[Kieran's POV]
The same stranger, the woman that caught my eye the moment I entered this town.
Why was she holding a luggage? Why was she fleeing the town?" I wondered.
The Lycan King's order was to find out the reason lone wolves were going missing each day. They might have been outcasts or drifters—the type I would say not to cause much suspicion since they had no one who would file a missing report or even notice they were gone. Perfect, I would say, for the mastermind behind this. He surely has a great scheme in play.
But whoever this person was, now that I was here, I would see to it that it stopped. The soldiers sent to search had even dared to label it as an attack from hunters, but do they think of the high-ups as fools? If this was a hunter or an attack, as they had claimed, then why, just why, were there no bodies found?
I would be the one to solve this mystery. That was what I told myself before leaving and coming to this town, the main place that held the most suspect, since all the occurrences were linked to this small town. I heard they had the kindest of histories, peaceful and all. They hardly even faced any wars.
Which only made many wonder: how?
The same woman I had noticed turned as I watched her, distancing herself a bit. My wolf gave a feeling, I couldn't tell, but I knew she was hiding something. I didn't hesitate in taking some steps forward, cornering her and leaning closer. I noticed it, even though it was for a blink, those pale looks, like I had caught up with her.
I inhaled her scent deeply this time, letting it flow into my senses, but I only released my grasp on her when I was crossed with disappointment. "No bond..." I had thought.
But I couldn't deny the faint, muffled thread it left. Something was off about this particular stranger. Who was she? What could she be hiding, I wondered.
So I decided to have her show us the way. After leading us to a place, she only escaped in a hurry, as though something had popped up, or was she probably trying to run?
Even so, I shouldn't rush things up to a conclusion. The Lycan King had given me just a month before I would eventually have to withdraw from this town.
This was enough for me to figure things out sooner. And no matter what, if she was truly hiding something, I would make sure to find out.
"Alpha," a voice caught my attention, my Beta standing beside me.
"Is something wrong, Alpha?" he asked, but i only left a soft chuckle. "Nothing at all, Lincoln," I said, "just an instinct of mine. But one thing is clear: this hunt will be quite fun, I tell you..." I smiled. I had quite an interest in stuff like this. It wasn't only about my intuition to bring the evil-doers to their judgment but also the adventure that awaited, including the deadly ones.
"Alright, Alpha. The soldiers have settled down. What are your plans for tomorrow? The town entry is sealed, but how are we going to find the mastermind in just one month...?" he asked.
His words brought a slight rage, one that I suppressed for that moment. Was he looking down on our abilities? "One month is quite enough for this. Leave the rest to me, Lincoln. Just ensure the entries are secured tightly and any funny movements are reported to me," I commanded as he gave a nod, withdrawing himself as he joined the other soldiers.
I decided to go for a walk around the town. It was late already, and given the long journey, I should really be resting right now, but I found my curiosity getting the better of me. The town was oddly silent, way too silent. So, they had all gone back inside.
I turned to a side only to find that I had already lost my way.
"Now, this won't be easy..." I mused to myself, paying less worry to that. My gaze rose to catch the full moon glowing—a beautiful sight that seemed to capture my very attention.
I could remember those memories sinking in at that moment, one of my father, the great Alpha of the Nightshade pack. He really had a great history. I could say he was the reason my exceptionality was recognized in the first place. He had trained me, and I grew under his wings as a great Alpha, just like I had promised I would to him.
Never have I failed in any task assigned to me so far, and I wouldn't do that—not now, staining his very name.
But just as I hoped to take further steps, I stopped on my track when I noticed him, one of the elders of this very same town that had welcomed us during my arrival, coming out of an old barn house. I watched him slowly shut the door after stepping out. His gaze darted left and right before they turned to my direction, the path he hoped to take.
I noticed the sudden stun on him before a smile made its way to his lips. "Oh, Alpha Kieran, what are you doing here?" he asked, yet I left no response, my eyes fixed on the barn he had come out of. I wanted to question, I mean, an old wolf like him wandering so late, and the way he checked for any presence showed he was possibly hiding something, but what could that be? What was possibly inside that barn? Even though I needed so many answers, this wasn't the right time or moment to begin laying all my assumptions.
"I got lost on my way," I said, as he bought it simply or chose to leave a pretense that he did.
"Oh, I must say it would have been hard on you," he commented. "Well, thankfully I am here at your service, Alpha Kieran. Straight ahead with a left turn, you are sure to arrive back at your campsite, Alpha." The old man instructed, as I gave a nod in response. "Alright, then, thanks. Will get going now..." I said as I slowly turned, taking my gaze off the barn.
I took some steps distancing myself, but even without looking back, I could tell the old man was still standing there, waiting for me to leave.