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….

We had finally managed to locate the wereheretic. She was moving towards the Barrenwoods. Now, it was time to put the plan into action.

“Remember this Justin, You cannot afford to make mistakes. The plan has to proceed flawlessly. If we fail, we will lose the element of surprise and it will be impossible to carry out a similar plan in the future,” Melinda said in a hushed whisper as she crouched beside me. She was to be the point of contact between me and the Lycan King throughout the plan.

“Don’t worry,

We had finally managed to locate the wereheretic. She was moving towards the Barrenwoods. Now, it was time to put the plan into action.

“Remember this Justin, You cannot afford to make mistakes. The plan has to proceed flawlessly. If we fail, we will lose the element of surprise and it will be impossible to carry out a similar plan in the future,” Melinda said in a hushed whisper as she crouched beside me. She was to be the point of contact between me and the Lycan King throughout the plan.

“Don’t worry, Melinda. I will keep everything you said in mind.”

She raised two of her fingers and swirled them in the air once before climbing the nearby tree and concealing herself in the thick foliage. She was here just to be the Lycan King’s eyes.

I held my breath and crouched lower making sure that the bushes covered me well. The anticipation mounted, making my heart beat with a frenzied rhythm. My entire body got covered in a thin layer of sweat. Those few minutes of wait were probably the most excruciating moments of my life.

There was a soft rustle, then the sound of crunching leaves. She walked into my line of sight just like an angel ascending from heaven; bathed in the soft glow of the sunlight streaming through the leaves.

She had donned a checked shirt and let her hair down adding a kind of softness to her features. Her soft golden eyes caught the glint of the sunlight revealing their soft purple streaks that were concealed earlier. Everything in the surroundings faded. Her beauty held me captive rendering me incapable of movement. I was hypnotized.

The sound of cracking bones followed by a scream pierced through my haze, pulling me back to reality. My gaze shifted to her left to find a man lying under her left foot. Blood spluttered out of his mouth with short coughs. She increased the pressure on his chest and mere seconds later his head rolled to one side.

My hand flew to my mouth and tears stung my eyes. What was wrong with me? How did I end up comparing someone like her to an angel? She was a killer, someone who had killed my mother in cold blood.

Growls and roars echoed in the clearing as the rest of the men attacked her in their wolf forms. Soon, she was surrounded by a pack of about twenty wolves. There were so many of them yet she didn’t sweat a beat.

She dodged their attacks flawlessly, moving with such swiftness that she became just a blur. One of the wolves kicked a stone toward me. It was my cue to play my part.

I tried to get up but my feet had turned to jelly. The wolf cocked its head and gave a soft growl but I still couldn’t move; petrified to a level that my body was not in my control.

One by one the wolves fell to the ground meeting their sad fate. Now, there were only four of them left.

She stopped attacking and closed her eyes momentarily. When her eyelashes lifted again, her pupils had turned into a soft shade of purple. My heart went numb. She was going to use magic. Once she did that, I wouldn’t get a chance to act out my part.

Pulling myself together, I grabbed the bushes and tried to stand up. My numb feet wobbled and I dropped to the ground with a thud.

Everything happened so quickly after that, it was almost a blur. Someone grabbed me from the back, pulled me to my feet, and pushed me forward. I staggered and was about to fall but a shove pushed me towards the wereheretic.

I slammed into her back and then slash! A sharp dagger lodged itself in my abdomen.

An intense wave of pain seared through me and everything grew bleak. With the last shred of consciousness I had, I managed to stutter, “I am glad that you are safe.’

***

I groaned in anguish as I tried to move. It felt like someone had trapped a large cinder of burning wood within me. This wasn’t right. Why was I still suffering? I was supposed to heal after the dagger was removed. Unless…

My hand went to my abdomen reflexively. My fingers brushed across the coarse fabric. Someone had wrapped me up with bandages. With a soft grunt, I forced myself to open my eyes. The blinding light of the sun blurred my vision again. All I could see was a silhouette of someone standing in front of me.

My heart skipped a beat and I looked around to find that we were in a barren clearing of grass. We were alone. Through the numbness, I felt the hard bark of the tree pressing against my back. Another gasp left my lips as I tried to get up.

The figure turned around and stepped closer. After blinking a couple of times, my vision cleared. The one standing in front of me wasn’t the wereheretic. It was a young boy with stark handsome features. This could only mean one thing; I had failed. A sigh laced with defeat and disappointment left my lips.

The boy’s eyes lit up and he rushed towards me. His lips curved in a small smile as he took my wrist. His eyebrows furrowed in concentration, “The wound didn’t get infected. So, you will live.” He smiled again, this time a brighter one.

