It was strange to sit with a stranger and talk about the most important subject of the days and nights here.

Declan had a firm voice and confirmed opinions. He didn't elaborate things until Stephen asked him to. If he would be an Alpha, I was sure his Beta would have been an irritated wolf. At least, Pete was expressive whenever there was need to discuss about certain topic related to the pack.

But like Stephen had said, Declan had come from Eastern pack. His pack had the most neighbors because it was in the centre and was surrounded by other packs.

Except for Hidden Furs, their territory touched all the packs. This had helped the pack to form friendly relations with all it's neighbors. But what I had witnessed last night, Eastern pack had little problems with the Mystics. But now Eva would go there and serve Orina as her Beta. The relations would grow.

"How have the situations back at home been? Have you been living alone even now?" Stephen asked while looking at the bulky guy I was amused with.

Declan wiped his temple lightly. "Yeah. Everything's good. I am living alone."

Stephen collected his lips, waiting for more. Declan was quiet for a moment but then he added, "Aunt Anne has invited me over for many times. Klynn has built a home for Orina. Zac sometimes stays with me. Alyssa will stay here—"

His whole attention turned to me as he glared at me. "Tell your brother to calm down his horses. He is playing around with the other female when Alyssa has told him the truth."

I gaped at him. "She must be one year elder than him but that doesn't mean she can dominate my brother. When he will feel the spark, I am sure she will be his Queen. But for now, let him be confused and find his way on his own. Alyssa can't force on him. I have scolded him enough already," I muttered in mild anger.

Declan gave me a stare before looking over at Stephen. He continued, "I mostly stay outside, really. Zac and I patrol the borders. Especially the one touching Lycans. Since the day we have gotten Chelsea's messages, we have never been ignorant for even a second."

"Then, who is patrolling those borders now?" I asked.

"Some of the males whom I trust," said Declan while looking at me.

"What were the messages about? How did you get them?" Stephen asked curiously.

Declan rubbed his stubble with his thick fingers and sighed heavily. "Six months ago, I smelled her scent on the border. We received three signs at three different times."

"How is it possible?" Stephen asked in disbelief.

Declan nodded, pride glinting in his eyes. "Before her final message, she had tried to contact us two times. Actually, we have two main points through whole of the border line. One is where the river divides the territory. You can't tell if it's ours or theirs. We both packs avoid using that river. The other point is ten kilometres away. The forest. The problem there is that the Mystic's land is not far away from there. The tri-junction of borders is just three kilometres away. Chelsea had thrown a figure made of clay to our side. It looked like an animal. By with the mere idea, I had understood."

I straightened on my seat and leaned ahead. "What?"

Declan gave us determined looks. "I had discussed it in my training sessions. To use our culture's clay pot techniques to survive there. If anyone sends any figure of clay and we are able to understand what it is like, we will help. What she made had broken into pieces. But she had also written 'cattle' with a skinny branch on the clay toy. The next day we got the sign. Two stones were thrown towards our side of the border."

Stephen looked amazed and curious.

"We immediately sent a cattle."

Two times, she contacted them. I covered my mouth.

Declan seemed proud but equally disturbed. "A day passed. Two. And then a fortnight. The cattle was returned after more than a month passed. It was better in size but. . ."

"But?" I sucked in a breath in suspense.

"It was tortured," said Declan while looking in my eyes. "Skinned as if it was burnt. There were chunks of meat eaten. There were marks of claws."

"Dead?" I asked suddenly.

Declan nodded.

"Then, how it reached to your side?" Stephen asked patiently.

I breathed in suspense while Declan tried to explain, "It was thrown by Chelsea. I had smelled her scent on the cattle."

A whimper escaped me. "Why did she have to throw it?"

Declan raised his eyebrows at me in defence. "Because when we ripped open the cattle as it's stomach was stitched, a furry cloth was hidden inside, drenched in blood. The cattle was just a body, already cleaned and used by her as a utensil to hide her message and send it to us."

I gaped at him in shock.

Even Stephen was speechless and frozen. He wasn't blinking.

Declan looked disturbed and rubbed his lower lip in thought. "The fur cloth was a bottom skirt thing. Very rough and old. It must be hers. It smelled of reindeer's blood. Means that the area is colder than Southern and Eastern pack if the breed exists there. Also, the skirt was torn in three lines."

My eyebrows furrowed.

Declan smirked humorlessly. "I had made a list of signs for all the she-wolves to learn. They were the codes. Tearing lines for the number of Alpha males. Knotting those shreds to depict who are mated. One type of special bow knot for seeing any of the male from our packs that were sent years ago and other type for if she had found Luna Severa's tomb or bones or any kind of belonging."

