THE ALPHA CALLED DEATH CHAPTER 14

(His Innermost Desires…)

By: Faith Lucky

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Without saying it, the old man could feel the tension in the room the moment those words left his lips as Nir’s eyes had grown dimmer.

It sounded insane to him, made him go quiet for a pretty long time even if it was part of his nature.

“What did you just say, Ahiga?” He finally asked, his tone inimical.

“I am sure of what I’m saying, Alpha” The old man nodded. “I can tell her scent when I perceive it. And right now, I’m telling you she’s all over your shirt. You rarely get touched, Alpha. Who touched you today?”

Silence dropped in as Nir trudged to the window side, gazing out of it.

For a man like him that was hardly bothered, he felt the opposite for the first time in a long time. Was the Old man playing with his trust? But it was not ingrained of Ahiga to do such to him. What would be his gain?

For a long time, he stood facing the window and listening to his heart beat faster. He knew what that meant to him; but he just didn’t understand…

“How is it possible?” He muttered under his breath, his gold-balled eyes staring blankly at the people below.

“How can we be so sure she’s Anika?”.

“Did you…meet with her, Alpha?” Ahiga asked, trying to make his tone as humbled as possible. With the news on ground, the slightest provocation could cost him his head – including asking questions he’s not meant to repeat.

“I met someone at the hotel not long ago” Nir groaned. “She stole my ring and I went to get it back. She’s the only one that touched me today and has touched me in a while”.

The old man’s mood switched to a befuddled one due to the imprecise statement. And this time around, he decided not to hold back his questions.

“I… I am greatly confused, Alpha” He furrowed his brows. “How did she steal your ring? Who is she? And… how did it…”

“It’s a long story, Ahiga” Nir darted his head at the Physician. “I had gone out to the river side without my mask, and she came along, asking for directions to a hotel”.

“Hah! She….she had seen you without your mask?” Ahiga gasped, like the abominable had happened.

“I returned back here to discover my ring was missing. Then, traced her to an hotel and forced it out of her. She had touched me in the process”. Nir recounted.

“Oh, my!” Ahiga flinched.

“I’m so sorry, Alpha; I’d completely forgotten what today was. But, this lady…she must be the one we’ve been looking for. She must be Anika – the one that’s made to complete your immortality”.

The sound of that alone made Nir’s eyes grow hungry; ‘complete your immortality’.

That’s what he’s always wanted – what his lungs craved for.

“But… something is just not right, Alpha” Ahiga pointed out. “We’ve been searching for her for so many years. How come she shows up all of a sudden?”

Nir was cold silent – returning his gaze to the window. His mind reflected at her frightened face at the hotel… those eyes. She definitely didn’t look like one from his community. And the question she had asked him at the river:

“Is this how rude all you people of Obeddon are?”

“Seriously, I guess I shouldn’t even be surprised considering the kind of leader you have”.

Those words… they made her sound like a visitor. And her accent, they sounded more of modern than archaic.

Why was she there?

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Ximena forced a smile from her lips as she watched the woman drop the steaming plate of meal in front of her. Despite how odd the aroma was, she tried to ignore it and put on a perfunctory smile.

“You should eat up, dear. Starving this way isn’t good for you” Minerva cooed.

“Yes. Thank you”. Minerva smiled, and tapping her shoulder, the woman left.

“Phew!” Ximena let out that deep breath she had been stalling the whole time. Goodness! For how long would she survive this?

She sighed and looked around the ‘sitting room’. It looked more like a parking room – having too many bags and baskets in it. Well, at least, it had chairs she could sit on.

She dipped her fingers into her hair, recalling the life she had left behind – the life she had lost. She imagined her parents being alive – having breakfast with them, going to work with her dad and going shopping with her mum. She was on the verge of having the best life. Why did everything have to change so drastically? Why did she have to lose it all? What would her life become without her parents?

She sniffled and lifted her head when she heard the door opening. Her eyes came in contact with an unfamiliar face – a gentle looking boy having the eyes of Minerva.

With a bag hung around his shoulder, he halted at the door and gave that suspicious stare at #Ximena, his eyes already asking who she was and what she was doing there.

“Uhm…hi” Ximena tucked her hair behind her ear and smiled – forcefully tho. With the way he looked – tall and agile – he should be no less than twenty-five years of age – Ximena analyzed.

“Who are you?” He asked inquisitively and less grumpily. He equally stared at the food and water on the table.

“I am… Ximena. And you might want to ask your mother for the rest of the details”. Ximena replied. And with a scoff, he walked away.

She took in a deep breath and decided to eat so she could leave there already. But…. what was she going to eat exactly? That thing in front of her?

She picked up her spoon and inserted it into the meal, wondering what it was. It looked more like rice that had been cooked with the wrong amount of water. Was it.. rice-pepper soup or something else?

She took a spoonful and drew it closer to her nostrils, perceiving the awful smell. How do these community people survive with such meal?

Slowly, she took a taste of it and didn’t realize when she threw it out of her mouth.

“Mmm!” She groaned, and in the process, her hand hit the cup of water on the table, spilling it on the floor.

“Oh, no…”She grouse, still battling with the sour and peppery taste on her tongue.

No; she needed some water first.

And quickly, she stood up with the empty cup and sought after Minerva.

Taking the path she had seen her taking, she walked carefully while coughing and ended up in a backyard. But, she stopped abruptly when she heard voices – especially of her name being mentioned.

“Mother said her name is Ximena whatever. I’m just angry at how mother could trust people this much”. That voice…it sounded more like Minerva’s daughter.