“Why didn’t I heal as usual?” My thoughts left my lips before I could stop myself. “I am a werewolf, an iron dagger shouldn’t injure me like this.”

His eyebrows furrowed, “You sound surprised….”

“That dagger was laced with magic,” a sweet, alluring voice sounded to my right, causing me to turn in that direction. I was still in a daze and could only see a vague outline against the backdrop of the bright light. I had, however, recognized that voice. My breath hitched and my heartbeat started fluttering like a hummingbird.

“The spell on the dagger will remain active for seven days. You won’t be able to heal yourself before that,” she explained as she drew closer, step by step. A gasp left my lips as she came into view. She was indeed the Wereheretic. I hadn’t failed after all.

“I have a question,” she said, coming to a halt a few meters from me.

“Yes,” I stuttered, scrambling to my feet. Something about the tone in her voice made me shudder. This wasn’t going to end well for me.

“You have seen what I am capable of at Alpha Azarel’s Packhouse.” Her expression hardened, “You must have known that the dagger would do nothing to me….” Something deeply sinister flashed in her eyes and with a swish of her hands, she pinned me to the trunk of the tree using magic. “Why did you pretend to save me?”

My heart sank as my death sentence presented itself in the form of her question. Who would have thought that she noticed my presence at the packhouse? I racked my brain trying hard to think. If I didn’t come up with something quickly, I would die.

She drew closer and ran the tip of her finger along my cheeks. Another wave of shudder coursed through me and I gulped. Drawing in a deep breath, I managed to stutter, “I… I wasn’t pretending. It was more of a reflex. I saw that man lunge at you with the dagger and I ended up intervening. I would have done the same for anyone.” I let out a sigh of relief internally; glad that I could come up with a perfect response. “I am the Alpha’s son, you know. It is my job to protect everyone.”

Her eyes twinkled and she released me. Her lips curved ever so lightly, “So, you are one of those who suffer from a Superhero Complex.”

I shrugged, “I don’t know what that means but saving people gives me happiness.”

She lifted my chin with her forefingers; her gaze piercing into me. It was as if she were unraveling the very depths of my soul. She drew closer, her nose lingering along my jawline until she reached my ears.

“So, you had no ulterior motives at all?” She whispered softly, close to my ears. The hair on my neck bristled and a tickling sensation traveled all over my shoulders. If my life wasn’t at stake, I would have found that action sexy.

It took a moment to gather my wits. When I spoke, my voice was firm, “Is this how you thank someone who saved your life? Accuse them of having ulterior motives?”

Uncertainty crossed her features reassuring me that I was going on the right track. I glared at her defiantly and snapped, “I wish I hadn’t saved you at all…” A sigh left my lips as I ducked under her arm and crawled out of her way.

Straightening my back, I stated in a decisive voice, “Let us just go our separate ways and forget all about this.” Then, I walked away without as much as a second glance. The only way to get her to trust me was to pretend to be nonchalant.

I have to say that my plan worked spectacularly. I had barely walked a few meters when she called after me, “Did I allow you to leave?”

I didn’t stop. Instead, I continued walking. Moments later, wisps of blue light crept over my legs causing me to falter. She appeared before me and said in a voice laced with arrogance, “No one can defy me.”

She rubbed her chin, as if in deep thought, “You said that you enjoy saving lives, right?”

“Y..Yes…”

Her eyes twinkled and her lips lifted in an evil smirk, “Why don’t we test that?”

“Test? What kind of test are you talking about?”

She grabbed my arm, “You will find out soon and I can bet; you are so not gonna love this.”

My heart sank and a wave of fear gripped me. I had a feeling that this stupid plan of mine was going to backfire badly….

I trudged behind the wereheretic bound by invisible threads of magic. We had been walking for about an hour and she wasn’t showing any signs of stopping. Normally, I wouldn’t have minded but every time I took a step, a sharp pang of pain seared through me.

My gaze shifted to the young boy accompanying us. He had been walking at a constant pace the entire time; exactly two steps behind the wereheretic. I wondered if he was bound by magic just like me. He had to be. Why would anyone in the right state of mind follow a sadist maniac?

My steps must have faltered because I felt a sharp tug causing me to stagger forward. I stumbled but another wisp of magic stabilized me before I hit the ground. The wereheretic slowed down to match my steps.

With a condescending sideward glance, she snapped, “Can’t you walk faster? At this pace, it will be days before we reach our destination.”

