Chapter 201

201 Chapter Two Hundred One

The drive through the reserve was nothing short of breathtaking and the students took the time to enjoy the sights as they took them in. They were able to get their eyes on a multitude of creatures in the reserve. The guides were specifically charismatic and made sure to entertain the students with all the interesting facts about the creatures that they lay their eyes on, “The wild, huh... who would have known it’s so beautiful?” Honour’s voice cut through to Lina’s ears.

The girl turned her head from a running deer to look at her friend, “Huh, I would have thought you would be the first to have such a thought, Honour. Oh, queen of nature and all creatures under the moon,” Lina replied with a hint of drama at the end of the statement.

“Yeah, that’s true and I would have taken this trip another way if your sister hadn’t butted in and ruined the mood,” the girl responded through gritted teeth.

“Hey... Calm down. I know what she did was annoying, but it was for the safety of all of us. You know it’s her job to keep us all safe. She’s doing...”

“A very lousy job, Lina,” Honour leaned into her chair and looked away from the beautiful scenery that surrounded her.

“Is something bothering you, Honour?” Lina asked her friend.

The girl sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose, “No, nothing is wrong.”

Lina frowned, before humming, “You’re missing a lot, you know. You can make the most out of this trip while you still have the chance. Like taking pictures of the flora in the reserve. I’m sure I caught sight of one of the flowers I saw you drawing once... what was its name again? Lotus lunaris- or was it lora-lunaria...”

The girl perked up at her friend, “Where... where did you see them?” her eyes scanned in all directions looking for the plant that had just been mentioned, “And the name is Lotus Lunaria...” she paused and went sighed, sinking back into her seat, “And it only blooms at night.”

.....

“Well, then why don’t we look for some when the time comes?” Lina asked her.

“Didn’t you just hear your sister warning us to...”

“She said we weren’t to let the humans wander about on their own. She didn’t say we couldn’t wander about on our own,” Lina rephrased her sister’s words.

“She said there were rogues in the woods. I don’t think going into the woods at night would be a good idea. And to look for flowers no less...” she replied, “You’re also forgetting that you have to deal with your duel this night.”

“Cheer up, Honour. We will be able to do all that. The moon will be up at nine in the night and we will be out by then, in search of the lotus luna-whatever... The duel won’t be until twilight and we will be there by then,” Lina replied to her.

Honour narrowed her eyes at the girl before her, “You’re different somehow,” she observed, “I like it. What about your sister? Won’t she get mad if we sneak out on our own to find the flowers?”

'

“I don’t think so. I know Katie, well, I know a part of her for the short time that I’ve been with her. If she wanted us to stay put as though we were in a prison, she would have said so, but she only asked us to keep the humans in sight. That can only mean she wants this trip to continue as it should be. She doesn’t plan to keep us from having fun in the woods if we can,” Lina replied.

“You’re not making sense, Lina. First, listen to yourself. Just imagine all the students were to spread out into the woods in all directions...”

“She’d be able to protect them all as long as the wolves kept their eyes on the humans,” a voice interrupted their conversation. They turned around to see a large alpha seated behind them. To Caden’s right was another alpha that looked into the woods. His interest wasn’t on anything in particular and he kept his eyes darting about the scenery that passed by them. To Caden’s right was Crysta who wouldn’t make eye contact.

“What are you talking about? No one can...”

“You have never seen Katie fighting, have you?” Caden cut Lina short, “I guess that’s why you’re sceptical of her methods. You’re right, Lina. If Katie didn’t want you all to move about and be as free as you would wish, she would have said so. She hadn’t meant to tell you about the rogues, but you just wouldn’t stop asking questions, now would you?” he relaxed back into his seat.

Honour’s mind was running in circles trying to comprehend what she was hearing. She had interpreted everything wrongly and hadn’t even thought to ask the royal what she had meant to pull something as cruel, “You would calmly suggest someone’s ability to protect people who aren’t even in one place.”

