Louisa's POV
I turned back and saw Alpha Zackery walking toward me.
He was followed by a young man with a pair of green eyes, which was the symbol of a Shaman doctor.
"Wow, what happened to you?" Alpha Zackery smiled at me and said.
I felt a bit embarrassed under his gaze, so I lowered my head and pretended to pull the hem of my clothes.
The tension and rush of adrenalin magically disappeared.
Before I could take a breath, I was pulled into his arms.
He gently wrapped his arms around my waist and contemplated me.
Then, I saw a flash of anger in his eyes but it was very hard to trace. When I noticed it, it was gone immediately.
Why's he angry? I thought to myself.
"Something about you is very hard to explain, little girl. Ten minutes you're away from my sight, you've changed into a hybrid." He said in a plain voice. "That's why I've brought my physician to take a good look at you."
I looked at the Shaman doctor next to him and shook my head.
"I'm not sick. I don't need to see a doctor," I said and moved back.
At the same time, Will stepped in front of me and pushed Alpha Zackery away.
"Stay away from her," Will said. "You've heard her. She doesn't want to see a doctor."
"Mind your manner in front of His Excellency!" Some soldiers shouted.
They wanted to come forward, but Alpha Zackery waved his hand to stop them.
He looked curiously at Will and said, "Who are you, little guy? And why are you covered by a cape?"
"It's none of your business. Keep your hands off Lisa!" Will said.
I looked desperately around and found Lucian had already gone, so I had to pull Will back and apologize to Alpha Zackery, "Sorry, Your Excellency. Will's my friend. He doesn't mean to offend you."
"I'm not offended, Miss She-wolf," he said. "I'm just concerned. You look exhausted and pale. It must be because of the weather. Why don't you and your little friend come into my carriage and take a rest?"
I looked up and saw the bright sun above my head and lifted Will in my arms.
"OK, let's go," I said, "Thank you very much for your generous offer."
Will struggled in my arms and said, "I don't like him! He's a terrible person! I don't want to go into his carriage!"
"Will, stop throwing tantrums. Alpha Zackery is just trying to be nice. You need to stay in the shade and I need a place to sit down." I said in a soft voice.
Will stopped struggling and placed his head on my shoulder like a little puppy.
Despite the cape, I could tell that his body was burning.
"Miss, may I?" The Shaman doctor asked and stretched out his arms.
I knew he wanted to take Will away from me, but I said, "Thank you, but I prefer to carry him myself."
"Miss, please. Let me hold him." He insisted in a low voice. His eyes were fixated on Will. I followed his sight and saw Will's legs were exposed under the sunlight and they were severely burnt.
He took Will away from me and wrapped him carefully.
He reminded me of Uma. They had the same color eyes and complexion.
Alpha Zackery gave me an arm and said, "Now, Miss She-wolf, can I take you for a walk around the lake before heading back to the carriage?"
Under the background of the sapphire sky, he looked dazzling. His icy blue eyes glinted with a diamond-like sparkle in the reflected light of the lake. I guessed people like him always knew how to carry themselves in a casual and elegant way.
I felt enchanted and charmed and lost in his gaze. He took my arm and started to walk with me around the lake.
Stepping on a verdant bed of grass, I looked up at the sky and inhaled the fragrance of flowers.
The sky was as clear as sapphire. The sun had a rosy apricot tint and was surrounded by pillows of clouds. The lake was like a mirror and the sky looked even more radiant in its reflection by adding a glittery appeal to it. Everything was breathing and thriving in the daylight of this magical afternoon.
We were walking alongside the lake for a while without saying anything.
Eventually, Alpha Zackery broke the silence, "Vampires are dangerous creatures. The history between our two species dates back to the start of the time."
"We've been fighting everything since the start of the time," I said, "Bad weather, nature, vampires, human beings, and even ourselves."
Alpha Zackery smiled and said, "You sound cynical."
I looked up at him and said, "I don't see the reason why we have to be so feisty all the time."
Alpha Zackery said, "We fight bad weather and nature because our lives are threatened. We fight vampires and human beings because our freedom is threatened. We fight ourselves because our power is threatened. We're under constant threat all the time. Wolves are the most free-spirit creatures in the world. We just do not like to be threatened."
He lifted his hand and flicked a piece of fallen leaf from my hair.
I frowned.
He placed his finger on the knot between my eyebrows, "It seems that you don't seem to agree with what I've just said."
"If we're under constant threat, how can you be so relaxed all the time? You don't seem to worry about anything." I mumbled.
"Because I'm very powerful." He smiled at me. His lips curled up at a perfect angle.
One direct answer that states a simple truth.
"Why are you here?" I asked him.
He looked a bit surprised and said, "I'm at the Fire and Wind Camp because I've been sent by my half brother, His Majesty the King, to negotiate a truce with the White Walkers. I'm here at Rend Lake because I've been invited by Lucas on a hunting trip."
I shook my head and said, "No, I mean, why are you here with me? You've been showing unreasonable interest in me ever since we met. Are you scheming on something? Do you want to use me to hurt Lucas? Because I'm definitely not going to help you to do that. Lucas is an asshole, I know. But I'm not going to let anyone hurt him."