"What did that skirt displayed?" I asked worriedly.

Declan shook his head. "She had torn eight shreds. Therefore, eight eligible Alpha males."

Stephen and I exchanged a quick glance before we listened more of him carefully. My heartbeats had fastened.

"Four shreds were knotted. So, four of them are already mated." Declan blinked in thought. "There were no special knots. Means, no male sent from our packs twenty years ago, is alive. My brother is absolutely dead."

I gulped.

"Neither has she found Luna Severa's burial place."

"Why does she need to find the burial place?" I asked, forgetting the idea behind it.

Stephen immediately explained, "So, Luna Severa's belonging could be offered to Alpha Rucus. So, they could meet in heaven, Misty. Remember what the elders have claimed to believe, that even in the heaven above, they are apart."

I nodded silently.

"Chelsea has always been a brilliant student. But never had I thought that she would be chosen over Alyssa and Ellie. For a common she-wolf, she did something that not even Alpha's daughters could do in last decade. Alpha Rudy's daughter, Savina has been sent. Alpha Esther's Alvena was sent too. A mystic. Don't know if both are even alive," he said quietly.

"It's commendable of what she did. You received her messages six months ago?" Stephen asked in amazement.

Declan nodded. "Six months is a period to worry about. Why she is not at the borders again if she can make it happen?"

"Maybe, she was caught." I said lightly.

Declan gave me a blank look. "She can't be caught that easily. As a common wolf, she can't rebel. She won't leave a chance for her Lycan mate to know about her betrayals. Maybe, it's something else." His eyes lowered as he brokenly guessed, "Maybe, she is no more."

Stephen clicked his tongue. Declan and I stared at him while he gave us a small smile.

"Or maybe, she's pregnant with a Lycan pup."

Declan blinked as the sudden realization hit him.

"She'll come back after three more months?" I asked hopefully.

Declan shook his head making my hope and smile fade.

Stephen explained, "It's not easy for a common wolf of barely eighteen years of age to hold a Lycan's pup. The pregnancy is ruthless and torturing. It needs more attention and time. The strong pups always take more of the mother's energy. Chelsea would be sucked of all her life if she bears a Lycan pup. She could be dead."

Declan shook his head and guessed, "What if she chooses to kill the pup? We have taught the she-wolves to use herbs and spices—"

Declan quietened when Stephen shook his head smilingly. It looked saddening.

"A miscarriage or abortion will be worst. The best way is to prevent the pregnancy," said Stephen while looking at me. "Make sure, it's engraved in Natalie's mind."

I nodded in fright.

As if the old man's words reminded Declan of something, he gave me a look of warning. "If there are four unmated Alpha Lycans beyond the borders, there is a high chance that one of the she-wolves is chosen for one of them."

Stephen chuckled briefly. "We don't even know about Beta Lycans yet. But the point of focus here is that being a mate to these royal families, could be more difficult than being a mate of normal Lycan. Alpha powers are sharpest while Betas are hardworking. They won't be careless in letting their mates even go near the borders."

My heart drowned in worry.

Declan leaned back on the sofa with a tired expression on his face. "If Alvena and Savina had been unable to contact us all these past years, something is very wrong with the way those Alphas are treating their mates. Maybe, they are using the she-wolves for making population only. Nothing else."

"Don't they love their mates?" I asked quietly.

Stephen smirked lightly. "They might. But for the wolves who know their pack's brutal history, Pack comes first."

"The unbreakable border has definitely worked in our favour. We all are saved from what Lycans are capable of. If it hasn't worked in their favour that they can't go out of these borders, then I don't think that their pack's low populations is their only sorrow," said Declan, thoughtfully.

"Of course, there are more sorrows. Their females can't get mated to their mates," said Stephen. "They are royals only in their own territory. They haven't evolved. Their males died because half of the times, we didn't send our females centuries ago. Now, we do but only in single digits. Who knows if males left there are only those eight Alpha males and the rest have died?"

"I know," said Declan while staring at Stephen. "But again, it's not just those problems. There is something more."

I nodded, understanding his point. "He is right. If Alpha Rucus has asked for the power and instead that border thing happened which is supposed to make those Lycans suffer. Population decreasing can't be the only thing they are suffering from. Maybe, they live in caves. Maybe, a flood came. Or maybe, a disease—"

Stephen made a face and I stopped speaking. He shook his head. "Maybe, we are thinking too much. They are their own enemies. When a power is caged for so long and is unused, at the time of use, it becomes powerful than it was. initially."

