His Forsaken Luna-Chapter 86: Unknown Beings (1)

The strategy chamber was already busy with Alaric’s men conversing and looking over the maps. I’d been outside the doors recovering from the mess I left behind with Soren and Eryx and was trying to refocus and mask my features. It didn’t work.

So, I walked in there with bravado I did not feel and decided to just ’wing it’. All of them halted their chatter. Their stares looked past me where the doors were closing, revealing Cohnal on the other side of them.

The brothers shared a look with each other as Rynak and Beta Hakon also seemed to speak to each other in a mind link. It was my brother who cleared his throat and strolled towards me, hand outstretched and guiding me away from the table to the side of the room.

"One thing I must know first before we discuss further about last night," Alaric began, aware I did not come here to discuss the Alpha Prince. "Is he forcing you?"

My eyebrows rose at his question. "Well, it’s a bit late now, even if he was."

Alaric’s expression did not falter as he stared at me hard. "If he is... It does not matter what happened in the hall today. We can still take back what has been said. Nobody would bat an eye at it, aware of the Southern Weres... brutality. They’d believe us if we said you were under pressure from them-"

"Stop," I say, shocking myself. Yet I continue. "Eryx is not forcing me."

Alaric’s eyes narrowed subtly as he grabbed my shoulders. "But you weren’t together when that... being attacked last night."

"No," I say calmly. "But those barbaric Southern Weres, including their Prince, are the only reason this palace is still standing right now."

Hakon glares from across the chamber. "You know it’s true," I hiss in the Beta’s direction. "We didn’t respond quickly, and when we did, there was no real strategy-"

"And how do you know this, Princess?" Hakon states my title as though to justify why he is of more importance in this chamber where fighting and strategy are concerned. It is the Beta’s job to defend the people. I understand his ire, but I will not be belittled, especially since I have helped them a great deal over the years.

"Because I saw it," I state calmly, my eyes growing icy.

Hakon and Rynak flinch a little, and their eyes drop submissively, then freeze, eyes widening in shock.

Whatever they realised, I do not wait. "Eryx and his men set up a trap for the... being last night. By making Kharis bait, the creature was focused solely on him while he was attacked multiple times from behind-"

"Which did not bring it down," Hakon interrupted.

I hold his gaze. "It did not," I answer truthfully, sauntering further into the room as I explain more. "But it backed away from the wall and by being forced to fight multiple opponents and focusing on them instead of blasting whatever fire magick they wielded at the buildings and the Weres who charged at them without any thought... Its stamina and magick weakened."

"That was very risky." Alaric slumped down in his chair as he looked between me and his Beta.

"Indeed," Hakon added, glaring a little in my direction. "Your friend, Kharis, almost died by acting as bait."

"He did." I nod, acknowledging it. "But it was a risk worth taking."

I hated the words leaving my lips, but I understood what needed to happen. Hakon holds my gaze, then releases his breath and looks down, frowning again and glancing at me warily.

"By risking his warrior..." Alaric murmured, his hand on his chin. "It meant others would live. By choosing the life of one than multiple warriors..."

My nod is slow as my heart aches a little at the idea that Kharis could have died last night. Well, Faidon almost did. "You should be grateful to them." My voice is firm as my gaze sweeps across the table, my hands leaning against it. "It is proof that they want this peace treaty as much as we do. Right, Alaric?"

Alaric sighs and wipes a hand down his face, fatigued from the night before. He definitely hasn’t slept yet. "Yes. The threats outside these walls are far too great. I don’t know what that thing was, but another village, one near Vargrfjell Fjord, was attacked last night."

"What happened?" I slump down in a chair across from Alaric. "Were there any survivors? Did you get there beforehand?" I couldn’t help but ask. Alaric and the others didn’t mind, though. The brothers, Sigurd and Ivar, even looked guilty that I wasn’t asked to go with them.

Hakon did not. He, like my brother, knew I would be a liability. It only inflamed my need to learn to fight more.

"We arrived in the middle of the onslaught. Bloodless bodies were everywhere. They left only a few children..." He trailed off, looking off to the wall like he was reliving the events.

Sigurd and Ivar looked equally disturbed, but their features hardened the more they spoke.

"And others had been taken. We tried to..." Alaric inhaled deeply as though to contain his fury. When he spoke again, his voice was deeper, and a growl was lacing the edges of his words. "We tried to track them down, but there was no scent... Their tracks were... human footprints."

"No human can do that," I reply, holding my brother’s steely gaze. "They can’t do that in such a short time then escape from Weres so quickly... Not to mention the scent... You would smell a human-"

"That is not what I mean," Alaric said. "It means whatever these beings are, they must look human."

I lean back in my chair. "Tell me more."

"What more do you wish to know? Another village was attacked, and more of our people were slain! And some even taken!" Alaric slammed his fist into the table, and it shook violently. We all sat back in case it would break into shards. It has happened before.

"Did you see them?"

Alaric only pins me with a stare. Of course, if they did, he would say so and describe them. All we knew was that they were vicious, would take hostages, and could leave footprints. "But left some children..." I murmur to myself. Why would they do that?

Nobody answered me, and we sat in solemn silence for a while, our thoughts evidently racing.

"Do you think they might be linked?" I say suddenly. Everyone’s eyes flick up to me questionably. "The two attacks."