Chương 78: Chapter 78
☆ ☆ Ulfric Draven ☆ ☆
After the meeting adjourned, I returned to my brother's side. I tried to break Beta Morgana in front of the others, but her story never changed, and for the most part, she seemed unfazed by my line of questioning.
I just found it so odd that my brother would be the one to succumb to such a detrimental and bizarre outcome. Perhaps if they had more time, she would have had the same fate. Vampires were cruel and twisted creatures, so perhaps killing them would have been too kind.
By making it so that the connection with their wolf was severed for the rest of their lives, that punishment, in my mind, was a fate worse than death. Not to mention that he was so helpless now; if he remained this way, he would depend on others for the rest of his life.
I asked the healer, "Have you determined the cause yet?" She shook her head, "You may need to seek outside help." I looked at her perplexed, "What do you mean?" She looked around as though we weren't the only two in the room and whispered, "You know, an enchantress."
I was appalled that she would even suggest something like that. Everyone knew that the price was almost always more significant than the reward when it came to dealing with them, and it was rarely money that they wanted; it was sacrifice.
Just then, there was a knock at the door, which was already ajar. Beta Morgana said, "Do you mind if I come in to check on Beta Darius? It's weird not having him in my bed. I cleared my head of the suggestion my healer provided and said, "Of course."
She entered slowly with her head bowed, "Sorry to interrupt, I know you are doing everything that you can to help him." She tucked her long black hair behind her ear and knelt by his side. She gently took his hand and whispered in his ear.
I smiled from what I heard; perhaps I had been too hard on her. She really seemed to care for my brother, and I didn't detect any malice behind her current actions. She looked over at my healer and asked, "Would you like me to bring his dinner to him tonight?"
My healer looked to me as if she couldn't answer for herself. I cleared my throat, "You've been taking him down to eat his meals with the rest of the pack, correct? I think it's a good idea to continue that as long as he is up for it."
Beta Morgana stood and nodded, "Very well then; I'll be back in a few hours when dinner is ready. I don't want to get in your way." She left us with him in the guest room. I turned back to the healer, "Even if I were to consider your suggestion, we don't have any reliable contact information.
She spoke up, "I may have some friends from packs further south who could put us in touch with some if you're interested. There is nothing further that I can do for him; he didn't even react to wolfsbane or silver."
She sighed, "I'm sorry, but he is genuinely a mere mortal in his current state." I massaged my temples and cracked my neck to alleviate some of the built-up tension I was feeling. I begrudgingly said, "Reach out to them, and I will decide if we will go through with it depending on what the witch wants in return."
She nodded, and I left her with my brother to go to my room next door. The elder was already there, sitting in the chair in the corner of the room. I sighed as I plopped onto the bed and asked, "What am I going to do, Marston?
Marston was my father's advisor before he passed and was the most knowledgeable member of my pack. My dad jokingly called him the professor on several occasions, and I trusted his input. He replied, "About what, Alpha?"
I continued, "Everything? My poor brother, the looming battle, appointing a new Beta, I don't know anymore." He thought for a moment in complete silence before speaking. His aged voice cracked as he spoke, "Alpha, thus far, your mind has been sharp. Continue to trust your instincts; now is not the time for self-doubt or pity."
I inhaled deeply. He was right. I needed to pull myself together and remain strong for my pack and the others who were devoting their lives to this cause. I was going to try my damndest to ensure that we were victorious during this battle, one way or another.
A knock at the door interrupted my thoughts, and I sat up. My healer entered, "Alpha, one of my contacts in Louisiana, gave me this." She handed me a piece of paper with a name and number before returning back to Darius' room. I read the name out loud, "Circe."
Marston coughed, "You don't want to get messed up with that powerful witch." I looked at him, "What other choice do I have? Darius doesn't even react to Wolfsbane or Silver anymore." He sputtered, "I'm telling you now, you will regret it. There is a reason we don't work with their kind anymore."
I sighed, "I have to try something to help him. If her demands are too outlandish, I obviously won't accept the terms." His eyes filled with concern, "Don't say that I didn't warn you." I stood and excused myself momentarily; I wanted to hold this conversation in private.
I took a walk through the snow-impacted roads, away from Alpha Gray's pack house, and when I was far enough away from his property and was confident that no one could hear me, I dialed the number on the piece of paper. I held my breath as it rang.
A young female answered the phone with a thick Cajun accent, "Bonjour. Thank vous pour calling Circe's Conjuring." I replied, "I need to speak with Circe, please." The young woman chuckled, "Non on speaks to Circe."
Confused, I said, "I was given this number by a friend who said she might be able to help me recover someone very dear to me." She sighed, "Donner moi your number and je'll see si she envie's to appeler vous dos." I told her my number and waited, pacing back and forth through the snow.
More than thirty minutes had passed, and I felt my phone buzz. I quickly pulled it to my view, but it was not Circe. Gamma Gavin had sent me his update for the day. I read the message and replied with a thumbs-up emoji.
I continued to pace as the world around me started darkening. My phone buzzed again, and I answered hastily, "Hello, Circe?" She replied, "Hello, Ulfric Draven; my price is the unborn child." I responded, "Huh?" We hadn't even discussed anything yet. Whose unborn child did she want?
She clarified, "I will reconnect your brother to his wolf's spirit; in return, I want the child from the prophecy. I will give you 24 hours to decide. If your answer is no, do not call or bother me again." I didn't know how to respond.
I could tell she was going to end the call soon if I didn't speak up. I asked, "Does it matter if the child is the future Lycan King or the Dhampire-Werewolf Hybrid?" She replied, "It matters not. You have 24 hours to decide. Goodbye Ulfric Draven."
I shuttered at the decision, and my breath was barely visible in the crisp air as the night fully encompassed my surroundings. I followed my path back to the pack house and could smell the dinner that was prepared. I was just in time to have dinner with my brother and Beta Morgana.
I entered the house and met Beta Morgana and my brother, heading down the stairs toward the kitchen. She was helping him walk, and my elder and healer weren't far behind them. We got in line to fill our plates. Morgana two plates and piled them high after talking to Darius.
She was very intuned to his communication through grunts or silence. He really was lucky to have found her before this tragedy struck him. She led him over to a table, and I joined them after filling my own plate. She fed him and wiped away any excess food with a napkin.
He was as helpless as a toddler, and it hurt me to see him in this light. It really made me contemplate making the deal with Circe. I'm sure Beta Morgana would be thrilled to have her mate returned to his former greatness as well.
I shook my head and took another bite. I had to think about what was the best decision for the entire race, not just my selfish wants. I noticed that Morgana had not eaten yet herself. Instead, she was diligently caring for Darius.
After I finished my meal, I offered to feed him so she could take a moment to eat. She smiled and said, "It's alright. I've just been eating after I tuck him into bed. Besides, I don't eat nearly as much as he does; both of these plates are for him."
I smiled; at least he had his normal appetite; that was something positive about the situation. I shrugged my shoulders, "If you insist." She continued to feed him, "I do." With that, I told my healer, "I'm going to get some rest. Let me know if there are any changes with Darius during the night. She nodded, "Yes Ulfric.
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