<h4>Chapter 253: _Missing Piece Of The Puzzle</h4>
Kaelos’ POV
*****
I stood behind my office desk, my arms ced behind my back.
Standing in front of me were La, Marcellus, the military advisor, Althea and a few Elders of the pack.
My mind was still reeling after the funeral ceremony held in honour of Elder Davina. We were observing a moment of silence, but even then, I could still notice the tense and judgmental expressions on the faces of the Elders.
They were three in number... All men with balding hair. But I respected them for their wisdom nheless.
After a minute or two, I cleared my throat and gestured for everyone to sit, while I remained standing. I couldn’t afford to sit.
Not when my head was a fucking storm right now.
"La, when I was in Mexico, you reported a riot happening in the pack," I remarked, clearing my throat and cing my hands on the desk. "Please, enlighten me on it. Tell me the people who led it and exin in detail how the protest turned into a bloody riot."
La seemed hesitant... Or was that still lingering sadness on her face?
I honestly couldn’t tell and didn’t care enough right now to take note. I was dealing with my ownplex emotions.
Eventually, she cleared her throat and began. "The riot was led by a wolf named Timothy Sakaar. He rallied a group of wolves into the elite district that morning and then all the way to your mansion. The protesters... They carried problematic signboards."
I furrowed my eyebrows at the word "problematic". But I kept calm and silent, nodding for her to continue.
"The signs in question were all based around the idea that Odessa..." Her words died in her throat as she stared into my eyes.
She swallowed, her eyes quivering for a heartbeat before she cleared her throat. "... Sorry, I mean the Luna Queen, doesn’t belong here. One signboard even depicted an image of a witch being burned at the stake."
My nails scratched the desk instantly as I tried controlling my emotions.
’Find every one of those protesters and kill them. Paint the roads with their blood.’ Damon spoke with a growl.
But I lowered my head, looking away from the others as I snapped mentally. ’Would you chill out? I can’t kill a group of people expressing their rights. I—’
’Are you listening to yourself? Since when was this pack a fucking democracy?’ he sniggered with mockery. ’You are the bloody Alpha King. Those protesters turned that get-together into something violent and caused the deaths of people on their side and among your guards.’
I gritted my teeth, trying to fight off his rage festering in my head. It was safe to say that Damon’s influence on my mental space had slowly be as bad as my young years.
The years when I was led by my lust for blood.
And the catalyst? Davina’s death.
"Ahem..." The military advisor suddenly cleared his throat, forcing me to raise my head only to see him staring with a glint of suspicion in his eyes. "The high priestess was able to make a theory that someone out there used magic to influence the emotions of the people during the riot. Making them more... Violent."
Wait... What?
I arched an eyebrow before swerving my head to Althea who sighed lightly before nodding. "It’s true, Alpha King. Elder Davina mentioned spotting traces of a spell that pushed the emotions of the first wolf to fall before the riot became bloody. Farak."
I fucking knew it.
"So this riot still ties in to the witch or whatever that’s been terrorising us since Odessa’s arrival?" I muttered, shaking my head. "What else?"
"Artificial hybrids..." Marcellus was the one to speak this time, his voice filled with exhaustion as he folded his arms in front of his chest. "High priestess Althea brought them up, stating that the culprit behind the killings and the riot might be an artificial hybrid. But—"
"We’ll go with that." I nodded without a second thought. "Odessa told me about this theory before we left for Mexico. And I think we just got proof in Mexico City that the true lord of the North is secretly running experiments to create entire armies of these artificial hybrids."
Gasps echoed from almost everyone present.
<fn7d37> For original chapters go to find?novel</fn7d37>
"This is bad news." One of the eldersmented.
"It’s beyond bad news." Another chimed. "If this is true then it increases the threat of the war in North America having new yers if it ever spirals again—"
"The war will remain the way it is in North America." I interrupted with a domineering voice, my words bouncing off the walls. "Non-existent. Before we begin thinking about the Lord of the North, we need to develop a strategy to fish out this culprit."
Silence.
Those gathered nced at each other but none said anything.
Until...
"Sir, I don’t think Elder Davina’s murder is a coincidence," La said somberly. "Last night, when she was killed, we were discussing the creation of amittee led by Marcellus to fish out the culprit behind the atrocities in the pack. She seemed to have been on to something..."
My jaw clenched.
I racked my head, thinking of my next move.
"If that is the case, then it’s clear our culprit is either really good at hiding himself and listening from the shadows," I remarked, rubbing my chin thoughtfully. "Or, we have a mole amongst us. One who might be answering to the culprit... Or is the culprit himself."
The tension in the room tripled instantly as I scanned my gaze on all their faces.
Everyone either looked away solemnly or seemed to have thoughtful expressions on their faces.
I was close to cracking this. I could feel it.
But... Why do I feel like I was missing onest vital piece that would change everything and bring out the culprit?
Suddenly, Marcellus coughed and raised a hand. "I think we need to start our search internally. From among the elites and all the way to—"
Before he could finish speaking, a loud <strong>BOOM</strong> sounded outside, causing my eyes to widen as I ducked my head.