Chapter 4 Elder Zach Of South East

• —Fiona—
• Christian has already called for a new ride and by the time we are seated, I make sure to use the seat belt. I had learned my lesson from the accident. How I survived in itself is nothing short of a miracle. For an abomination wolf like me, I should have more than an itchy demon's mark to show for it.
• “Chloe just messaged. We are having a stopover in the South East. At elders Zach’s mansion.” he announced, those eyes lingering on my expression for more than a second.
• I know Elder Zach. The old man handled a lot of foreign meetings and affairs. “Why can't we just use another part of the treaty palace since it is a huge ground?”
• Christain glanced at Elijah who was busy typing away on his phone while Xander looked too interested in staring at my shoulder and rubbing his chin. Staring back at me, he calmly explained. “Sternola has had lots of internal and external attacks in over two hundred years since the treaty was put in place. There are a few grounds that attacks do not affect. They have the protection of the gods. The treaty palace is one of them.” He paused, as if he wanted to be sure I was grasping the idea of his words. “Bombing the treaty palace only means one thing. That the country isn't safe and neither is any of us.”
• “Oh. I see.” I lean back into my seat and fall into deep thought.
• About the accident. Our encounter with the flagellatas. Flagellatas don't just grow from the ground. Nor do they appear out of nowhere and fight people.
• Why show up today? Why attack the kings? And why of all people was I the main target of the strongest flagellata?
• “Fuck!” I hear Elijah curse and we all stare at him while his gaze rests on my face. “Elder Zach is an energy sign.”
• “And…?” Xander tilts his head.
• “The man is seventy-ish and he remembers all the energies he has ever encountered in his life. He can sniff an odd energy from a mile away and can also seal them off.”
• I squeezed my hands in my lap and swallowed the tiny lump in my throat. Why does it feel like today will only keep getting worse?
• “Not to worry. If the rogue can't sniff her, he definitely won't be able to.” Christian assures.
• Subconsciously, I look at Xander and he flashes me a boyish grin. Something about him makes me uncomfortable. Out of all three, I liked him the least.
• Or it could be because he was more than eager to kill me just to keep whatever secret they were trying to hide. Or because the man was known as Sternolas country dick. He could fuck a tree if it has a titties and showed the slightest interest in him.
• And I wasn't one to like men who have no sense of dignity. I rest against the door and look out the window, my thoughts drifting away from the car. Through my peripheral vision, I can see Elijah whispering something to Xander and it occurs to me that these men should be enemies.
• According to the internet, they are always trying to rip each other's heads off if left in the same space. Some time around last year, during an High Lord's banquet, a priestess was told to watch them—more like a babysitter—because Xander kept lacing the other king's drinks with poison.
• But now, they look too close to be enemies. Forming an agreement to shut my mouth up meant they were hiding something.
• But what?
• And what was that dream I had? Who was the screaming woman behind the door? Where is that Golden Palace?
• Not to add, the bombing of the treaty palace? At the same time we were in such a strange accident with the flagellatas?
• I couldn't put a finger to it but something told me everything was connected. That it was all a web of events that was connected to something bigger. And my instincts have never been wrong.
• I don't know when I slept but by the time I was awake, it was already dusk and Xander was softly tapping at my cheek.
• “Hey. Wake up.”
• I alight from the car, rubbing the sleep off my eyes and the drool from my mouth when I notice the powerful figure of Elder Zach walking towards us.
• Even though I couldn't a good look around the compound, I can tell that the house is old and huge. The architecture dates back to hundreds of years ago.
• The secrets that lay beneath houses of the past like these were one of the things I needed. We may be in a computerised era, but there is no better place to keep important items and books than old houses with enclosed dungeons and secret rooms.
• The elder stops to greet the witch who must have arrived earlier than we did before walking towards us to get the king. Giving the Zen Alpha a particularly lower bow.
• Turning his attention to me, he squints his eyes, gaze roaming around my face before shifting to the jacket around my shoulders.
• “Good evening Elder Zach.” I bow, extending my hand out for him to take.
• He gently kisses the back of my hand and smiles. “You are Alpha Willows eldest daughter?”
• “Yes Elder.”
• He moves closer, grey hair falling over his forehead. “Have we met before Lady Fiona?”
• I shake my head, wearing a polite smile to mask my unease and the tension that was now lining my shoulder.
• “The nonarch has a very common face. Half of Sternola's women look exactly like her.” Chloe responds regarding me with a hard gaze and daunting voice.
• The Elder doesn't say a word. Instead, he stared at me a little more before turning to Elijah and saying. “The decision for your stop over was hasty, your highness. But rest assured I have asked the kitchen to prepare dinner. Tomorrow, I will properly throw you a banquet.” he gestures towards the entrance. “Please. Come in.”
• Xander places his hand over his chest and stands next to the Elder. “People in the South are really nice. Nobody treats me to a banquet even in my own palace.” He stops and gives Elijah a daring look. “How about we switch cardinals?”
• As we walked into the house, Elijah answered. His tone is calm but I can feel the annoyance brimming in it. “We may not put it up but we have very low tolerance for rogues in the south. In fact, rogues here are likely to die fast. Something about our air I think.”
• The implications were clear and it further piqued my interest. Why were they hating each other's guts in public yet neutral behind doors?
• “Ouch.” Xander mouths whispering something to the Elder who was softly laughing at whatever he said.
• At dinner, I am gulping and eating everything I can get my hands on. I have never had food this good before. Back at home, Kim and her mother always made sure I only have left overs.
• “Your wolf energy feels familiar, Lady Fiona.” Elder Zach suddenly says from across the table as he continues to eat.
• My legs freeze instantly and I manage to look at the older man with a blank expression. My mouth filled to the brim with food I was now rushing to swallow.
• “That is strange. I couldn't feel any wolf energy from her.” Chloe interjects glancing at Xander who was seated next to her.
• Chloe is right. The elder is strange because he shouldn't feel any wolf energy as I have none. I cannot shift and Fayla is nothing but a subconscious of what my wolf would be should she exist.
• But as if he didn't hear the lady comment, the Elder continues. “Were you perhaps here with your family during my Gabinhams celebratory banquet early this year?”
• There's something that has kept me alive ever since I found out my kind of species belongs to the pit of hell. Ever since I found out how huge an abomination I was years ago.
• So I open my mouth and do the one thing that I am used to. The one thing that feels familiar. The one thing that has kept me alive. I lied. “No. I was indisposed during your banquet Elder Zach.”