Chapter 8

Elena

The trip to Silver Pack takes more time than I expected. We were on a lonely road when a group of vampires and rogues attacked us. Between Mark, William, and I, we killed them fast. After we got rid of the bodies, I saw that one of my bolts got stuck in one of the car tires. While Mark and William changed the tire, I thought of the slave. The rest of the way to Silver Pack, I keep thinking about Max and the phone call, and it makes no sense.

Slaves have been a commodity for many generations and were usually humans, members of enemy packs, or rogues. In the beginning, the slaves were treated like Omegas, but with time, Alphas and other werewolves started mistreating the slaves. Females were given to warriors and used for pleasure and breeding, while the males were put to do most of the work inside the pack. After many years of suffering, an Alpha and Luna Supreme decided enough was enough and abolished slavery. Of course, there were still Alphas that chose to do the opposite and continued to enslave people and treat them worse than mere animals. When the Alpha Supreme found out, he stripped all those that disobeyed him of their titles and exiled them from Romania. The packs have been disbanded, and the werewolves that were not sent in exile were sent to live in other territories.

It is late afternoon when Mark stops the car in the small parking lot belonging to the Silver Pack. Before I open the door, I touch my dagger to make sure I still have it. It is a silly habit I have, and I can’t get rid of it. I get out of the car and look around. The pack is unusually quiet. Normally small pups run around while teenagers flirt and adults work. But around the Silver Pack territory, I don’t see any movement or hear any sounds. I am certain no one attacked the pack because I don’t smell blood, and there are no bodies in sight.

“Where do you think everyone is?” William asks me.

“Maybe they are inside,” Mark replies before I have a chance to say anything.

Something about the atmosphere around the pack makes me uneasy. “Let’s go to the Pack House,” I say in a cold tone.

We walk as quietly as we can in case the pack has been attacked and the attackers are inside. We go straight to the Pack House, and before I enter, I listen carefully. When I don’t hear anything strange, I open the door and go inside. Mark and William follow me.

The Pack House was probably built around a hundred years ago when the Silver Pack was established. It has not only many rooms but also a spacious entrance, and in the middle of it, seven pups play with toys. One of them notices me and looks at me with scared eyes. I put my index finger on my lips, letting him know he should be quiet, and I crouch next to him. Mark and William stop next to me. While I have little to no patience with adults, I enjoy the pups’ company. Mark often laughs and tells me that when I find my mate, he will reject me because I am scary and I will never have my own pup. I usually roll my eyes because he knows I don’t want a family. A child is a weakness I can’t afford to have.

Mia huffs. ‘A pup is many things, but never a weakness!’ she tells me, and I try my best to ignore her.

“Is everything alright with the pack?” I ask the pups.

One of them shrugs. “I suppose.”

I tilt my head to the side. “What do you mean?”

“Mrs. Radu always makes our breakfast, but today she was not in the kitchen, and we had to eat leftovers,” another pup says, pouting.

“When was the last time you saw her?” I ask.

“Last night, when we celebrated Alpha Max’s birthday.”

“Maybe she is in her room,” I suggest.

“We looked for her, but she’s not there. And not only her but also Mr. Radu and Ana are missing as well,” a pup says.

“Don’t forget about the Worm,” the last pup adds.

I frown. “The Worm? Who is that?” I ask because I find the name unusual.

The pups shrug. “We don’t know his real name, but he is the pack’s slave. He does all the work around here,” one of them replies.

I clench my jaw. “I suppose you last saw the slave last night?”

“Yeah, and since this morning, the adults have been acting weird and ignoring us. We came here to play because our parents told us not to go outside.”

The pups nod, and I ruffle their hair before I stand. “I am going to look for Mrs. Radu and Alpha Max,” I tell them before I go to look for the office. Mark and William walk behind me.

We find the dining room—the tables still have plates with leftovers and glasses half full with drinks, and confetti covers a great part of the wooden floor. All packs have Omegas which keep the Pack House clean, not because someone forces them, but because Omegas love to have everything shining and sparkling.

I pass the dining room, and several meters ahead, a male comes out of a room. His eyes are red, as if he had been crying for a long time.

“Who are you?” he asks. His voice is hoarse.

“Elena Albu. I received a phone call, and someone informed me about a slave being kept in this pack,” I reply.

The male nods. “It’s all my fault,” he says, and I am not sure what he means by that. “She came to me, asking for my help, telling me she wants to run away with Alpha Max’s slave.” The male rubs his face with his palm. “Like a stupid idiot, I informed the Alpha about the plan because I was afraid Alpha Max would catch them before they got away from the pack, and he would kill them. The Alpha told me he would spare her since she is my mate, but he lied to me and he took not only her and the slave to the dungeons but also her parents.”

I have an idea of where this is going, but I still ask. “Who is them?”

“Ana and Mr Radu and Mrs. Radu—her parents.”

“Where is Alpha Max?” I ask because I need to find him fast.

“In his office,” the male answers. “But he locked the door, and no one can get inside.”

I nod. “What about the other adults?”

“We felt the passing of two dear pack members, and everyone is still in shock,” he replies.

“Where is the office?” Mark asks.

The male explains to us how to get there.

Once we are in front of the office, William tries to open the door, but like the male says, it is locked.

“Alpha Max?” I shout, but no one replies. “I know you are inside, so open the fucking door!” I demand. When Alpha Max says nothing, I look at William. “Break the door!”