I glared right back at her and crossed my arms over my chest, “I am wounded and not as powerful as you. What did you expect? If you think that taking me along is cumbersome, just leave me here.”

She sighed, her gaze drifting toward my bandaged abdomen. Blood had seeped through the coarse fabric staining it red. She motioned to the young boy, “Carry him.”

My eyes bulged out. This woman was totally crazy. What made her think that a frail, young boy could carry me? Drawing in a deep breath, I said in a resigned voice, “There is no need to torture him, I will try to walk faster.”

She spun to face me so fast that a gasp left my lips. Her eyebrows twitched in amusement, “What makes you think I am torturing him?”

“Isn’t that obvious?” I pointed towards the young boy, “Look at him and then look at me. How in the world can he carry twice his weight?”

She smiled mysteriously and patted my back, “He can carry even thrice his weight...” Her gaze turned softer as they drifted to the boy who was standing beside me, “Dreki is the only one in the world I would never hurt.”

He grabbed my hands and slung them around his neck. With a swift jostle, he managed to propel me to his back. To my astonishment, he walked with great ease even with me on his back. His steps were fluid and evenly matched with the wereheretic.

Gosh! I was tired of using the term ‘Wereheretic’ even in my thoughts. Clearing my throat, I tried to strike up a conversation with her, “I know that everyone refers to you by the term ‘Wereheretic.’ But, you must have a normal name too; like he has, Dreki.”

She shrugged with nonchalance, “What if I do? What if I don’t? It is none of your business.”

“Oh, come on. It is just a name. Do you have to be so stingy?”

Her gaze turned towards me, her piercing gaze boring into mine. My mouth went dry and I gulped. “If you don’t want to tell me, it is totally fine,” I stuttered. “I will just call you Hera; like a short for ‘Hellraiser.”

She raised her eyebrows but didn’t comment. We continued to walk in silence, passing by a section of wild oak trees, then came the bushy wilderness. The forest thinned and we soon reached a lake.

“Umm…mmm…mmm,” I wanted to ask where we were headed but only muffled sounds left my lips. She had probably used magic to silence me. Damn that stupid witch! How was I going to find out anything about her if I couldn’t even speak?

After walking for about an hour more, we entered something that looked like an ancient human town. The boy set me on the ground and we continued walking at a slower pace. I stole a glance at him to find that he hadn’t even broken a sweat; his breathing seemed even too.

“What are you?” The question left my lips before I could even think. I noted with delight that the effect of the spell had worn out and I could speak again.

Dreki smiled, a pure innocent one. Looking at Hera, he confessed, “I am her slave.”

Hera stopped walking, waiting for him to catch up. She ruffled his hair and something shifted in her eyes, “How many times have I told you not to say that?”

His smile widened, “I am only telling the truth. I owe my life to you….”

Hera’s gaze widened and she motioned to me. At this, the boy hung his head as if apologizing. She caressed his head, “Let us just continue walking.”

One thing was sure, Dreki meant something to Hera; or maybe it was just an act on her part. I had to observe longer to be sure.

The dusk had fallen, casting a strange orange glow over the town. The old, medieval-style buildings that flanked the road had started putting up lanterns to light up the surroundings.

I wouldn’t say that the streets were crowded but it was desolate either. We would run into a couple or so every few minutes. They all seemed to be in a haste; panic and fear evident on their faces.

Hera’s eyes suddenly lit up as if she had sensed something. She grabbed my arm and dragged me at a faster pace, “We must hurry or it will be gone.”

I was going to ask her more about it when a thunderous growl shook the ground. My gaze landed on a public park at the end of the market. There in the middle of the park was the largest werewolf I had seen. It was twice the size of normal ones. What alarmed me was its eyes; they were ruby red. This could mean only one thing, the wolf had lost its cognition. It could no longer think rationally. It was purely driven by its thirst for violence and blood.

It stomped through the crowds; sending people flying in all directions.

Once in a while, it lowered its body and grabbed someone before throwing him away. Men, women, and children scurried to the exit as fast as they could. They tried to open the gate but it wouldn’t open.

Hera drew closer and whispered, “Are you waiting for your superhero complex to kick in, or?”

It was then it dawned on me. Hera had brought me here to test me. She wanted to know if I had lied to her. A deep sense of dread gripped my heart as my gaze drifted from her to the monster slaughtering people. If I jumped into the crowd to save the people, I would die. If I didn’t, it would be proven that I had lied to Hera and she would kill me.

Today, I understood the meaning of the statement ‘Stuck between the devil and the deep sea’. I stood there frozen; too terrified to move.

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