsayer. A forecaster! He did not know why he was blessed with this gift and right now, the gift seemed like a curse to him because nothing he or anyone could do, to help the Elegance.

The future of Elegance could not be changed. Blood of hundreds of innocents will be shed.

He had known something dreadful would happen before the birth of Grace's son, but he did not know the dreadful thing would happen to his own pack. And to make the matters worse, Paulo's son would also be working for the enemies.

A woman was serving cold-drinks and Paulo picked a glass from the tray.

Paulo had told Victor Burke, Alpha of Elegance Pack, about the dreadful thing that is going to happen to their pack. However, his Alpha did not believe him. He considered it impossible that a whole pack could be destroyed by some rogues. He thought it was just going to be another rogue attack.

But this was not some rogues. These rogues were vile and they practiced black-magic.

Paulo did not know when they would attack, but he knew it would be soon.

Taking a sip of his drink, he watched Victor and Grace and stiffened while he wondered how Grace would react to the news. She will be shattered. She might even suffer from trauma and her baby... Oh Dear Goddess!

He has to warn Scott.

Getting up from his seat, he went looking for Scott and found him in one corner, watching his mate with a smile on his face.

Paulo walked quietly and stood next to him, "It's a boy" he said after sometime and Scott turned to look at him, with surprise. His eyes then shone brightly as he smiled happily.

"You have seen him?"

"Yes" Paulo nodded. "He is going to be a sturdy, strong willed little boy and the most powerful predator once he grows up."

"Predator?" Scott asked totally taken aback.

"Uh.... I meant to say Alpha" Paulo lied. "A powerful Alpha" he said and Scott smiled. "His birth is very important. He should be born, only then she will be born."

"She?"

"His mate" Paulo whispered. The nature herself... he thought with satisfaction.

Taking a deep breath, Paulo added, "No matter what happens, the birth of your son must take place. Do whatever it takes, to protect Grace until your son is born."

"Of course I will protect her, she is my mate" Scott said defensively and Paulo smirked.

"Are you even ready to lie to her?" Paulo demanded.

Scott furrowed his brows and turned to look at Paulo, who had his eyes focused on Grace's pregnant belly. He did not understand what the soothsayer was implying.

"To keep her safe... anything" Scott stated.

"Good" Paulo nodded appreciatively. "Protect your son the very same way until he gets his wolf and after that, he will protect you... protect all of you."

With that said, Paulo walked out of the house leaving Scott extremely confounded.

__

ROGUES TERRITORY (ELEGANCE PACK), 2009

Paulo woke up from his sleep when he heard the screech of a tray being pushed on the floor. "Eat" the rogue, whose name he still did not know, grumbled while passing away.

With shaky hands Paulo picked up the plate from the tray. Only three pieces of bread were the meal he used to get. It was given to him only if the rogues felt like feeding him.

From the past twelve years, there had been weeks when he was given nothing. The only thing that had kept him going was that Stephen had survived without anything and if he could, then even Paulo could... at the least, try!

It had been twelve years since Elegance got destroyed. Twelve years since he has been held prisoner in his own pack by rogues, who now claimed Elegance as their territory. They would torture him, beat him to almost death, kill innocents in front of him, but they would not kill him. They would never kill him because they needed him to create a strange creature.

Paulo picked up the bread from his index and ring finger and ate it. They were the only four fingers, which the rogues haven't cut. He did not even waste a single crumb because he knew what it was like to be hungry.

After he finished, he pushed the tray out and sat down in his bed.

The moment he closed his eyes, the vision hit him. There were five wolves. Four boys and one girl, who would kill these rogues, exactly the way they deserve to be killed. He could not see their faces, yet he knew one amongst them was his Alpha's heir- Connell Burke.

This particular vision used to soothe him. It would also make him smile when he felt very low.

Besides that, it was also the fact that Grace's son had been safely born. He had heard that they had named him Quillon and it quite suited the boy, because he was indeed just like his name said- strong. His mate, the nature herself was also out there somewhere. Paulo did not know who were her parents or where is the girl, but he knew she was safe.

Both were safe.

Paulo stiffened when he heard sounds of footsteps. It had been three months since she last visited him, but he suppose, she needed something from him again.

Before she came, a rogue brought a chair and kept it in front of the iron bars of Paulo's cell. Seconds later, Isadora Hampton appeared and sat in the chair like a queen. An evil queen!

The chief of rogues, Serge and Leo stood behind her, crossing their arms across their chest and glaring at Paulo.

"Paulo" Isadora greeted with a smile, as he stared at her blankly.

"Dora... What do you want?" he asked uninterestedly.

"You know what I want" she replied calmly and Paulo looked away. She wanted him to kill himself so that she could create the creature. A creature who would have the ability to see future.

For twelve years he had been refusing to do that only because he had got a flash of an image, which had given him hope.

"I am not going to do it" Paulo said smiling at Isadora and she gave him a death glare, while the rogues behind her growled.

"Why do you keep coming here, when you know he tells the same thing every fucking time?" Leo demanded frowning at Isadora.

