Pursuing My Rejected Alpha
Chapter 56

Kieran Locksworth's unofficial interrogation ended late in the afternoon.

Before he and Lillian were taken back to their prison cell, the new Alpha claimed that the two Silverbacks were no different than two vampires that squeezed the last drop of blood from their victims. It was maybe the worst insult that he could say out loud, because werewolves and vampires were mortal enemies.

Neither Dane nor Ronan took offense. They got what they wanted. All that they needed to do was to make sure that the trial went smoothly.

It was the night before the trial was set to begin.

"Why don't you stay with me for the night?" Dane offered rather clumsily.

Considering that their relationship had been broken for many years, Dane Silverback did not expect his son to agree.

Indeed, Ronan did not agree. But not because he was still holding a grudge.

He gave his father half a hug while muttering, "I still have something to do."

.....

"So late?" Dane inquired.

"Yes."

44

Ronan had picked the last day before the trial began to do what he had to do.

The Alpha got into his black Porsche and drove the car to Hapsborough City.

Instead of stopping at Carlton Bay Hotel to spend the night, Ronan went to another hotel instead. In this hotel, at the presidential suite, he and Lucien left beautiful memories behind.

These beautiful memories were dotted with fear of an upcoming hearing and then the war. But, when Ronan looked back, he could only remember the sweet parts.

Such as the time when Lucien locked himself up in his bedroom like a pouty child.

Such as the time when Lucien ordered them the awful macaroni and cheese for dinner.

Such as the time when they were intimately entangled on the bed and in the bathroom. Ronan smiled to himself.

His train of thought was disturbed by the knocking sound at the door.

It was Milroy.

"A-Alpha? There is a package for you. Do you know this sender?" the young man stuttered while holding the package under Ronan's nose.

Ronan looked down at the labeled box. The sender did not bother being discreet at all. The words "West Coast Center For Reproductive Medicine and Fertility" stood tall and proud on top of the box. "Yes," the taller man confirmed with a blank expression.

His assistant turned a shade redder.

Ronan took the box and said, "Thanks."

"Uh, ummm..."

"Come back in an hour."

Milroy looked like he would rather jump out of the building, but he obediently followed the Alpha's order.

Inside the suite, Ronan tore up the box and found a rather large egg inside. It came with an instruction manual. "Hello, Future Dad!" It said.

Ronan wiped at his face in embarrassment.

"Please peel this egg and use it to store your s***m. As soon as you finish, seal the opening with the included cap and send it to us within 24 hours! For detailed instructions on how to use the egg, please check the next section!"

...

Ronan went into the bathroom and unzipped his pants. Inside the "egg" was a cream-colored, squishy, and elastic thing. At one end there was a small hole. When Ronan thought back about what Lucien's rear hole looked like before and after they were done fooling around, he became hard in an instant.

While imagining himself making love to Lucien, Ronan pushed his engorged organ into the hole and watched as it slowly engulfed the swollen head and then the majority of the shaft. "Mmmh..."

Ronan closed his eyes and arched his back.

"Lulu..." he whispered with a throaty voice. "My love..."

He thought back to the many times he f****d Lucien, how the man looked like every time he went deep. The red-blonde man always had his mouth wide open in a silent scream as he endured Ronan's savage onslaught. His eyes would be shut tightly and he would clamp hard around Ronan, his fingernails drawing long lines down Ronan's back...

"... Ugh!"

The egg was not as good as Lucien's love tunnel, but it did the job. After a while, Ronan knotted into the egg and slowly poured out his thick and potent seed into it.

After he was done, he sealed it with the aforementioned cap and put it aside.

Ronan then took a shower to clean himself from both his sample-collecting activity as well as the dirty thoughts in his mind.

If Lucien were there, it would not have ended with only one round. He would take his mate again in the shower. And then the bed.

Ronan would make love to Lucien again and again, becoming a slave to his carnal desires until their hearts beat as one and their bodies were locked together in hot, passionate love.

There was no sweeter endeavor than to climb the heights of pleasure with his beloved Lucien, only to fall together with the man into the sea of bliss.

In retrospect, maybe the Moon Goddess did not make a mistake when she made Lucien to be a man. Otherwise, he would give birth every year. Ronan did not think that Lucien would like it very much.

After the deed was done, Ronan packed the egg into a reserved plastic bag. When he wanted to put it into the box, he saw a card at the bottom of the box along with another instruction sheet. It read as followed:

"Esteemed Mr. Silverback, we are currently in the middle of making final preparation before the artificial womb undergoes commissioning. This card along with the same sample collection package will be sent out to your partner as soon as possible. Please kindly fill in your partner's name and contact information.