Declan too added with a humorless smirk. "Right. They are just frustrated beasts."

I blinked sadly. "Or maybe, they are just apologetic and ashamed of Alpha Ronyn and his brothers," I guessed, slowly. "Just like how each pack here is proud of it's founder and ancestors, maybe they are not."

Declan stared at me, his face going blank. Stephen too was quiet and thinking deeply.

"After what Alpha Ronyn and his brothers did, they had only Moon Goddess. But even she is upset with them for she caged them," I spoke softly. "They have no one to protect them or bless them. They have no God or Goddess to worship for."

Stephen clenched his jaws, his eyes going glassy. He nodded slowly while looking at me.

"Maybe, this is their biggest sorrow."

* * * *

After that intense discussion, Stephen decided to get up and wash the tiffin. Because any of the volunteer would have arrived within an hour to take it back. So, it could be used again.

While all this time, Declan looked around the room. I was reading Stephen's note pad and his bad hand writing.

When Declan didn't move for a moment, my eyes moved on him. Following his gaze, I looked at the small frame on the wall of the corridor. I had seen that photo last time. It was of Stephen's mate, Lisa and his pup, Nathan when he was twenty.

The mere memory of innocence and love I saw in their smiling eyes, filled my throat. Declan glanced at me and mumbled, "Willis died the same way Nathan did. With enormous pain in his chest. It is only felt when. . ."

"Your mate dies," said Stephen while returning from the kitchen. He wiped his hands with a napkin. He wiped his spectacle too and wore it back. His face was blank but eyes held so many emotions. "But if you are alive even after suffering that pain, a purpose is meant to be fulflled."

"I have heard what happened on the full moon night," said Declan while looking at me. "If a particular scent can make Pete cry like a little pup in longing, that scent is definitely of his mate."

My body turned stiff while Stephen sat back on the sofa. "He doesn't admit the same," I told them.

"Neither did Willis, nor Clark or Yuri will." Declan looked at Stephen. "Moon Goddess has purposes behind her actions and choices. Willis was to become an Alpha of Mystics. But he is gone. Now, Clark is to become one but he too has a Lycan mate, I feel."

I blinked in worry.

"Yuri has two younger brothers in his Northern Pack. Viktor and Max, they have a choice if anything happens to Yuri. Isn't it strange that three packs could have had Lycan Lunas?" asked Declan, with a raise of eyebrows.

Stephen and I exchanged an amazed glance.

"So, Lycans couldn't overpower these three packs, these males of ours had to die. Maybe, everything is happening for good reasons," said Declan quietly.

"I don't want Pete to suffer like Nathan or Willis," I said, my face holding worry.

Stephen smiled sadly.

"Someone will have to suffer," said Declan while giving me the dead eye. "If not him, then his pack."

I looked at Stephen who nodded. "Pete needs to sort out his mind. He is trying to bluff with his wolf. He needs to accept that he has a Lycan mate."

"How will that happen?" I asked.

Declan shrugged his shoulders. "At least, not by avoiding the thought of having a Lycan mate. But by praying Moon Goddess to show a way. Because according to me, the Lycans have main problem with Alpha Rucus' descendants. How happy they would be to know that they can almost kill the new Alpha who has Rucus' blood in his veins? They can kill his mate there no matter if she is an Alpha or Beta's daughter or a common Lycan."

"How would they know if a female is Pete's mate?" I asked curiously.

Declan gave me an obvious look. "He smelled her on the full moon night. Didn't he? The Lycans can obviously keep eyes on the female who has dared to reach her mate  by going closer to the borders."

"But he said that the rabbit was burnt and tortured," I said, glancing unsurely at Stephen. "Mom said that the Lycans were trying to pain him."

"Misty means to say that maybe, Lycans brought the female near the borders that night knowingly to taunt Pete," said Stephen while I nodded unsurely. "She didn't come there willingly."

Declan tilted his head. "Maybe. Maybe, not. But what I actually wanted to say is that Willis died, Clark is there. If Clark dies, Alpha Esther can birth another son. They don't lose hope. Same goes with Northern pack. If Yuri is hurt, Victor and Max are there. For Pete, Thomas is surely there. So are Fred and Jiro. But how victorious it would be for Lycans if they come to know that one of Rucus' descendants is hurt because he couldn't be with his Lycan mate."

I was getting him but still, I couldn't get it, honestly. What was he trying to say?

"Stephen, you feel me?" Declan asked when he observed my blank face.

