The Alpha King's Nemesis-Chapter 113: Only We ()

Meanwhile Darren pondered over Zariah’s suggestion and finally decided to go along with it.

"The floor is yours Holt, don’t make me regret this." Darren thought to the beast prowling within his mind.

Darren rolled his eyes as his wolf huffed indignantly before he felt his consciousness pulled back as he plunged into the depths of his own mind, becoming a second party in his body.

As Holt took control, Darren felt a surge of images in his head, replayed from the four days of their search as his wolf brought each moment back to mind vividly.

Their mind was now completely under Holt’s control and there were things Holt could do with their mind that Darren was limited in since he was ultimately the human side.

’What did uncle Zewin always say about mysteries Darren?’ Holt reminded, his deep guttural tone resounding in their mind.

’If it seems unsolvable... return to the roots, whatever you have missed, you missed from the beginning...’ Darren replied as he recalled Alpha Zewin’s constant reminder when he had begun training as a tracker.

And as Darren watched a replay of the events over the past four days through Holt’s eyes, the sights, the sounds, the smells, everything was twice as sharp and much clearer than when Darren had seen it for himself.

’The beginning...’ Darren thought as it finally clicked.

’Holt...you are a genius!’ Darren exclaimed in their mind.

’I only give you a clearer vision through my eyes, everything else is all you.’ Holt grunted.

’I will return control to you once your Princess is found... and I figure out what about this Floral Domain has my instincts on such high alert.’ Holt decided.

’As you wish.’ Darren concurred without hesitation.

Darren did not mind Holt being in control, he only feared Holt would act unruly but then again, Darren knew he himself was also unruly... there was a reason wolf and man were one and the same.

Whatever was unsettling Holt, he was in a better position to figure it out than Darren was and Darren’s consciousness would always be present just beneath the surface, it did not matter who was in control.

The party fell quiet as they pondered over the puzzling situation before Darren finally broke the silence as he came out of his thoughts.

"There is a third option..." Darren or rather, Holt who was now in control spoke up and all eyes in the cave turned to him, even Allen who stood beside him.

"What are your thoughts?" Allen asked,

"Do tell, warrior Darren." The pixie lord supported anxiously.

"Darren isn’t here anymore..." Holt said in a sinister tone, lifting his gaze up so his glowing eyes could be seen.

’Oh quit being creepy Holt.’ Darren lectured his mischievous wolf who took pleasure in watching the confused expression of some of the people in the cave.

"Holt... always a pleasure." Allen murmured knowingly, his tone underlined with sarcasm.

"Holt...as in, warrior Darren’s wolf?" The pixie lord asked uncertainly.

"Indeed, I am Warrior Holt... Darren’s better half, the one and the only." Holt affirmed, his deep, guttural tone sending the pixies quiet and torn between horror and awe.

Darren sighed from where he was within his mind, Holt had a thing for dark humor and most people did not understand that wolf and human did not always have the same personality at all.

Though Holt was an Earth wolf, the royal Crimson Blood in his veins made him possess a milder version of the Alpha command, he was also authoritative and domineering unlike Damon’s easy going nature.

It was precisely why the only one who could actually intimidate Holt was Zariah herself and not even Allen’s wolf could.

However Darren felt his wolf was still much more civilized when compared to Allen’s cold and unfeeling wolf Elrod who did not possess any of the compassion Allen did,

While Allen was as calm as an ever flowing stream, his wolf Elrod was an icy sharp glacier, indomitable and ruthless.

And then there was the worst of all, the wolf of the flame element lord of the Flame Den.

Darren was terrified just thinking of Lord Raiden’s pyromaniac wolf who was ten times as short tempered as Lord Raiden was, and that was saying a lot.

Of course, Zariah and her wolf Torin did have their differences, while Zariah was cold yet collected, Torin was arrogant and wild natured, fierce and unyielding like a roaring flame.

The thought of Torin ached Darren’s heart and he was glad Holt was in control, Holt had better control over revealing their emotions on their expression than Darren did.

