Chapter 14
Ever since the day Stanley lied to both the Alpha and the Beta, he had never been able to get over the mixed feelings of fear and guilt in his heart. It was not just because he felt he would be in trouble if the Alpha found out, but because someone innocent would die because of him.
He did not know why, but he felt that he could not trust the lady at the gate. His conscience spoke against giving her the letter that day, and the fact that Alpha Walden had not responded until now proved that his conscience was somewhat right. It was likely she did not keep her promise of delivering the message.
If Walden would still not come tomorrow, Miranda would be executed by evening, and it would be because of him. No! He could not let that happen. He was unsure if Alpha Walden got the message, but now, he needed to know more than ever.
He got up from his bed, quickly changing his clothes before grabbing his car keys from his bedside table and running out to his garage. As he started the car and left, he hoped and wished there would still be time to save Miranda's life. The last thing he wanted apart from another public execution was the blood of an innocent person on his hands.
***
He drove throughout the night, and by morning, he had reached the Night Shadow Pack's borders. The guards standing at the post stopped him before he could roll down his windows to speak to them. They recognized him from before. "You! Didn't you come here last time? What are you doing here again?"
"Please, just let me speak to your Alpha in person this time. I fear he may not have gotten the last message I sent, and it's crucially important that he does!"
"Young man, I won't tell you to leave―"
"Let him enter."
They turned to see someone coming from behind. It was Alpha Walden's younger sister, Sandy. She was just leaving the pack-house with her small troops for training at the edge that bordered the Night Shadow's territory.
The guards bowed upon seeing her, "Good morning, Your Highness."
She brushed them off, turning to the young man still seated in his car. "You're here to see my brother. What for?"
Stanley did not need anyone to tell him, for her aura depicted that of royalty from one of the strongest territories. "Good morning, ma'am. I came here to deliver a message to the Alpha of the Night Shadow Pack."
"Who is it from?"
"From Alpha Damian of the Silver Pack, ma'am," Stanley replied.
"I see. So, where is this message?"
"I don't have it with me anymore, ma'am."
"What are you talking about?" Sandy asked.
One of the guards helped to explain. "He gave it to Madame Samara two days ago when he last came here. She offered to deliver it since we couldn't allow an outsider through the gates of the pack-house."
She scowled at him, "You let him give a message meant for Walden to Samara?! Even if he wasn't allowed to enter, did you even bother to follow up if that message got to my brother?"
The guard shook his head nervously and said, "Uhm, no, ma'am."
"Then you must be a fool!" She spat before turning back to Stanley.
"I'm sorry for your experience here. Walden wasn't around the day you came, but he'll be coming to the field this morning to join us to train. Why don't you wait for him there?"
"Oh... Uhm, thank you. You're so nice. Thank you so much."
"I am doing this hoping that the Silver Pack will learn to show hospitality to their neighbors one day. I love how it used to be between the twelve packs before the war began. We need to treat each other as equals and not as enemies. The real enemies are the rogues."
"I couldn't agree more with you, ma'am. I, too, wish the same thing for the Silver Pack."
***
Samara and Walden had reached the field for their early morning training with Sandy's troops. The guards at the borders greeted them before they arrived at the area on the outer edge.
"I'll be taking your first fight today, Walden," Samara teased as she picked up a sword.
When she looked in the opposite direction, she saw something that made her heart nearly drop.
'That brat! He came back! He must have figured out that Walden didn't receive the letter, and now he is here to expose me! No! I can't let this happen! Walden will never forgive me if he finds out what I did!' Samara thought.
Things were not looking so good for her now as Stanley had caught sight of Walden entering the training field and was now approaching him. She needed to do something quick!
She let out a scream as she dropped to the ground.
"Samara! Samara! Oh my goodness, are you alright? Samara! Guards!"
The men did not need to be told what to do. The minute they saw Samara fainting, they started on their heels and ran towards her to carry her.
Sandy, who also saw what happened from where she was, dropped her sword and left her opponent to run towards the scene.
Walden held an unconscious Samara in his arms, his expressions clouded with fear and worry.
"Is she alright? What happened to her?" Sandy asked worriedly, watching as the guards lifted Samara and took her under the shade of a tree, where she was given some water.
Walden followed her to the shade to sit beside her before he gave instructions to the guard to act quickly. "Return to the pack-house and send for the healer immediately."
"Yes, sire."
He turned back to Samara, who had now regained a bit of consciousness but was still very weak. "Samara? What is wrong with you? Don't scare me like that again!" He cried as he took her hand. Sandy watched with worry still written on her face.
Soon, they began to hear Samara's still voice. "I'm s-sorry, I was just scared and suddenly became weak when I saw him."
"Who? Who did you see, Samara? Tell me!"
"I was so worried―"
"Samara, why are you talking like this? Tell me! What is going on with you? Who is this person you speak of?"
Samara then raised her eyes and suddenly stretched her hand forward, pointing at Stanley in the distance. He had also watched everything that had happened and felt nothing but pity for Samara.
"He is the one. Alpha Damian sent him to kill you, Walden. He is a spy."
Upon hearing Samara's words, Walden did not think twice before giving the order to his guards, nudging his head in Stanley's direction.
"Arrest him!"