“Wereheretic? What is that?”

“She is a werewolf turned vampire who has magical abilities.”

“You gotta be kidding me. How is that possible? To be turned into a vampire, you need to be bitten at least thrice. No werewolf can survive that kind of venom. She should have died the first time she was bitten.”

“She should have but she didn’t. She comes from a rare witch lineage that made it possible for her to survive the venom despite being a werewolf.”

“Fucking hell! Doesn’t that mean she is invincible?”

“You are right. She is indeed invincible. Vampires, witches, and werewolves have been trying alike to kill her but she just doesn’t die.”

He paused for a moment before holding my hand and leading me out of the house, “Come with me. We need to be somewhere.”

He led me to what seemed like the ruins of an old mansion. The faded charred walls peeking out through overgrown vines indicated that it was burned to the ground; probably long ago.

My gaze shifted from the ruins to my father to find that he had grown extremely still and his eyes had glazed over. He placed his hands over his chest, palms down, crossing his right wrist over his left. It was a gesture that showed respect to the dead, especially someone close.

My heart skipped a beat. Was this the place? Was he finally going to relent and tell me everything? I drew closer to him waiting with silent apprehension; too afraid to question him lest he changed his mind. Those few moments were probably the longest in my life.

His voice sounded distant as he finally spoke, “This was the place where…umm… your mother died…” he paused to let out a deep breath before continuing, “It has already been two years but…. It is still difficult for me to talk about that day.”

My breath got caught in my throat and tears gleamed in my eyes. My guess was right. He was finally going to tell me how mom died.

When my mother died, I was away; visiting my aunt for some special training sessions. It was only when I returned that I found out about her death. I had always been very close to my mother. So, the news of her death hit me hard. Harder was the blow that my father didn’t even bother to inform me.

My mother had died while I was busy with some mundane training. I couldn’t even pay my last respects. The guilt and despair weighed heavy on my heart but I had managed to keep my reactions under check.

It was when he refused to tell me how my mother died that I finally broke down. I cursed, fought, and threw fits of temper. I don’t even remember what I did. I had turned into a crazed freak. But, my father; he didn’t relent. He kept saying that he will tell me when the time is right.

Right time be damned! No son wants to hear such a response. We slowly drifted apart. I tried to figure out what had happened on my own but all I could grasp were some wisps of rumors.

“I still remember that day with stark clarity,” his voice sounded like a raspy whisper. “Marlone had given birth to twins and we had come here to visit her. We were busy making preparations for the feast when we heard an explosion outside. Naturally, I went to check….”

His voice trailed and his hands dropped to his sides, “If only I had resisted that reflex…” He closed his eyes and alone drop of tears rolled down his cheeks followed by a long, drawn sigh, “Anyway, I went to investigate the cause of the explosion. Catching a sniff of an unfamiliar scent, I shifted and started following it. Before I could realize it, I was miles away from the mansion. The next thing I know is that the mansion was blazing like an inferno….”

He stopped talking and a deep, oppressive silence engulfed me. My ears rang with his words, sending waves of agony and helplessness to every cell in my body.

I grabbed his hand and looked at him with desperation, “Didn’t you try to find out what had happened?”

“How could I not? Upon investigation, I found out that the fire was created using magic. The guards and neighbors tried so hard to put out the fire. They just couldn’t.”

My chest became stuffy as the air left my lungs. My mother had been brutally murdered and I didn’t even know about it. Tears rolled down my cheeks, “W… Why didn’t you tell me about it earlier?”

A sense of utter defeat crossed his features, “I just couldn’t bring myself to face you; to face the fact that my mate, my luna was killed because of my negligence. If I had taken precautions, I don’t know, maybe posted more guards or something; If I hadn’t been tricked so easily, she would still be alive. I wanted to tell you after I found the killer….”

The stuffy sensation that had formed in the depths of my chest intensified, threatening to suffocate me. I gasped, “Why are you telling me this now?”

His expression hardened and a flare of anger lit up in his eyes, “I am telling you this because it is the right time. I have finally found out the person behind it.”