“Did she say how she found her?” A different voice asked, sounding like the boy she had just seen.

Ximena decided to take a peep and there she found them, standing and talking. The boy was leaning against the wall while the lady sat in front of two bowls, washing.

“She didn’t. All she said was the bítch needed a place to stay”. The lady said.

“Ema! Where do you learn those strange words from?” The boy scolded and sighed.

“Anyway, I don’t think she looks bad afterall. I mean, she’s beautiful and… gentle looking, including her long pretty hair”.he added.

“Oh! Come on, Richard! I’m not surprised you could say such a thing since you have that thing between your legs” Ema rolled her eyes and just then, noticed Ximena behind the wall.

Her expression changed immediately, alerting her brother that someone was there.

Knowing she had been seen, Ximena walked out of her “hiding” place.

“Are you spying on us or something?” Ema rasped.

“No, I’m not. You were just a little too loud” Ximena scoffed, trying to get pass the fact that she’d called her a ‘bitch’.

“Hey” Richard moved away from the wall, staring tenderly at her. “Do you need something?”

“Yes. Uh..some water. I accidentally spilled my water on the floor and need some” She coughed slightly.

“You spilled your water on the floor? Have you cleaned it up already??” Ema snapped, having a crinkled cheek.

“Ema, come on. I’ll take care of it” Richard chipped in and turned to Ximena.

“Come on, let’s go inside”.

He took the lead and Ximena followed after throwing a glare at the hot-tempered lady.

*******************

AT THE HOTEL

*******************

“I am telling you – this guy had the prettiest eyes ever. But when he got so angry, I saw a glint of red in them. He … he stuck a knife to my throat without touching it”.

“So, you’re trying to say he made the knife float in the air?”

“Exactly! I feared for my life! Feared he was going to cut me open. But thankfully, he got what he wanted and left”.

The hotel manager paused and gulped down some beer.

“You are speaking nonsense, Barnabas. No one possesses such power apart from our Alpha! Whoever and whatever you saw must have been a dream”.

“No, I am telling you, Matt. It is no dream. This happened to me, right here at this counter ”

The two other men stared sheepishly at him. It was obvious they weren’t going to believe him.

“You know what? I leave you three to think whatever you wish. It was probably a bad idea sharing my experience with people I call my friends”. Angrily, he stood up to take a walk, but halted when he spotted the very man walking in.

His breath froze instantly as he tried confirming what his eyes were telling him. It looked like him – the same guy they were just talking about!

Now he wanted to believe he was indeed, dreaming.

“It’s him…. it’s him” he turned back to his friends and whispered, the fear so evident in his eyes.

“Has Barnabas gone crazy? It’s who?”One asked and when the Manager pointed to the door, they all turned towards the direction.

“Oh….”Another chuckled. “This is the mystery guy you were telling us about? Did he forget something?”

“I don’t…”Barnabas could barely get the words out of his mouth before Nir stood in front of him, taking the gentle steps.

He acted blind to the men beside him and just focused on Barnabas who was already gulping more than he had.

“Uhm…. you’re back” He stuttered. “Did you…”

“Where’s she?” Nir cut him off, that cold tone of his causing a vibration.

Even the men were a bit surprised at how deep and dreadful his tone was.

“Wh… who? The ring-thief?” Barnabas asked. “I kicked her out. I mean, she didn’t have any other money to pay and considering she was a thief, I decided to kick her out”.

That wasn’t sounding too good to #Nir.

“Where did she go?” He asked, the impatience already being clear from his expression.

“I…I wish I had any idea. But, I swear I don’t. After I kicked her out, I locked up the door and never looked back”.

“Hm” Nir sighed disgruntledly.

He couldn’t believe he had missed her; now he completely had no idea where to find her. For someone that had no money and was obviously a stranger in Obeddon, he could hardly guess her next location.

Dissatisfied,he turned around to leave.

“Hey!” One of the men suddenly stood up and called. “Our friend here says you possess some kind of special abilities? We think he has gone crazy but…. wouldn’t mind a little showcase from you”.

Nir had stopped walking, giving his back to them. “Stop me one more time and you’ll question if you’re crazy as well”.

“Woah….!” The men laughed. “Looks like we’re about to have a champion here… pretty eyes”.

Nir decided to ignore them and continue walking, but when he felt an object thrown at him, he stopped again. He looked at the floor and discovered he had been stoned with a jar.

“Matthew! What have you done?” The manager cried out and quickly, lowered himself beneath his table.

“The only man we’re afraid of is our Alpha, dumbwit! You should stop going around, faking what you are not” Matthew snorted. And gently, Nir turned to look at them.

“You should have listened to your friend” he mumbled and turning around, resumed walking away.

“He’s actually scared….” Matthew laughed but couldn’t have that laugh for long as a blade from the table floated and slit through his neck.

“The hell????????”

“Matthew!!!!!” The two other men flinched at their friend convulsing on the floor, his splitted neck gushing out blood.

“Hey….!” An invisible rope suddenly went round the neck of the other, tugging him off his feet and making him hang in the air.

“Urgh…. urgh…” He choked with his legs dangling in the air, trying to free the invisible rope around his neck which was impossible.

And as for the third man, he felt an unseen wind turn him up-side down, with his head on the floor.

“No!! Please!” He cried out to Nir as he felt his blood draining all down from his head.

The noise had attracted some of the hotel guests who ran out of their rooms to know what was happening and ended up screaming and terrified.

Barnabas remained hiding and shaking beneath the table, while Nir walked away without sparing a glance behind.
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TBC.