Chapter 23 TWENTY-TWO

ALARIS' POV The celebration was not so different from the celebration that went before it. Great Oaks was founded 58 years ago and I was there with my pack. I was young and I still wasn't the Alpha. My father was. I remember Hawke Flint was there too together with his coven and the founding families of Great Oaks: the Hawthornes, the Harrigans, the Wilsons, Gilberts, Parks, and the Rodriguez. Some seventy years ago, these families lived in this small town. It wasn't an established town. They just lived here because it was a free land. Nobody wanted to live in an open land with just a few people. It makes them a target for the vampires. They were not naïve about the supernatural world and how dangerous it could be but the founding families decided to work together to make the town livable. But of course, it wasn't easy. After all, what can they do against vampires? The Gilberts were nearly massacred one night during a vampire attack. It was when Josepe Hawthorne, Lukas Hawthorne's father, went to talk to my father. Unlike vampires, wolves don't feed on humans. Josepe offered my father a part of the Great Oaks mountains for the wolves to live and hunt. My father agreed and the wolves lived in the mountains bordering the Great Oaks. Vampires fear wolves and it would not be wise for them to go to Great Oaks. Since then, vampire attacks have stopped. There were vampire attack attempts but they never succeed. Witches started to move into Great Oaks too until the town started to get populated. Aside from the founding families, there were others who decided to move into Great Oaks. And that's when this town came to be. The very first charity event celebration was held on the same soil where I was standing. It was a small celebration and people just got drunk, basically. This celebration was more on keeping the peace between humans, wolves, and witches. But right now, this truce we have feels like walking on thin ice. The hunt that happened against my wolves was not something I could let pass. Hawthorne denied he had any involvement with it. I want to believe he doesn't have anything to do with it. It was easy to say the rogue wolves could be behind it but I can't make a judgment. Not yet. I have to find it out tonight. "She in?" Laurent said beside me as we stood at the back, watching the auction take place. "She should be," I muttered and I looked at the huge mansion-the city hall-in front of us. Somewhere inside, Morgiana was there, finding whatever she could find. We need something. Something that would prove or disprove my suspicions. I looked at the windows of the city hall, listening as best as I could to whatever sound I could hear from the inside but I heard nothing. I fucking couldn't hear anything. I don't know what she's doing now. "If you're worried about her, go inside. Nico and Eros will be with me." I did not hesitate and went to leave the party to get inside the city hall. Mr. Hawthorne was busy facilitating the auction together with his wife, Glenda. I am not sure if we are going to find something tonight but it's worth a shot. *** MORGIANA'S POV The auction outside has officially begun and I excused myself from the kitchen. I gave an excuse of going to the bathroom and I used that opportunity to roam inside the city hall just like Alaris told me to. At least it didn't take me long to find where the mayor's office was. I looked at the gold letters plastered on the door that read Mayor's Office. When I turned the knob, I found out it wasn't locked either. Whatever Mr. Hawthorne was hiding, he is not hiding it properly. Or maybe he is. Maybe this is a trap. Or maybe what we're looking for isn't here. I got inside and closed the door behind me. Two windows bordered the spread of wall in his office and were draped with curtains muffling the noise outside. A huge square table almost occupied the whole space of the room. It was probably for meetings and such. On the wall in between the two windows plastered a portrait of Lukas Hawthorne. Foamed chairs were meticulously arranged around the table and there are some papers on top of it. On the right side was a cabinet and on the left was another door next to a tall bookshelf. I went to check the cabinet first and save for some papers, I couldn't find something interesting inside it. I decided to look for the bookshelf next and found out they were mostly journals. When I looked closer, there were names embossed on the spines of the journals and I realized they were the journals of the first generation of the founding families up to the second. I was about to take one to read when I heard footsteps nearing the