BloodMoon: Captivated by the Forbidden Lycan Alpha
Chapter 25: NEWS FROM PARADISE COVEN

Chapter 25: NEWS FROM PARADISE COVEN

{"Life is not a bowl full of cherries, there’s good and bad stuff"}

TOR’S POV

Back at the Bay shifter pack, I spent most of the afternoon resting, and by evening, I made my way to the jail cell with the determination to get more information about the tricks that the Paradise Coven had, The faint scent of damp earth and iron filled the air as I stepped inside. Rowan was huddled in the corner of his cell, his head down. The moment he saw me, he stood, his movements stiff and slow, and bared his neck in greeting.

I took a moment to study him. His usual fire was gone, replaced by a wary stillness. Finally, I asked him "Where is your sister being held?"

Rowan’s shoulders tensed, and he shook his head, frustration flickering across his face. "I don’t know," he said, his voice low and heavy with regret. "The scout I sent to track her down, but they ended up dead."

I nodded, absorbing the weight of his words, and leaned against the sturdy wooden table in the center of the room. The guards around us were silent, their eyes sharp as they followed every move. Then, a familiar scent—wild, musky, unmistakable that caught my attention. Deputy General Tiger had arrived, and I turned just as he entered, his steps firm and deliberate. He bared his neck in respect, the gesture crisp and respectful.

"Alpha Tor, I’ve been waiting for you to come back," he said, his tone steady but urgent. "The guards just reported you were here."

I nodded in acknowledgment, watching the way his amber eyes flicked toward Rowan before settling back on me. "What do you need, Tiger?"

He hesitated for a beat, then said, "We need to speak in private."

From the corner of my eye, I caught Rowan’s reaction. His eyes widened, a flash of anxiety crossing his face. He shifted on his feet, but he said nothing like Tiger, and I turned to leave and headed to my office. As soon as the door clicked shut, he opened his mouth to speak, but I raised a hand, cutting him off. "Not here," I whispered firmly. I walked to the far wall, sliding a hidden panel aside to reveal the entrance to the bunker. Without a word, I gestured for Tiger to follow. We descended into the hidden room, the steel door sealing us inside with a low hiss. The confined space felt colder and quieter, the walls dampening any sound from the world above.

I turned to Tiger and gave a curt nod. He chuckled, his voice low. "Alpha Tor, it is refreshing to see that you are being careful, Tor. It is smart, given what I must tell you."

"Go on," I said, leaning against the cold steel wall, my arms crossed.

Tiger’s expression turned grim. "There’s word about a spy in the Bay Shifter pack."

I stiffened, every muscle in my body coiling with tension. "A spy?"

He nodded. "Paradise Coven sent him. His name is Freyr Kayne, the son of the former leader of Paradise Vampire Coven. Word is that he is fucking ruthless and cold. Even the current Leader of the Coven Lord Marcel has been afraid of his powers for years, but the Kayne family chose to stay clear of the politics of the Coven. His mother and sister leave the Coven city and have stayed out of the Vampire limelight."

The name hit me like a blade to the chest, sharp and cold. My breath caught, and I froze, my mind scrambling to process what I had just heard. "What did you say?" I demanded, my voice growled as I stepped closer to him, my disbelief plain.

Tiger repeated the name, his tone steady but cautious. "Freyr Kayne. Our informant in Paradise Coven confirmed it. He is no ordinary vampire, Alpha Tor. Kayne comes from one of the most ancient bloodlines, the Kayne Vampires. They say he can disguise himself as anything, a shifter, a human, even one of our own. His power is unparalleled."

I stared at him, the weight of his words settling heavily on my chest. "Why send him here to Bay Shifter pack?"

Tiger’s eyes darkened. "Lord Marcel sent him to investigate about you. But that is not all. Marcel is also gambling that we will uncover his identity and kill him before he can report back."

The room suddenly felt colder. My hands tightened into fists at my sides as my mind raced. Freyr Kayne—a name that now carried a bitter edge. A name tied to the person I met on Hanka Island. He had made me feel alive, seen, and wanted. My pulse quickened, the realization cutting deeper than any blade. How had I been so blind?

"How is this possible?" I murmured, more to myself than to Tiger.

Tiger frowned, concern flickering across his face. "We need to take action." I did not answer, unable to trust my voice. Instead, I turned away, my thoughts spiraling. The man I thought I knew, the connection I thought was real, it had all been a lie. A PLOY. Tiger stepped closer, his tone softening. "That is why I came to you in secret. We need to start investigating and flash him out."

I nodded stiffly, still unable to speak and I asked Tiger to give me time to think through and I would reach out to him. Tiger left soon after, his footsteps echoing faintly as the steel door slid open and closed again. Alone in the bunker, I leaned against the wall, dragging a hand through my hair. My chest felt heavy, torn between fury and betrayal. Freyr Kayne. A spy. Yet, no matter how much I tried, I could not forget the way he had looked at me on Hanka Island and the way he made me feel alive. But now, those memories were tainted, and all I could think about was how to end this before it destroyed the Bay Shifter pack. Or me.

