Indra's Heart

THIRTY-EIGHT | 38

Lockdown

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"What?" The Alpha demands, dropping her glass.

"We just found him slaughtered near the southern border inside of the territory."

" Mm And on Airoclaw soil too?" She roars. "If they made it through the enchanted wall then that means that they could very well still be here. Boris, round up all of the guards and have them surround the inner perimeter. Nobody is to enter or exit the territory without my permission. As for the rest of you, go home this instant. I will have my soldiers patrolling all night long for this vile creature so that this does not happen again. Please understand that I am dedicated to keeping everyone safe. If at any point you must go somewhere, locate a pack official to escort you. Airoclaw is officially on lockdown!"

The head guard springs into action, leaving Ezra and a few others behind to usher the civilians out of the pack houses in an orderly fashion. I give Elorna a delicate embrace before directing her towards a departing group. Timbo guides Alpha Chantel outside and The Elite trail behind them.

"Hurry along people. This is urgent!" Sergeant Reeves yells into a bullhorn, his head hanging out of a moving truck. Armed pack officials station themselves in every corner, barking out commands and scanning for any unfamiliar faces. "Show me your Airoclaw identification card! You too!"

We pile into an extended vehicle with Timbo behind the wheel, quiet for the ten minutes that it takes us to arrive in front of the House of Fates. The gates are already open and Dr. Nixon awaits in the courtyard with Penn.

"Hello, Alpha." She bows her head respectfully when her superior exits the vehicle. "Apologies for showing up unannounced like this, but I had to show you what I found."

"Go on, spill it." Alpha Chantel accepts the stack of photographs from the professional.

"Samphren's murder appears to have happened around four hours ago. His assailant took him down from behind before ripping him apart. We believe that he was stalked from the wastelands and targeted during a brief period of solitude."

"My Goddess!" Alpha Chantel grimaces as she sifts through the images. "What beast is responsible?"

She passes them to her granddaughter next and eventually, they're in my grasp. The three angles depict what's left of a mangled Minotaur. His throat is slit, his insides strewn about, and his eyes are wide open, making for a horrifying shot. Even more chilling, his body is mere meters away from the oasis.

"A werewolf. Forensics will do what they can to gather more DNA evidence from the scene to identify which werewolf." Dr. Nixon looks behind us at the scrambling townsfolk with a shake of her head.

"Thank you, Doctor." Alpha Chantel sighs, massaging her temples. "I have not been this rattled since the death of my beta."

"Of course, Alpha. I will notify you if there are any new developments." She plants a kiss on Ferryn's forehead before driving away in a pristine white car. The gates are closed, and we follow Penn into the mansion, the serenity a stark change to the hullabaloo outside.

"When will enough be enough?" Alpha Chantel moans, her heels clicking on the marble floors. She leads us through the maze of corridors and into one of the living rooms characterized with dark tones, massive bookshelves, a fireplace, and plush sofas. "Samphren was a tactfully trained fighter so whoever did this is no rookie and that is something to worry about. I knew the enchanted border was weakening, but I thought we had more time! I cannot let my people suffer."

She slams her fist against the wall, and a small picture frame crashes onto the floor. Shards of glass fly in every direction, nicking her pinky.

"Alpha," Alezah grabs both of her grandmother's hands, pulling her to a chair endowed with beads of gold along the top. "Do not worry yourself too much. Samphren's death is a tragedy, but we can learn from it. You are still a wonderful leader."