Word had reached Jasyn. If they could arrive within forty-eight hours, they had a greater chance of victory. Jasyn wasted no time in preparing the remaining soldiers, they got their weapons and they all began the journey to the East.
Eugene smiled as they left. He would come later on. For now, let his pawns begin the battle. If he showed up on the battlefield so early, Calhoun would immediately understand what was going on.
He wanted to surprise the man and that was why he remained in Fraco, allowing his soldiers to go ahead of him.
The fact that this news came from Diana himself made him feel satisfied. At least she wasn't against them. She wasn't fighting beside her people, rather she was in support of them.
He never knew that she had only given the information to save her head and that of Coco. She still had plans, and even if she didn't, she could rely on Calhoun to take them down.
From what she had seen, she could tell that Calhoun had become stronger than usual. If he had indeed become stronger then even Jasyn and Theodore together could not stop him.
She and Julitta remained in her tent even when she heard of Jasyn's arrival. They had arrived within thirty-eight hours of hearing the news. Surely the banquet and all its repercussions were over.
Calhoun would be alert now. If not for the sake of battle, for the sake of seeing her.
True to her thought, Calhoun was alert. He could feel the strange feeling that something bad was about to happen to Wisteria and he didn't like it one bit.
He called for Felix and Evander. He sat with them in the meeting chamber.
"Do you feel it?" He asked.
Felix and Evander shared a look.
"Pardon me my king, but ever since I lost the ability to morph, I have lost every power as well," Felix said.
Calhoun hummed. "I would have treated you but I'm still yet to figure out why you sat on my throne."
"Momentary lust for power and greed," Felix answered. It was true anyway. He only wanted to know what Calhoun felt when he sat on the throne so he had done that. He didn't know he would fall asleep on the throne or have someone come in to tamper with his wolf.
"I appreciate your honesty," Calhoun said, smirking. "I will see what I can do about this. What about you, Evander?"
"Me?" Evander asked. "My king, I am the wrongest person to ask-"
"I must say that you deceived me. I could not believe that it was so easy for you to deceive me and everyone else." Calhoun said, interrupting him.
"My king? How can I deceive you?" Evander asked in surprise.
"You pretend to not know anything, pretend to not be bothered by anything. Whereas you are wise. You can handle situations. Do you choose to be lazy just because I am here?"
Evander went silent. It couldn't have been Felix who told him about that. It must have been someone else who would have told him about that.
"My king... I don't just want to get involved in whatever politics is being played in Wisteria. I'm content with my position and I only want to keep my family safe."
"Then do you know that a threat to Wisteria is a threat to your family as well?" Calhoun inquired, flicking his wrist. "I don't need your answer."
The man closed his mouth back.
"Tell me if you feel the danger or not."
"I do," Evander confessed. "I feel it. I can tell where it's coming from too."
"Go on." Calhoun urged.
"There is going to be a war," Evander said. "It's as if the prophecy is about to be fulfilled."
Calhoun's face turned serious. "It can't be fulfilled now, I haven't met my child yet, I don't even know if I have one."
"You do have one. Otherwise, this would not be happening. The curse has been broken, my king and this battle will begin after the first snowstorm."
"Why?"
"Because that's the prophecy," Evander said. "And the white ground shall be stained with red."
Calhoun was mute. Evander was right. There was no place in Wisteria that was white. The only way for it to be white was if there was snow on the ground. That would be wonderful. He loved the stain of blood. He loved when it was so evident.
"Do we need to train more?" Felix asked. "The soldiers did a great job, fighting against Yara. Although he defeated us initially, we had more soldiers than they did."
Calhoun glared at him. "This is nothing like Yara's case."
Evander nodded. "We are fighting the last descendant of the sorcerers."
"This is the reason we need to be alert."
Calhoun nodded. "I have a feeling that there will be a snowstorm tonight."
"That means the battle shall begin tomorrow by morning."
"Let's see who shall draw the first blood."
Felix didn't like what he was hearing. There was no way he could protect himself or his family with the way he was.
"Felix, be thankful that Marjun Montego had developed a potion that could revive one's wolf," Calhoun said. "Be very thankful."
Felix smiled as hope filled his eyes. "Thank you so much, my king."
Calhoun got up from his seat. "Come with me, both of you."
Felix and Evander followed him out. On his way, he met Thomas standing outside the castle, staring at nowhere in particular.
"Did she return?" He asked. Thomas jerked in fright. He didn't trust the king anymore. After telling him what transpired when he was unconscious, the king had thrown him into the dungeon in response.
He couldn't trust him anymore and hearing the question he asked, he moved back. He was wary of Calhoun. Calhoun did not mind. He did not care at all. If Thomas was going to be wary of him, it was a plus to him.
"I asked you a question, Thomas," Calhoun said. "Did she return?"
"Who, my king?" Felix asked. He was wondering who Calhoun was talking about.
"He knows who I am talking about," Calhoun said, glaring at Thomas who was mute.
"Can't speak anymore?" Calhoun teased.
"Come with me, Thomas."
He pulled the man as he walked. Felix and Evander followed behind.
