fifty-two

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Felix sat quietly in front of a campfire that Edward built. They had planned to stay up all night and patrol the border while they wait for Edward’s connections to contact them.

They were still on high alert in hopes to find whoever the foul-mouthed rogue that spread the rumor of Lyra being marked as the East’s Luna. Felix was ready to behead the wolf if he found out who they were.

As he gazed into the searing embers, he noticed the struggle in Edward’s direction. He hasn’t been himself ever since Lyra had returned. The smile that Edward used to wear was only a whispering ghost that opted to return when Lyra was near, like a show for her to believe everything was alright.

Felix sighed.

Now that he had promised Edward to stay and help, he realized how much of a toll it brought when he lied about everything. Choosing your loved ones to remain on the dark side of the situation was hardly a good choice but as a father, he chose that Lyra doesn’t know about her past.

“What’s with the sighing?” Edward asked. “Are you falling asleep? I’ll take the first watch if you’d like.”

“I’m fine, just a little stressed.” He says. “Why do these wolves like to enter the border at night? Don’t they know that the patrols are doubled once the sun sets?”

“In other packs, yes. But due to the North’s large territory, our border patrolmen are lacking in numbers.”

“No one’s volunteering to guard? I guess there really is a downside to a bigger pack.”

“Actually, a lot of them are. Only that someone is stifling their requests to volunteer. Since your brother was attacked, all the paper works and transactions in the pack have ceased.”

Felix furrowed his brows. “But that can’t be. The Beta can still be Ignacios’s replacement while he’s sick on leave.”

“Yes, but now that fool Diego was attacked, no one is minding the pack’s office.”

“Even then, he should have taken over my brother’s duties. He was attacked after my brother was. Is he purposely trying to delay the pack’s activity?”

“We both know that Diego can’t be trusted.” Edward looked at him. “I’m going to have someone look into what plans Diego is brewing. Injured or not, it doesn’t mean he’s completely immobile.”

Diego was completely untrustworthy and him not performing his duties just meant that Felix had another reason to keep his guard up when the Beta was near.

The fire in front of him burned bright, casting a warm glow over their vicinity. The sound of wood turning into coal struck his ear, calming him down. It reminded him of the time when he and Ignacios along with Lyra and Edward would go camping, just the four of them huddled together around the heat of the fire.

His anger for Lois strengthened. She couldn’t blame anyone but her and maybe even a little bit of Ignacios. His brother was foolish enough to fall for the charms of that seductress.

He was taken aback when Edward doused the fire with water, immediately extinguishing the flame.

“Prowlers, they’re among us,” Edward whispered.

Felix dawned his dagger and took an offensive stance, trying to locate the enemies with his hearing. He breathed deeply and concentrated.

About a hundred yards away from them, nine wolves were gathered. Their foreign smell wafting into Felix’s nose. In the dark, he felt Edward tap him in the shoulders.

“How many?” Edward asks.

“Nine, but there could be more.” He answered.

His heartbeat pulsed erratically as he felt them near them.

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