Chapter 29

I picked up a stone to distract myself from the howling sound close by. It could be a wolf from Silver Moon Pack for all I know. For now, any enemy who dares to approach me in this state would carry the weight of my problems on the person. I was startled by the sound of approaching footsteps right behind me. As I turned, I saw that it was my assistant, Kelsey, standing a few feet away; he was watching me keenly, carefully taking note of what I was doing and how vulnerable I was at the moment and needed a shoulder to lean on for support. 'You look very far from this planet, what is troubling you, Alpha," he asked in a caring manner. 'Do you mind sharing some with me? Maybe, it might help to lighten your mood." I shrugged, caring less if he could offer any solution. All I needed was someone willing to at least listen to me. 'What could have made the Alpha leave his chambers to this place?" Kelsey settled down comfortably beside me, I was more than grateful that he insisted on listening. I understand why he was insisting; he wanted company, someone I would discuss with and be open to, not minding my rank as the Alpha of the pack.'You've been behaving strangling since the arrival of Liora, what is going on exactly?" I didn't, of course, try to deny it. That was useless to the point. 'She's not giving me a listening ear, Kelsey. She's claiming not to be worthy of being a Luna. We disrespected the mass number. I had pleaded with her at least to reconsider, but she never listened. He chuckled, and I had no idea why he did that. What I was saying was void of any humor; why the sound? 'People get tired of being treated badly, and Seraphina, she has always been like that; she can never change so easily, Jaxon. Especially when power is involved, she would do everything possible to be at the top." I frowned as I watched him mimic me by tossing a stone into the water. 'You think her return has something to do with being the Luna of Silver Moon Pack?" 'I know what she's capable of doing, she didn't come back for peace.," Kelsey advised with certainty. 'Look, Alpha, I've handled enough deceit for the longest time, if not in my entire lifetime to know when someone isn't straight. I can easily dictate a player from the start; their tactics are always the same: too good to be true. Seraphina might have said the right things to you, probably what you needed to hear to believe her, but none of those things are true. She won't adhere to even a single promise. But she would continue manipulating her victim until her time of execution. And believe me, whatever thing she might be planning, isn't in the favor of the pack." At this point, I was already frustrated; I was boiling uncontrollably inside. 'Then why would she want to deceive me? She seemed and sounded so genuine, why am I troubled that there might be far if I don't do right by her and make her my Luna as was agreed before?" Kelsey stared at me for a long time, maybe wondering why I allowed myself to be pushed around. 'Because she's an expert when it comes to manipulation! You may not be her first victim; she might have dealt with another pack, and right now, it is the turn of our pack, Silver Moon Pack. From years of practice, she had mastered the act of pulling someone's heartstrings and even making you doubt yourself and your abilities. I want you to remember that she was the one that put you in this mess already; you rejected Liora; your heart desires for her sake; what more can't she do again." Liora, Liora. Only the mention of her name reminded me how much I have always wanted her and how much I hurt her in the process of being responsible. Kelsey was right; everything was in my hands. 'Your mind is still occupied with the thoughts of Liora, isn't you?" Kelsey asked, his tone showing concern. I nodded, finding it difficult to lie to him, even though he's my assistant, I can still rely on him because he has proven himself worthy to be trusted over time. 'She doesn't want to see me, Kelsey. She's complaining that she can't be the one to break off my engagement with Seraphina, and it's killing me." Kelsey sighed, obviously not knowing what to tell me again. 'Liora is a strong lady, very stubborn, and can't be easily manipulated, unlike you. She would come around if both of you are meant to be, but just give it time. Get yourself busy and everything will fall in place, Alpha Jaxon." 'I don't know if it's the right thing to allow Seraphina to stay in the pack; for all we know, she might be gathering information from inside; she's not trustworthy in any way," I admitted, as I wondered why I allowed her to stay here. Kelsey stood up, ready to go, as he cleaned his hands. 'Then don't allow her to stay. Find a way to push her out gently, let her go to her pack." With that, he finally left, and I was left to my thoughts again. To be an Alpha requires a lot! I stayed at the river for more hours, enjoying the solace I was getting at the place. Very peaceful, and allows one to think. As I made my way home, I made up my mind on the issue once and for all, and also ensured I didn't make such mistakes in the future. I would become a good Alpha to myself first, then to my pack members. I would not allow anyone to reject their mates in this pack again, not when I am in the position to do the right thing. >>>>>>>>>>>>>> The following day, just at dawn, I made my way to Elder Marcus' cabin. After a sleepless night, I concluded that I needed proper guidelines on what to do. I needed answers to my questions, and it was only one Elder who could give me the answer, Elder Marcus. During the moon ceremony, when I rejected Liora, he was never in support of my actions. He kicked against the idea of allying with other packs and keeping ourselves in bondage. His wisdom radiates the whole id Silver Moon Pack, but if we hardly take his advice, we will land in trouble. Also, the way he ran off weeks ago, without greeting me or responding to my greetings was off. I need to find out the problem. The cabin was close to the edge of the pack's territory, a place beautifully surrounded by trees. I knocked softly on the door and waited for an answer. The door creaked open at the second knock, and Elder Marcus came out. Even at his age, his eyes were still sharp. 'Alpha Jaxon!" He exclaimed in shock. 'What brought you to my abode this early hours of the day?" I stepped inside uninvited, knowing that he was not going to offer me a seat immediately without questioning me to his satisfaction. If I must answer those questions, I must at least sit down. On entering, I was welcomed by the smell of herbs and old wood. He had a simple cabin, filled with scrolls, different types of books, and a big shelf filled with strange trinkets. Everything inside the cabin speaks more of mystery. 'Elder Marcus, weeks ago, you ran off, running so fast that you passed me without greeting me, and when I greeted you, you made no effort to answer," I began to explain my reason for visiting. "Why did you behave in such a manner? What happened? Clarify me, please." He kept quiet for some seconds, then he motioned for me to sit beside him, and I did just that. Marcus, in a gesture of being hospitable, poured two cups of herbal tea for us to take. Maybe he was being hospitable or it's the way of old men. 'I didn't just run off without a reason," he explained, and he digested the word with a sip from the herbal tea. 'You were known to be indecisive in almost everything. Nothing makes you make decisions and stand on it, Jaxon. They push you around because you have no idea of what you want." Indecision! I never expected our conversations to gear toward that direction. His words hit me hard, he was very right for running off without talking to me. He didn't want to have anything to do with an Alpha that others could easily influence his duties. I would have saved us this drama had it been I stood my ground and accepted Liora. I have to do something, but how do I start so as not to hurt Seraphina and also get Liora back without getting her upset?