The Alpha King's Nemesis-Chapter 112: On Edge 2 ()

Darren stood on the shores of the Eastern Sea, staring out at the crashing waves as the moon was illuminated by the sea waters.

The sight was beautiful, enchanting even, yet Darren knew it was merely on the surface, the beauty of the supernatural realm was only surface deep.

Beneath the appearance lay the reality of evil plots, hunger for power and political machinations across every domain.

Although Darren knew this, there was just something about the sight that was calming and Darren felt his anger slowly ease away.

Now that his mind was clear and his wolf had receded to the background, Darren wondered how Zariah fared at the depths of the vast ocean.

Water was not her element and she had never truly acclimatized to it, now that she had spent so long beneath the sea, just how was she getting by?

"I can’t find her Zari, if you were here...you would know what to do." Darren murmured to himself as he heaved a sigh.

"There’s the firecracker, you should have been born a flame wolf, you sure have a shorter fuse than the flame element lord." Allen’s voice drew Darren out of his thoughts.

Darren chuckled as Allen came to stand beside him, placing a hand on his shoulder.

"Feeling better?" Allen asked in a concerned tone.

"I guess." Darren replied with a shrug,

Allen scoffed beneath his breath as he also gazed ahead at the crashing waves.

"She will be fine Darren, she is Crimson Alpha." Allen assured.

"She is my little sister before she is Crimson Alpha, her safety is my responsibility, I cannot help but worry." Darren replied with a sigh,

"You had better not let her hear you say that." Allen replied with a chuckle.

"I understand your concern for her, the world beyond the barrier is unfamiliar to us all and unfamiliarity breeds danger. Yet this is the path Zariah has chosen and it is the right path."

"Zariah has stepped into her duty as protector of the realms, I have never been more proud. We must ease her burden by carrying out her orders without fail and we need you for this Darren." Allen reasoned.

Darren sighed as he ran a hand through his hair.

"I need to speak to her, just to be sure she is okay." Darren pleaded.

"Then so we shall, you are not the only one who needs the assurance." Allen agreed without hesitation.

Allen’s eyes fluttered closed and so did Darren’s as they opened their mindlink and reached out to Zariah’s mind.

Although forming a mindlink across the distance of realms was tasking on both parties, Darren was willing to bear the strain if only to hear Zariah’s voice for a moment.

It didn’t take too long before Zariah responded, dropping her barrier.

"I’m not dead yet Darren." Zariah’s teasing voice sounded in Darren’s mind and Darren heaved a sigh of relief.

"And Allen, I sense your presence too." Zariah acknowledged.

"The last we spoke, you did not sound all that good. Why do I feel you are not telling us everything that is truly happening there? How much longer must you remain there?" Darren thought to Zariah.

"Darren is right Alpha, we cannot rest easy, it can only mean you are not in a safe condition like you have us believing." Allen concurred.

"There they go, nagging again. Calm yourselves, there is not one person within this Sea Kingdom capable of actually harming me, do not worry for my well being, I will return soon." Zariah thought to them in a reassuring tone.

Darren sighed quietly as he ran a hand through his hair, Darren was not even sure why he was so unsettled, it was unlike him.

His wolf had been on edge for the past four days and it was greatly affecting his temperament.

"Are you okay Ren? I sense your frustration, what is wrong? Tell me, is the Fairy Queen at it again?" Zariah enquired in a worried tone,

Darren could not help the heavy feeling in his heart, here he was unable to think straight whilst worrying over Zariah and instead of looking after her ownself, she was also worrying over him.

"Holt has been on edge, I cannot tell why. And we still have not been able to find any leads regarding Princess Eloneth, I’m at my wits end. If you were here, you would know what to do." Darren thought to Zariah.

"Why do you think I sent you and Allen, Ren? I consider your presence as good as mine. If you have not found a lead, it can only mean it is much more complicated than we had anticipated." Zariah replied.

"In regards to Holt, perhaps he senses something that unsettles him?" Zariah asked.

"I’m not sure, I have asked him but he also cannot tell why." Darren replied.

"Have you tried giving him complete control? Let him find the source of his discomfort? Holt is a wolf with Alpha blood and he is accustomed to having his freedom, you will only get so far if you keep restraining him." Zariah suggested.

Darren sighed, it was not his own choice to restrain his wolf. It was only that Holt was easily angered and extremely intolerant, he could only place a barrier between them.

The Fairy Queen had already crossed him wrongly, Darren feared if Holt took control, he might seek the Fairy Queen out first and kill her.

Although Darren did not vocalize his thoughts, Zariah’s presence was already in his mind and so she could hear his thoughts clearly.

"Allen will be there to keep him in check, and so will you. And if he does kill the Fairy Queen, it is only a pity for the Floral Domain and a relief to everyone else, hence I will still take your side." Zariah assured.

Darren chuckled at Zariah’s words.

"You will take my side if I kill a ruler of a domain?" Darren asked in amusement.

"Need you ask? You are my blood Darren, I will always... always take your side." Zariah replied without hesitation.

"Trust Holt’s instincts, trust in the bond you share, he would never put you in a predicament that will cause harm to you both and the Crimson Moon."

"Give him free reign, you have become weak and unfocused Ren, when wolf and man are of one mind, only then can you be at your true strength."

" Never forget we are not like others and you do not need to make any adjustments to yourself now that we are beyond the barrier."

"We do not strive with our beasts, they are us and we are them... one and the same, there is no distinction between wolf and man. Your will is Holt’s will Darren, trust him." Zariah reminded.

"Your words have given me clarity." Darren thought to Zariah in gratitude.

"Whatever..." Zariah replied and Darren’s lips twitched as Zariah’s presence faded from his mind.

"We should head back in and make plans on how to proceed with the search. One way or another, the Fairy Princess must be found." Allen said.

Darren nodded in agreement as they both headed back to the caves where the rest of the party awaited them.

The supernatural council was seated around the bonfire, conversing in low tones and their heads lifted when Darren and Allen walked in.

The pixie lord and his trackers perched on the rocks not too far away, yet they maintained a good distance from the fire.

"You have returned in time, we were just discussing the possible scenarios that could have transpired in the enchanted forest and I was saying Beta Allen would have some ideas." Vima, the council vampire said, a coy smile on her lips at the sight of Allen.

Darren resisted the urge to scoff, it was no longer news that the council vampire, Vima had taken a liking to Allen and would take any chance to complement him.

"Ah...Vima, you are much too kind. The mystery prevalent here eludes me as much as it does the rest of us." Allen said in his usual elegant and fluid way,

However Allen who noticeably had intended to seat with the council members changed his mind and leaned against the wall,

Everyone could see Allen was doing everything he could to maintain a professional distance from the council vampire, everyone other than the council vampire herself.

Darren also did not seat, settling to lean against the wall beside Allen.

"Over the past four days, we have tracked Princess Eloneth’s scent trail down to the Eastern Sea Shores were it simply disappears, there are only two possible options..." Gaveth, the male council vampire continued.

"Tis either the mers truly have abducted Fairy Princess to the depths of the Sea or Fairy Princess was taken across the Sea by someone else." The pixie lord murmured in a grim tone.

"The Sea King maintains his stance and Zariah attests to his innocence, plus the Northern Sea Lord is mated to a fairy maiden, he would never harm the Fairy Princess. It is also unlikely the Fairy Princess’s presence in his territory will go unnoticed by him." Lord Kodin said with a sigh.