Chapter 305: A Fateful August
Instantly, Darach and Milo’s expressions darkened significantly. They shared a look with one another before turning back to look at me. Darach was the first to break the silence.
"And I suppose you know someone suspicious who goes by that name?" he asked.
I bit my lip, unsure whether or not I should spill this information. Only Damon knew― not even Blaise had heard of this from my own two lips. This had been kept entirely mum between me and Damon, but now that matters had made a turn for the worse, perhaps it was no longer wise to keep secrets.
"Yes," I confessed.
"Who?" Milo pressed. His fingers dug into the backrest of Darach’s chair, his eyebrows knitted together so tightly that wrinkles formed in his skin.
"A man from Everhaven," I said. "I thought he was a werewolf at first or even a human, but that might no longer be the case."
I told them about how Gus and I first met, how he was found by the borders of Fangborne right after a deadly attack on a civilian home, and how we reunited once more in Everhaven, the human town near Fangborne. But things got weird when I realized that Gus possessed all of the positive qualities of a werewolf — enhanced strength, speed, stamina, reflexes — but he could easily handle silver without even feeling an ounce of pain.
As the details grew from my recounts, Darach and Milo’s expressions got increasingly darker. They were solemnly silent, staring at me as though I was the criminal who needed to be captured and thrown into jail, not Dahlia Elrod or her accomplice, Gertrude.
Finally, Milo said, "This is bad."
"Do you know anyone by that name?" Darach prodded.
"No," Milo said. "But if he managed to sneak into Fangborne so easily, and now Thunderstrike, we might have more traitorous wolves than we thought. It might not just be Dahlia Elrod we have to watch out for, but a lot more who are secretly siding with the vampires - whether knowingly or not."
"We don’t know how he got into Fangborne," I confessed. "But that isn’t all. The vampires..."
I trailed off, unsure whether this was information I should be sharing. After all, I was spilling the pack matters of Fangborne to Thunderstrike. Even though Milo and Darach were friends of mine, they ultimately belonged to other packs― Thunderstrike and Hornstead. If it came down to it, Damon might not be too happy about this. Needless to say, a luna of a pack also shouldn’t be spilling secrets to other packs, allies or not.
On the other hand, this was a matter that concerned the vampires― the enemies of werewolves from age-old.
I figured that it was better to tell at least the barest of information for them to get the picture, rather than keep it a secret and end up on the losing end due to the lack of it.
"The vampires have also launched an attack on Fangborne a while ago," I said. "I... I lost a friend there. Or at least, someone I thought was a friend."
"We might have to contact Alpha Damon regarding this," Milo said grimly as Darach’s face paled.
"He just left!" Darach cried out.
"This isn’t as simple as it seems," Milo chided. "You need to get over your animosity when it comes to such matters. This consists not just of the safety of Thunderstrike, but quite possibly all werewolves across North America."
He continued, "Damon Valentine might’ve done you wrong, but you have to admit that Fangborne and Thunderstrike are the only candidates capable enough to replace the fallen Shadowpelt. What’s more, Fangborne was the pack that took down Shadowpelt in the first place. If it can fall to the hands of vampires, then there is no hope for the rest of us."
Darach grimaced, unable to argue against Milo’s flawless speech. "I’ll drop him a message," he reluctantly said.
"Good," Milo said. "I’ll inform my father after matters have been handled with Alpha Damon. I may be from Hornstead, but for now, it doesn’t concern us. Should Thunderstrike and Fangborne require our help, I will request my father to step in."
He clenched his fist tightly together, squeezing the cushion with his other hand to a point where I was worried his nails — not claws — would puncture the material.
"If it’s a fight with the vampires, Hornstead will not stand idle," Milo promised. "And I doubt the other werewolf pack would too, especially the bigger packs surrounding our land. The vampires would be a threat to them as well."
"Damon still has to deal with matters back in Fangborne," I said, frowning. "He doesn’t have the time to split his attention like that."
"He has no choice," Milo said. "He should’ve thought about that before turning Shadowpelt into dust."
"I’ve sent a message to Valentine," Darach said, huffing. "And now, we wait―"
There was no waiting required. My phone screen immediately began to buzz, and once I looked at the display name written on the screen, Damon’s contact name blared right in my face. I winced immediately, already imagining the way Damon would no doubt give me an earful for everything that had happened.
I accepted the call, and immediately, Damon’s voice reverberated through the speakers.
"I just left!" he yelled, to which Darach nodded silently from one corner. "What on earth is going on in Thunderstrike, Harper? I am starting to think I should’ve insisted on bringing you home!"
"Nothing has happened yet..." I trailed off, looking at Milo and Darach for help. However, their lips were tightly sealed. "Remember Gus?"
"How could I forget?" Damon asked flatly. "What about him? That wi―" Damon cut himself short before quickly correcting himself, "Elrod mentioned something about Dahlia and vampires working together?"
"Well, yes," I said. "Long story short, we’ve just discovered that Dahlia Elrod has been secretly meeting with someone in the sewers."
"An odd place for a date," Damon grumbled softly.
"If only it was an innocent romantic getaway," Darach piped up, rolling his eyes. "She’s been in contact with a man called Augustus. Harper suspects he might be the person she knows as ’Gus’."
