Chapter 7
2076 Words
Maxim lifted his arm, and Saoirse wrapped hers around it. When they finally were out, she breathed the clean air in deeply.
“What are you doing?” Maxim asked her curiously. Saoirse looked at him, ready to apologize, but she suddenly noticed he had changed somehow. Now he looked like a young eighteen-year-old Alpha werewolf.
“Nothing, I just like fresh air.”
Maxim only nodded, and it seemed like he would like to talk to Saoirse, but he did not know what to say. Finally, after a long and embarrassing silence, he looked at her.
“How is your pack? Does it look the same as ours?”
“Yes, it’s quite the same, but it’s smaller.”
Maxim laughed quietly, but proudly, which made Saoirse look at him again. That was the first time she saw him laugh. Saoirse did not even realize she had left her gaze on him. She found him much more handsome when he was smiling or laughing.
“Do you want to see the town?” He asked.
“Yes, I would love to.”
“The pack members are always happy to see me,” he said proudly.
“Do they like you?”
He looked at Saoirse and frowned, like he did not understand her question.
“Of course they do. We treat them well. They have no reason not to like any of us.”
Saoirse smiled this time.
“Sorry Maxim, I didn’t mean to degrade your family.”
Maxim smiled.
“Apologies accepted.”
While Maxim led Saoirse into the town, they both remained quiet. Both of them taught about their brief conversation.
The town was not too far. They got there quickly. The werewolves indeed looked happy. They all bowed at their future Alpha, and they stared at Saoirse curiously after they passed them.
They arrived at the long market street. Saoirse liked to wander around these streets in the Red Moon Pack, and she happily noticed the market also wasn't different either. The vendors had a lot of nice merchandise that she wanted to buy.
“Maxim, will you come here with me before we leave?”
“Of course. What would you like?”
“I just thought I'd buy presents for my family.”
“Just let me know whenever you wish to come.”
“Thank you.”
As they walked to the end of the street, Saoirse saw a stage. Many werewolves worked on it, most of them cleaned its floor. It filled her heart with sadness and fear. She knew this stage well.
As a young alpha, she always needed to attend to these occasions. Even if she told her parents many times, she feared it, and it made her feel so bad, but they expected her to come.
After her first attendance, she had nightmares, so from then she had a trick. She always kept her gaze lowered, and she closed her eyes at the worst part. It was simple. Because everyone focused on the stage, no one ever noticed she missed the worst scenes. Then, when she was allowed to leave, she always found something to focus on, avoiding looking at the stage accidentally.
“Saoirse, are you alright?”
Maxim asked her while frowning.
“Yes, I just hate executions.”
Maxim looked at her in surprise.
“As an Alpha, I’m guessing you attended a few.”
Saoirse smiled sadly.
“I did, but I never liked it. It makes me shiver, actually.” She sighed. “Do you enjoy watching it?”
“Of course not, but executions are important. That is clearing the pack from sinners and bad wolves. It keeps normal werewolves safe.”
“Do you think death is a solution?”
“Well, we can’t feed them in the dungeon forever. What we give them, we need to take from the pack, and that isn’t fair, as law-abiding werewolves don't deserve to be lacking anything because of sinners.”
Maxim told her with indifference.
“When will the execution take place?”
“Tomorrow morning. You don’t have to attend if you don’t want to. It’s not your pack after all.”
Saoirse’s heart calmed down a little, like Joice’s. Joice did not enjoy being there either. She was unusually quiet, trying to survive like Saoirse did.
“What is the sin that the sinner committed?”
“He helped rogues to hide in here.”
Saoirse did not want to reveal her feelings. For her, that was not a sin.
“Were the rogues doing something bad?”
Maxim sighed, then stopped. He turned to face Saoirse.
“There were two healers. They had some unusual behavior, and there was a Theta who kept those rogues hidden. The two rogues wanted to help the two healers to leave the territory before their executions.”
Saoirse’s heart pounded faster instantly when she heard the word “healer”. The fable says the healers’ ancestors were the members of the Silver Moon Pack hundreds of years ago. She suspected the two rogues were not rogues at all.
“What happened to the healers and the rogues?”
“We executed them last week. The Theta is the last one who is still alive.”
Saoirse tried to calm herself, but she could not ask what Joice wanted to know.
“What do you mean, the healers showed unusual behavior?”
“In the lawsuit, other werewolves said they fought with them, and they were quite strong. The interrogators questioned them, and they said they didn’t understand what happened to them and where their power came from.”
“And is this why they killed them for?”
“Saoirse. You know that too. Healers are the most useless werewolves.” Maxim laughed. “Well, what am I really talking about? In my opinion, they don’t even deserve to be called like that. If they have the power to fight, then they aren’t healers. It doesn’t matter how they became members of their caste, they lied about their origin, and that is a sin.”
