My magic is for you, Alpha

Chapter 2

He rose from his table and approached her. She was wolfless and her scent was barely noticeable but it was intoxicating to him. After all these days, it tasted sweeter than ever. North had no such fragrances - basil, peppermint and melon. She shivered, but he couldn't determine if it was from irritation, fear, or perhaps secret pleasure of his presence. He decided not to ponder on it. She made a half-step towards him, just enough to unsettle him.

He was one head taller than her and much stronger. He now sported a beard, unlike when they first met. His piercing green eyes, reminiscent of the Northern lights, held her gaze. Was it a weakness to get closer to him or was it her nervousness playing a trick?

"Do you know what else you have?" Trish asked, her face closing in and her voice mimicking his manner of speaking. She was a smart girl, knowing that talking quietly was not a weakness, but a power play. "The Northern pack also has an Alpha who is so direct that he sees only what's in front of him, missing all the hidden paths. One who doesn't think he can be attacked from behind. What do you call someone who's bad at politics? I believe the word commonly used is 'fool'."

"You've said enough," he replied, barely restraining himself from grabbing her neck and snapping it in two. Or maybe he'd take her hair and expose her neck for a bite - a bite full of death, not love. She was his pain and all he wanted to do was make her go away. "Go home, Trish. Tell Alpha Dean that he mistook me for a boy if he thought this approach would work on me."

He leaned in and whispered near her ear, "Tell him that his younger sister has failed him. That she has failed the pack and they are going to die." He could see the fire in her eyes, knowing that if she could, she would do the same to him that he wanted to do with her a minute ago. Her anger was arousing to him.

"Ahem, Alpha Caelan, I apologize for interrupting," one of the elders in the room rose from his chair cautiously. "I believe this young lady said something that the Council might want to consider a little longer. Would you grant us this permission, sir, and allow Miss Trish to stay here for questioning and discussions?

Caelan looked at him. A grey-haired man of around 70, he appeared so frail that it was hard to believe he was once one of the packs' strongest warriors. Alpha took a deep breath and closed his eyes, feeling a headache coming on. As much as he hated being wrong, he admitted his emotions got the better of him, preventing rational thought.

"Master Aksel, what exactly would you like to contemplate and how will this rude young woman help you?"

"A wise man considers all his options, Alpha," Master Aksel replied, looking at Trish. "Despite her inexperience and her... speech style, the girl speaks great truth. Although sometimes the threat is imminent, we should always do our best to avoid underestimating it. Alpha Josh and Alpha Bjorn may not be the strongest Alphas, but they are very cunning, who have been politicking and maneuvering in the South for some time and managed to unite the packs. Given our own circumstances," Alpha Caelan glared at Master Aksel, he strongly believed that no outsider should hear anything about their internal struggles. "Given our own circumstances," Master Aksel continued nonchalantly, "I believe it is important we consider what an alliance with Alpha Dean might bring for us."

"How much time do you need?" Alpha asked.

"A week should be enough to decide on this matter, Alpha," Master Aksel replied.

Trish wasn't sure what to say, and she felt it was best to keep quiet and listen. The old man had called her inexperienced and rude, but he had also given her a second chance to promote her cause. And for this she was grateful to him. At least someone could talk some sense into Alpha Caelan. Next time she would ask Dean to send an elderly man instead of a female who could only drive crazy the mighty Alpha.

"You," Alpha said, looking at her again. "You will stay here for a week in the packhouse. As an honored guest of the Northern pack. But don't do anything funny or your status will quickly change to prisoner."

"I have always known that the Northern terriroties are renowned for their hospitality," Trish replied. "Your kindness is greatly appreciated, Alpha Caelan." She wasn't sure why she was being so difficult today. Perhaps it was the way Alpha treated her that made her want to provoke him with every word. In truth, she didn't think she was the villain of their past. He had never given her a chance, he had turned out too impatient.

"Krescent, show Trish her room," Alpha said, turning to his Beta. "Master Aksel, I'd like to talk to you in private."Top of Form

Trish stood frozen in the middle of the room. The room was nearly empty, with a few wooden pieces of furniture and a painting on the wall. The painting was oddly located, hanging in a corner behind a filing cabinet, almost as if you could only admire it if you intentionally went to that spot. No wonder she did not notice it before. The painting blended in with the wall colour, being murky and grey with vague silhouettes in it. From where Trish was standing, she couldn't make out what the silhouettes were, but she knew it already. It was a a silhouette of a grey wolf howling under rain at a half-white half-grey moon.

"You can go," Alpha said, noticing where Trish was looking. He gestured for her to leave the room but she pulled away when Beta tried to take her arm.

"Why do you have this painting, Caelan?" she asked quietly, not bothering with titles.

"It reminds me of something I once wanted but couldn't have," he replied, showing no emotion.

Trish looked at him in anger, then turned and walked out of the room. It was her painting on his wall, the first painting she had sold at an exhibition two years ago to an unknown buyer.