Stephen gulped before saying, "I have pledged to not let any other male of my pack die like my Nathan did. Willis' news broke my heart but not my spirit. Pete is dearest to me like my own Nathan. If anything happens to him, I won't be able to meet Nathan's eyes in the afterlife."

"Right? And for that, taking care of Pete is important. For which, I must say, if he has admitted to have a Lycan mate, Alpha Gilbert should send him to the elders," said Declan.

My lips parted in hurt.

"There's no better option than that. You don't want to wait for his mate to die in longing which in return would hurt Pete so much, he'll become another Nathan." Declan stressed while looking at me and Stephen.

I gulped hard as my eyes turned glossy. Stephen looked conflicted. "Gilbert will kill me the moment I offer that idea to him," he said. "And Pete will spit at my tomb. He is a self-esteemed male. He won't accept it."

Declan chuckled in disbelief.

His eyes were full of assurance and equal sadness that clearly depicted the obvious fact. But for some reason, I couldn't say it out loud. The time would come for it and I would taunt him the right way. Because for now, I had another question to ask.

"Will you include Eva in all the tasks related to Lycan borders?"

Declan didn't move. "Well, a Beta's work is to follow orders and assist the Alpha and Luna. We are not rank holders and thus, are assigned duties. Eva can't patrol the borders all day. She is supposed to be a good mate too apart from being a Beta. She is supposed to give Leo the attention he deserves—"

My eyes narrowed. "Those words don't sound cool coming from a she-wolves' coach. Eva is fully-trained and can help in contacting Chelsea. I know, she can do wonders when it comes to a particularly assigned task."

"If Klynn and Orina allow her and then, it is possible, Misty. Though, we don't allow females on the river border. If she is allowed to patrol, she will go to the tri-junction. That too won't be nice because there, she will also have to look upon the Mystic border too," explained Declan. "Double duty. Leo won't allow that to Eva."

"Leo needs Eva more than anyone else," Stephen said while I bit my lip in disappointment. If Eva could be at the Eastern pack's border, she could be Natalie's only hope apart from Pete's patrolling team. So, it would be Pete waiting for Natalie's signs at Southern territory and Eva in the Eastern.

"About the signs, I am present and so is my team. I am positive, Chelsea will come back. If not, she must have surely a left something to happen for good," said Declan.

"You said that there were three messages. The cattle toy and the real cattle," said Stephen, looking confused.

Declan smirked. "I thought none of you both would ever realize it."

I rolled my eyes when he gave me a fake disappointing glance.

"It was the first message we received from her, two months after she had crossed the border." Declan said while I breathed in suspense. "Aunt Anne had taught the females how our grandfather Alpha Andre was blinded all of a sudden and died. My father and Uncle think that the Mystics were involved. They were jealous of our growing pack and loved Alpha. They were broken by their own deteriorating population."

Stephen nodded as if he knew this already.

"The Mystics deny all of this and says that they do everything for the good. Luna Anne had made a code with all the females. That apart from finding Luna Severa's burial place, finding out if the Mystics are betraying us all by being friendly with the Lycans is equally important. To leave a burning pile of dead leaves at the river bank will mean that we must not believe in Mystics wholly. They are helping Lycans in their survival in some way and it will be breach of the pact that Alphas had made."

I gasped silently.

Declan smirked humorlessly. "Chelsea couldn't burn leaves closer to the borders that could be visible to us. We came to know about it when a bloodied talisman was thrown towards our way. Her scent was lingering around it, meant she threw it. Chelsea has never worn a talisman. It was same as of how the Mystics make."

"What if it's the one from a Mystic male who was sent twenty years ago?" I asked immediately.

Declan chuckled while Stephen too. I was confused.

"Tell her," said the bulky guy.

Stephen explained, "The thread used in making the talisman, must be the color of the present Luna's eyes. She makes them for the young children under eighteen years of age for their good life and luck. For it's her prayers that are reaching the Moon Goddess and blessing her own pack. Luna Elsie might have come more than twenty tears ago as Willis was twenty-eight-year-old. But the males who must have gone that time had worn talisman made of threads of previous Luna's eyes. But that talisman's thread was icy green in color."

I gasped as the chill ran down my spine.

That was the color of Luna Elsie's eyes.

* * * *

"What do you think?"

Please vote and comment.

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This was a filler chapter full of details.

Why is it that the most simple chapters are most difficult? This chapter was simple for me as it was picturized in one room. But how hard it was for me to write. The previous was more difficult.

Now, starting to write next one. The ceremony will carry on. Remember? It's second night.

And. . . Thank you for waiting. Once I come in for and enjoy writing chapters quickly, I will update chapters in a row without much gap.