A deep, primal roar erupted from the depths of my chest as the sense of desperation, agony swiftly turned to unbridled fury. My jaws clenched and I gritted, “I am going to rip that scab with my own hands.”

My father’s lips pressed in a thin line. He reached over and placed his hand on my shoulder, “I am afraid that is not an option, Son. Our opponent is literally invincible.”

“I don’t care who the opponent is, father. No matter how strong he or she is; I will find a way to turn that scum to dust!” The anger that I felt was so powerful that my entire body shook with its intensity. “Just give me a name!!”

“The Wereheretic. You saw her massacre Alpha Azarel’s family moments ago.” He raised his eyebrows, “Do you think you can turn her to dust?”

My anger deflated like a balloon that had been pierced. My knees gave way and I dropped to the ground. The sense of helplessness hit me with so much force that it shattered me on a different level.

My father knelt beside me, supporting me silently. We sat there with pieces of rubble digging into our knees; like criminals awaiting the results of their trial.

I don’t know at what point but I realized that I couldn’t ignore everything just because my opponent was weak. That thought gave me a sense of purpose, “Alpha, I know that this is probably a suicide mission but I have to try. I have to try to avenge my mother's death.”

A rare smile lit up his agonized face, “I was hoping that you would say something like this. The witches, vampires, and werewolves; all want to kill the Wereheretic. The only problem is that we don’t know her weakness.” His grip on my shoulder increased, “If you can keep a cool head and are willing to cooperate, you can play an important role in her destruction. However, I have to warn you, Justin. This might be very risky.”

“I am willing to walk through the fires of hell and sleep on the bed of nails to avenge my mother. Give me the word and I will do it; no matter the risk, no matter the consequences.”

A new chapter had started in my life; one that was going to try and test me at every point.

One week later…

My father and I arrived at the Lycan Palace. Stepping out of the coach, my father adjusted my collar, “This meeting is very confidential, Justin. There will be many high-profile guests and some of our rivals too. You must keep your temper under check. Don’t speak unless they address you specifically. You think you can manage that?”

Drawing in a deep breath, I nodded, “Don’t worry, father. I will remain as cool as cucumber.”

His eyes flashed with a warning, “This is your only chance, Justin. If you lose your cool, you will never get another opportunity to avenge your mother’s death.”

My expression turned serious and I nodded, “You can trust me, father. I will proceed with utmost caution.”

He pursed his lips and patted my back, “Very well then. Let us go inside.” He kept his hand on my shoulder as we walked inside. This gesture wasn’t driven by intimacy but fear; fear that I would break and start acting out at some crucial moment. His gaze drifted to mine restlessly every few moments.

I wasn’t going to break; not this time. I wasn’t going to waver no matter what happened. I was here with only one objective in mind: to get chosen.

“Justin?” A snort sounded to my left, “What is a loser like you doing here? Are you even allowed in here?”

My blood boiled but I plastered a smile on my face and turned to face him, “Orlando, it is such a pleasure seeing you. You have the highest chances of getting chosen.”

The color drained from his face, “Who wants to be chosen? I… I am too busy to do such a menial task.”

“Orlando! Watch your tongue,” Alpha Derek snapped as he approached us hastily. He squeezed Orlando’s shoulder and gritted out, “It is an honor to be the chosen one.”

“Of course, whatever you say, Dad….” Orlando stated in a nonchalant voice before shrugging his father’s hand and stomping inside.

“My son likes to joke around….” Alpha Derek, stuttered before changing the topic, “How have you been, Alpha Hades?”

My father’s eyes flashed with anger but he bowed anyway, “We have been doing great Alpha. Thanks for your concern.” He held my hand; his nails digging into my skin, “We… we need to be somewhere.” He gritted out, leading me inside.

Our pack had suffered a lot because of Alpha Derek. He was a bully who liked to target smaller packs. A hiss escaped my lips as my father’s nails dug deeper.

He released my arm instantly, “I am sorry, Justin. It is just that… That man makes my blood boil….”

