Chapter 182
Just like Kaene commanded, Lycan Davos lifted Negan off the ground, carrying him on his back as we continued walking.
Elder Gita and Kaene led the way while I lingered behind, occasionally glancing back at Lycan Davos and Negan who was still unconscious.
I drew my lips into a thin line before moving forward, tapping Kaene on his shoulder. “It seems to be getting late. Shouldn’t we find somewhere to rest?” I asked.
He glanced at me, keeping his eyes on me for a bit before looking away. “We’ll find somewhere later. We need to cover as much ground as possible. Who knows? The abode of the ancients could be up ahead p>
News flash… That was false!
As the day turned to night and the night insects began coming out and chirping, I became increasingly anxious, sticking close to Kaene until I was almost pressed against his back.
Suddenly, he and Elder Gita stopped abruptly, causing me to almost bump into Kaene.
“We’ll rest at this spot for tonight,” Kaene announced, pointing at a spot away from the trail.
Everyone nodded their understanding as we began gathering wood, leaves, and other things our hands could come across to make us more comfortable.
Soon enough, we managed to make a fire, and Negan was placed on a small makeshift bed made with wood and leaves.
I never knew Kaene could be so good with crafts.
“Food.” He muttered, getting up from where he sat beside me. “Elder Gita and Lycan Davos, remain here and keep watch. I’ll go hunt for something we can eat p>
What?
My eyebrows furrowed into a frown as I watched Kaene shift into his wolf, about to sprint away from us.
“Wait,” I called, causing him to pause in his tracks and turn his gaze to me. “I– I want to follow you. It’s not safe out there p>
He stared at me with his piercing blue eyes which glowed in the dark.
I held my breath, expecting a reaction. Any reaction would be fine.
Instead, he turned away from me and leaped into the woods, sprinting away from us and leaving me with silence.
I stared blankly, sighing heavily as I sat down again, hugging my legs to myself.
“He’ll be alright.” Elder Gita suddenly blurted, a knowing edge in her voice. “They’ll both be alright p>
I glanced at Negan just then, dimming my eyes. I sighed with relief when I saw he was still breathing, stretching my hand to him and patting aside some strands of his hair.
“He always manages to be positive despite everything,” I muttered, speaking to Elder Gita. “Even after the rumors about the affair. Even during the Hunter attack. I’ll… I’ll be sad if he dies p>
Elder Gita tilted her head, confusion etched in her eyes at first until realization set in. “Oh, you’re talking about Negan. Indeed, he seems to have a very kind heart. Which is really peculiar considering his dark past p>
I paused, fixing my gaze on the Elder who had a solemn expression on his face.
“What dark past?” I asked, squinting my eyes and shifting closer to her to get more information.
Just when she parted her lips to speak, Lycan Davos spoke up from the corner where he sat, using a cloth to clean his sword.
“His father, the former Beta, never got the chance to find his mate.” He stated plainly, not bothering to raise his head to look at me. “However, he had a lot of flings with random women. One of them got pregnant with Beta Negan and dumped him with his father as a baby p>
I gasped, glancing at Negan again.
He’s never mentioned anything about his parents and for some reason, I never bothered asking about it.
Now I feel bad.
“As if that wasn’t enough, his father is said to have angered a witch who cursed him, making him unable to have children after Negan.” Elder Gita chimed in, a wry smile on her face. “Some say the witch was probably a past lover. But anyway, Negan’s father placed his frustrations on the poor boy while he grew up p>
I drew in a heavy breath. This just kept getting worse.
“Beta Negan was forced to flee the pack at a young age.” One of the nobles, Sir Alan, spoke up just then. “I was a friend of his father. Anyway, not long after Negan ran away, his father died. Some say he was poisoned, others say Negan came back for revenge. But yeah, his death was mysterious p>
A cold shiver ran down my spine as I shook my head repeatedly. “No, Negan isn’t a killer. He… He couldn’t have killed his father despite all he did p>
Suddenly, Elder Gita grabbed my hand, forcing me to turn my gaze to her.
“No one said he’s not a good man, Phoebe. Those are just rumors. One of the many mysteries of this pack.” She said with a reassuring smile.
“Negan came back at age eighteen and was close to Alpha Kaene, becoming his best friend. He soon grew himself in the business world and took over from his father as Beta when Kaene had to take over from his father after his death at the hands of Hunters p>
She paused, glancing at Negan with a solemn expression on her face. “I guess the rest is history p>
Wow… That was a lot.
I drew in a deep breath, chuckling nervously and scratching the back of my head. “And I thought my childhood was tough p>
No wonder Negan was so different from other nobles. No wonder he seemed to relate with me concerning the corruption present in the pack.
He had to live on his own at a young age for years after enduring abuse from his own father.
“So, now do you see why I said Negan will be okay?” Elder Gita asked, chuckling amusingly. “He’s stronger than he looks, believe me p>
I nodded, a smile curling up my lips as I glanced at Negan one last time.
But then, I remembered Kaene and brought my gaze to the part of the forest that he’d run off to.
“Do you happen to know anything about Kaene’s past?” I asked with a teasing tone, trying to lessen the tension.
Unfortunately, that attempt burst like a bubble when a terrifying bird-like screech sounded from the part of the forest Kaene had run off to.
My heart jumped into my throat as I got up, everyone else following suit.
“Shit!” Lycan Davos cursed, holding his sword in front of himself.