I retreated to the Royal Garden as the weight of the day bore down on me. The soft chirping of crickets filled the cool night air, but I paid no attention to a bottle of whiskey sitting on the table before me, its contents steadily dwindling as I drowned myself in its bitter embrace.

Gale, my Lycan wolf, grumbled in the back of my mind, his annoyance clear. "This is pointless, he muttered before retreating into silence, choosing sleep over sharing my misery. And that was how Wave and Spark found me, tipsy, annoyed, and leaning lazily against the wooden bench. Their footsteps crunched against the gravel path, and as they drew closer, they bared their necks in greeting.

"Alpha Tor," Wave said cautiously, his eyes scanning my face for signs of what was wrong.

I chuckled darkly, waving a hand toward the whiskey bottle. "Oh, stop looking at me like that, you two. Wipe those worried looks off your faces and sit. Join me in making merry tonight." Wave hesitated but took a seat, his eyes narrowing as he studied me. Spark, however, was not so easily dissuaded.

"Merry? What would we be making merry about?" he demanded, his voice sharp, as if he thought I had lost my mind.

I smirked at him, raising my glass in a mock toast. "Because, Spark, if we’re going to burn, we might as well enjoy the flames."

Before he could press me further, the unmistakable scent of Deputy General Tiger reached my nostrils. I turned my head to find him approaching through the dimly lit garden. His expression was grave, the lines of his face taut with tension.

From the look in his eyes, I could tell he was not here for pleasantries. "Speak up!" I bellowed, my voice cutting through the quiet night like a blade.

Tiger halted a few feet away, bowed his head respectfully, and straightened before delivering his report. "Elder Thorn Cobalt," he began, his voice steady despite the heaviness of the news. "He’s the one responsible for kidnapping Rowan’s sister." Thorn Cobalt. The Cobalt family had always been ambitious, their hunger for power unmatched in the Bay Shifter pack. It was no secret they wanted control, but this was a bold move, even for them. Tiger continued, his tone growing darker. "But there is more. Thorn is not acting alone. He is working with someone from Paradise Coven. Together, they have developed a method, an ancient, hidden method, to use vampire blood for mind control."

The words hit me like a punch to the gut. "Mind control?" I repeated, incredulously.

Tiger nodded. "It is subtle, nearly impossible to detect. The shifters they control act completely normally. Even their wolves cannot sense it."

Wave slammed his fist against the table, the sound reverberating through the garden. The glasses rattled dangerously, one tipping over and spilling whiskey across the polished wood. "Damn it!" Wave growled; his fists clenched. "They’ve gone too far this time."

Spark, on the other hand, shot to his feet, his growl erupting from deep within his chest. The sound was so ferocious that it echoed through the garden, shaking the ground beneath us. "This is treachery!" he roared, his eyes blazing with fury. "Thorn has crossed a line that cannot be ignored. We need to deal with him, and whoever his ally is, immediately!"

I leaned back, my fingers gripping the whiskey glass tightly as my mind raced. Elder Thorn Cobalt. Paradise Coven. Vampire blood for mind control. How much have I missed? It was a dangerous game they were playing, one that could fracture the Bay Shifter pack from within. And yet, deep down, I knew this was no ordinary threat. This was something far more sinister, a storm that had been brewing in the shadows, waiting for the right moment to strike.

I set the glass down carefully, meeting Tiger’s eyes. "Find out everything you can about Thorn and his ally in Paradise Coven," I ordered. My voice was calm, but my resolve was steel. "Do it discreetly so that not to alert the enemy. We need to be cautious."

Tiger bowed again before leaving to conduct my orders. Wave and Spark remained; their fury palpable as they looked to me for guidance.

"We’ll act soon," I told them, my tone leaving no room for argument. "But first, we need to understand what we are dealing with. This is not just about Thorn. This is about the Bay shifter pack. I have left them alone for too long and allowed them to make decisions and get into their heads. From now on all the decisions of the pack must pass through me. "

They responded.

"It is time that I meddled in the pack affairs enough to make them grit their teeth. It will be good to remind them who is their leader and clip whatever ideas they might have about the leadership of the Bay shifter pack. "

"I agree "Spark my brother responded.

"Withdraw the spy we sent to Paradise Coven" I added.

"Why?" Tiger asked.

"I have a feeling that they are playing both sides. "I responded.

They nodded, their anger simmering but contained. As the night stretched on, the weight of what lay ahead pressed heavily on my shoulders. There was no room for hesitation now. If Thorn and his ally wanted war, they would get one—but on my terms.