The mystery of the city called Zolf

~𝐀𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐧~

When we got to the corridor, she was trembling like a lonely autumn leaf near me. And I don't know if it was because she was scared or cold, but I took her in my arms and all the way downstairs I carried her. She wasn't against it, hasn't said even a word, just pressed her body towards mine. I haven't seen her, but I knew she closed her beautiful blue eyes.

"Should we catch a taxi?" William asked, standing not far away from me. I looked around, then felt her straighten up, and I put her on her legs. Letty looked over us, she should be already suspecting us of being werewolves, just like those who chased her, but we're different. The sooner I'll explain everything, the sooner she'll be back… maybe…

I can't be sure after all that she will choose me as a mate again, but my hope will never die.

"I have a car in the backyard," Letty said, turning me back from thoughts, "The three or four of us will be good there, but I'm not sure about the others…"

She looked around, shaking her bright-rose hair, and the light wind caught it and started playing with it, making it shine in the sun's rays. I smiled.

"You, William, and I will go to the office, Letty," I said, then turned to Chris who just joined us in the front of the hotel. He was still in his shorts. That's everything he was able to catch in my wardrobe suitable for him after we got back from the forbidden territory, receiving William's information about Letty and strangers that dared to chase her. Chris's dark skin was again making tricks with its color on the sun. I looked at him, and our eyes met for a second, then he looked at my neck, so I commanded, "Chris took all the people available for now, and check every corner in the city. If they escaped to the forbidden territory, let me know."

He only nodded, then disappeared.

"They are so loyal," Letty suddenly said, then looked at me, "You're lucky to have them."

"Indeed," I smiled, then put hands in the pockets of my gray jeans, and looked at William, "Am I?"

"I think yes," he blushed for a second, then turned away, "So where's the car?' It's still not safe here until they'll check everything."

"Oh yeah, sorry, follow me," Letty blushed from head to toes, then went to the backyard where the parking lot was, and we saw her car. It was the same Mini Cooper S "R53" her father bought her not so long before his death. It was deep blue with some white details. Letty opened it and sat on the driver's seat, so I took a place next to her and William was on the back.

The Mini Cooper is a small car, but this one was comfortable enough for me to not feel like a fish in a small aquarium. Letty drove out of the parking lot, I guided her until we reached the main building in the city. It was not far away from the library, just in front of it. I could see the White Wolf library front side from my office in its all glory.

We got to the upper floor in a few minutes, then went straight to my office, where we began to wait for William. He went to the nearest Café to get us some tasty coffee. Letty sat on a sofa standing near the left wall, while my table was on the right one. I just got a chair and sat in front of her.

"Ask," I said, and put my hands on my knees, leaning closer to her. She took off her sneakers, took her knees under herself, then hugged her shoulders. I took my jacket from the back of the chair and put it on her, then sat in the previous position. She wrapped in it, then looked at me thankfully.

"Zolf is a city of werewolves, right? You're like a Pack?" She asked, looking at me with her eyes full of questions. I nodded.

"Zolf is a shortening from "Wolf's Zone", like Alpha's zone, mine zone if to be direct. Werewolves nowadays live in Packs in the cities or forests, far away from the people. My Pack lives both in the city and in the forest, the main settlement is in the forest, this city was taken under Pack's guidance not so long ago. Mainly it was done for Pack's needs, more working places, more money, and more goods for export to other Packs," I explained, seeing her full understanding. She looked at the opened door.

William got inside with three cups of coffee, give the first one to me, then the second one to Letty, then sat at a chair near my table, away from us.

"William White, my Beta," I introduced him to her, and she nodded her head.

"The second man in charge in the Pack after Alpha, his best friend and advisor," she said as if remembering a line from a book, then her eyes moved to me again, "My father was a werewolf too?"

I nodded. I don't want to touch on a topic about her father as it would be too much for now, but I'm not the one to decide. She will know it sooner or later.

"How is my father related to this city and your Pack? Rick said you lost your father three years ago, that's the time when my father died, and I lost my memories? Is it somehow connected?" She asked, then took a sip of coffee from a paper cup. I shook my head negatively.

"Not at all. My father was sick, so we made an Alpha duel for him to die in a battle, and not from a disease," I explained, then took a sip from my paper cup as well. Letty focused her eyes on me.

"What happened to my father?" She asked directly, and I sighed.

"Getting too much information at once is harmful," William suddenly intervene in our conversation, actually saving me from tortures deep in my head. He stood up and came closer to us, drinking coffee from his cup, "There's much more information for you to know, however everything at once can make much more harm than you can imagine. It can provoke your mind to block the information again…"

"Don't scare her," I asked, and he stepped back.

"No, it's okay," she blushed, then looked around, "At least I know where am I, and for some reason, I'm sure I belong to this place…"

"What were you doing near the forbidden territory?" I asked to change the topic. She shrugged.

"When I got my car, back, I decided to have a ride through the forest and then go back to the hotel. I needed to clear my mind, recently I have had too many questions that bring me nothing else than headaches. When I got closer to the forest, I saw a sign and got out from a car to look at what was written there. And I saw them…" She looked back at me with her eyes full of sadness, "What have I done to them, so they wanted to catch me?"

"Nothing, it's not about you," I shook my head, taking a deep breath out, "It's because of your father…"

"What has he done?" She asked, then shook her head and burst her fingers in her hair, "Questions again…"

I sat near her and pressed her body to mine.

"Shhh…"

She put her head on my shoulder, still squeezing her rose-red hair with her fingers. I gently took her hands out of her hair, then started stroking it, with a slight smile. Previously, when she was nervous, she was squeezing her hair with her fingers as it would help her to ease the situation. Nothing had changed.

"Aiden, what do you think about Letty having a night off today? Some change of things might help her to relax," William proposed, and before I could answer, she immediately straightened up.

"Maybe not today? I prefer staying around people, as I don't have a lot of friends here," she said, looking at me.

"That's only up to you to decide, but I think being under my eyes will keep you safe," I gave her my opinion, and she nodded.

"What's an Alpha duel?" She asked, breaking the awkward silence and taking a sip of coffee after.

"That's a fight between the current Alpha and the werewolf, that wants to have his title," William said, then looked at me.

"And the winner will be the Alpha of the Pack?" Letty asked, getting closer to the key of her question.

"Yes," I answered, taking a sip of coffee.

"What's happening with the looser, then?"

"He either dies in the battle from wounds or surrenders and leaves the Pack…" I said, then looked at her. Letty was silent for a moment.

"Wait… If to collect everything together, it means your father died in the duel, so it means…" She got silent.

"I killed him? Yes."