“Katie is no god. That’s for sure, but she did tell you to keep the mind link active so that she might reach you. If you’re about to walk into rogues, you’ll know. The perks of being raised by the Chase family,” he said out loud, getting awkward stares from everyone that was listening.

“You mean that’s not some rumour milling about the packs,” the male to his right spoke up for what was the first time in a very long time.

“So you can still talk, Derrick,” Lina returned before Caden could answer him.

“Yes, I can still talk. I’ve been busy, so buzz off,” he replied.

“Oh, busy with what. I don’t see how someone like you would be busy when you barely have anything to do. Would you mind elaborating?” she asked him.

“It’s personal. I won’t talk about it and that’s that. How are you focused on me when someone just said the Chase hunters raised your sister?” his voice went up a few octaves.

“Because I already knew that. You forget that I was among the group that went to pick her up from Brigadia where she was raised,” Katie replied.

“Brigadia... the remote village up north. What would she be doing that far from civilisation?” Crysta asked her.

“Take a wild guess, Crysta. The rogue king is after you. A. You flee to the capital that he tried to kill you from or B. You flee to a remote town that he would never think to look,” Lina asked.

“Well, then how did she end up in a wheelchair?” Crysta asked her.

“What wheelchair?” Derrick asked. Lina only realised Katie had gotten better before the largest part of the pack had seen her in her crippled shape. Well, Lina hadn’t seen her recover either and the explanation the girl had also decided to keep the whole situation a secret.

“Yeah... that. Brigadia was attacked on the night of her birthday. It’s a long story, but the good thing is that she’s okay now,” she responded.

“Yeah, well, about these flowers. Can a lone alpha tag along?” Derrick mentioned out of the blue. Lina regarded him for a moment, trying to decipher his thoughts, however, he wouldn’t meet her eye. Of the three alphas that attended the school, he was the only one that didn’t seem interested in the hierarchy, but he did nothing about the bad things that happened either. In Lina’s eyes, he wasn’t any better than Liam or Wyatt.

“What would a lone alpha, as you say, be doing looking for flowers?” Lina asked him.

The boy’s lips drew to a flat line, “I... umm, want to see them. That’s all. Can we leave it at that? They are rare and sometimes regarded as a myth. If we can find them... I would want to see them,” he responded.

Narrowing her eyes at the boy shortly, Lina gave up and returned to her seat, “This is an impossible trip. Now we have followers to the lootus lanarius,” she complained.

“You’re doing that on purpose, aren’t you?” Honour groaned.

“Whatever do you mean, my queen!!! Or was it the Lotus emporium?” they joked.

“That’s even worse. Now I know you’re doing this on purpose. If you’re going to read my diary, try to read it right,” Honour replied.

“Wait, diary?” Crysta’s voice reached their ears.

“Oh, I forgot we have a set of eavesdroppers,” Lina sighed.

“Well, it does come with the territory. We are werewolves. Where there is gossip that’s within earshot, we will know it,” Caden shrugged.

“Yeah, well, I use plants to label months of the year in my diary. Lotus Lunaria happens to be April,” Honour mumbled the last part, setting her eyes on the flora that passed by them, ”

“Thank you, Lina. I almost ruined a perfectly fun trip,” Honour confessed.

“Don’t thank me yet. I would be more interested in hearing your thanks when we find the...”

“Moon lotus... Let’s keep it that way,” Honour cut her off before she could come up with another ridiculous name for the plant. Lina had read her diary before... Well, there wasn’t much to hide behind the girl’s exterior. She was who she was and there was nothing she dared to hide. She promised not to do it again, but she had found out one thing about her friend. The moon lotus was her very favourite flower and it only bloomed in the wild and at night which made it one of the most impossible flowers to ever find.

“Alright then... Moon lotus it is,” Lina replied with a smile. With her friend’s foul mood lessened, she could enjoy the trip through the large reserve a little bit more. There hadn’t been another communication from her sister. Lina had no idea if that was a good thing or a bad one.