The Waning Hour

Chapter 4: The Playing Field Is Set

Niklous quietly sat in his chair in the main hall, carefully rolling the glass figurine in his hand as the sounds of his pack murmured in the back round. The item she had been searching for. It puzzled him as to why something so small and so insagnificant would cause her such distress. Niklous was so lost in thought that he did not hear the chatting and celebrations of his people. No, he did not hear the praise and laughter nor the thunderous laughs of his worriers. His mind belonged to one thing and one thing only, her.

"Alpha, you are unusually quiet this evening. Tell me, what troubles you?" Athea, one of the women of his pack softly spoke as she snaked her delicate arms around him from behind. A low growl released in his throat as her soft fingers danced across his bare chest. Athea was a sultry woman, one whom he had a habit of sharing his bed with. Her usual advances were usually enough to stir his beast with desire. However lately her touch had been lacking. It seemed his beast only saught the touch from one woman and Athea wasn't it.

"Alpha, quit playing with that little toy and come play with me." She giggled as her soft lips nibbled his ear lobes gently.

"I asure you that I can hold your attention better than some figurine." She spoke low in his ear as her hands tracked further down his chest.

Another growl verberated in Niklous's throat as he swiftly removed her arms from around him. "Not tonight, leave me." He warned as the figurine danced in his hand, his eyes never leaving the red glass figure.

Athea let out a gasp of shock as she took a step back. Rejection was a new feeling for her, one that was leaving a bitter taste in her mouth.

"As you wish my Alpha. You know where to find me." She spoke softly before taking her leave. It was clear there was no room for her tonight in the Alphas thoughts.

"Brother, is everything alright?" Clive asked as he took another sip of his wine. "You are not one to refuse the wishes of a lady, especially the wishes of Athea." He chuckled as he leaned back in his chair next to Niklous at the head table.

"I'm fine." Niklous grunted as he placed the figurine back into his pocket before grabbing his cup and tossing back the rest of his wine. He was anything but fine. The woman, Elizabeth, she must be some kind of witch placing a spell to entrap him. For what other reason would she plauge his thoughts every waking moment. Worse yet invade his dreams at night. Yes, some how she must have bewitched him for a moon child just didn't feel what he was feeling for a child of light.

"If it's about earlier in the woods, I assure you we are keeping a close eye on Derek, myself included." Clive tried his best to reassure his brother in arms.

"He is becoming quite the problem. His talk of rebellion and lunacy could put us all at risk. If others follow him in his crazed ways than I am afraid to say we might really all be in some serious trouble." Niklous replied as his eyes scanned over the room looking over his people as they danced and sang to their hearts content.

"Did you look into what I asked of you?" Niklous asked Clive, his most trusted friend.

"Aye, but I am afraid you might not like what was found." Clive replied in a sullen tone as he tossed back his drink once more, wiping his mouth with the sleeve of his shirt.

"Detries grows stronger, and as he grows stronger so does his power. There have been rumors he wishes to bring the dark ones into this land to wipe out the Sun King and his children, to bring eternal night to the lands." Clive responded with as shiver knowing full well what that would mean for them.

"I feel he will promise us safty and all we could desire in the night. However something tells me he will only use us for his war before wiping us out as well. He seeks to start a new relm. One where he will be king, not just a temporary stand in." Clive finished as he took a chunk out of his deer leg.