Feel free to leave a heartfelt message at the back side!"

Ronan grabbed a pen and scribbled down Lucien's information on the front page of the card.

While the front side was relatively classy with mainly black and white color, the back side was colored pink and framed with a lot of tiny hearts.

Ronan cleared his throat.

He then started writing, "My beloved Lucien..."

In the werewolf society, werewolf packs constituted political entities that answered directly to the Werewolf Council.

Disputes within a pack were solved independently by the governing body within the said pack, which meant that the Alpha held an uncontested right to decide the fate of his pack members.

Disputes between packs were resolved in two stages. The preliminary stage, a private hearing or discussion, was conducted between a judge, the disputing packs, and the elders who represented each pack.

Depending on the result of said hearing or discussion, said dispute might be carried to a court trial before the entire Werewolf Council members and representatives of each pack.

Having no pack to support him, Elijah Summertide's case was brought directly to trial.

The presiding judge could not be anyone who hailed from any of the disputing packs, so Dane Silverback had to give up the judge seat to another council member, Gregor Gravecrown. Ronan and Jake took seats in the front circular row, where the plaintiff side usually sat.

"Alpha," Jake greeted Ronan. Unlike Ronan who spent a night at Hapsborough City, Jake departed early morning from the Infinite Eclipse Pack House.

"How is everything?" Ronan asked casually.

.....

"Everything is fine. I have prepared everything."

"Mmm. This will end today."

Jake nodded.

"Everyone misses the Luna dearly."

Ronan smiled.

No one missed Lucien more than he did, but he was happy that his pack members accepted Lucien with open arms.

Ronan leaned forward and peeked at the man who sat a few rows back at the opposite of the hall. Kinnon Youngshaper lifted his head and happened to meet Ronan's eyes. He gave his rival a thin smile before quickly looking away. Ronan closed his eyes and rubbed at his temples.

A little bit more, Lucien...

I am going to come and get you as soon as this trial ends.

Please be patient, my love...

On the other side, also sitting at the front circular row were the Woodland family members who just recently not only lost the Alpha position but also fell from grace. As the new Alpha of the Ironclad Claws, Kieran Locksworth sat with them. Obscured from sight by the railing that separated the trial attendants from the center area, he held Lillian Woodland's hand tightly.

"Ladies and gentlemen," Gregor Gravecrown's booming sound rang across the hall. "Please settle down. We are here to try Elijah Summertide, a former priest at the Holy Temple of The Moon Goddess for a crime against the Infinite Eclipse Pack."

As the news had made its round for a few days, no one was surprised to hear it anymore.

Elijah Summertide was brought to the center of the Crescent Hall, his hands and feet were shackled up together.

"Please take a seat, Elijah," Gregor gestured to the chair at the center of the hall.

Elijah took a seat, and then he was chained to the chair. The man seemed to be resigned about his fate. He showed neither resistance nor fear.

"You have been caught red-handed on the night of 17th February in an attempt to murder Lucien Clearwater, the Luna of the Infinite Eclipse Pack. Is this correct?"

"Yes, Mr. Gravecrown," Elijah answered curtly.

Gregor turned to an attendant who promptly stepped up to offer him the same poison vial that Kinnon wrenched out of Elijah's grip that night.

"And you wanted to do it by means of poisoning?"

"Yes, Mr. Gravecrown."

"Did anyone ask you to commit the crime?"

"No, Mr. Gravecrown."

"Did you do it of your own volition?"

"Yes, Mr. Gravecrown."

"Do you plead guilty?"

"I do, Mr. Gravecrown."

Half of the Crescent Hall directed their eyes at Ronan Silverback while the other half had their eyes on the Woodlands.

Gregor looked around the hall.

"The defendant pleaded guilty. In that case, we shall proceed to decide the just punishment for Elijah Summertide."

"One moment, Mr. Gravecrown, I have a question for Elijah Summertide."

All heads turned to Ronan Silverback who just spoke up.

"Please speak, Alpha Ronan."

Ronan narrowed his eyes at the shackled man at the center of the room.

"What kind of poison did you try to use on my mate?"

""

The poison vial immediately became the center of attention.

"It is an ancient poison called 'A Thousand Flowers Of Separation"," Elijah answered a while later after he dug out the name from his blurred memory.

