The White Wolf Chapter 146: It’s Gone

“That stack of papers wouldn’t happen to say everything is fine?” Alexia asked hopefully. Edmund scoffed as he picked back through the snacks left out. 

He had a strange ability to remain completely calm in crisis. It was his strength as Caspian’s muscles were his. 

Gabe gave her a sympathetic look. “I’m afraid not.” 

“Well, then what does it say?” Caspian asked impatiently. 

Gabe removed a piece of paper from the stack and handed it to him. “This was taken during a patrol after the fire was put out.”

Caspian accepted the photo as Alexia came to stand behind him looking over his shoulder. The room was silent as he analyzed before giving up.

“What am I looking at?” Caspian asked annoyed. 

“This was burned into the grass at one of the bomb sites,” Gabe explained pointing to a spot on the page. 

The royal couple's eyes squinted and scrutinized. Finally, Alexia spoke, “Are those words?” 

She looked in disbelief. It seemed absurd that someone would take the time to write words when they were trying to cause chaos. 

“Yes, it seems we were able to put the fire out before they became unintelligible,” Gabe told her. Had they been a minute later, that may not have been the case. 

“What does it say?” Caspian said trying to make out the letters. It seemed someone wanted to send him a message. 

“Die plenae lunae reversurus” Gabe answered reading from a paper that someone else had taken the time to decipher it. 

Alexia’s body went cold as the blood drained from her face she staggered back clutching her chest. She knew those words. 

“Alexia, what’s wrong?” Caspian asked as he reached for his mate. To see her in such a state sent him to a new level of concern that he did not know he was capable of. He had thought all of his energy had been taken from his body but he had been wrong. 

“T-that phrase.” She struggled to say. 

“What about it?” His voice was soft and coaxing hoping to ease her worry. It took all of restraint to keep his nerves at bay. 

“I’ve seen it before and so have you.” Her small voice told him.

She needed her family right now. She didn’t know what the words meant but she knew it had something to do with her lineage. If Edmund was right, then they were a target. 

They hadn’t even been given an update on Abi. She knew her parents would keep them safe with everything they had but she wanted to see them with her own eyes. She wanted her mother's hug that comforted her in a way only a mother could for her child. 

“Where?” His eyes widened. 

“In a book I found in the library. You didn’t know what it meant.” She recalled reading the words and not knowing what they meant. It had been so long ago that she had forgotten it completely. 

“Someone go get my mother, she’s more fluent than I am,” Caspian ordered sending Enzo into motion. 

Edmund’s aloofness was gone as he crossed the room and brazenly ripped the page from Caspian’s hands. 

Caspian let it go as he was more focused on his mate as he pulled her closer to him stroked her arms and touched her cheeks muttering comforting words. Slowly, she regained her composure muttering her apologies. 

Edmund scanned the paper with his eyes searching for a sort of clue. 

“Do you think you’re going to see something I didn’t?” Caspian quirked an eyebrow at his brother. 

“I’m more relaxed, you never know if it could help.” Edmund didn’t spare him a glance and Caspian shrugged. 

They waited for Enzo and Judy to return. To fill the time, Caspian sat Alexia in his chair and brought her tea and snacks. 

The tea helped calm her nerves but even though she had no appetite, she managed small bites to appease her mate who looked at her approvingly. 

Finally, the door opened. The crease in Judy’s brow seemed permanent and she entered followed by Enzo. 

“Let me see.” She said walking straight to Edmund and plucking the paper from his hands receiving some protests. It seemed unabashful taking things from hands was a family trait that was running strong. 

Taking her reading glasses off her head she let them rest on the bridge of her nose. Holding it up to the light her eyes squinted. 

“What took so long?” An annoyed Caspian asked. 

“Hush.” His mother said holding up her finger as her eyes scanned the page. 

“It was hard to extricate ourselves from the alphas by raising more questions,” Enzo explained. 

“I think if we start beheading alphas who ask too many questions that should solve the problems.” Edmund quipped. 

“A marvelous idea. Will you be replacing me as policy advisor?” Gabe replied sarcastically to the prince. 

“Enough. I want to break something and I’m very tempted for it to be your faces.” Caspian said letting his annoyance show. He was an explosion waiting to happen. His high energy needs to be let out. He needed to fight the enemy, the problem being he did not know who the enemy was. 

“How was Prince Dristan?” Alexia asked since he wasn’t banging on the study door she hoped that was a good sign. 

“Talking with his father. I suspect they are strategizing.” Gabe reported as he looked through papers. 

“I don’t care about him. I care about what that says.” Caspian said. 

“Mother if you don’t know what says just say it,” Edmund told her as his eyes did not leave the page. 

“I know what it says, I’m looking for why,” Judy muttered as her eyes squinted and strained. 

“What does it say?” Caspian persisted but Judy ignored him. 

Edmund stepped away not wanting to get caught in the crossfire of his mother and brother. Grabbing a bowl of snacks he plopped himself down in a chair and was soon joined by Gabe in the chair next to him. 

Waiting for the show Edmund passed the bowl to Gabe who gladly accepted a handful of nuts and began munching. Enzo was placed against the far wall staying out of the line of fire. 

Enzo seemed even more reserved than usual, likely embarrassed by Caspian’s earlier outburst. Alexia would fuss at him later but now was not the time and she knew Enzo would like nothing more than to fade into the background. 

“Tell me what it says and I’ll tell you who started the rumor that you had work done on your face,” Caspian told her. 

“There is no such rumor,” Judy said looking at him over the bridge of her glasses. 

“There’s going to be if you don’t tell what it means.” Caspian threatened as a grin appeared on Edmund’s face and Alexia rolled his eyes. 

Blackmailing his mother, he was half joking and half at the end of his whits. 

“What?!” Edmund explained “You’ve been pretending to be Au natural this whole time? What will the lunas say?” He continued dramatically. 

“I can hear the gossip now.” Gabe encouraged causing Alexia to laugh. Caspian allowed the nonsense since it seemed to brighten her mood. 

“Fine, my impatient child. It says ‘He will return at the full moon.” Judy told him. 

“Yay, another puzzle,” Edmund said. 

“We will need to look into it immediately. If there’s nothing more we should aid in the recovery operations.” Caspian said earning a nod of agreement from around the room. 

“Actually,” Gabe said standing up. “There is one more thing.” His voice was timid as he swallowed slowly. 

“What is it?” Caspian said with a groan rubbing his temple. 

“It’s the blood diamond.” He started. 

“What about it?” Alexia said from behind the desk. 

“It’s gone.”