Chapter 65

• HAERA "It's absolutely none of our business if you ask me." My wolf commented with obvious irritation. I didn't ask her though and I would have appreciated it if she kept her opinions to herself this time. I had lost the ability to think about other issues aside from Tybalt's possible relationship with Princess Ilvira since last night and I wouldn't deny that I was worried and scared at the same time. "Aren't you suspicious?" Dezra threw a reasonable question at me. I was definitely suspicious but that wasn't even the last thing that crept into my mind. Suspicion came in after that and I wasn't even suspecting Tybalt but the perfect witch created that flame when I saw her with him. "What do you think they were doing together?" I asked my wolf despite knowing that she wasn't interested in the topic. Derza snorted although it sounded more like a grunt to my human ears. "As I said, it isn't my concern. Why you are bothering-" "He is my friend, Dezra. He saved and helped us countless times." I shut my wolf up. I mean, why shouldn't I be worried about Tybalt after what I saw. Ilvira was a snake and if she could steal my mate and make him do her bidding, then I didn't doubt that she was manipulating Tybalt too. I was yet to figure out what Ilvira's mission could be but I had made it my mission to save Tybalt from her evil clutches before it became too late....like my destined mate situation. "Forget about Ilvira's plan for him. Why do you trust that man? He could be the bigger bad wolf behind the bad wolves-" "Stop painting him like that. He had done nothing to betray my tryst ever since I met him and Tybalt had helped u-" "I still didn't like him! Whatever he had done doesn't change that fact!" Dezra yelled at me in my freaking head and just like that, we argued for hours. I knew my wolf's points were valid and she was looking out for me but I also knew Princess Ilvira could never be a victim....not to Tybalt. The sweet loving Tybalt. I pitied him because.... I didn't know why I pitied him but my wolf remained sentimental probably because of the natural bond we share with Alpha Zachary. I needed to make my wolf see the good in Tybalt and I also needed to warn him of the Princess's possible plot against him. So, I decided to wait in the kitchen for him while I got busy with absolutely nothing. "Why do I have a feeling this would end in tears? Refreshing tears from your clouded eyes!" I didn't bother responding to Dezra's taunting words. I kept to myself as I waited for the Alpha prince in our usual meeting place- The kitchen. I rehearsed the appropriate manner to ask Tybalt about the Princess without coming off as a stalker. I didn't want Tybalt to be bothered by my act of looking out for him. Hours after hours passed by slowly and he still hasn't arrived in the kitchen. I waited patiently but Tybalt didn't show up just like he didn't yesterday and the day before and the one before that. "Let's go to bed, Haera. He is obviously not coming and you need to rest." Dezra advised yet I waited for him until I couldn't anymore. He was in danger and I had to save him. I left the kitchen but instead of going to my room, I headed to Tybalt's isolated chamber. Dezra protested but I didn't listen as I drew closer to my destination. My eyes caught something or someone sneaking towards the bushy trail close to Tybalt's chambers and I had to strain my eyesight to see who or what it was clearly. My wolf soon clarified my confusion. "It's Tybalt. He is sneaking out to meet his lover again and we are going back to the maid's quarters." Dezra stated. Dezra had always been annoying whenever she was irritated about something I was hell-bent on doing and my curiosity to know more about Tybalt's relationship with princess Ilvira made me determined. My determination fueled my wolf's irritation. "Dezr-" "Don't patronize me. It either you listen to me or I turn deaf ears to you too." Debra caught me off. She knew what I was about to ask her and if she didn't agree I wouldn't be able to carry out my mission. "Please Dezra. I need answers and even if you are right about what's going on between those two, I still need to know. We have to follow him, Dezra. We need to-" "I don't want us to. You might get hurt. If you think Tybalt is kind and sweet then think about what will happen to you if he is really under Ilvira's spell!" Debra replied and her worry for my safety made me more understanding. She wasn't just irritated...she was concerned. "I won't be in trouble if you conceal our scents. Please don't argue with me. I'm losing sight of Tybalt." I tried to convince Dezra as I followed Tybalt, putting effort into being quiet, hidden and fast all at once. The Alpha prince was about to leave the palace but not through the gate that I was used to. I was surprised to discover that there was an unnoticed path out of the palace right behind the guards' meeting hall. Staying hidden and processing all these new informations was really difficult yet my wolf was being much more difficult. "Please Dezra." I begged my wolf. I needed her to conceal my scent so as to remain undetected. I would have done it without her but it wasn't possible to do that....we both needed each other. "Dont say I didn't warn you though and if anything dangerous happen, you have to shift no matter who is watching. Promise me and I'll conceal our scent." "I promise " Debra hardly finished her statement when I gave her my word to something I wasn't so sure I would do. Debra was probably aware of this but she helped me anyways and I successfully sneaked out of the palace with Tybalt. He made frequent turns and I was somehow able to keep up with him. Tybalt was walking really fast, checking his surroundings to see if anyone had noticed him or if he was being followed. How did I manage to stay hidden despite his cautiousness? I had constantly been able to sneak around without being caught although what I was doing with Tybalt was on a whole different level but I still kept up with him. "Why in the Goddess name is he going towards the pack border? Something is fishy, Haera." Dezra announced. I had to agree though because I doubted if Princess Ilvira would leave the palace and travel this far through the fishy and muddy path that leads to the pack border just to mess around with Tybalt. "Could he be on border patrol?" I asked my wolf but she ignored me like she was paying attention to something else. I couldn't complain because that was better than arguing with her. "Let's go