"Where did you get the poison from?"

Elijah chuckled.

"Sorry, I don't remember. It was within my collection."

Ronan smirked.

"Really, and you used your precious collection on my mate. I should feel honored, should I not?"

Upon hearing Elijah's answer, more than one elder stood up at once.

"Excuse me, Mr. Gravecrown, his answer doesn't make sense," Elder Rick remarked.

"How so?" Gregor asked.

"That poison is very rare. It was harvested from the blood of a she-wolf who suffered betrayal from her fated mate. To my knowledge, the amount is very limited. It is not only rare, but it is also very expensive." Gregor hummed.

"Mr. Gravecrown, this poison is not easily detectable. It is only lethal for fated mates. To protect fated mates from the poison, the poison had been strictly protected by the Fangblade family," Elder Aaron added.

"The Fangblade family had transferred the remaining poison to the Clarence family for safekeeping more than thirty years ago," Elder Devin who hailed from the Fangblade family spoke up. "The Clarence family is politically neutral."

All the comments only strengthened the fact that this was not an everyday poison that a rogue werewolf like Elijah could collect.

Gregor furrowed his brows at Elijah.

"Did you steal the poison from the Clarence family?"

"That is a lie," all elders spoke in unison.

Desperate, Elijah quickly agreed, "Yes. I did."

"Ever since they received the poison from the Fangblade family, not a drop has been lost."

"They are wrong," Elijah snapped. "I stole it. I really did."

"Then, can you describe what the secret poison storage looks like?" Ronan sneered. "We can check with the Clarence family right away."

"..."

Elijah gritted his teeth. "I forgot. It has been too long."

"Well, I have a theory," Ronan said. "Maybe the poison was stolen while it was being safeguarded by the Fangblade family."

Upon hearing Ronan's words, Elder Devin, who slammed his hand against the table in front of him, shouted, "Alpha Ronan! You are speaking about the birth family of your late mother! Do watch your tongue!" Ronan turned to look at Elder Devin. The pair of eyes typical of the Fangblade bloodline looked extra fierce when coupled with Dane Silverback's signature cold gaze.

"Thank you, Uncle. I am aware of what I just said."

Elder Devin turned beet red. He looked like he wanted to curse Ronan out for being disrespectful, but in the end, he decided to swallow the indignation instead.

Elder Devin did not continue defending the Fangblade family against Ronan, but everyone felt uncomfortable badmouthing an ancient bloodline that had unfortunately been discontinued.

"We should rule out this possibility, Alpha Ronan," Gregor said. "Unless you think that Elijah Summertide stole the poison when he was but a youngling of ten years old or less." Ronan broke into a smile.

"I trust that the talented Mr. Summertide is not that proficient that he could steal from the Fangblade family when he's just an immature lad." The Alpha cocked his head in the Woodland family's direction.

.....

"But someone else could. Someone who was old enough and had access to the poison."

It was clear who he was referring to.

Someone who also hailed from the Fangblade family and was old enough to steal it more than thirty years ago just happened to sit in the row where the Woodland family members sat at. Even Lillian's younger siblings and cousins knew who Ronan was referring to.

"G-grandmother?" One of them whispered in disbelief.

The matriarch of the Woodland family, Lucrethia Woodland, gave Ronan a sneer in response.

She then shot Elder Kragen a sharp look. Shocked by Ronan's bold accusation, the elder even forgot to defend the pack that he was representing.

"That is nothing more than speculation, Mr. Gravecrown!" Elder Kragen shouted. "Do you have any evidence for accusing Madam Lucrethia Woodland? Back when she allegedly stole the ancient poison, you haven't even been born to the world!" "Of course, it is a speculation. Don't you think that it is a bit too much of a coincidence, though?" Ronan asked. "Elijah went after my mate for no apparent reason. The Woodland family just happens to draw benefit should he succeed." "Reason has yet to be divulged," Gregor pointed out. "Not that it is necessary once the defendant pleads guilty. For the sake of justice, Elijah Summertide, why did you want to take Lucien Clearwater's life?"

"I held a grudge against him."

"What grudge?"

"He... He hurt me a long time ago."

Ronan rolled with his eyes.

"When? What did he do?"

"It was about two years ago during the Moon Banquet."

From one of the rows at the backside, Annalynne stood up abruptly and shouted, "LIAR!!!!"

Elijah gritted his teeth.

"My brother did not return to the pack until last year! He skipped a lot of Moon Banquets! And don't tell me that you met him somewhere outside of the temple!"