My gaze swept over the exquisite hall. It was a thousand square meters of sheer grandeur. Chandeliers, drapes, flowers, and magical flies adorned the ceiling making it look like something straight out of a fairy tale. But, even more impressive was the gathering: Alphas of the most powerful packs, leaders of prominent covens, and even vampire lords were present.

With so much power, the atmosphere was naturally dense and oppressive. The hall was like a fucking box of Uranium; one splinter, one mistake, and the entire world would blow up. Only the Lycan King could host such an outrageous gathering.

He had done his best to make suitable arrangements for all. The tables were color-coded; red for vampires, electric blue for the witches, and black for the werewolves. The chairs in each section were further arranged to represent the hierarchy of the social order.

The most powerful leaders were allotted golden chairs, the less prominent ones, silver, and the weaker ones were allocated chairs with bronze headrests.

The guests seated on golden and silver chairs had a bevy of attendants each while the rest were served by the common servants.

My father walked up to a bronze chair and sat down. I chose a convenient place and stood leaning against a pillar.

“My dear, Alphas, Lords, and Mystics,” The Lycan King’s magically magnified voice drifted boomed in the hall. “We are all gathered here for one sole purpose; elimination of the wereheretic. I want to know whether you all are with me in this mission.”

“The werewolves are naturally with you. Wereheretics are not supposed to exist; nobody with that kind of power should be allowed to exist,” Alpha Aramus, the representative of the werewolves said in support.

“She is messing the balance of the natural order, bringing chaos and we need to get rid of her; not because we are afraid. But, because her presence will doom the world,” Lady Naila, the leader of the mystics added in support.

Now, all the gazes shifted to Lord Kaizen. He stood up and bowed respectfully, “Vampires usually don’t concern themselves with such matters. But, this time, it is personal. She broke into the castle of one of my men and slaughtered all of them. The Vampire Kingdom will go to any extent to uphold justice.”

“That is great! This is the first time in the history of Supernatural History that all of us have agreed on something unanimously. Hope we can remain united until she is eliminated.”

Everyone stood up. Placing their left hand on their chest, they said in unison, “We shall remain united until justice is served.”

Goosebumps erupted all over my arms at the deep, sound that resonated in the hall. A shudder coursed through me involuntarily and my mind went numb. It was difficult to believe that a single woman had managed to elicit such a response.

For the next few hours strategies were discussed, plans were made. Every strategy was amazingly portrayed and explained. The only problem was that the leaders didn’t agree on a single plan.

Ultimately, the Lycan King suggested that the werewolves, vampires, and witches would finalize one plan each by the end of the month and they would meet again.

A deep frown settled on my forehead and I shifted restlessly, shrinking further and further into the corner. By the time the meeting ended, I was drowning in a sea of insecurities and low self-esteem.

How could I compare to all the affluent people gathered in the hall? There was no way I would get a chance to take revenge.

I was still wallowing in self-doubt when a sweet voice sounded, “Are you Justin, Alpha Hades's son?”

I raised my head slightly and nodded curtly. She held my hand and quietly led me out of the meeting hall. Her face remained expressionless while we wove our way through the hall. But, once we were outside, she smiled at me, “I am Ana, The Lycan King’s daughter. I will take you to the back courtyard.”

I stopped walking and looked at her with a bewildered expression, “I am not sure I follow you.”

Her eyebrows twitched and her eyes widened, “Don’t tell me your father forgot to give you 101 on what you are supposed to do.”

My lips pressed in a thin line and I shook my head, “I think he was too stressed to talk to me about it.”

She burst into a peal of a musical giggle, “Never mind, I will help you out.”

“Thank you, Miss.” My reply came out a little stiff as I didn’t know how to address her properly.

“Hey, don’t be so nervous. My father forgets to tell me stuff all the time.” Her carefree reply put me at ease and I walked along with her through the long corridors.

“These leaders, they are all dimwits. They didn’t agree on a single plan,” She spoke in a condescending voice, shaking her head in resignation as if she were talking about some children.

The lingering doubt that I was being fooled faded. Nobody else could talk about such powerful men like this.

