“How would I? What else do you know, Edith?”
“I don’t even have a clear answer to that,” she answered frustrated. “What we have to do now is to conceal. Hide it until we can.”
The choices are limited. She’s right.
“We have to go back to the capital. In that case, both of you will be safe.”
I nodded in agreement. “About the child… I-I want to know when—” I stopped the second Edith turned to me with a blank face and slip the rapier in its scabbard.
“I have no idea either. Wolves have it for three months and vampires don’t usually get pregnant, right?”
“Two weeks in common cases.”
She let out a deep sigh and picked up the dagger on the table by my side. “You are no longer ignorant to this world. Defend yourself no matter what.” Edith tightly grasp my hand and passed the sheath. “A hybrid draws in attention and interests. I’m afraid it is not only the Senate we have to face. I’m expecting a good plan from you, everything now is at risk.”
With that, she left and leaped onto the horse waiting. My eyes closed tightly as I paced and followed her track. “I will defend even if you don’t say so. This child is not a burden, I will fight the same way it should be. The senate will crumble like the sun that sinks in the east.”
I raised my head and looked back at the ruined camps. A total of more than a hundred and eighty cadets were killed, all of them. The remaining three that the officials tied up alive for interrogation committed suicide. They patently don’t want to expose the reason they sided with the enemy.
The officials, they’ll stay and station back to the third defense. Forming the anterior force, became the first line of defense of the Abberant pack. The battlefield moved nearer to the capital and it will be a destructive thing if it will expand furthermore closer.
“I want to see the garrison in the capital,” I blurted to Edith.
“There are five garrisons throughout the capital surrounding it, housing three-thousand soldiers if that is what you wanted to know.”
“I want to talk to them.”
“Why would I let you? If they had known you are a vampire, chances of rebellions will rise and the chance of survival will decrease. They’ll think we are cooperating with the enemy,” she replied without turning back, and accelerated her stallion.
I stared at her and narrowed my eyes. “That is what I’m gonna stop. Reveal to them what I am, for them not to doubt you for hiding the truth—”
“You are a vampire who once led an army to destruct Abberant! Do you think it’s as easy as that to convince them?”
Right… I forgot that thing. I kept my eyes staring at her when she suddenly turned and darted a glare at me. “Keep those reckless unplanned decisions remain as thoughts, Adira. We are going back to the mansion,” she stated emphasizing each word she spoke. “And that is the best move for now.”
I only nodded in response and breathe in deep. My hands held the lead rope tighter and flipped, speeding up towards the way back to the pack mansion. In no minute, we reached the gates and horror again struck me the second my eyes spotted the high-ranked guards standing on the door.
The Alpha has returned, and it seems like he is not here alone.
“Miranda Nishimura of the Nightwinder pack,” speaks a soft voice from the banquet hall as I took a step behind Edith’s back.
I started removing the clutches and pins tightening the armor around my body, even the mask covering my face. Diego is here and I have no other reason but to assume he’ll not be glad to hear the news we have. His scent lingers nearer and closer as I head on to his direction.
We reached the end of the corridor to the hall when Edith suddenly raised her hand and step back herself attaching to the wall. I looked at her with my forehead creasing but she only placed her finger to her lips, commanding me to stop and keep silent.
“And you are here to?” That was Camilla’s voice.
I heard a series of demure chuckling from the same voice a while ago before she spoke, “To be Abberant’s Luna.” And everything went silent after all their plates and utensils clanged. This time, Edith dropped her hand, letting me do what I want but I just shook my head and remained standing with my back stuck to the wall.
“Self-proclaimed, huh?”
“What is this Diego?”
“We’ve had enough problems, why bring another here?”
“We don’t need you.”
Attested the people in the hall, breaking the silence. I even heard the chairs moved and glass slammed. But again, the modest voice spoke. “My presence was mainly to save Abberant from the war breaking out. The council had sent me here to help. Adira from Sinandaya should be going back any minute from now.”
My jaws clenched and leaned my head on the wall.
“What makes you think we’ll let you kick her away?” Camilla’s voice.
“Why not?” answers Miranda.
“Oh gosh, throw this woman off my sight.”
I sneered at Camilla’s response, “Is she defending me?”
