Erika’s POV
I had heard of this name for more than one time. I saw his name on Derek’s phone. I also knew he helped when Derek tried to save me from Richard. But this was the first time I met him in person.
“No need to remember his face. He can change his look and his voice. That’s his gift,” Derek explained and pulled a chair to him while carrying me with one hand. He sat on the chair and I sat on his lap.
Really? That sounds amazing. I mind-linked Derek.
“Show her your gift,” Derek said to him.
Francis rolled his eyes at Derek. The next second, he changed into an old man with white hair and a beard. “Morning, Erika,” he said in a low and husky voice.
Wow! That was amazing. I looked at him in astonishment. Now I understood how they saved me with no one getting hurt. Richard must be very confused.
Then Francis changed into the original look.
I thought of something and asked Derek. Is this his real look?
Derek shook his head.
“He doesn’t reveal his original look outside of his pack. He keeps a low profile and doesn’t reveal his identity to people other than his pack members. We are friends for ten years and I don’t even remember his true face,” Derek explained.
OK. I see. That’ll be much safer because he doesn’t look like a very strong Alpha. I mind-linked Derek.
Derek burst out into laughter.
You are right. He’s mainly responsible for gathering information. Derek mind-linked me.
“What did she say to you?” Francis asked Derek. He must be wondering why Derek suddenly laughed.
“She says your gift is amazing,” Derek said with a serious tone.
I lowered my head and held back a smile.
Francis’ gaze shifted between Derek and me and shrugged without saying anything.
“OK. Let’s get down to work. Tell me about the information you got about Richard.” Derek sat up and took on a serious look.
Francis didn’t say anything directly. Instead, he shot me a meaningful glance and asked Derek, “Are you sure she won’t escape anymore?”
“I’m sure,” Derek said as he clasped his arms around me and put his chin over my head.
Francis cleared his throat and said, “Well, we thought that Richard would be in big trouble after he entered the Lumiere Pack’s territory unannounced. But it turns out to be the opposite. It seems that nothing happens to him. No border encounters. No protest from the Lumiere Pack. No death of warriors. Nothing happens.”
I looked up at Derek. He thought for a while with a frown.
“Tell me exactly what happened after I left,” Derek said.
“Well, after you left that day, I met Angel at the car I had prepared. She had disguised herself as Erika quickly when I opened the door of the car. She cut her clothes into strips and got fake blood all over her body. We drove to the Lumiere Pack, crossed the border, and came to their territory. Then Angel used her gift and disappeared in a second. I changed the license plate of the car and changed my look. I found a place to hide and waited. Soon Richard and his men also arrived. They were stopped by some guards and they began to fight. I didn’t leave until I made sure that they were really fighting,” Francis said.
Derek added, “I’ve prepared the alibi, but no one asks me for it. That’s weird.”
Silence fell. They were both lost in thought.
I took out my phone, wrote something, and showed it to them.
“Is the Alpha of the Lumiere Pack a wimp?”
They both burst out smiling. I looked at them in confusion.
“No, he’s not a wimp. He’s not as aggressive as your mate, but he won’t tolerate any provocation,” Francis explained.
I nodded.
“It must have something to do with Richard. We need to find out whom he contacted these days. I guessed someone might help him because I don’t think he knows the Alpha of the Lumiere Pack. After all, the Lumiere Pack is kind of isolated and they seldom contact other packs," Derek said.
“You’re right. We need to find out the reason as soon as possible. I don’t like this guy. We’d better kill him as soon as possible,” Francis said.
“And we need to kill him without getting ourselves into a war,” Derek added.
I took out my phone and texted, “After finding him, please leave him to me. I’ll kill him by myself to take revenge for me and my student.” I was still furious thinking about what Richard did to me and my students, especially Orsen.
They both nodded.
“The thing is that he also knows we want to kill him. So he stays in the pack these days and steps up security. It’s hard for us to find an opportunity to kill him,” Francis said. He stood up and paced back and forth.
“Who is the Gamma of the Fly Rock Pack?” I texted.
“A man called James,” Derek answered.
A smile appeared on my face.
“Good. I have a plan.” I texted. If James was the current Gamma, then killing Richard would be much easier. I didn’t know what role James played when Richard got me and tortured me. But I was sure that he must be in great pain. After all, he had a secret feeling for Orsen.
“What plan?” They both looked at me in expectation.
I texted, “When I was the Gamma, Orsen and James were the best warriors that I trained. They always practiced in pairs. I'm pretty sure that James had a feeling for Orsen. He just wanted to be a warrior while Orsen had the ambition to be a pack leader. So James always kept it a secret. But I noticed it.”
Derek and Francis exchanged meaningful looks.
“Then why doesn’t James do something now that Orsen was dead?” Francis asked.
“I think he doesn’t know the truth. Richard might tell him that it’s Erika who killed Orsen,” Derek answered.
I nodded. Richard was such a shrewd and unscrupulous man. It was not surprising if he lied to James and turned James against me.
“So we can get James and gather some information from him. He’s the Gamma. Even if he doesn’t know what Richard did to get out of the trouble, he might have a clue.” Derek added.