Velor tapped his finger against the map pinned to the stone wall of his study.He seemed lost in deep thoughts, the sassy smirk on his face long gone. In its place was a shroud of gloom like someone who had lost everything.
That’s when the door burst open and one of his wives came running in. Velor did not look up. "The witches are arguing with the healer!" she gasped, nails digging into the doorframe.
Velor didn’t even turn around. He spared her a short frown over his shoulder before returning to the map. "Let them argue.They can’t live without cursing each other. You should have bothered me if they had started stabbing each other. "
"But this is serious!" she insisted, stepping forward. "It’s about the girl."
That earned a slow pause from Velor’s hand.Before he could respond, another wife swept into the room, eyes wide and mouth already forming a sentence. "You must hear this out, Velor. She is not with just one child..."
His brow twitched slightly.The third arrived, breathless. "They just confirmed...she is carrying twins."
A slow grin curled Velor’s lips. He leaned back, flipping his hair over his shoulder with a lazy flick. "Well. This is getting interesting."
Velor turned slowly, cocking a brow. "Well, well." He stroked his chin thoughtfully,setting his hair back to its position with one hand.
"But that’s not the real problem." The second wife blurted.
He arched a brow, lounging back against the desk. "Do tell."
"She needs blood, Velor. A lot of it like they already mentioned. The healer says no spell will hold unless she stabilizes. The bleeding is too severe. And the fetuses..." Her voice dropped slightly. "They are... strong. Unusually strong."
"However..." the first wife added gravely.
Velor narrowed his eyes. "However, what?"
The three women exchanged glances before answering in unison."Her blood is rare. Like, super rare."
The first wife stepped forward. "It will only be compatible with near kin. So..."
"So it seems we will have to inform Alpha Kieran after all," the second murmured.
The third clenched her fists. "Otherwise, she dies."
For a beat, silence settled over the room like a heavy fog.
But then... Velor smiled.
Not a gentle one. Not a comforting one.
A slow, dangerous, satisfied curve of the lips.
"Relax, girls," he drawled, pushing away from the table and rolling down his sleeves. "No one is dying on my watch."
"But..." the second started.
"They need blood that’s compatible?" Velor interrupted, already striding toward the door. "Perfect. I happen to have exactly what they need."
"You do?" one whispered.
"Oh yes," Velor said over his shoulder. "Tell them to stop bickering and get her ready for transfusion."
With that, Velor left his three wives stunned in his wake, striding out of the study with his usual elegance.
Time was running out for Autumn but he seemed in no hurry. However, for some reason, he seemed to head towards the garage and pull out a combat bike. The only reason could be to save time. Ah, his duality!
It seemed like he was headed towards the fringe barracks.
It stood isolated at the edge of the castle grounds. It was a looming structure of dark stone that most of the pack avoided.There were rumors. It seemed like even wolves were scared of dark spirits. The Bloodfangs claimed the place was haunted.
Unlike the rest of the fortress, there were no guards stationed there. No patrols. No signs of life at all.It felt too eerie even in broad day light.
Velor kicked his bike to life, the engine snarling as he tore across the courtyard. The wind whipped through his hair, but his mind was elsewhere...focused on what lay beneath those empty barracks.
He killed the engine at the gates.The only sound was the distant caw of a raven as he dismounted, leaving the bike where it stood.
The heavy wooden doors groaned as he pushed them open, revealing nothing but shadows within.
Empty. Deserted.Like always.
But Velor didn’t walk forward.He looked around and found a bookshelf.It was a broken metal shelf, that looked like it could use some repairs. There were no books left on it whatsoever.The few that were left...were long eaten away by insects and then blown away by the wind.
He pushed the door thrice on the left and then pulled it thrice to the right. Then he stepped back. There was a creaking noise. Some levers turned and the shelf started moving.
Once the dust settled, a trap door came into view where the shelf was. Velor yanked it open and stepped inside without any hesitation.
A flight of stairs spread before him, heading straight towards the bottom of the establishment.
Without hesitation he descended.
The hidden stairwell was narrow and steep. And it led deeper underground. The air grew colder with each step. The scent of damp earth and something like dust and rot, thickened the confined air.
Then there was breathing.
Deep, ragged, like a panting dog.
Then came the sound of bones snapping. Like it does when one undergoes their first transformation under the Moon.
Velor’s steps did not falter even though it was pitch black. It seemed like he knew the place like the back of his hand. Like he had been there too often, too many times.
When he finally reached the bottom, there was a single iron door that stood there.
It was bolted and reinforced with runes that pulsed faintly in the dark.
He paused, listening to the creature on the other side.
Then, with a smirk, he rapped his knuckles against the metal.
"Hello, beautiful," he crooned. "Haven’t seen you in a while."
He was greeted with more silence.
And then... A roar shook the walls, so violent the door trembled. Chains clanked, straining against something with a lot of strength.
Velor only grinned wider.
"Miss me, darling?I missed you too! "