A Visit To Otsanna.

"She's reacting tremendously to a change, My Alpha." Channe said with her head slightly bowed.

"A change." He repeated after the young healer.

"Yes My Alpha." Channe continued. "As I said yesterday her body has gone through a lot. She's recovering from something serious and at the same time adapting to a change ."

Zephyr glanced at the person resting in his bed as he repeated Channe's words inwardly to himself. The person on the bed looked so small and weak, incapable of going through a tough situation.

"My Alpha, forgive me for saying." Channe began and Zephyr turned to her, his dark eyes making her contemplate her words.

But after a brief thought, she dared to go on because she knew that she had to tell him anyway.

"If you need her alive then we have to be more careful with her recovery." Channe said choosing her words carefully.

She suspected that something must have stressed the female after she woke up but she dared not directly accuse the Alpha.

"And if I am not careful, will she die?" Zephyr asked bluntly.

Again, Channe was uncertain. She glanced at the female on the bed who was breathing in a gentle rhythm.

She did not know how to answer that question because she could tell that the female was very strong, way too strong for her body to be so weak , yet fighting for life.

Hence she would be surprised if now that she was receiving treatment, she would die. But Channe was not sure that she was out of danger .

"Again, My Alpha. This female is strange to me and so I can't be certain of the facts. But we have to be careful, if her recovery is important. She needs to eat, rest….. or there is a possibility we may lose her."

Zephyr could not understand how someone who had been said to have gone through a hard time became limp in his arms all because he interrogated her.

Such manipulation or acute weakness!

Now how long would he have to wait?

He was about to ask Channe when he sensed his Beta approaching.

"Head to Nexus. I will meet you there." He ordered through the mind link.

Then he turned to Channe.

"Don't be late at midday." He ordered and she bowed her head in response.

Zephyr left the room tearing himself from the closeness of the bald being who he found he was attracted to, he felt a bit of discomfort and yet relief as he sank in to his usual emptiness.

As he headed for the Nexus of Ideas, his private study room, a lot of thoughts bombarded his mind.

He strolled in to the room where Ralph was waiting.

" Zephyr." He greeted as he presented the inked papers which Zephyr collected and set aside.

"Ralph." Zephyr answered.

"Those are the reports from the meeting." Ralph said.

There was a brief moment of silence and then Zephyr spoke.

"Xander will be reporting in two days?"

"Before nightfall of the second day. Why?" Ralph asked.

Zephyr sat up now with his hands clasped on the table.

"She woke up today."

He announced and Ralph sat up in curiosity.

"And?"

"She said she doesn't remember who she is." Zephyr said.

"Do you believe her?" Ralph asked.

"No." Zephyr said in a heartbeat but then again, he didn't believe anyone.

"I need to tell you something. I saw what seems to be a mark…. I-I- wasn't sure and you cut off the mind link last night so I couldn't ..."

Zephyr cut him off. "The Royal Mark? I saw it this morning."

"Is it really the mark?" Ralph asked shifting uncomfortably in his seat.

The question caused the air to thicken.

"It looks like." Zephyr confirmed. "Something very strange is going on." He added.

"Have the rules changed then? Does everyone from the royal pack bear the mark now? " The Beta asked no one in particular with his face still showing he was dazed.

"Xander would have had a mark as well if that was the case." Zephyr mentioned.

"She fainted again but as soon as she awakens, we will pay a visit to Otsanna. I will find out then what the truth is." He decided.

"Are you okay?" Ralph asked even though he could sense how unsettled Zephyr was which was very unusual.

"I'm fine." Zephyr lied.

He was used to an emptiness but since yesterday he had been dipped in to an unfamiliar sea of throbbing emotions.

"Take care." Ralph said excusing himself from the room as he knew that Zephyr would not say more.

When he was left alone, Zephyr stood up and walked towards a book shelf pulling out a folder. He took out a simple paper and stared at the sketched family portrait of the members of the Royal Family.

Hatred and darknesss clouded him.

———————————————————————

"Come on in, My Alpha." Alma said as she lead Alpha Zephyr in to the large chamber of Luna Vilka.

The Luna was seated by the window of the inner room shielded by the light curtains as she sat on the sill watching the thin waxing crescent that beautified the pale blue sky.

She inhaled deeply and released a puff of smoke of special herbs that had been given to her by Channe a moon ago.

Luna Vilka knew who it was when she heard footsteps. Only one person could freely walk past Alma without a pass from her.

Her son, Zephyr.

As she put away her rolled up herbs, she turned to him. He stepped in after pushing aside the curtains but making sure to maintain some distance between them.

"Good evening mother." He said with a slight nod of his head.

"Zephyr." She said and her heart sank as she remembered the stranger from his room.

"In my room earlier..." He started but she raised her hand to stop him with a weak smile.

"I'm sorry for showing up unannounced but I heard that you had gotten frequent visits from Channe and I wanted to make sure you were alright." She said.

"I am alright." He confirmed. "The healer was not for me. It was for the visitor in my room. That's why I am here."

"You don't have to explain Zephyr." Vilka said nervously as she brushed a sweat from her brow. "You're a grown werewolf. An Alpha. You can have whoever you want in your room…"

Zephyr detected something was wrong with his mother.

He expected her to be curious since she knew he did not let anyone into his room and he thought the stranger's strange look would also spark curiosity.

Zephyr didn't know why his mother was acting strange but he had no patience.

"I felt the mate attraction for her." He said simply in a clear voice.

Vilka snapped up at him, her eyes widened.

"What?" She breathed out in shock.

"During my morning run, I was dragged to the Silveren by the mate bond." He stated as if that was supposed to explain everything.

Then giving his mother no chance for recovery, he added.

"I am taking her to Otsanna tomorrow morning to confirm it. I would like for you to come with me."

Vilka sat up straight her eyes searching her son's expression for anything she could hold on to.

"She is your mate?" She asked in a low whisper that was loud enough for him to hear.

"Otsanna will tell us that." He answered.

"How did you find her?" Vilka asked one of the questions she had been wanting to.

"The bond pulled me to her during my morning run, she was in the Silveren. She was unconscious when I brought her out."

Vilka could sense a slight tone of irritation in her son's voice. He did not like to repeat himself but that did not stop her from asking him another question.

"Have you found out who she is?"

"No." He answered. "She claims to have lost her memory."

Vilka searched his eyes again. "You don't believe her."

"I would be a fool to. How often is someone found in the Silveren?"

It was a rhetorical question but Vilka thought about it.

"Has the Veil been broken?" Vilka asked with her eyes showing alarm.

"No mother. Our pack remains perfectly sealed with no way in and out." He said.

Vilka sank deeper in to thoughts again. Something very strange was happening and she could feel it.

"I want us to leave way before dusk." Zephyr said slicing through her thoughts with his cold voice.

"Yes My Son. Anything." She said.

"Goodnight." He stated and after saying a soft good night to him, she watched him depart.

Her heart was filled with grief and a tear slid down her cheeks. She could not help but feel a great loss as the thoughts of her son's condition resurfaced.

Her wonderful promising cub had been forced to pay a heavy and ultimate price for his people.

She rested back with her eyes closed and the image of the bald blue eyed stranger flashed in her mind.