The Lunas Second Chance Mate
Chapter 22

Third person's pov

Back at the Crowalt Pack, a parrot swooped down to an old man. Elder Fritz extended his arm to receive the bird.

"Snapper, have you seen him?" The man asked in a gravelly voice. He peered at the bird on his forearm over a knobby nose and small spectacles. The parrot repeated, "I'm good. I'm good."

He stroked the bird's head and beak, "Yes, you are a very good bird." Snapper rubbed his head up and down, enjoying the praise and pets. There was a small capsule tied to his leg, and Elder Fritz carefully removed it from the ties, opened it and retrieved a small note. As he unrolled it, his face grew red.

"Nonsense! Alpha Jacob is out of line!' he yelled, his voice echoing in to the depths of the large mansion.

Behind him, he heard a faint shuffle. Turning to look, a familiar face peered around the open door. Her long golden-brown hair was curled at the ends, pulled back at the top from her freckled face and bright inquisitive green eyes. "Grandpa, why are you angry?" Her little voice still sounded younger than her seventeen years.

"Stephanie, would you go request Alpha Jacob's presence for me?" He thought the girl could soften Jacob a bit before Fritz intended to interrogate him.

"Sure!" Stephanie said. "Did you get any message about Ryan?" Elder Fritz sighed, patting her head a little, he said, "He's fine." When Stephanie was little, she had a terrible crush on Ryan before he was banished from the pack, and she hadn't forgotten in all these years. Even if she had only been seven-years-old when Ryan left.

She showed a wild smile, her perfect teeth indicating her good health and status. She turned, and traipsed lightly out of the door, the motion of her feet and sweep of her hair graceful like a dancer. Elder Fritz was incredibly proud of his granddaughter, almost to the point he forgot that he was angry.

Then he waited, as expected when requesting the presence of the Alpha. It took only a few hours, not as bad as it could be, before he could hear the servants scuttling around outside his door. He saw that they were bowing, the bend in the shadows as a large figure passed by them.

One servant who had been tending to Elder Fritz's aching feet leapt up when Jacob appeared at the doorway, the servant bowed low, proclaiming "Alpha," and scuttled away.

Alpha Jacob was in his mid-twenties, and he had been the Alpha for a fair number of years already- chosen by the elders as the having the greatest talent amongst the Alexanders. He had a slyness to his countenance that Fritz had always distrusted. "You requested me, Elder Fritz," Jacob said. His voice was not as low as one would expect for a large male with broad shoulders and perfect posture. He carried his head proud, reaching to the full extent of his height, and always seemed to look down over his sharp nose and piercing mahogany eyes. "How are you doing of late?"

"Fine, except I heard some concerning news." Elder Fritz tried to stand a little taller, his bent frame made him much shorter and more withered than the Alpha, he was feeling his age, and trying to remain firm and unintimidated. "You are the most talented of your generation. During these past years, I and the Clan were doing our best to support your leadership. Guide you, make you into the best Alpha you could be."

Jacob's eyes narrowed. "Yes, I appreciate the Elder's support." He said without any gratitude in his tone.

"How many years do you think you could live?"

Jacob smirked a little. "It's hard to say, but I might live longer than other Alexanders with talents."

Elder Fritz paused at this strange rather ambitious claim, but then again Jacob was talented with the witch's ability- he could see the past and predict the future. While it was usually foggy for oneself, had he seen a glimpse of some detail he had never shared with the Elders?

"No one can know, or predict your lifespan." The old man continued, wanting to put Jacob in his place a little. "Your grandfather died at 38 years-old. Your uncle who lived the longest was 41. While your dad without talents still lives and he is over 60 years-old. The higher the gifts, the shorter the life. That's your fate. The fate of Clan Alexander."

Jacob waved his hand dismissively. "I know all this." His voice was cold as ice. "Elder Fritz, no need to delay telling me what this is really about. What do you want? You called me for a reason."

"Every talent is a gift from the Moon Goddess, every gifted man is a gem to Clan Alexander and to the Crowalt Pack! We spend a lot to nourish them, and as you know, they endure unimaginable pain and torture to become one. With our gifts, Crowalt Pack continues to be the strongest pack in all the lands. That is why we chose to keep Ryan alive."

Pure disdain overtook Jacob's face. His lips tightened. "And so? Why do you bring up the incestuous bastard? He is no matter to me."

"I've heard from reliable sources that you've taken a concern with him, and you have no right to do so. He is a gem; he is more powerful than you can imagine. Use your talents to see what could happen!" Jacob said, "If I see anything, it's a problem. Ryan is a problem."

"Don't you, or your father, or your blasted she-wolf wife dare to touch Ryan, or mettle with him! He's so much more powerful than you could imagine! I don't want to see our Pack destroyed because you get greedy."

Fire burned in Jacob's eyes. He glared at the elder, let out a long breath, and left without a response.

Elder Fritz turned back towards the shadows in his room. While he was much older and slighter, he had seen a lot in his life, including many Alphas. Jacob was the best choice for his talents, but there was something about him that rubbed Fritz the wrong way.