"See, we are under siege. Some people have surrounded the country, Wisteria is at the border of the country. The only places protecting us from them are the blood pack and Rahu's kingdom."
"Now we all know how much of a weakling Rahu is. He can't do anything for himself. If they attacked him, he would surrender immediately."
Thomas nodded. Rahu had fled the moment Yara was given a little beating. He knew firsthand how much of a coward Rahu was.
"Good. So that also means that we are going to be attacked pretty quickly. Besides, I think we are going to be at the center of their attacks."
"You know why?"
Thomas shook his head.
"I need words, Thomas," Calhoun said. Thomas shivered and didn't say anything. Calhoun frowned. Was it simply because he had thrown the man into the dungeon that had caused him to be like this?
"Listen, the Wisteria pack is the strongest werewolf pack in the entire eastern country. If they attack any other pack first, we would know and form a defense. They don't want that."
"If they attacked us first, the other packs could choose to join us or join them."
Thomas nodded.
"So now, maybe Diana's appearance wasn't a mistake that night. Perhaps it was a sign to us that something was coming." Calhoun said.
Thomas shook his head. "That was not Diana."
Felix and Evander finally understood. Calhoun had seen a young woman talking to Thomas and assumed it was Diana.
"What do you mean?" Calhoun inferred.
"My king, that was not Diana." He repeated.
"That was the relative I told you about that stays in Sunshine Town."
"What did she come for?" Calhoun asked. He felt like Thomas was lying but since he also didn't see her full face, he couldn't tell.
"She came to tell me that Diana had visited her. Then she said she wanted to return to Wisteria but she didn't want you to know." Thomas said.
"The lady came to inform me so that I could help Diana come in secretly and hide."
"Would you have accepted it?" Calhoun asked.
"Of course. Getting her here is the most important thing. I don't mind making her feel as if I have betrayed you for her to come." Thomas answered. "Maybe when I am done with that, I can then bring you to her."
Calhoun didn't say anything. "So that was her aunt? Why did she look so young? And when I asked if it was her, she could have said no rather than hit me so hard."
Thomas chuckled a little. "Of course. Tanya will always hit anyone when she is mistaken for Diana."
"But she isn't the aunt, she is the cousin. She and Diana were mistaken as twins when they were little. Sometimes when she came here to visit, she would be called Diana and she would hit the person."
"Why do that?"
"Because she says it will make them know that she's not Diana," Thomas said with a shrug. Felix and Evander found it amusing.
Calhoun however did not. He had felt so emotional after seeing the woman, he couldn't believe that it wasn't her. Now that he had learned the truth, he had to forget the encounter.
"If Diana will come here soon then we have to finish the battle even sooner," Calhoun said. "If she has my child, I wouldn't want anything to befall them."
Felix turned to Thomas. "Tanya didn't tell you if Diana had a child?"
"I doubt she would have," Evander said. "If she did, he would have mentioned."
"Allow the man to speak for himself." Calhoun scolded. "Go on Thomas."
"She did not. Perhaps she would have expected me to know or maybe Diana instructed her not to tell."
Calhoun nodded. "You may return to your room. We have a place to be." Thomas bowed and left the other way.
Calhoun continued the journey with Felix and Evander. He took them to a small room to which only he had access.
"Wait here." He said. As much as he trusted them, and the fact that the keys to the room were always with him, he still couldn't afford a slip.
He went in and took out a potion and when he came back out, he handed it to Felix.
"Have your wife mix it in a meal for you. Preferably soup."
Felix nodded. "Thank you, my king."
After having a little more discussion, they left the castle. Calhoun stood at his tower, watching down on his kingdom. He was taking in the view once more before the battle would begin.
He could see into the forest and he saw a few tents. He chuckled.
Fools. They couldn't even hide properly. At that point, he began to feel that his adversaries weren't worthy enough to fight him. How could they camp in such an open place? And they wanted to fight wolves? They camped in the forest!
That was high-level stupidity. It's just like hiding from a snake in a tree. What makes you think there aren't more snakes in the tree? It was stupid. He chuckled even louder.
Calhoun stayed there till evening time. The sky had darkened and it was so cloudy, the moon was covered. It was a very good time for them to attack, but knowing them, they also wouldn't want to start fighting by night.
Maybe they would take a position by night but they wouldn't attack. The wolves had an edge over them if they fought in the dark.
He went back to his chamber. Along the way, he saw George.
"George, tell the commanders to gather their soldiers. We have an emergency meeting by dawn." He said.
George bowed and went to inform the commanders. Calhoun went into his room to sleep.
This might be the last night he would spend so he had to sleep like a baby. He smiled as he snuggled up in his bed.
A few hours into the night, he felt a chilling air pierce through his skin. His eyes flew open and he noticed his window was open. He went over and closed it.
He wondered how his window had opened when he locked it. Regardless, he returned to sleep.
That night, Calhoun felt as if he was being hugged in his sleep. He slept very deeply, enjoying the rest which he had never been able to afford.
By the following morning, he woke up very early. He went to have his bath and when he returned to his room, the window was open again.