Edith laughed and played the dagger she got from my sheath, “Maybe. I’ve known Camilla and Amalia ever since, they’re the bitches who’ll prefer being friends with someone they have met differently and not just at a tea party.”
“Oh great. I’m starting to like them,” I shrugged and moved a leg.
“Where are you going?” Edith asked, noticing I headed the opposite way from the hall.
I smiled simply and waved my hand, “I want to see this Miranda.” My steps grew faster and bolder, calming myself and acting casually. I took the stairs up to the second floor and marched to the open area where the Alpha usually gives out his decrees during such a big conference.
“I love your garment.” From the way up here, I can clearly see this woman wearing an elegant purple dress glittering and shimmering. Pearls and extravagant diamond sequins were designed to hug her oh-so narrow waist. “Mind if I ask?”
All their eyes directed up to my direction, including Diego’s furrowing brows. I gently placed my arms on the wooden railings and fixed my gaze onto the Princess of Nightwinder. I thought she wouldn’t answer but seems I was wrong.
Miranda smiled modestly, “I don’t.”
“Very well,” I started. “Have you know what kind of situation currently runs this place before you enter? Or maybe they’ve forgotten telling you that we are in a war and not some kind of a ball.”
“Oh, it’s the silent banquet here and the treason committed by the soldiers in the frontier. I’ve known Abberant is at war.” Miranda answers briefly and fast enough to make Diego get up from his chair and looked at her with confusion.
“What treason?”
“I don’t remember sending messages in any form. How have you known?” I grinned and leaned my head over. “Or—” Maintaining a simple and swift move, I took out a dagger off its sheath and effortlessly darted it towards the wooden backrest she’s sitting on, just a few centimeters away from her neck. “It is you who intoxicated their minds to do such a thing.”
Silence again took over the entire place and their eyes were affixed to Miranda. I have no plans on spilling another word and was about to turn my back and leave the situation go on when a sudden voice thundered across the room.
“How dare you accuse Miranda without any evidence?”
“Did I?” My lips hung opened and lifted a side before I looked back to where that voice emerged from. “It was just a conception, Alpha.”
“Stop meddling with Abberant’s affairs, Adira.”
This time, it was not only my mouth that was flung open. Even my eyes did, surprised by what Diego had spoken of. Under an instinct’s control, my body hastily leaped down from the top and landed just a meter away from him.
“I wouldn’t if not because of the sudden crumbling of the two lines of defenses.”
“But remember this would not happen if it wasn’t because of you!” shouts an irritating bug with an oh-so extravagant dress.
My reflexes quickly acted, resulting in my fist slamming her down the ground and the chair cracking in half. “You don’t have to repeat what I already knew. Who do you think you are? Utter another word and you’ll see your face erased!”
“Get out of here,” Diego hollered and furiously gripped my wrist, dragging me out of the hall.
I couldn’t restrain myself anymore as I aggrievedly took back my hand from him. I quickly shifted my place and cupped Diego’s face. His blue sapphire eyes hit mine and I couldn’t sense anything in it but raging annoyance darting on me.
“What is this? Why are you doing this, Diego?” I confronted. His eyes moved, intentionally avoiding me. His lips wouldn’t utter words, and this adds up to many thoughts rumbling in my head. My hands slip down to his arms and I clutched it tighter, not getting my eyes off him even if he was escaping my every stare.
“Talk to me, please.” My voice started to crack, the feeling seems to be a huge boulder crushing me without any escape. Clusters of emotions merge and jumble over and over inside my head that I do no longer perceive what to believe and what not to regard. “You know the reason why I am staying. It’s because I owe this place an immeasurable apology for what I’ve done and I am trying…”
Every word that came out of my lips makes me feel weak and unable to stand on my own. “I am trying to keep what was left because I know this all happens because of my acts. And I will defend this place until nothing tends to be left of me.” His eluding response brings multiple daggers stabbing, he makes me feel I am nothing to him. Whatever the reason is, this act of him projects clearly that I am someone he couldn’t trust enough.
“But if this is what you want. If you want that woman to be your Luna, then I am willing to step back. Throw me out of this mansion but give me the authority to lead the army for I am still obliged to stay no matter what happens.”