"Alpha Annalynne, please control your temper," Gregor growled. "Otherwise I will hold you in contempt of the court."

Annalynne plopped back on her seat unhappily. Next to her, Kendra squeezed her arm while throwing furious looks at Elijah.

"Mr. Summertide? If you do not tell the truth, I will be forced to consider that Alpha Ronan's speculation carries some truth."

Elijah swallowed hard.

He never thought that this matter would take such a complicated turn even after he pleaded guilty. The man wanted to sneak a glance at Lucrethia Woodland to get some clues, but one look sufficed to establish a connection between them. Elijah held his head down.

From this point on, whatever he said would only make things worse. Might as well shut up. If he did not want to talk, who could make him talk?

Gregor scoffed.

"Alpha Ronan, obviously you don't have any lead that can point out the connection between Elijah Summertide and Madam Lucrethia Woodland. I am sorry but we cannot do any trial based on mere speculation."

"What if I have a witness who can testify that the two people are indeed related?" Ronan asked calmly.

The question was very simple, but it caused the whole hall to break into an uproar.

"No way!" one person exclaimed.

"Alpha Ronan, you are being delusional!"

"Madam Lucrethia Woodland is an esteemed elder! Why would she have anything to do with this... this rogue werewolf!"

Elijah gritted his teeth and clenched his fists when he heard the two words that never failed to remind him of his humble origin.

"Alpha Ronan, you need to stop now before you go too far and offend the Woodlands!"

Sitting among his family members, Conrad Woodland whined and held both hands against his ears.

"Nooo," he begged. "Please stop..."

"QUIETTTTTT!!!"

Dane Silverback hollered at the crowd. The entire hall fell into a deathly silence in an instant.

Gregor cleared his throat.

"Thank you, Mr. Dane Silverback. Please let me handle it."

Dane gave Gregor a stiff nod. That was all he could do to preserve his colleague's dignity. They both knew that the crowd would not listen to Gregor the way they listened to Dane. This was the main reason why Dane was asked to serve as a judge for the worst court cases that the Werewolf Council had to deal with.

"So, Alpha Ronan, where is this witness that can prove that the unlikely connection exists?"

Ronan shifted his gaze to Kieran Locksworth, who was squeezing Lillian's hand so hard that the latter began to wince.

"I would like to have Kieran Locksworth as my witness in this regard."

It had to be noted that Kieran was sitting together with the Woodland family members during the trial. More than ten pairs of eyes followed his every movement as the man let go of Lillian's hand, stepped out of the circular row, and walked to the center of the hall. "Traitor," one of them whispered.

Kieran Locksworth stood at the podium, looking back at the hundreds of eyes that were looking down at him.

While some of them harbored mixed reactions, the majority had nothing but contempt for a former Beta who decided to speak against the Alpha that he used to serve.

"Quiet, everyone!" Gregor shouted when a round of murmur grew louder and louder.

"Beta... No, Alpha Kieran... Do you agree to serve as a witness for Alpha Ronan?"

Staring at the Alpha who sat some distance away, Kieran nodded stiffly.

"Yes."

In return for his testimony, Ronan agreed to drag neither Lillian nor Kieran to court. The paternity of the baby would also not be put into question. The matter was to be resolved privately between the three of them.

That was the best scenario that Kieran could hope for.

For the sake of Lillian and their son.

.....

For their little family.

"Then, please tell the court what you know about the relationship between Madam Lucrethia Woodland and Elijah Summertide."

Chained up in his chair, Elijah widened his eyes at Kieran.

"About three years ago, when I just took over the Beta position from my father, I caught an intruder in our Ironclad Claws Pack House," Kieran said. "At that time he refused to tell me who he was. When I brought him to my Alpha, the man was released immediately. After that, I was told by my Alpha that this man was a servant of Madam Lucrethia Woodland."

"Are you referring to Elijah Summertide?"

Kieran nodded.

"Yes."

"You are wrong, Beta Kieran!!!" Elijah howled. "I have never seen you in my life!"

"Shut up!" Gregor hollered at Elijah.

"I saw him a few more times after that," Kieran confessed. "The last time I saw him was about a week ago."

Elijah turned pale from fright.

It was when Lucrethia gave him the poison vial with the order to end Lucien's life.

"Is it good enough?" Ronan asked Gregor.

Before the judge opened his mouth to answer, Lucrethia spoke up.

"Of course not," the elderly lady said. She did not look at all affected by Kieran's testimony. Those who attended the trial soon found out why.

