The two men with the unnatural moustaches were leaving when they paused. The second turned, unsure of what had made his master to stop.
"Master Deni?" He called out to him in their slang given names, skeptical not to let his real name slip from his tongue.
He was paused by his hand which he raised up to demand total silence which he gave.
He watched around for what had made him to stop and noticed after few minutes.
They had been on their way leaving the pack territories when his master had turned back as if he had forgotten something. And truly, they did. The ruckus of what had happened earlier had made them forget to check the weapon room of the Raven Blood Pack which was the main reason they had come.
But now they were done and had been about you to leave when suddenly Deni had stopped abruptly from no where.
Unsure of what to do himself, he had stared around him when he noticed Lucian, the alpha heir from earlier who had been ranting for the lady Danika to be whipped harder, conversing with a guard and handing a pouch secretly to him.
Being used to pack politics and what it meant for a heir who had his ego bruised to do that despite haven punished the lady who disrespected him before everyone.
He felt for Danika. He was in support of her actions. Afterall, pack laws didn't allow men to disrespect ladies however they wanted but because the society was crooked and royals had the power to bend laws at their whim, victims like Danika would never be able to get justice.
As he was still contemplating what to do, he saw a lady passing by him and had dragged her by the hem of her dress towards the corner of space, making sure that he was covered by a pillar.
He wouldn't hear the ending of it if his master were to find out what he was about to do. He owed loyalty to him but seeing helpless people like Danika always made his heart flutter.
"Good day master" the lady greeted, bowing before him.
She was clad in modest clothes which gave her out as a commoner, and from the basket of vegetables in her arm, one could tell outrightly that she was a worker in the pack.
He stared at himself and the clothes he wore. He was modest himself, so why was she referring him as a master. Words abound how wolves of the East were rude and all full of themselves regardless of which clan they came from, it surprised him that there was someone else different.
"Danika" he muttered lowly.
He couldn't speak out loud as he feared her taking in the scent of his breath. And neither could he waste time.
It wouldn't be long before the melons he had rubbed on his body would wear off and his true scent would be given off. If that were to happen, then he would be in a great trouble, alongside his own master.
"What has Danika done master? Has she committed any offense against you?" The lady asked, curiosity etched all over her voice.
She leaned in, forgetting the basket of vegetables she was meant to deliver to the kitchens. But because the current sensation, Danika's name had been mentioned, she arched her ear to hear whatever the gossip would be this time around.
He pulled a gold ring off his finger and placed it into the palm of the lady.
"Help Danika and her family. Danikaaa" he muttered again, trying to make sure she heard the name well.
The lady stared at him in confusion, unable to say anything or make a heck out of what was transpiring.
Her eyes were fixated on the ring in her palm as she took sight of the gold on it. Her gaze went back to the mysterious man. How was he able to own such a jewelry. It was very very expensive. Like something meant for royals.
Who was he to Danika and why was he giving it to her to help her with?
She had a lot of questions she wanted to ask but when a voice screamed at her, she immediately hid the ring inside the hem of her dress and ran off. Stealing glances back at the man as she did.
He heaved a sigh of relief when she didn't question him further and when one of her fellow workers had called her name, thereby dragging her attention from him to the task she had been sent.
Coming out of the pilar he hid to speak to her, he was surprised by what he saw.
His master was discussing with a soldier and he even saw him handing a pouch to him as well. From merely looking at it, and comparing it with the first pouch they had seen, he needed no one to tell him that this was more than double of what Lucian had given the guard he bribed.
But he couldn't understand one thing. Why he was doing this. He of all people and for someone as Danika.
Danika. The mere thought of the name sent ripple effects throughout his body.
"We must leave before we're discovered. Our trail might be found soon"
He walked faster to keep up with his master after his words. Maybe he didn't know that he saw him bribing a soldier or perhaps he found it useless telling him his reasons. Afterall, he was just his gamma.
But it still tugged at the back of his mind. He still searched for answers as to why he had done what he did.
A few minutes passed and they were towards the exit of the pack territories.
"We must buy new scents to mask our trail. We might be found out soon" Deni muttered to him and he nodded in the affirmative, following him into a store that sold different types of scents.
His master had picked several pots of scents he believed would be enough for them to use but when it was time to pay, he had turned to him instead and stretched out his hand at him as if waiting for something.
He was taken aback. He didn't give him any money to keep, so why was he stretching his hand out to him for one.
"Your ring, Theo. Hand it over here, I will use it to settle the payments"
His breath became irregular as he wondered what to say as an excuse. Had he seen him giving the ring to the lady? Was this why he brought him here so he would clock him and have him confess?
"I lost my ring on the way master. But what about the money? You held the coins with you before" he responded, flipping the question at him.
He hoped he would believe his excuse but at the same time was ready to receive an explanation from him as well, as to why he had given the soldier the pouch containing their money.
"I remember keeping it in my breast pocket but when I wanted to pay with it, I couldn't find it. Perhaps someone had mobbed me back at the crowd and I didn't notice because of the ruckus earlier"
Theo was taken aback from what he heard. Worse was that he studied his master whom was still confused and searching himself frantically and knew that he wasn't lying about what he had said.
He was confused and didn't know what happened to the money. How was that possible?
He had given it to a soldier himself just few minutes ago yet he couldn't recall?
Or had it been someone else who did? Perhaps his wolf?