Chapter 47
~Kieran~
"Who is that with you?" The palace guard asked, seeing another man inside Kieran's car.
Kieran and Alexia were inside the car, moving out of the palace's estate. Behind Kieran, Alpha Baxter's and Alpha Declan's vehicles lined up to leave.
The men questioning them at the gate were the queen's guards. After the queen announced how she had controlled power, she had over a hundred men going around the palace grounds. "It's Alpha Kai. He and Alpha Declan had one too many drinks. He is riding with me out of the capital," Kieran sternly replied.
"I have to check him!" The guard insisted.
"Be my guest," Kieran answered, his head tilting in the backseat of the car.
To his left, Kieran saw how Alexia avoided looking at the guard. He could tell she was being extra careful not to alarm anyone. She was seated next to him, looking at Alpha Kai with worry. "Are you okay, Alpha Kai?" She managed to act along.
The guard opened the backdoor and tried to wake Alpha Kai. He forced Alpha Kai's face up, and after confirming it was him, the alpha vomited on the guard's arm.
"Fuck!" The guard exclaimed. He had that look of disgust as he pulled his arm away. He then glowered at Alpha Kai.
"Careful now, that's Alpha Kai you are speaking you. I may have been stripped of my title, but he is still above you," Kieran warned, and the guard retreated to control his anger.
"Gross, man!" The other guards on duty said. "Is it Alpha Kai, though?"
"Yes, it's Alpha Kai," the guard responded before rushing off to wash his arm.
"Just let them leave. We will still supervise them at the Stone Blood Pack," guards representing the king said out of nowhere. Kieran saw how they drove in the car next to them. "We will make sure Kieran leaves the pack in peace." The queen's guards looked at each other, and they nodded, saying, "Okay."
They opened the gates and let Kieran and Alexia leave with Alpha Kai. The king's guards followed behind them in another vehicle.
Through the car's rearview mirror, Kieran saw how Alpha Baxter's car was also cleared to leave. The only test now was whether Alpha Declan's vehicle would be allowed to leave without suspicion. He certainly hoped. ~Alpha Declan-
Alpha Declan was nervous. However, he was the best candidate to do the job. He had the same build as the king and the same length of hair.
He would never abandon his king, and thus, he agreed to act along.
The last to be inspected was his car. His warrior drove his vehicle while he was seated in the backseat with the king. They had changed the king into his usual jacket, plus Alpha Kai's skunk scent invention. It was the perfect disguise for the king, masking his scent. Alpha Declan wore the clothes of his warrior, pretending to be a simple gamma. He held the king next to him and tried to control Balthasar's movements.
King Balthasar was still unconscious. Alpha Declan pulled down the king's hair to cover his look. He had also painted the king's face with a beard to make him look like him, while Alpha Declan shaved thoroughly. Of course, they had added help as they had left in the night. Not everything was what it seemed without the light of day.
The guards immediately reacted as soon as the car door opened. "Why does the car stink? It stinks like a skunk!"
They kept repeating their questions, but the warrior behind the wheel reasoned, "A skunk made it inside the car before coming here. Sorry for the inconvenience."
The guards struggled to enter the car, utterly disgusted by the scent. When Alpha Declan saw how one guard was ready to check the king, whom they had disguised as him, he shook the king's body and adjusted his voice simultaneously, claiming, "He's about to throw up!"
"Fuck!" The guard immediately retreated, recalling how one of their comrades had puke all over his arm.
"What are you doing?" From outside the car, Alpha Declan heard Beta Ford's voice. He was relieved the king's Beta arrived on time. "Why are you making things difficult for Alpha Declan? Let them leave! He is not penalized by the queen!" "But, Beta Ford -" The guard objected.
"Let them go! Do you see a reason to hold them at the gate?" Beta Ford added.
Alpha Declan felt their gazes inside his car. He had already prepared the fluid mix that looked like vomit. He shook the king again and threw the liquid in the car's seat, some on King Balthasar's leg too.
His warrior aided in creating noises. "Oh, no. Alpha Declan! Now, we have puke in the car!
While his warrior made such claims, Alpha Declan glued himself to the king, supporting his weight and acting to cough.
"Let them go, I said," Beta Ford repeated.
"I'm not going in there," the guard said, looking at the vomit. The other guards had the same idea, and with Beta Ford urging them to let Alpha Declan leave, they opened the gates and said, "You can leave!"
Alpha Declan and his warrior drove out of the capital. They met with Alpha Kai and Alpha Kieran on a secluded road. The guards of the king were also there, waiting for them. Alpha Baxter had taken his usual route but promised to convene once Alpha Kieran had settled in the Cross River Pack.
Alpha Declan first removed the king's jacket. It at least helped reduce the smell of skunk. He carried the king with his strong arms and settled him in Kieran's car. He said, "I'll still follow you until the Stone Blood Pack. From there, I'll head fast to my pack and prepare for the coming war." Yes, another war. With what had happened, the four alphas had already forecasted that the queen would create an internal conflict in Taplean. "We will meet you at the Cross River Pack in two months. We will first observe if the queen will suspect me."
"Thank you, Alpha Declan," Kieran said. "We shall take our leave now."
"Alpha Kieran," Declan said. "The queen may have removed your title, but you are an alpha to me. Never let it change who you are."
Kieran nodded. He said, "I won't change. I will continue to protect my people, one way or another."
~Kieran~
His people were heartbroken by the news. Immediately after arriving at the Stone Blood Pack, he gathered everyone in the biggest clearing of the pack, informing them of the queen's decision. He spoke through mindlink, making sure everyone understood the forthcoming changes.
'The queen has decided to let Alpha
Blaze control this pack. My warriors, keep protecting the people. I know not everyone can leave their lives behind, so leave it to the warriors to maintain peace and order while try to find out the queen's intentions,' he said. For the others, Alpha Kai, Alpha Declan, and Alpha Baxter have opened their territories for you. Should you wish to relocate, please share your intentions with Seth. He will be in charge of communicating this request to the alphas.'
Keiran did not speak of the king, for his presence in the pack was a secret. As he addressed his people's concern, the king was treated by their finest doctor inside the packhouse. The king's guards were with him throughout the entire ordeal.
'I will not put your lives at greater
risk, so I will not force you to join us in being rogues. In fact, I highly discourage it. Yes, rogues, because I will no longer be called an alpha, nor am I allowed to keep the territories that had belonged to me. In the eyes of the palace and the councilof alphas, I am without a pack moving forward. The queen had made it perfectly clear that my people would suffer the consequences should I decide to go against her, and I can't have that. I cannot let you suffer in my place,' Kieran added.
Many of his people cried, especially the elderly. Kieran heard all of them express their dismay. He also saw how his wife was in pain, for she wept with his people.
Despite what he had seen, however, Kieran maintained to appear strong. He did not want them to lose hope. He said, 'In time, all this misunderstanding will be cleared. Trust in me, but for now, do not address me as your alpha, for the queen may persecute you.' 'More palace guards will be here in a week. I need to leave before then. So, for those who will come with Alexia and me, say your goodbyes. We will leave in two days,' Kieran revealed.
"Stone Blood Pack, have faith in theAll text © NôvelD(r)a'ma.Org.
Moon Goddess. She will find an answer for us all. You will always be one. Remember to help each other and protect each other. Thank you for having followed me all these years, but for now, I am no longer your alpha," Kieran said with a heavy heart. Tears stung his eyes.