River shrank when she saw the Lycans approaching her. They were so tall that she felt puny in front of them. They were so muscular that she looked like a child.
“Hi,” said one with long blond hair that fell to his neck. “I am Decker.” He introduced his friends. “This is James, Lucas and Noah.”
River’s lips quivered as anxiety filled her. She said “Hi,” to them. Back in the Crescent Pack, not a single hoy greeted her. They avoided her like a plaque because Hector and Victoria hated her, because her own parents hated her. So no one wanted to even be her friend.
“Are you new here? We haven’t seen you in the Dark Moon pack,” Decker said, his eyes roaming over her
“Yes, I am,” she said quietly. She didn’t want to tell them that she was a breeder. The word was so derogatory even for her that it made her feel ashamed of herself.
“Have you come alone?” he asked.
“Yes.”
They all relaxed around her and then started to talk to her jovially. They joked with her and she came to know that they were all Gamma warriors of the pack.
“This I got when we fought against the werewolves,” said Lucas who was now showing off the scars on his neck. He pointed to a different one on his chest. “This too!”
“Fight with the werewolves?” River asked, as she stared at his chest. She was not sure as to what he was saying because there was no war between them and the Lycans.
“Yes!” he said as if surprised by her statement. “Why? Don’t you know that Alpha sent us for the last fight against the werewolves a year back?”
River was dumbstruck. She stared at him with a blank expression. There were simply no fights between the Lycans and the werewolves that she knew of.
“Well, it was a good lesson we gave them,” James added. “I don’t know why they are trying to go to war despite the peace treaty that was signed between us.”
“It’s not all of them. It’s just a faction that thinks that they have the right to occupy the Veil and surrounding areas,” Lucas said. “But they forget that they can’t win against us!”
The rest of them laughed, smirking at the werewolves.
“That’s true. There’s a faction of werewolves, rather a few packs who keep sending their warriors to fight us,” Decker said. “After the last Alpha King of the werewolves, Alpha Lowell, was killed by some of these b*stards just because he wanted peace, the fights have increased! It’s like they don’t want peace.”
“And I am glad that Alpha Hunter is doing everything in his hands to keep them at bay,” James sighed.
“The last time I went for the war,” Lucas said, “I heard that Alpha Lowell’s entire family was massacred by a group of Alphas.”
“Yes, they killed everyone in his family and then declared independence. Now, instead of being under one king, they have formed small packs, which each of them runs according to their own whim and laws!” James scoffed.
River was stunned. All her life she knew that werewolves remained in different packs and were never under one Alpha king. She wanted to ask as to what times they were talking about, but she refrained.
“But I heard something very interesting, you know,” Decker said with a gleam in his eyes.
“What?” River asked.
“Come closer,” Decker whispered.
River was about to go close to Decker as if hypnotized by his words when Noah rolled his eyes. “Forget it. He speaks too much!”
“That’s right!” James chuckled and gave a hard pat on Decker’s back. Decker became absolutely quiet. James looked at River and said, “Why don’t you join us at the lakeside tomorrow? We are going fishing.”
The boys looked at her expectantly. River liked the way they cozied up with her. It was the first time she felt good in company. River rubbed her neck. “I am not sure…” She didn’t know why these Lycans were interested in her, but she liked the attention. Not many paid her attention anyway, so this was a refreshing feel. “I will have to ask-”
“Ask whom?” James said, rather bewildered.
River pursed her lips as a pale blush appeared on her cheeks. “I mean I have to-”
Suddenly a sharp voice came, cutting her off. “Where did you get that necklace from?” Rosalie was standing behind the men with her arms crossed across her chest. She was glaring at River, her eyes focused on her necklace.
River jumped, whipping her head towards Rosalie. “This was a gift.”
Rosalie stepped closer and growled in a low voice. “This was a gift or you stole it?”
Aghast at her words, River stared at her for a moment. “No, why would I steal it? It is a gift from Alpha Hunter.”
“Oh my!” Rosalie sneered. “A gift from the Lycan King? Do you think I am so blind that I don’t know what you are up to? You little b*tch. You stole it and now you are adding Alpha Hunter’s name in order to get away with your thievery?”
“No!” River shook her head. “You are accusing me wrongly. Alpha Hunter gave it to me!”
“Enough!” Rosalie growled. She grabbed River’s wrist and dragged her away from the Lycans who were standing around her. “This necklace was meant for me. Alpha Hunter had kept it for me, not you!”
River felt so humiliated. “Please Lady Rosalie. I haven’t stolen it. Why would I do that?”
“Oh sht up!” Rosalie snapped. “I know the likes of you. You all pose to be that innocent and distressed girl. You are nothing but an abomination.” She dragged her out of the hall with everyone watching them. As soon as they were out, she roughly snatched the necklace from River, eliciting a cry from her. She pushed her down the stairs and growled, “Leave, b*tch! If you come here again, I will have you skinned! Bl*ody thief!”
Dumbstruck, River watched Rosalie going into the banquet hall while wearing the necklace. Tears burned the back of her eyes and she couldn’t help them from pouring out. With a sob that she stifled with the back of her hand, she ran away from the hall. The skin on her neck burned from being hurt. When she ran her fingers there, it felt as if it was peeled. Her mind and her body both felt abused. She crossed the main hall of the castle and was running back to her room when she bumped into someone.
