Wereball Series - Along Came A Mate

Chapter 12

THIRD POV

A half-eaten carcass fell to the wooden floor with a thud, splattering blood on Clyde and Alpha Ian's feet.

"Mm, I see your problem." The Alpha watched thoughtfully at the remnants of what had once been a majestic bull, whose right part of the body was missing completely and whose ribs could be counted after its insides were carefully and thoroughly nibbled. Not a single piece of meat was wasted.

"And this is just one of many!" Farmer Drude complained, his wrinkled face scrunched, his bulky arms tightly crossed over his tanned chest, attesting to the years spent toiling the fields in the burning sun. "It's worse than the long storm of the '95! When those wild wolves infiltrated and raided all the chicken coops!"

"How many have you lost exactly?" Clyde asked suspiciously, sniffing the carcass. There were no other scents apart from rotten meat and Drude's.

"Five were almost eaten whole ..."

"We can give you a refund only if you can prove your animals disappeared because of Lucien." Clyde could not smell him on the carcass. "But if rogues or other causes killed your cows, we're sorry but-"

Farmer Drude roared, red in the face; a shame to accuse a proud working man of being a liar. "I have some bones piled up! I bet your beast is using the rest to clean up its fangs!"

"It's fine, Drude." Ian placed a hand on the good man's shoulder reassuringly. "You are an important and honest member of the pack, we believe you." Alpha Ian shot a warning look at that irritable son of his. "Forgive my son. We all must acclimate to the new situation. So, five beasts eaten as whole and then?"

"Then two, including this one," he hinted at the carcass on the ground, "were 'excavated'. And one more was found dead and buried. I think the bhiast wanted to keep it for later. Maybe for a midnight snack!" (AN/ bhiast is beast)

Ian sighed, pinching his nose between his fingers as the man continued to protest and his son stared at the source of their headache.

The lycan. The black bhiast. Also, the soul mate of their sweet intelligent granddaughter and niece.

"Children are afraid, Alpha! And some of the old folks refuse to leave the church before a confession and blessing. They refuse to work or attend their duties!"

Clyde hissed, stamping his foot impatiently. He felt torn in two for his fists longed to crash into Lucien's muzzle for being a foolish beast and wreak havoc, or into the shrivelled faces of those ignorant and superstitious old folks.

"My production and my life are ruined, Alpha! What should I do now?"

"I apologise, Drude," Ian said genuinely.

"I'll pay you for every lost animal but do not spread the word." The Alpha certainly did not wish everyone begin to request refunds.

Despite that, the members of the pack would no longer tolerate such massacres or fears. Drude was only the fourth good worker to claim his rights after losing his animals to a colossal appetite and zero control.

"Thanks Alpha. I knew we could get an honest agreement." Money was always the answer to all worries, Ian knew it well. His son, on the other hand, had other ideas as he continued to glare sharp daggers at the lycan. Lucien was lying on the grass near the lake, a few hundred meters away from them.

With no care in the world, dimly aware of the issues taking place because of his insatiable stomach.

One elbow was resting on the grass and his clawed hand was under his 'chin'; a bone hung casually from his jaw. A bone, not a blade of grass, as it used to be when someone relaxed in nature.