Intuition

Eventually Flint stood alone in the office with Joshua, Elijah, and Blair. The Alpha had dismissed everyone else. Only those who knew about the traitor were permitted to stay. Flint examined the plain envelope.

The address was written in small, scratchy lettering. It was clearly written by a male. Inside the envelope was a single sheet of college ruled notebook paper. Flint read over the words in front of him, analyzing them.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Hello old friend,

I appreciate you telling me about sunset and those attending. Just as you predicted, I found use for the information. As I do all that you tell me. I read the book you recommended and I think your assumptions would be of far more use than my own. I only see the blunt point being made.

I ask again if you’ve found any information on that lyric. It can’t be complete. There has to be more, I know it. I’m glad the strategy I gave you did your friend well, when the time came. Arena dueling is all about strategy. In the years since our meeting, I feel that from you I’ve become a master strategist.

There’s been activity all over the valley. I hear rogues whispering. They say it’s the wolves from the mountain, looking for someone. If this is the Luna you asked me about in your last letter, I’ll tell you. I haven’t heard or seen any captives from StarLight. Male or female. I’ll keep my ear to the ground, as always. I’ll let you know immediately if I find out more.

The advice you’ve given me has been so very helpful. I truly hope you are aware of all that you’ve helped me learn. I’m awaiting further information from you, old friend. As always, I’ll keep one eye on the mountain and the other on valley.

Truthfully,

Candor

P.S. Don’t forget about that lyric. I just know there’s more to it than the blunt point of it all.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Flint felt like his heart was racing. His animal was howling. His hand shook with rage as he handed the letter to Elijah. His father had apparently already read it because he passed in onto Joshua. The elder looked at it with fascination as Blair peered over his shoulder. Flint plummeted into thought, no matter how he looked at it; the answer was obvious.

“What does this mean?” Blair eventually asked quietly.

“The elder meeting was held at sunset and all the Alphas were gathered there. That has to be what he meant by those first few lines.” Joshua answered pensively.

“The book.” Elijah met his son’s gaze.

“I know.” Flint nodded.

“Well, tell the rest of us.” Joshua stated.

“Lunar Gifts.” Elijah replied gruffly.

The elder’s eyes widened before he began reading the letter again.

“No one knew I was looking for the prophecy. Just the other Alphas and the elders. We didn’t even tell Eve’s family.” Her name tasted sweet on his tongue, but even that sensation felt almost painful.

“Even less have seen the page to know what it says. The ‘blunt point’ it makes.” Elijah nodded.

“Plus, the pack only knows that our Luna is missing. It was never openly said that she’d been kidnapped. Who would know she was a ‘captive’ and be able to tell this, so called, Candor?” Blair pondered.

“Candor is Bastian. Use his name. I will not let him hide. Even behind this.” Flint spoke definitively and pointed to the sheet in Joshua’s hand.

“Are you sure it’s him, Alpha?” The assistant probed in a soft voice.

Annoyance. It swelled up in him so quickly that he had to clench his fists to keep his wolf contained. The Alpha turned to the young woman with cold, venomous eyes. But upon seeing her eager, loyal, obedient stare; he took a deep breath in through his nose. He was trying to calm his impulse to snap at her.

“Who else would have found interest in the legend on generational Alpha power? Just the one who took her. Candor is just Bastian in disguise.” Flint exhaled with measured slowness.

“You’re missing the most important part, boy.” Elijah chimed in.

Flint looked at him pointedly.

“The bit about the strategy. Read it.” His father stated in his usual flat tone.

The Alpha took the letter and re-read the entire thing. His blood ran cold when he realized what his father was talking about. His assistant carefully took the page before Flint let it flutter to the ground.

“Arena dueling...” She mumbled.

“The Beta tournament.” Joshua confirmed aloud what they were all thinking.

“The deadly hold. Someone planned it and how to use it.” Elijah stood and picked up his cane.

“Who know about Eve’s kidnapping and the legend?” Blair pondered.

Flint’s pulse hadn’t calmed. It felt like his wolf wasn’t going to stop raging until he broke free. And now, it felt like there was a target for his aggression. Graham Monroe.

The strategy planned by Bastian was given to a friend of Graham’s. It would be simplest to find him and extract the information, by whatever means needed. The Alpha opened the door with the plan of leaving but Elijah’s cane blocked the threshold a second later.

“Don’t react without thought, boy.” Elijah stated in a deep, low tone. “The Beta has the support of the pack. You don’t.”

Flint growled in response, power radiated from him. His inner beast was nearly free.

“It’s true, Alpha. If you take this directly to Graham and force the answer from him, the pack won’t be able to see his fault in this. They’ll just think you’re being violent. Again.” Joshua stated in an even tone.

Flint sighed heavily and ran his hand through his hair in frustration. He stepped back from the door and took several deep breaths to calm the wolf within him.

“Beta may not know where the strategy came from. He could have just taken the advice of a friend.” Blair pointed out.

Flint narrowed his eyes skeptically at the theory.

“No one but Joshua knew I had the mail restricted. I set a tracker on the house where the letter was going. When the recipient shows up, we’ll know who it is.” Elijah stated.

More waiting. This was the last thing the Alpha wanted. It was intolerable to him. His mate was missing. She’d been kidnapped. And her pregnancy was threatening her more and more.

It seemed to Flint, everyone was telling him to do nonsensical things. Wait, talk about the issues but don’t solve them, and don’t approach the probably enemy when he’s within reach. Everyone was telling him to do the things that went against his instincts.

Part of him, the human part, knew the reasoning behind the advice he was being given. Still, a larger more powerful part was struggling to see the wisdom in any of it.

Then he felt it again. Flint had a fluttering in his chest. The heart beating alongside his, had skipped a beat. It ached for a single moment before it began thumping normally again.

Anger. Frustration. Worry. Despair. Anguish. It was all blending into rage in the Alpha’s mind. He growled before realizing all eyes were still on him. The tornado of power pouring from his chest was uncontrollable.

“Fine. I’ll be waiting in the area. I want to see the traitor for myself.” Flint grunted in a gruff tone.

He left without another word. Flint walked to the parking lot and closed his eyes. He could still feel Eve and the pup, they were alive. For now.

He stripped off his clothes and tossed them into the SUV he’d driven. Within seconds, he had shifted back to his wolf form to begin his trek to the address on the envelope.

There was no doubt in Flint’s mind that Candor was just a mask Bastian wore. The letter claimed there had been years of information exchanged. This explained so much, and enraged the Alpha even more.