"Kieran Locksworth stole the Alpha position from the Woodland family," she pointed out. "He is trying to destroy the reputation of the Woodland family to secure that no one from our family dares to reclaim the Alpha throne ever again."

All of a sudden, Kieran the witness became Kieran the usurper.

"That is not true!" Kieran shouted. "Conrad Woodland openly said that he no longer wanted to be the Alpha. No one else from the Woodland family wanted the Alpha seat! Not even his sister, Ms. Vera Woodland!"

Conrad rocked back and forth in his seat while murmuring unintelligible words and clamping his hands tightly on his ears. Vera Woodland was pale with fright.

"Vera, is that true?" Lucrethia smiled at her youngest daughter. "Did the two of you drop the Alpha position on the ground for every vulture to peck on?"

Vera raised her eyes to meet her mother's. Once she caught sight of the cold wrath within, she quickly averted her eyes.

She might be the less talented daughter that her mother was never too fond of, and also never put a lot of hope on, but she knew very well of her mother's ambition.

Lucrethia Woodland had always wanted to be an Alpha.

Conrad was out of his mind due to accumulating stress, leaving only Vera to take charge. Lucrethia would have wanted Vera to claim the Alpha position, especially during these difficult times when no one wanted it.

But who in their sane minds would do that???

Vera might not be talented, but she was not dumb!

"N-no," the elder woman denied.

"No, what?" Gregor dug further. "Ms. Vera Woodland, can you elaborate?"

"I am sorry, but I don't remember much of it. By the time I snapped back from my daze, I already stood outside of my pack house and Kieran already named himself the new Alpha."

Alas, no one else but Conrad, Vera, and Kieran himself were present when Conrad relinquished the Alpha position. Kieran had no one to back him up, although everyone knew that he did not lie.

The Alpha position of the Ironclad Claws pack, now and then, was still a hot potato that no one wanted to hold onto.

"See?"

Lucrethia had a bright smile on her face.

"So sorry, Alpha Ronan. Unless you can bring another witness to the stand, your theory remains a theory."

Ronan sneered.

"This won't do, Mr. Gravecrown," he said. "I can bring a second, a third witness to the stand, but if Madam Lucrethia Woodland continues saying that all testimonies are done to destroy her or her family's reputation, we will never get to the bottom of this matter." Gregor hummed.

"In that case, what do you want me to do?"

"Give Kieran Locksworth the benefit of the doubt. The court must not automatically side with Madam Lucrethia Woodland. With all due respect," Ronan added while nodding toward the elderly.

"Hmph," she scoffed.

"Very well. Does Alpha Kieran have more to say to his testimony?"

After he was put in a difficult position, Kieran was burning with rage. The last pint of his patience already evaporated into the air seconds ago. He was going to talk even if the whole court told him to shut up.

"Yes, Mr. Gravecrown, indeed I have. During my tenure as Beta, I get to know about one more major crime that the matriarch of the Woodland family personally masterminded."

The hall was deafeningly silent. Everyone held their breath, waiting for Kieran to drop the bomb.

It was indeed a bomb.

"Madam Lucrethia Woodland triggered at least two incidents to sow discord and drive a wedge between the two biggest packs, the Infinite Eclipse Pack and the Night Prowler Pack.

The first one was the attack on Alpha Kinnon in the presence of Annalynne Clearwater, then not yet serving as the Alpha of the Silent Walkers Pack.

The second one was the attack on Alpha Kinnon's son by hiring an outcast who hailed from the Infinite Eclipse Pack."

The accusation was ridiculously heavy, it was worth two death sentences at least! Half of the trial attendants were swayed to believe Kieran Locksworth's statement because which fool accused a high-rank lady of such atrocities unless they were all true? Alpha Kinnon Youngshaper from the Night Prowler Pack rose to his feet and roared from where he sat at.

"Mr. Gregor Gravecrown, the attacks were done to harm my heir and me. My son Ralph was barely four years old at the time of the attack. I demand justice!"

Emboldened by Kinnon's action, Alpha Annalynne from the Silent Walkers Pack too rose again from her seat and shouted, "I was also attacked at the same time Alpha Kinnon was attacked! Mr. Gravecrown, I demand a full explanation from Lucrethia Woodland!" By this time, Gregor was having a huge headache.

At first, he thought that he was only trying an ex-priest who confessed his crime on all accounts. It was supposed to be an easy one.