"Because she knows one day I will change my mind" Paulo answered for him, all the while smiling at Isadora. "It is not today Dora" he said shaking his head. "I will die. Willingly....so that you can create the strongest wolf ever. But it is not today. My time has not yet come and when it will come, I will let you know about it" Paulo said with a sigh.

The truth was that Paulo did not know when his time will come. All he knew was that, he would not die until he had a successor and that successor would certainlynot be the creature they were planning to create.

Serge growled and wrapped his arms around the iron bars.

"What is it that keeps you going?" Isadora asked, looking at Paulo with pure hatred.

"The vision of your death" Paulo smirked and looked at the rogues. "All of your death by the Alpha Bloods." He loved this. Loved reminding them that they are going to die just the way they killed Elegance Pack wolves. It was the least he could do to avenge his pack!

At that, Isadora laughed. "Still believing some gifted wolves are going to come and save you?"

"I do not want them saving me. I want them to save others from you and your group of friends" Paulo said calmly.

"Saving from us? There is no such wolf who can challenge us" Serge hissed venomously and Paulo just stared at them. He refused to share further news with them. Isadora was a manipulator and she would just about make a person blurt out things without them even realizing it. For the past twelve years Paulo had come to know about this and now, he has learned to keep his mouth shut whenever she is close.

"Tell me one thing Paulo-" Isadora began, "-have your seen your own death? Is it going to be slow and brutal or is it going to be quick and easy?" Isadora asked with a cold smirk in her face and Paulo gulped watching her eyes blaze gold. "If you don't want it to be brutal, then, tell me who these Alpha bloods are?"

"I don't know" Paulo said and shook his head. "I cannot see it clearly because it is a distant future."

"That's what I wanted to know" Isadora grinned victoriously. "Distant future. I am going to find these Alpha bloods and have them killed before that distant future becomes present."

Paulo gulped audibly and lowered his head. He had gotten a faint vision of some boys dying. He knew she is going to kill some other wolves mistakenly, but he would not tell her so. It was because to protect the other five Alpha bloods.

Some blood had to be shed, for good to happen. It might take a long time, but eventually it will happen.

"You will kill them" Paulo said and lowered his head, because he did not want Dora to see his face. If she sees it, then she will be able to figure out he is hiding something. "If they do not kill you first" he added purposely to misguide her.

The rule of the game was to manipulate the manipulator. Let Isadora think she is winning, when in fact, she is losing... badly.

"And I will kill them first" Isadora said smoothly. "Let me know if you have changed your mind" she added before walking away, with the rogues following her.

Paulo exhaled in relief once they were out of his sight. He prayed that Isadora's ego should cause her death

Leaning his head against the wall, he closed his eyes.

The thing that had kept him going was not the vision of their death. It was hope. Hope that he is going to have a successor. Another wolf will have the ability to see future.

He had got the first vision, the night Elegance was attacked. It was a very distant future back. He supposed the gifted wolf wasn't even born then. However, Paulo had seen this dim vision of himself being happy over the fact that he had a successor. Hence, he knew there will be another wolf after him, who can see the future. That vision had been his semblance of hope.

Once he properly figures out about that gifted wolf, he is going to kill himself.

All he needed was patience.

It was almost a year later that Paulo got the next vision of his successor.

The vision was of sea-shells being thrown up in the air and a hand catching them and then writing something in an ancient language using charcoal. The person had brown eyes which would turn gold when the vision appears in the mind.

Paulo blinked and closed his eyes again to see more, see the face of the wolf, but he couldn't. He could not even tell if his successor is a boy or a girl. However, he was very pleased to know that, the wolf with the gift to see future was also out there.

Sighing in relief, Paulo threw his head back and laughed. He laughed louder and louder each passing. The prison grew silent and the sounds of his laughter echoed around.

"Shut the fuck up" a rogue barked in fury but Paulo did not stop, he continued laughing until he started crying. His whole body shook as sobs escaped from his throat. He cried like he has never cried before. Let out all the pain he had suffered for the past thirteen years. For all injustice he had witnessed since the past thirteen years.

"Are you insane?" another rogue hissed while Paulo touched his head to the ground.

His time had come.

He had to do this. Let them create that evil creature now because there was an Apex Predator out there, who along with his mate, the nature, had the powers to fight against it. Together, they both could stop the creature in time.

But if Paulo did not end up killing himself, then Isadora and her group would target his successor and Paulo did not want that. He wanted his successor to help Quillon and his mate.

"What's the matter?" Paulo stiffened when he heard Leo's voice.

Taking a deep breath, Paulo raised his head and clashed his eyes with Leo's green ones and said,

"Make the preparations. I am ready"

****

Okay... confused? Then ask me and I will clear the doubt :)

Hope you liked the chapter. It was filler I know, but was essential for the story-line of the series.

Also, @CharlesMegan has done the cover ^^^ for #hottiealert competition. So, who amongst the two is your fav? Do vote...

Next update on 12th.

Until then please vote and comment!

Thanks :-*