mayor's office. I froze when I realize it was not only one person but two! Worse, I recognized Arleigh's voice and as I listened closer to the man's voice, I realized it was Adrian. What the actual fuck. Running towards the door next to the bookshelf, I turned the knob and got myself inside it. It was another room with some shelves. It was a cramped space and obviously, not meant for hiding. It was too late for me to switch my hiding place because I heard the door opening and both of them got inside. Arleigh's giggle was what I heard first. This is not going to end well. "So, this is my dad's office," she said with a hint of showing off in her voice. She's trying to impress Adrian. I shifted on my feet and moved to peek at the crack of the door. Arleigh was sitting on the table while Adrian was standing in front of her, flashing that dashing smile that even Arleigh Hawthorne would fall for. Well, Arleigh would fall for anyone she finds hot. But this Adrian guy is something. Perhaps it's my hybrid sense but there is definitely off about him. I couldn't quite put my finger on it. "You look good on that table," he said as he walked closer to Arleigh. I resisted the urge to puke but Arleigh looks so smitten while looking at him. Then Adrian braced his hands on both sides of Arleigh, cornering her. I don't like it. I don't like where this is going. I was about to burst out from where I was hiding when Adrian leaned in to kiss Arleigh's neck. The latter let out a moan and tipped her head back for Adrian to get more access. I really didn't need to see this but what other choice do I have? I looked away from the door's crack but then I heard Arleigh. "Ow! What the hell did you bite me for?" she asked and that made me go back to look again. Arleigh was holding the side of her neck and when she looked at her hand, there was blood on it. I looked at Adrian and he didn't even look remotely sorry for what he did. And his face-my god-his face changed. Arleigh saw it too but she wasn't able to scream when Adrian started talking. "You will do as I say, love," he said and I know too well what he was doing. He was compelling Arleigh and the only ones who could do compulsion are vampires. Which means Adrian is a vampire. I need to do something. I need to interfere- Adrian bit his wrist and then said, "Drink." Arleigh looks like she's in a trance. She is under compulsion and whatever Adrian says, she will do. So she took his arm and drank from Adrian's wrist. What is Adrian trying to do? "Stop!" Fuck. Adrian and Arleigh looked at me with wide eyes and I was surprised at my actions too. How stupid can I be? I didn't even realize I was out of my hiding place until I had already done it. Arleigh looked at me but instead of the usual sneer, she looked at me with a blank expression. Blood-Adrian's blood-is glistening on her lips. She drank from him. "Well, this is just great, don't you think?" Adrian turned to Arleigh who doesn't seem to be in her right mind. She's still under the compulsion. "Snap out of it, Arleigh!" I yelled and she blinked as if waking up. "What the hell happened-Ow!" She touched her neck and found blood there. Her eyes widened and then she looked at me and then at Adrian. But Adrian was looking at me as though he had just seen a ghost. "How did you-How did you break my compulsion? You're a wolf-" And then his eyes widened as if realizing something. I didn't need to know what he realized because based on his expression, he already knows that I am a hybrid. "What the hell were you two trying to do to me?" Arleigh cried and I could tell she was close to crying. "I didn't have anything to do with this, Arleigh. This asshole was the one who bit you-" "Why are you here then? Clearly, you are his accomplice. You are going to pay." She got off the table and was about to walk out the door but I told her to stop. And she did. She couldn't move her feet and she remained standing there in front of the door, unable to move. "What the hell are you doing to me?" she yelled and then it was Adrian who said, "Shut your mouth." And Arleigh went quiet. Adrian looked at me, still in awe, wonder, and fear-I don't know how he feels but I don't like the fact that he discovered what I am. "You are the hybrid, aren't you?" he asked, his voice low. "I don't know what you're talking about, Adrian." He let out a low laugh. "You can't deny it. Especially not to me. I felt you earlier when I held your hand. You're a wolf but you can also do compulsion. Which means you're a vampire too. A hybrid." Before I could even say something, I felt my back hitting the bookshelf behind me and Adrian's fingers around my throat.