Chapter 61: Whispers of a Plague

Orion leaned back in his chair, the creak of old wood cutting through the quiet of his office. The room was compact, its stone walls bare except for a faded tapestry of a wolf under a crescent moon, its threads fraying at the edges.

A sturdy oak desk dominated the space, cluttered with parchment, a quill dripping ink, and a worn dagger pinning a map of Nirvana’s forests. A small window let in pale morning light, frost clinging to its frame, casting shadows across the uneven floor. A single candle flickered in a dented iron holder, its wax pooling unevenly, the air heavy with pine and faint traces of smoke.

Orion had managed to finish most of the paperwork that needed his attention so his office had been rearranged. Majority of them were trivial issues and he planned on hearing the pack members and their complaints and suggestions after the festival.

Tobias stood by the desk, flipping through a leather-bound journal, his dark hair falling loose over his shoulders, a pair of silver earrings glinting in the candlelight.

Ronan slouched against the wall, arms crossed, his blonde hair messy.

Tobias slammed the journal shut, his voice sharp. "Still nothing solid on this plague rumor circling the werewolf community. It’s like they’re hiding it from everyone."

Orion’s fingers tapped the desk, his brown hair catching the candle’s glow as he tilted his head. His dark eyes narrowed, thoughts racing. "Why would the enclave hide something like that? They were desperate enough to beg our pack for help. So I suspect it must have gotten out of their control." His tone was low, edged with unease.

The enclave’s silence gnawed at him, his taunting message, sent weeks ago, had gone unanswered. No emissary had come since they found Sophia on that altar, her frail body half-dead under the moonlight.

He paused, his hand stilling. Could Sophia really be from the enclave then? A messenger sent in secret, her amnesia a ruse? The thought coiled in his mind, sharp and persistent. Maybe the amnesia was planned?

*She’s not from the enclave,* Noctis rumbled, his voice resonating in Orion’s head, deep and steady like a distant storm.

"How do you know?" Orion muttered, his brow furrowing.

Noctis’s smirk flickered through their bond, smug and certain. I just know.

*The one who led us to her wasn’t enclave. Trust me.*

"I don’t doubt you but you’re speaking like you know who the woman is, and mind you, I haven’t heard that voice speak again but after they begged me to take Sophia to the pack to help her."

Noctis laughed then. *Then maybe I should be asking you the question instead, do you think that the woman you saw belongs to the enclave?*

"How am I supposed to know? I remember seeing her the day I got you but apart from that, nothing else. I only know she’s annoying and unsettling." He told her.

"Orion?" Ronan called out to him.

"What is it?" He asked.

"Are you listening?"

Orion leaned forward, elbows on the desk. "Sorry. What’d you say?"

Noctis laughed. *We will continue this later.*

Orion rolled his eyes, not bothering to answer Noctis.

Ronan sighed, pushing his hands through his hair. "I say we should reach out to our allies, Silver Creek Pack? Maybe they’d be able to have more information on this plague that’s going through the lands. And besides, you said it some days ago that we haven’t gotten any word from them."

Orion snorted, barely stifling a laugh. "Our allies? Like we’ve got a whole council. It’s just Silver Creek."

Ronan grinned, flipping him the middle finger. "Okay, sorry for using the word allies and not just ally."

Tobias and Orion chuckled.

"So? What do you say? They still have members living within the thick of the werewolf community. They are more likely to know if there is a plague going round especially since it’s being kept on the low." Ronan told them.

Tobias nodded, tucking the journal under his arm,

"I hate to admit it but they’re our best bet. The enclave’s too quiet, and these plague rumors are too vague. Even my connections are getting me nothing regarding it. I even travelled through communities but everything was okay, it was all normal, there was no sign of anyone being sick."

Orion tapped the dagger on his desk, "I’ll reach out to Benny then." His voice carried quiet authority, but the unease lingered.

A sharp knock at the door broke their conversation.

"Alpha Orion?" Victor’s voice came through, high and hesitant. "It’s me."

"Come in," Orion called, curiosity sparking.

The door creaked open, and Victor stepped inside, his blonde hair flopping over his eyes, his lanky frame hunched as if expecting a reprimand. The parchment was crumpled in his hand, its edges worn.

"Sir, Sophia’s working with Elder Eldric now," he said, his voice steady but nervous.

Orion leaned forward, his eyes narrowing as a frown took his face. "The library?"

Victor nodded.

"How did you guys end up there? It’s halfway across the compound."

And that was all thanks to Eldric’s insistence on solitude.

Victor swallowed, shifting his weight. "Well, sir, we tried a lot of places first." He hesitated, then launched into the tale, his words tumbling out. "She started at the kitchen where she broke the plates she was washing and then mistook salt for sugar and Cook sent her to the chicken coop to get some eggs but the hens went wild, and chased her out. They tore her dress and there were feathers everywhere."

"Cook threw her out?" Orion asked him.

Victor nodded. "Yes. And so we tried the forge, you know, where the blacksmiths work. Elder Mary gave her daggers to polish, but she knocked over a coal bucket, nearly setting the place on fire. So we moved to the medical facility but Lysander wouldn’t even let her in, saying she’d ruin his herbs like his wife would..."

"Victor," Orion said, stopping the boy. "I get it. She destroyed most things and was a havoc in almost everywhere so you decided to show her the library."

Victor swallowed. "Yes sir."

Orion smiled at the boy. "And this doesn’t have anything to do with the fact that you love going to the library and thought she would like it?"

Victor blushed. "Sir...that...that’s not..."

Ronan laughed then.

"You can go, Victor. You did a good job." Orion told him.

"Really?" Victor asked him. "I wasn’t able to stop her from not almost burning the place down like you instructed though.

"But you suggested a place for her to work. Did she like it?" Orion asked him.

"Yes, she said she likes books." He told Orion .

"Then you did a good job." Orion said to him as he tossed him a silver coin. "Go get yourself and your friends some snacks."

Victor smiled and thanked Orion before running out.

Tobias turned to him with his mouth ajar as Ronan tried to stifle his laughter.

"Tell me that boy was exaggerating." Tobias said to him.

Orion shook his head. "Knowing Sophia, I’m pretty sure he wasn’t."