"I seek permission to visit my Uncle Lord Alvar in the Kingdom of Drinealia," Nicholas said boldly after a little hesitation. Aiden sighed and ran his fingers through his hair.

"That's not going to happen, Nick. They have prohibited us from entering Drinealia. You would be in serious jeopardy if I let you go."

"I understand, but if I don't leave, the entire kingdom will be in jeopardy. And Lord Alvar has given me his words. He'll assist me in sneaking in and gathering everything we need."

"He may be your uncle, but he is also a Drinealia war chief, don't forget!" Liam exclaimed

"I agree with Liam." Aiden nodded

"I don't!" Eldrid stated

"I believe Nicholas should be allowed to visit Drinealia. He might just find everything we're looking for." Eldrid said this while glancing at Nicholas, and he gave her a small smile.

"No Eldrid. Our Kingdom and Drinealia had long agreed not to trespass on each other's territory. Everyone who went there without permission was then killed. So I'm not going to let him go." Aiden counterpoints

"I never heard of this?" Eldrid was perplexed.

"A female demon was raped and murdered near the border of the Lycanthropy Kingdom, Auhesraivia. She was a Drinealia general's mate. When the former King of Auhesraivia refused to hand over the culprits, the general attacked, sparking a war between the Lycans and Demons. A large number of souls were lost, and they finally agreed to stop fighting with the promise of never trespassing on each other's territory." Eldrid raised her brows as Aiden explained.

"How long ago was this?" She inquired "It doesn't matter; we should get down to business. Nicholas I'm going to reject your proposal. You are not permitted to travel to Drinealia." Aiden stated categorically

"You know me, Aiden. I'm going to leave to look for answers, with or without your permission." Nicholas said smugly, and Aiden sighed.

"Oh yeah?" Aiden got out of his chair.

"This meeting is over. Everyone get to work." Aiden stormed out of the room.

Eldrid, like everyone else, stood up. Victoria approached her after the Beta and Gamma had left.

"I'm not sure why you despise me, but I come in peace. I'm looking forward to working with you, Luna." Victoria bowed her head slightly, still maintaining their eye contact, and turned around to leave the cabin. Eldrid stood there, leaning against the table, staring at the departing woman. Eldrid didn't take her gaze away from the door even after she was out of sight. She straightened up and walked to the door. She came to a halt in the hallway as she was leaving. A mysterious lingering smell near the doors was gradually dissipating. Her gaze wandered around the corridor for a few moments before she left.

That night, she waited for him to return for reasons she doesn't understand. He, on the other hand, did not. After a stroll around the chamber, she succumbed and went to bed. She felt the bed dip and a feather-like kiss on her forehead just as sleep captured her eyes.

This time, the black night wrapped around her like a cloak until she was ready for the dawn. After a long time, she found the blackness to be inviting, allowing her eyes to rest and her dreams to take center stage. It had been a little more than a year since fate had brought her to him. Even though a lot of the nights were serene and warm, the majority of them were cold. In some ways, she is to fault for their coldness. But the storm that was pursuing her continued driving her away from him. She was developing feelings for the Prince, and the depth was perceptible, but she was mostly oblivious of the strange feeling crawling into her heart.

When soft sunlight seeped through the thick curtains, her eyes fluttered open. She could feel his body heat close to her and his soothing scent shrouding them.

"Good morning," he said as he got out of bed and walked to the bathroom. She got up as well, leaning against the headboard. He quickly exited the shower and changed into a navy suit.

"I might be late today. I'm going to visit the council." He said this while buttoning his shirt and draping his navy jacket over his shoulders. She nodded

"Nicholas might leave for Drinealia today. I'm not going to ask you to talk to him, but please check to make sure he has everything he needs before he leaves."

"All right," she said as he stormed out of the room. She frowned, he never went without saying goodbye, what had gotten into him? She pondered.

"I'll say it again: I'm serious! You really shouldn't go. I'm not going to let you go, Nick!" Liam snarled

"Oh, what are you going to do? I'm leaving." Nick waggles his tongue at his friend and tosses his duffel bag over his shoulder. He moves closer to the door but is yanked back in when Liam catches one of the duffel's handles and yanks it towards him.

"I'm not going to let you go!" He growled as he drew the bag closer to him

"Liam, let go! I'm running late!" Nick drew the bag closer to him.

"No way, I'm not going to let you dumb ass get killed in a foreign land."

"I'm not dumb! And who would kill me!"

"I don't know! Perhaps His Majesty Emmerich Feldtg would be delighted to have a lycan head added to his collection!" Liam growled and Nicholas stopped

"Wait, you mean the Demon King Emmerich Feldtg?" He asked and Liam stopped too

"Yes, the one and only. I have heard he loves collecting heads."

