Leah's POV
"We will take up weapons, protect our family, and fight against our lives! Those murderers of Rock Growlers will pay for what they have done!" I raised my volume and said.
The werewolves at the site looked at each other and sighed.
None of them said a word.
That man stared at me and said, "Lady, I know you must be Uma's friend, and you're sad. We are all sad, but that doesn't help us to bring lost lives back."
I wanted to say something more, but he placed a hand over my arm and looked away.
Following his view, I could see a few people standing in the distance, looking at our side.
"Look away," the man lowered his voice and said. "They are the soldiers in plain clothes from Rock Growlers Pack. They're here to pry on us. Would you like to walk with me, Miss...?"
"Lewyn, Leah Lewyn," I said as I walked away with him.
"My name is Bardalph Baal. I'm Uma's neighbor, the blacksmith in town, and the head of his funeral committee," he said. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Miss Lewyn."
I looked up at the man who was talking to me. He stood tall, his broad shoulders square and powerful, his chest expansive and seemingly carved from stone. His dark hair was neatly trimmed, framing a ruggedly handsome face that was etched with lines of experience and wisdom.
He moved with a slow, deliberate gait, each step carrying a weight that seemed to demand attention. His eyes were deep and piercing, like two orbs of obsidian that could see into the depths of your soul. They held a hint of warmth and kindness, but also a hint of something more primal, a raw strength that could be unleashed if necessary.
I liked this man almost immediately. He reminded me of a giant bear, both in his physical stature and his demeanor.
"This is not the place to talk about sensitive matters, Miss Lewyn. Alpha Mick has eyes and ears everywhere. If you like craft beers, come to Green Point Inn tonight. Tell the bar attender you're looking for Green Rabbit Old Ale. I'm sure you'll like it," Bardalph said. Then, he pushed me away abruptly and raised his voice, "I'm telling you again! Go away! Go back to Skagen City, Lady! Uma and Damian died because of you and how dare you come to their funeral and make a scene?! You're not welcome here! Stay away from us!"
In humming discussion from the crowd, I lowered my head and walked away quickly with people gazing at me.
I knew Bardalph was just trying to protect me, but I still felt guilty about causing the death of two innocent people.
Troy approached me and hugged me in his arms.
"Miss Lewyn, are you cold? You're shivering," he said.
"No, I'm fine... Have you heard of Darren? Did you call him again?" I asked.
"Yeah, but he didn't pick up... Don't be upset, Miss Lewyn. He's still alive. I sent out some guys to follow him. He's covered." Troy pulled the door open for me, but it was pushed back by a pair of hands.
"Miss Lewyn, my name is Cole Greer. I am the Gamma of Alpha Mick of Rock Growlers Pack," A middle-aged man dressed up in a dark uniform approached me and said.
"Keep your hands off Miss Lewyn's car, sucker!" Troy pushed the man away and said.
Cole stepped back and raised his hand up in the air.
"Wow, wow, wow. Go easy on me, pretty boy," Cole said with a provoking smirk on his face.
"What the fuck did you just say?" Troy clenched his fists.
Cole grinned, "Hey, I'm just here for a conversation with Miss Lewyn. If you want to get physical, I'll be more than happy to beat the crap out of you like the old times, doll face."
Feeling offended, Troy bit his lower lips and snarled, "Fuck off, you pile of shit, will you? Miss Lewyn doesn't have time to talk to you."
"Well, she will have to make some time, because I'm currently in charge of investigating the death of Alpha Dire. We have witnesses and evidence proving Miss Lewyn is one of the top suspects of..."
"You don't have shit, Cole." Troy's muscles jacked as he was approaching Cole. "And I have your ass in my hand. If you don't beat it right now, I will make sure that you suffer."
Cole tapped his forehead and sighed, "Sweetie, the toughest part of your body is your mouth, isn't it? And in case you haven't noticed, you've really broken your elder brother's heart."
What? This nasty man was Troy's elder brother?! I was shocked.
As I turned to Troy, he had already grabbed Cole's shoulder as if he was about to tear his brother into two pieces.
I immediately walked forward to stop him.
"Troy, don't. If he wants to talk, let him talk," I said.
Troy took a glance at me and said, "Miss Lewyn, I'm afraid this isn't only about you. My brother Cole has always been a pain in the ass for me ever since we were little. Let me sort it out with him."
Cole narrowed his eyes and said, "You haven't even changed a bit after years of service in the Royal Court. You're still so full of yourself and everything has to have something to do with you, right? I almost thought you already got over that period of your life..."
I stepped forward and interrupted him, "I don't care what the relationship between you and Troy is or what your occupation is. If you want to talk to me, you need to at least show some respect to my employees."
Cole took a glance at me and said to his brother, "You know when I found out that you were admitted to the Royal Academy, I thought you decided to make a difference in your pathetic life. Now look at you. You've already become the Head of Security of His Majesty, but you're still working on errands like opening doors for Lycan's mistresses." He took a pause and drew himself closer to Troy and continued, "Does Lucian let you participate when he fucks his whores?"
Troy roared and pushed Cole away. Just before Troy was about to jump at his brother and chew his face off, I cleared my voice and said, "Gamma, if you want to anger your brother by humiliating me, you can walk away now. I've got a pretty intense schedule today and I don't have time for this."