[Ding!]
[Side Quest: Visit the Wounded Alpha]
[Objective: Visit Alpha Julian to uncover the truth.]
[Reward: +15% Evolution Point, Key Items, 20,000 Gold]
Visit the Wounded Alpha?
Vivianne glared at the System window.
After everything that had happened, that sounded suspiciously simple.
By noon, the Canavar delegation had already set out for Balto territory.
Oswald led the group with several Canavar warriors following behind him.
The captured Balto beastmen were brought along as prisoners, their wrists bound as they were escorted between armed guards.
Vivianne walked among them, occasionally glancing at the captured warriors.
Yesterday, they had been trying to kill her.
Today, they were apparently traveling companions.
Well…
technically.
The journey took several hours.
The forest gradually changed as they moved deeper into Balto territory.
Familiar wooden houses and open paths of Canavar disappeared behind them, replaced by denser woods and rocky terrain.
Eventually, the trees parted and revealed a large wooden gate guarding the Balto village.
The moment they approached the gates, several beastmen appeared on the watchtower.
“Stop!”
Weapons were immediately drawn.
More beastmen warriors rushed out from behind the gates, surrounding the Canavar delegation.
“That’s the Canavar dogs! Don’t let them get any closer!”
The captured Balto warriors immediately began shouting.
“Don’t trust them!”
The Canavar warriors tightened their grips on their weapons, but Oswald stepped forward.
“Lower your weapons.”
Warriors from both packs snarled and growled at each other.
Neither side moved.
The tension between them was almost suffocating.
“We’re here to speak with Alpha Julian.”
“Our Alpha is injured because of your people. And you still expect us to welcome you?”
Several Balto warriors raised their weapons higher.
Vivianne quietly stepped back.
This was going wonderfully.
Ophelia had wanted to elope.
Vivianne had only agreed to help her.
Somehow, that innocent little favor had escalated into a war between packs.
One wrong word and they were going to have another battle before anyone even reached Julian’s den.
Before the situation could escalate, another Balto warrior hurried through the gates.
He stopped beside the leader and lowered his voice.
“Alpha Julian ordered them brought to his den.”
The warrior frowned.
“He’s awake?”
“He regained consciousness a few hours ago.”
After a long moment, the leader finally lowered his weapon.
“Take them to the Alpha.”
The Balto warriors reluctantly stepped aside but continued surrounding the delegation as they entered the village.
Balto beastmen villagers watched them with suspicion.
Some openly glared.
Others whispered among themselves.
Vivianne couldn’t blame them.
From their perspective, Canavar had attacked their Alpha.
And from Canavar’s perspective, Balto had just attacked their village.
Everyone thought the other side had started it.
This was going to be a nightmare.
Even Oswald seemed on edge.
His little sister was being held hostage, and he was about to walk straight into the enemy’s den.
Anyone would be tense in his position.
They eventually reached a large den near the center of the village.
Two guards opened the entrance.
Julian’s den was larger than Oswald’s.
A small garden sat within the spacious wooden structure, with smooth stones, neatly trimmed greenery, and a quiet little pond tucked beside the den.
The whole place had an elegant, tranquil design that felt surprisingly refined for a beastman den.
Oswald stepped inside with Vivianne close behind.
“Brother!” Ophelia rushed toward him.
Oswald caught her by the shoulders, his eyes immediately scanning her from head to toe.
“Are you okay? Did they hurt you?”
“No!”
“Are you certain?”
Ophelia nodded rapidly.
Only then did Oswald release her, the tension in his expression easing.
He had clearly been worried sick about his little sister.
Then Oswald’s expression changed.
His nose twitched, and his gaze dropped to Ophelia’s neck.
Vivianne followed his eyes.
A faint bite mark peeked out from beneath her collar.
Then came the scent.
Mate.
Oswald went completely still.
He was glaring daggers at Julian now.
It was unmistakable.
Vivianne’s attention immediately wandered elsewhere.
She scratched the back of her neck, suddenly finding the wooden walls far more interesting than the three wolves standing in front of her.
That green wolfman sure moved fast.
The guards said he just woke up several hours ago and the first thing he did was banging his rival’s little sister?
+1000% Aura.
What a chad.
The Balto Alpha was pale, his torso heavily bandaged.
One arm was wrapped tightly against his side, but his gaze remained sharp.
Oswald’s eyes turned from Ophelia to Julian.
Oswald’s gaze shifted from Ophelia to Julian.
His expression practically screamed, ‘How dare you sleep with my sister?’
He tried to get up.
“Don’t.” Oswald’s voice was cold.
Julian stopped, a low growl rumbling from his throat.
Oh.
So this was what it looked like when a rival Alpha was worried about his mate.
Did this make them in brother-in-laws?
Julian wasn’t trying to challenge or attack Oswald.
He was worried Oswald might punish Ophelia.
Apparently, being rival Alphas didn’t stop Julian from being a very protective boyfriend.
Meanwhile, Oswald’s wolf was clearly having a difficult time staying put.
“Brother…” Ophelia swallowed.
Oswald slowly turned toward her.
“You left without telling me. You eloped.”
Ophelia lowered her head.
“I’m sorry.”
“Of all the males in the Beast World, Ophelia. Why did it have to be him?” Oswald dragged a hand down his face, looking utterly exasperated.
Oswald was busy questioning every one of his sister’s life choices, and Vivianne had to look away before she burst out laughing.
He had the expression of a man desperately reconsidering every decision that had somehow led him to this exact moment.
“Why?”
Ophelia took a breath.
“Because Julian is my fated mate.”
That made sense now.
Oswald rubbed his temple slowly.
His face stayed serious, but he looked like this damned conversation had already given him a headache.
Julian finally broke the silence.
“She didn’t betray your pack.”
Oswald’s gaze shifted toward him.
“We left together,” Julian continued.
“We wanted to elope before either pack could interfere.”
“And then?” Julian’s expression darkened.
“We were attacked. We had barely left Canavar territory when a group of wolves ambushed us.”
Julian winced as he tried to rise.
Ophelia quickly slipped an arm around his waist to steady him.
“They were targeting Ophelia.”
Julian waved a hand, dismissing the guards from the room.
Once they had left, Ophelia helped him settle onto the couch.
Julian leaned back with a pained breath, then met Oswald’s gaze.
“You’re Ophelia’s brother. You’d never be foolish enough to send men to kill her.”
Julian’s expression turned grim.
“Whoever sent those men wanted you to believe Canavar had attacked her. They were trying to turn you against your own pack. There were eight of them. I fought them off, but I was injured protecting Ophelia.”
Ophelia moved closer to him.
“My brother thought Balto had taken me hostage.”
“While I was unconscious, my warriors must have misunderstood what happened,” Julian explained.
“They thought Canavar had attacked their Alpha.”
The pieces finally began to fit together.
The attack on Ophelia and Julian, the captured warriors, and Ophelia being taken hostage—all of it had spiraled from the same misunderstanding.
“There is something else,” Julian’s claws slowly extended.
“One of those bastards said something before I killed him.”
A bad feeling settled in Vivianne’s chest.
“What did he say?”
Julian met Oswald’s gaze.
“They were sent.”
The den fell silent.
Someone had ordered the attack.
And whoever it was had deliberately made it look like Canavar had attacked Balto and Balto had struck back.
Vivianne’s fingers curled at her sides.
The more she thought about it, the worse it became.
Whoever planned this had known exactly where to strike—and exactly how to make both packs turn against each other.
This wasn’t a misunderstanding.
Someone had started a war.