back to the palace. There is nothing to see here." I informed Dezra. She still wasn't responding so I turned back toward the palace..... I was a long way away from it though. "Wait!" My wolf said to me and I thought it was the perfect time to pay her back for ignoring me so I continued walking away from wherever Tybalt was going. "I can sense someone else around here, Haera. This isn't the time to be stubborn. Tybalt is here with someone and that person isn't Princess Ilvira." Dezra voiced out, urging me to pay attention to the scents around me and I complied. The sweet, dark, woody scent of the grasses and trees was predominant followed by that of the insects in the woods. I swiveled back to the direction in which Tybalt had disappeared into and his rich natural scent filled my nostrils. I followed his scents quietly and when I got closer to him another scent hit me hard. It was subdued but unmissable. No wolf would miss the scent of a banished one and possibly a rogue. They had something peculiar to them that always screamed danger and insanity. I made sure I was close enough to listen to the possible conversation between the Alpha prince and a banished wolf. I crouched behind a large tree that was surrounded by smaller ones as I asked myself what Tybalt could be doing with a rogue. I could see them clearly but I was yet to make out the face of the rogue. "Mother." Tybalt called out and it was loud and clear who he was talking to. His mom. It was understandable that he sneaked out to meet the former Luna of the Imperial Pack who had been banished after Alpha Zachary took charge of the pack. I felt pity for Tybalt as I assumed he had been missing his mother to the extent that he had to snuck out to see her. "You are certain you weren't followed?" Tybalt's mom, former Luna Hegna, asked coldly. That was enough reason to make me doubt my assumption. There was no sign of affection when Tybalt assured her that he wasn't followed nor was it there when he asked her the same question. "What is the cause of the delay now? I'm getting impatient. We have to put the plan in motion before I lose my sanity." Luna Hegna gritted out like a maniac or should I say Rogue Hegna? "Trust me, mother. I can't watch that happen to you because of my father's bastard and unmarked child who thinks he deserves to be on my throne. He is dying soon...." I zoned out when I heard the bitterness that came out of Tybalt's mouth along with words. I tried not to gasp or react to his shocking statements because I didn't want to give myself away. Tybalt and his mom were clearly planning to kill Alpha Zachary....my destined mate. They are planning to kill him? Oh, dear goddess.... Since when? How? Why? Alpha Zachary might deserve to be killed by me after what he had put me through but I had never seen him unjust to anyone else. I was freaking out and if I continue, my cover would be blown. I needed to know more an- "Then listen to them. That is the only way you can get answers, Haera. Do Not Freak Out!" Dezra soothed me and I focused my mind back on the sly mother and son before me. "I can't continue to wait on your words, Tybalt. Tell me what you have been doing to make our plan successful. Go on..." The former Luna yelled silently at her son who has his back to me. Tybalt suddenly turned to look in my direction and I quickly hid my face from his piercing eyes. None of them spoke for a while which could only mean one thing... He saw me! He fucking saw me! What was I supposed to do when this happened again? "He didn't see you.....Calm down or he would." I could have sworn he saw me but when I peeped to confirm Dezra's words, Tybalt had returned his gaze to his mother. Wheep! That was really close. I adjusted myself against the tree right when Tybalt's voice resounded through the woods. "You won't believe what I had discovered. Apparently, Zachary's luna happens to be my destined mate whom I had threatened to join hands with or be at risk of losing her position which she cherishes more than her life." Tybalt told his mom and my mouth plummeted wide open. This series of information was too big for me to digest. How on earth did those two end up being mates? And they were working together to kill and dethrone my mate? Did I follow the wrong person? This couldn't be the sweet Tybalt with whom I had gotten close. Tyb- "And yes! The Chef..." Tybalt mentioned me to his mother. "A chef? Don't tell me you have been wasting our precious time playing around with a chef." The former luna didn't hide her annoyance as she barked at her son. "My time with Haera wasn't merely playing around. It was more than that to the both of us." Tybalt said sweetly for the first time since he began this horrible conversation with his mother. I was glad I wasn't one of the pawns in his perilous game of throne. Or so I thought until I heard his next words. "I had so much fun using her to spite Zachary and he fell right into my trap. For some reason, that bastard is infatuated with the ugly chef and he always let his guard down around her." My heart shattered into tiny crumbs. "I was right to never like him...How dare he!" Dezra spoke out angrily but I was speechless as I listened to how Tybalt described the moments I had thought were special to his mother in the most disgusting manner ever. "Don't let your guard down, Tybalt. We have no time for games." The former Luna hissed and Tybalt assured her that I wasn't worth it and he was just having fun with me to get under Alpha Zachary's skin. "The plan would be set in motion on Zachary's next Alpha trip. I'll find a way to penetrate his escort and join them. Be ready, mother." Tybalt chimed. "I'm ready and the rogues I gathered are ready too. We have all been waiting for your signal." The former Luna replied and Tybalt chuckled evilly. "And there you have it. The long-awaited signal..." Tybalt muttered and I shivered in my hideout. The conversation soon ended and the mother and child decorated afterward, confirming the murder of my destined mate. I was left to ponder on what to do. I felt like crying for the friendship I just lost but I couldn't. Whatever happened between Tybalt and I was definitely not friendship but I was hurt as I reminisced his awful words about me. I didn't know if it was seconds or minutes or maybe hours but I thought hard and long about what to do. Dezra kept chanting the same utterances in my head when I eventually decided to drag my broken self back to the palace. "We have to tell him! You must warn our mate!"