"What have you and Darren plotted?" Allen asked.

"We believe there is a third option... there is the possibility that all this while, we are being led on a wild goose chase with a trail that points a finger right to the merfolk whereas Princess Eloneth is not beneath the sea at all." Holt said.

"You mean someone set the stage on purpose to make the merfolk the culprit? Why would someone do something so malicious?" Gaveth, the council vampire asked.

"To start a war...a war big enough to bring down two domains." Lord Kodin murmured,

"It does make sense, the merfolk stand nothing to gain from abducting fairy princess so openly knowing all fingers will be pointed at them. I have long doubted the dynamics of this." The pixie lord said in agreement.

"But the fact remains, the Fairy Princess is indeed missing and we do not know who is behind it or where she is." Allen said with a sigh.

"Perhaps we do not know who...but I do know we have been looking at the wrong places all the while. The fairy princess is not anywhere close to the Sea." Holt continued.

"Why are you so certain?" Lord Kodin questioned in confusion.

"If you recall, there was no evidence of struggle left behind at the scene, all except a scent trail leading down to the Eastern Sea Shores." Holt began,

"Lord Dinani confirmed the scent is that of Princess Eloneth." Lord Kodin said with a nod.

’Just get to the point.’ Darren thought to his wolf who was obviously leaving everyone on suspense.

"Exactly...the answer lies in that scent." Holt said with a nod.

Now that Darren thought of it, he could not understand how he had let it miss him.

His senses had always been extremely sensitive, he never forgot a sound or a smell he had encountered once in his life.

Yet somehow, he had allowed that piercing scent of spices back at the enchanted Forest to skip him.

"Princess Eloneth’s scent is akin to that of Peonies and fresh flowers, as would be expected of a summer fairy."

"However Princess Eloneth was to conduct the ritual of seasons and she meditated before the mother tree of the pixies for weeks, according to ancient texts, the Princess would be doused in spices...not flowers." Holt continued.

"Warrior Da...Holt is correct, pixie maidens have delivered the special spices to Fairy Princess during Fairy Princess’ meditation."

" Before Fairy Princess’s abduction, her meditation had lasted thirteen days, the ritual of seasons was to take place after twenty days of meditation." The pixie lord concurred.

"This scent of spices...is it possible to have dispersed over a few days?" Holt asked again.

"Impossible! It lingers till the entire month of the festival of seasons is over." The pixie lord said.

"Then how come the scent trail we have been tracking had no traces of that potent scent of spice but only Princess Eloneth’s scent of peonies?" Holt asked rhetorically.

At this point, the entire party could already see the picture Holt was painting.

Darren himself had only taken notice of it when Holt replayed their memories, he had then recalled when they first arrived at the pixie mother tree and he had commented on how potent the scent of spices was.

Darren had even complained to Allen of how it interfered with his usually sharp sense of smell and had asked the pixie lord why the scent of spices was so potent.

After receiving an answer, Darren had not thought much to it until now when he realized they had been tracking down a scent trail of a Princess who had been doused in spices, whereas the scent trail had no traces of the spice scent.

This could only mean just like Darren had sniffed a pair of Princess Eloneth’s clothing to track her scent, someone had done the same and had created a misleading scent trail leading up to the Sea Shore.

There was one more thing Darren recalled, there was one more place he had picked up the potent scent of spices...far enough from the mother tree that the wind should not have carried it there,

Unless the scent had been carried there by someone.

"So if Princess Eloneth is not in the Sea Kingdom... where exactly is she?" The council warlock asked.

’Holt... since you are in control, you will have to take care of it.’ Darren thought to his wolf.

’You don’t think I will kill someone this time?’ Holt thought back sarcastically.

’No...I trust you, and there’s no you... only we.’ Darren reminded his wolf.

’Cringe.’ Holt thought back as he broke into a dash, heading out of the cave, he shifted into his true form, basking in his freedom,

As for the rest of the party, Holt did not care for them in the slightest...he knew they would follow.