“My father had expected something like this to happen….”

“If the meeting wasn’t going to give concrete results, why call it all?” I shrugged, “Why expend so much effort?”

Her face lit up and her eyes brimmed with admiration, “It is all a part of my father’s plan. All these stupid leaders have been giving my father a migraine; they are busy fighting with each other and quite often end up hindering my father’s plan. As a result, nothing ever gets done. We don’t even know her weakness till now."

My jaws hung open as the realization dawned on me. My steps came to an abrupt halt, “So, your father came up with this plan to buy some time. Everyone will be busy creating the perfect plan and your father can utilize this time to find her weakness secretly.”

Her eyes widened as she caught a glimpse of a servant walking through the corridor. She grabbed my hand and dragged me along, “It isn’t safe to talk like this. Uncle Moreto will give you the rest of the details.”

She led me to the lush garden behind the palace. The soft water gushed from the makeshift fountain creating an umbrella of rain. A man clad in a black suit was standing right under it; his body rigid and his arms crossed. Pointing to him, the Lycan princess said, “Go, talk to him.”

Then, without another word, she left. My eyebrows set together and my lips pressed together. Was I really supposed to go into the water to talk to him?

I waved at the man but got no response. When I say I got no response, it means no response at all. He didn’t even acknowledge my presence. I had no choice but to walk over.

I was drenched by the time I reached him. I winced and patted my clothes trying to shake off the water. He still didn’t react. His face was set in a calm expression; his gaze straight ahead. When he didn’t blink for a long time, I couldn’t help but wonder if he was a statue or something. Was this all a part of some prank?

The torrential stream of water kept beating on me and I was now soaked to the core. I couldn’t just continue to stand like this. I had to talk to him even if that meant I would make a fool of myself. I cleared my throat and stated, “I am Justin; the son of the Alpha of the Moon mist pack. I was asked by the Lycan Princess to come and talk to you.”

His posture eased and he turned to face me. However, his expression didn’t change, “I am Moreto; my king has asked me to brief you on the part you will be playing in ‘The Triple Concord.’

“The Triple Concord? What is…”

“You don’t need to know that,” he cut me off before I could complete my question. “You just need to understand your role.” His expression turned serious and his eyes bore into mine, “Our King has zero tolerance for mistakes. Make sure you don’t screw this up.”

I placed my right hand on my chest and gave him a curt bow, “I will try my best, Sir.”

He merely nodded, “You will be our Trojan Horse. Your job is to get close to the wereheretic; win her heart so that she shows you her weakness.”

“How in the world am I supposed to do that?” My eyes widened at the absurdity of the idea and I gasped, “She is the Wereheretic. What makes you think that I have any chance to get close to her?”

“We have already set everything up. Details will be given to you on ‘need to know’ basis.”

Before I could ask him any more questions, he just stepped out of the fake rainfall and walked away. I tore my hair as I walked out too. None of this made any sense to me.

I bumped into my father who was waiting for me just beyond the bend, “Tell me what happened.”

“This guy Montero, he is so weird and his way of conversing is even more cryptic.”

“Did he talk to you?”

“He did but I didn’t understand a thing.”

My father’s face lit up and his eyes twinkled. He patted my back as he stated, “That is good…. Really Good.”

I shook my head incredulously, “What is so good about playing a part that I don’t even understand?”

“Don’t worry about that Justin. They will give us more details later…. This is just; let us say a trial phase for us.”

“Trial Phase? What is that supposed to mean?”

“Montero will be monitoring our movements over the next few days; You know just to make sure that we don’t have ulterior motives.”

A sigh of relief escaped my lips, “It is like that…”

“Hmm, once they are sure you are suitable for this task, they will get in touch with you.” My father’s gaze shifted to my right and suddenly his face turned pale. I followed his line of sight reflexively but there was nobody.

“We should leave now.” He said abruptly and started walking. I followed him out of the palace quietly. I was still flabbergasted. But, the thought that I would get to play a part in killing my mother’s murderer was reassuring….