"More like the heads of his enemies." When they heard Eldrid's voice, their gazes were drawn to the door.

"Lady Eldrid!" They greeted her

"How do you know about the King?" Liam inquired,

"Not relevant. Have you finished packing, Nicholas?" She asked

"Yeap, I'm ready to go, but this dull head won't let me leave," Nicholas grumbled as he glared at Liam

"Yes, I noticed. You were both bickering like pups." She chuckled.

"No, we weren't!" They both exclaimed in unison and glared at each other. Eldrid burst out laughing, and they glared back at her.

The three of them spent the entire morning chatting and laughing amongst themselves. They ate breakfast in Nicholas' bed, and soon the noon strolled in. Eldrid looked at the time and said "You should get started, Nick. It's late, and I apologize for keeping you occupied."

"No Lady Eldrid. I had a lot of fun with your company. Thank you."

"And how about me?" Liam grumbled

"You are boring Liam." Nicholas rolled his eyes

"I agree." Liam rolled his eyes as Eldrid nodded her head. They stood up and exited the room. They soon arrived at the small river near the pack territory after strolling through the dense forest.

"I'm afraid this is where I must say goodbye," Nicholas said as he turned around to face Eldrid and Liam. He said and Eldrid nodded

"Have a safe journey Beta and make sure you return in one piece," Eldrid said with a small smile on her face.

"Don't be concerned, Luna. I'm going to be fine."

"How are you going to get there, though?" Liam inquired.

"That's a secret I must keep. Liam, take care of the pack. Ensure that the Alpha is aided and that Lady Eldrid is protected. At all costs, protect them." Nicholas gave the Gamma instructions, his demeanor solemn.

"Till my last breath. Have a safe journey, my friend. Also, if you are able, write or call."

"I will," Nicholas bid Liam goodbye and they hugged.

After Eldrid and Liam had left his sight, his gaze wandered around the forest and he began walking by the river bank.

She didn't expect to see Victoria when she walked into the empty castle filled with maids and melancholy. She sat elegantly on the couch, a magazine in her hand, her fingers slowly turning the pages as her eyes scanned the contents. She wore a baby pink knee-length dress, her hair perfectly styled, and her face was lightly made up to highlight her natural beauty. Eldrid took a deep breath and walked confidently into the living room. Her boots thumped on the stone floor, capturing Victoria's attention. She stood up and smiled as she greeted Eldrid.

"Good day, Lady Eldrid."

"Hello, Victoria. What brings you here?"

"Aiden instructed me to begin the investigation. I require any information you have on that man." Eldrid nodded and motioned her to take a seat.

"Aside from you, they're not doing anything to find him?" Eldrid inquired "The tracker team is on the field looking for him. But Aiden believed it would be easier if I talked to you and tracked him."

"Well, you seem to know quite a bit about what he thinks." Victoria sighed as Eldrid crossed her arms

"It appears that you despise the fact that Aiden and I are close. I wouldn't either if I were you. But believe me when I say that Aiden and I are close friends. We grew up together, and there is no in-between for us. Just pure friendship."

"As you claim, 'I wouldn't either, if I were you,' why don't you try putting some space between." It sounded like Eldrid was asking her, but her frigid expression was enough to convey that, she better not cling to Aiden in the future.

"Of course, My Lady," Victoria bowed her head, and they got to work on trying to find some lead on Malcolm.

As the sun began to set, nature was adorned with golden rays. She could see the open field by the packhouse where young pups played from the castle's balcony. Their mothers sat on the grass gossiping amongst themselves, while the males walked around their homes finishing up their day's work. It had been several hours since Victoria had left, and Eldrid was alone in the castle, accompanied only by her loneliness. She was leaning against the balcony chassis, sipping her tea and looking out over the densely packed landscape as far as her eyes could see. She noticed Victoria and a few pack trackers emerge from the forest that surrounded the packhouse. The pups ran up to her, circling her and engulfing her. Victoria knelt down and the pups barraged her with questions, which she cheerfully answered. Victoria stood up as the mothers walked closer to them, inspecting their pups on their laps. They smiled as they exchanged greetings and chatted amongst themselves, and the mothers soon left, bowing in front of Victoria as she waved her hands biding goodbye. Victoria was adorned by the pack, Eldrid could tell. The entire pack, including the pups, cherishes her. She was stunning, graceful, had fewer baggages, and was adorned by the pack and Aiden. An ideal Luna material.

Her heart ached just thinking so, she placed the cup on the table and walked into the dismal castle.

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