His Mate

Chapter twenty nine

Aliyah woke up with a jolt, there was commotion going on and she frowned. She climbed out of the bed, rushing to her door to know what was going on when she saw Catherine sitting on a chair at the far end of her room. She was startled and placed her hand on her fast beating chest to calm herself down. “Catherine, you scared me.”
“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to,” the woman replied, standing up.
Aliyah glanced back at her closed door when she heard running footsteps. “What is going on?”
“The Black Wind Pack Alpha is here,” Catherine answered.
Aliyah turned sharply to her, “what? Why?”
“It’s about his second son.”
“His second son?”
“Yes. His second son was among their pack mates that came here on blood moon night to find their mates. They said he returned home naked with no memory of what happened and hasn’t spoken ever since then again.”
Aliyah frowned, “why would he be naked with no memory of what happened?”
Catherine shrugged. “That’s what Alpha Ethan wants to know. He said his son was perfectly fine when he left their pack and now, they don’t even know what could be his problem.”
“But, everyone knows the rogue attacked us, maybe he was beaten by one of them?”
“That’s the thing. Your father suggested that as well and so to make sure there was no misunderstanding, he asked me to have a look at him and when I did, there was no bite mark on him.”
“Maybe it has healed?”
“I will still be able to tell if it has healed, I am the healer after all.”
Aliyah frowned, “why do I feel like you know what is wrong with him and think it might have to do with me somehow?”
“That’s why you are the Alpha’s daughter, Aliyah, you are smart.” Catherine walked up to her. “On the blood moon night, I saw the both of you go into the woods together but I saw him come out alone and naked, looking slightly confused. I was just about to diagnose him when the attack started. You came back from the wood with Sean, unscathed. Why?”
Aliyah’s frown deepened but then she gasped as she thought of something and her eyes grew wide. “Gerald?”
“Yes,” Catherine nodded. “What happened in the woods?”
“Wait, Gerald is Alpha Ethan’s second son?” she asked, shocked.
“Yes Aliyah and now he is seriously ill and I can’t even tell what is wrong with him. Perhaps if you tell me what happened in the woods, I can be able to draft out an antidote from whatever you did.”
“Wait, whatever I did?” Aliyah asked and when she saw the look on the older woman’s face, she shook her head vigorously. “I didn’t do anything to Gerald, I even considered him my friend. God, what would make you think I did something to him?”
Catherine tugged at the scarf on her neck and it loosened to reveal the blood red rose. “We don’t know whose mark this is or what he is. So we don’t know how it could be affecting you or otherwise. I saw your fight with Natasha that day in the ring. While others might think she is just not your match and plus the fact that you are the alpha’s child and have the alpha blood in you, I saw something else, Aliyah. Your running speed was increased and your agility as well as your strength. Something is happening to you Aliyah, something you can’t see or notice and can only be seen by someone who watches you closely.”
Aliyah backed away from the woman immediately. “I did not hurt Gerald nor did I instigate the rogues to attack. God, what would I hope to achieve from all these?”
“It might not be you, it might be that mark controlling you, making you do things that you are not aware of.”
Aliyah was shaking her head before the woman was done. “It’s just a mark, Catherine, there is no way a mark can control you or make you do bad things that you are not aware of.”
“Then explain Gerald to me and why the rogues would suddenly attack for no reason and looking lifeless as they did.”
“I don’t know, honestly, I don’t know. I am worried about the same fact as well, honestly.”
Catherine sighed, she knew the girl was saying the truth and besides, what happened to the rogues, she could feel the powers there was strange and strong. It’s not something Aliyah could will, controlled or not. “You know what happened to Gerald, Aliyah; tell me so that I can find a way to concoct some medicines for him before Alpha Ethan would do something the two packs would regret.”
Aliyah closed her eyes. Edward said he compelled him, from what she had read about the nightwalkers compelling, it usually wears after a few hours but guess that because Edward is an original as he claimed, the time was different for his own compelling to wear off. She sighed, “I think Gerald would be fine after some time.”
“And you know that because?”
Aliyah shook her head, refusing to talk.
Catherine sighed. “You need to be out with your secret, Aliyah. I can’t keep protecting you when you are not telling me things. There is a high chance that they would be war between these two packs and all you can tell me is that ‘he would be fine after some time’? Really? You need to tell me who gave you that mark or I am going out there and telling your father everything I know and I don’t care if I have to lose my life for keeping quiet all along but I can’t sit and watch my pack go into fight with another for something I could have prevented.”
“But I don’t know,” Aliyah said. “I don’t know, I am still searching myself and I promise to tell you once I do. You have my word, Catherine, please. Just tell Alpha Ethan that after your diagnoses that Gerald would be fine.”
“What am I to tell him is the problem in the first place?”
“Just tell them anything, they would believe you.”
“I am a healer, not a liar,” Catherine frowned at what Aliyah suggested.
“Please Catherine, trust me.”
The older woman sighed, “Alpha Ethan is hard to reason with and his first son is harder to reason with, Gerald better be fine in a few days Aliyah or there is going to be war. Trust me, you don’t want the High Howlers coming here to sort the issue, because then, you can’t hide this secret of yours.”
Aliyah nodded, “thank you.”
The woman exhaled deeply and turned to leave. She paused at the door, “by the way, the Black Wind Pack is not the reason for the commotion.”
“Oh, what is then?”
“The Watch wolves came just while your father was talking with Alpha Ethan and announced that the dead rogue bodies were missing.”
“What?”
Catherine shrugged, “that was everyone’s reaction as well. There was no sign of footprints; it was just like they disappeared into thin air. Everyone is worried and afraid at what it would mean. Your father and the warrior wolves, along with Alpha Ethan and his men had gone to search the woods to know if they would find anything there. Any lead or something. So if I am you, I will keep out of the woods at the moment until this whole thing has been sorted out.”
Aliyah nodded, surprised at the information she just received.
Catherine watched the younger girl and sighed. “I mean it, Aliyah, stay out of the woods for now.” She opened the door then and left, leaving Aliyah standing in her spot in shock. ‘The dead wolves body, gone, how possible is that?’