Enter Ronan Silverback who came with a bunch of questions and a theory that involved Lucrethia Woodland. He even managed to get the current Alpha of the Ironclad Claws Pack to side with him.

Kieran Locksworth's testimony dragged two more packs into the trial, adding more mess to the already very messy affair.

Dane Silverback stood up, straightened his coat, and approached his distressed colleague.

.....

They exchanged a few words, then Gregor Gravecrown grabbed a gavel and hit the sound block a few times to call for attention.

"Alpha Kieran Locksworth's testimony has changed the nature of the trial. The trial is thus adjourned until the next morning. All relevant pack Alphas, Betas, and Elders, come with me for a private hearing."

Elijah Summertide cast a helpless look at Lucrethia Woodland at last before he was taken back to his cell. The elderly shot Kieran Locksworth a poisonous look. If she did not know better, she might be tempted to try and rip the former Beta's head off his shoulders. The hearing chamber had never been so cramped before. Inside were the four pack leaders, their representative elders, the suspect Lucrethia Woodland, and the two council members Gregor Gravecrown and Dane Silverback.

"Honestly, in my many years of being in the council, I have never experienced a messier circumstance than this one," Gregor said with a certain degree of exasperation. "Alpha Kieran Locksworth, are you aware that you practically act as an accessory to the crime if you know what's going on but did not bother to report it to the council???"

"That is not a fair reproach, Mr. Gravecrown," Kieran growled in defiance. "Which Beta goes around to air out the pack's dirty laundry??? That is an absolute betrayal!"

Lucrethia sneered.

"I assume that you consider yourself to be a righteous person right now, 'Alpha' Kieran. I never knew how hypocrisy smells like until you come along."

Kieran's face darkened visibly.

"Quit the verbal jabs, both of you," Gregor barked. "Elder Kragen, do you have nothing to say?"

Said elder threw Gregor a helpless look. What was he supposed to say? The new Alpha of the pack testified against the mother of the previous Alpha who abandoned his position. Elder Kragen did not know what to say let alone what to do. "Honestly, Mr. Gravecrown, I am conflicted. Elders are supposed to meddle in disputes between packs, not within packs."

Gregor threw his hands in the air.

"You know what? Maybe the Ironclad Claws Pack needs to sort out its internal affair first before we even conduct this hearing."

"Good idea, but I do not want to be lynched by the entire Woodland family members just because I stepped up to be the Alpha when no one else wanted to," Kieran snapped.

Lucrethia cackled at Kieran's temper. Conrad had no backbone and Vera was a coward, but she did not think that Kieran had what it took to be a good Alpha either.

"You already have the Alpha position. Feel free to keep it."

"Wonderful, then Alpha Kieran remains the Alpha. What do you have to say about the matter concerning your pack member, Madam Lucrethia Woodland?"

"Oho!" Lucrethia exclaimed in amusement. "Yes, 'Alpha' Kieran, what do you have to say about me, a mere pack member?"

Lucrethia's verbal jabs did not make Kieran more talkative. On the contrary, he clammed up immediately.

"You were saying about the two attacks at my pack house," Kinnon helped to bring Kieran back on track.

"Yes," Kieran said, visibly distracted.

"I, uh..."

He stole a glance at Ronan, who raised an eyebrow at him.

"Alpha Kieran, do you have any evidence that can support your claim?" Gregor asked.

"That... Yes, yes, I do. Um..." Kieran took a deep breath. "Is the council acquainted with a person named Silas Goldfinger?"

Other than Annalynne and Kendra who had not been in position for a long time, everyone reacted to the name with various degrees of displeasure mixed with annoyance.

Silas Goldfinger was a rogue werewolf who recruited fellow rogue werewolves and offered them to packs to do some freelance jobs. The nature of these freelance jobs was mostly illegal. A lot of the desperate, poor rogue werewolves were asked to do jobs that no

proper werewolf wanted to be caught dead at.

"What about him?" Dane asked.

"A young woman came by our pack house once, and she demanded to meet with the Madam. She refused to tell her name and also her origin. Naturally, the guards kicked her out and barred her entry. At that time, so they reported, the young woman said that she

was sent by a certain Silas Goldfinger."

"That was how I found out that Madam engaged in Silas Goldfinger's service from time to time."

"One day, this young woman was received by the Alpha and suddenly she became something like an on-and-off servant to the Woodland household."

"I later found out that her name was Shayla Plainheart. Allegedly, she was punished for stealing, but I know for sure that the Madam killed her in an outburst of rage