“Is the origin really that important?”
Maxim’s expression became serious as he looked into Saoirse’s eyes.
“Saoirse, origin is the most important thing in a werewolf community. This is how we can keep the hierarchical system. Without that, the pack couldn’t work well. An Alpha is an Alpha, but what really makes an Alpha a good Alpha is keeping the pack at peace by keeping it in order.”
He moved back next to Saoirse and wrapped her arm around his. They walked quietly next to each other.
Saoirse did not want to say a word. The worst part was she knew this rule well. The only difference between her pack and this one was that they didn't kill instantly, at least.
If a rogue showed up in the pack, they would question them. If the Alpha and Luna deemed them harmless, they would ask them to swear an oath and then become part of the pack.
They remained under surveillance for a little while, but after that, they became real members of their original caste.
They walked back to the castle, and Saoirse collapsed onto her bed when she was finally alone. She still was not at ease at all. Thinking of Grace, she thought the world that she lived in was too cruel for her to take. Grace talked a lot about the difficulties of living inside the dark hill, while Saoirse just wanted to join the Silver Moon Pack, even if it meant giving up luxuries.
But that did not matter how much she longed to live differently. She always remembered her mother. She knew her father would not miss her, but her mother would break down if she disappeared.
“What do you think, Joice? You have been so quiet since we arrived.”
“I don’t know Saoirse. Maxim would be okay, but to live here? They are too cruel.”
Saoirse’s eyes widened.
“What do you mean, live here?”
“Saoirse, didn’t you think about why we had to come, and why Luna asked Maxim to take you out?”
“Dad just wants to keep the friendship between the two packs. What else?”
“Saoirse, I’m afraid. Our father's intention isn’t just that.”
“What do you mean?”
“I’m afraid the Alpha and Luna are looking for a future Luna for their son.”
Saoirse sat up in her bed.
“That just can’t happen.”
“Well, our parents probably would be thrilled if we could mate with Maxim and Caelan. They’d be really proud.”
“But what if I don’t want that at all?”
“I don’t want that either, but you know. Once we are marked, we’ll soon be in love.”
“Joice, it’s not about that, I know that, but who wants to live in a pack like this?”
“Well, I hope Maxim will find you too soft for the Luna position, and then he won’t choose you.”
“Do you think I should make him hate me?”
“No, don’t do that. You know what our parents asked. Do you want to be locked in the castle when we get back?”
Saoirse lowered her head.
“No.”
“Just act normal. Be yourself. If he chooses you, there is nothing you can do. Let's hope we aren’t the one candidate. They might get another she wolf, who will be much more interesting than us. A she wolf that makes them forget about us.”
Saoirse took some deep breaths. When they finished this conversation, she was not at ease at all. This pack was too far from hers, and her other thought was, if she had to live here, how would she see Grace?
She tried to think about the time she still had. No male could mark her under the age of eighteen.
The dinner started quietly. They served dessert when the Alpha broke the silence.
“Have you planned anything for tomorrow?”
Keith looked at him and wiped his mouth with his napkin before he answered.
“No Alpha, we hoped you found us something to do. Even if you need some help with anything, we are happy to help.”
The Alpha was thinking for a few moments.
“Tomorrow morning, an execution will take place, which we must attend. You can join us.”
“Yes, Alpha,” Keith answered with indifference.
Saoirse swallowed quietly. She did not dare to say a word. She only felt Maxim’s gaze on her, and he looked up to meet his gaze. That gave her a weird feeling. She could not read Maxim’s expression yet, so she did not know what he thought. She quickly looked at her plate as soon as an Omega put it on the table and she exhaled quietly when the Alpha started eating.
After dinner, Maxim offered to accompany her, walking back into her room. They had nearly reached it when she heard Maxim’s voice.
“Saoirse, you don’t have to attend if you don’t want to.”
“Why do you think I don’t want that?”
“Because I’m not blind.” He smiled before he continued.
“You are a she wolf. You are much softer than us. It’s okay if you don’t like to watch it.”
“I’m not that soft.”
“Of course not.” He nearly laughed.
“Do you think it’s shameful?”
“No. Like I said, you are a she wolf, and you are young. You’ll be a Luna one time, and then probably you’ll see things differently.”
Saoirse wanted to tell him she did not want to see things differently, but Joice told her not to. She reminded her what their parents would do, if she ruined anything that they hoped for, if they sent her here with that intention.
“I’ll attend.”
Maxim looked at her suddenly, in surprise.
“Are you sure?”
Saoirse nodded.
“Then let me come for you early in the morning.”
“Okay.”
They arrived at her room, and Maxim smiled at her.
“Braveness is one way to success. This is what my father usually says.”
Saoirse smiled and nodded at him.
- Writer
