Bora's Diary - The beauty and the beast
Chapter 19

LORYS

We have now been in Brightstone for two days and have been warmly welcomed. Even the medical care was excellent.

My wolf did everything he could to repair the damage and it worked. At least my world no longer looked so black, everything was blurry and foggy, but I could see colored outlines again.

Bora hadn't left my side in the last few days.

She was wonderful, she fed me, washed me and groomed me, and I have never felt so comfortable... In my opinion, it could have gone on like this even with eyesight. Bora really was a pearl.

We decided that we would go back to the Circle pack today as I couldn't stay away any longer. The big council was informed by Leonardo what had happened and they were very sad, but we were in good spirits that it would get better.

I sat in my room waiting to be picked up by Bora or Leonardo. We would walk back as wolves so that I could at least see something.

Bora wasn't convinced at first, but I insisted. I didn't want to burden her any more and I didn't want to risk another fall from a horse. I would probably give up riding in the near future.

"Lorys?" Leonardo asked me and stepped into the room. I could only make out blurry outlines, nothing more.

"Yes?" I replied and looked in his direction.

He sat down next to me and sighed softly, "The council is pressuring me, I need to discuss with you how to proceed with Brightstone and our pack...". They're itching for a takeover. Have you spoken to David?" he asked me, to which I shrugged "Not really, I need to discuss it with him before we go.... I still think it's a very risky subject, as I haven't been able to mark them yet either..." I replied and sighed. "I agree with you on everything, but maybe you can see that we need to grow, it wouldn't be bad anyway... No one would die either," Leonardo replied and stood up.

He was right, it would be an enrichment for us, without any bloody experience, if you think about it. "Wait ... Take me to David," I said to Leonardo, who ran back and took me under his arm.

He led me out of the room and I still had no orientation of the premises. The only room that was very much in my mind was Bora's, and that was only because it smelled of her all the time and drove my wolf half mad.

Peaches... Oh God, I was hooked and you know what the best part was? Bora's mother had baked a cake with peaches... Three guesses who devoured half of it...

"Alpha David? Do you have a minute?" asked Leonardo, whereupon David invited us in. "Of course, my boy, come in," he said and we entered David's office.

"Leonardo, can you give us a minute?" I asked as he helped me sit down on a chair.

"Sure, let me know if you want me to pick you up again," Leonardo replied and I heard him walk out of the room.

"What can I do for you, Lorys?" David asked me and this time I let my wolf eyes appear.

The colors became brighter and I saw everything clearly. David was an old man, not too tall, had a round belly and didn't look like he wanted to do anything about it.

"I want to discuss something important with you and it's important for me to look at you..." I explained the presence of my wolf so that he wouldn't be surprised.

He nodded slightly and smiled "Yes, I was expecting you to want to talk to me," he replied and it seemed as if David had actually guessed what I wanted to talk to him about.

"It's about Bora..." I began and had to swallow for the first time. Suddenly my mouth was dry and I felt hot. Was I nervous?

David's smile widened and he nodded again.

"I want to talk about the future of the Brightstone pack and the Circle pack. It's clear that Bora is my mate and the only alpha daughter in this pack.... I have no intention of rejecting Bora as my mate, it's just that circumstances have not allowed me to honor the Moon Goddess's request until now" David's smile disappeared, for he probably didn't realize what this would mean for his pack, or was he hoping just because I'm blind for a short time I would give up my right to Bora and the pack?

"Lorys... Bora will be the Luna of this pack in the future, that was clear from the moment she was born. My wife was no longer able to bear any more children at the time, and another female just to produce a male offspring was never in my mind... I loved my wife too much for that. I realize you want to claim Brightstone now, but as you say yourself, you haven't marked Bora yet and your pack just recently had a run-in with the Blue Moon pack. You were right to kill Gabriel, but it was a power play.... I'm starting to get the feeling that my land and property are more important to you than my daughter..." David replied, raising his eyebrows and crossing his arms in front of his chest.

"Excuse me?" I asked, looking at him piercingly.

David sighed softly and shook his head: "Lorys, I don't want to offend you, far be it from me, but your father was known for taking over everything, your grandfather too and you do the same. You've increased your pack fivefold over the course of the century, whether voluntarily through mergers or by force..." David explained himself, and he wasn't entirely wrong. The old man had done his research and was well informed.

"But that doesn't change my feelings for your daughter, David," I insisted as he looked at me scrutinizingly.

"Are you sure, Lorys? The companion bond makes you love each other at this moment and you're on cloud nine, but when you're marked, that feeling will fade and what will remain are the true feelings you have for each other... I don't want to put my daughter in danger, not again. The war with the Blue Moon has weakened you considerably and during this time I have strengthened everything... If I have to, I'll fight for Bora. She is my daughter and the future Luna of this pack, on the condition that she has a man by her side who loves and honors her..."

David seemed to want to make sure that I was worthy enough to lead his pack. I had to curb my impulses, because having my wolf at the front, deeply offended, would prove otherwise. I had expected anything, but I hadn't expected David to drive me up against the wall.

"I expect a leader with excellent health... Your health is likely to raise questions in your own pack and you need to ask yourself how trustworthy your council members really are..." David replied, looking at me calmly.

I had to frown. How trustworthy are my council members? What did he mean by that? Had one of them planted all this information on David to get me for what they wanted? To manipulate my relationship with Bora? Who would dare do such a thing?

My gut feeling told me that Magnus was the traitor, but without proof I couldn't accuse anyone.

"Leonardo, come here," I urged him in thought communication.

"David, I'll prove you wrong and renounce your pack for all I care," I said grudgingly as Leonardo walked in. "Alpha, you summoned me?" he asked, to which I nodded. "Lead me out of here," I replied, realizing that it was taking all my wolf's strength to look at David.

He had used all his strength to heal me and now I had used the last of his strength to listen to David express his doubts about me.

"Thank you for looking after me David, you can come and see your daughter anytime," I replied and he nodded.

"If I hear that my daughter is unhappy or something has happened to her, I'll be there," he said, looking at me seriously.

Was that a threat? I couldn't help but smile and shook my head "Your daughter is in the best of hands, David..." I confirmed once again, while Leonardo looked at us askance, probably wondering what was going on.

"Rumor has it that she was your maid... Strange that you didn't recognize her as your mate," David replied, seeming to know what he was talking about...

A low growl escaped my throat and I walked towards David. "I don't know who planted these things on you, but rest assured that it was never my intention to lower Bora to that level. I didn't even know she was alive and among us until the night of the ball. The only thing I had was her diary and the only information I had was that she was dead," I was angry as hell and slowly my vision began to blur and everything spun for a moment.

"Stop getting upset Lorys, before you give me the rest here.... You need to take it easy, the doctor made that very clear... We'll show him who you are and what you do," Leonardo said to me in his thoughts and grabbed my arm.

"We'll see what the future brings, until then I wish you a safe journey home, Lorys," David replied to my words and for him the issue was probably settled. Until I regained my sight and strength, I couldn't afford to fight brow to brow.

I also had to replace out who the rat was among my people. It couldn't be that David had gotten such information so quickly.

I went outside with Leonardo, my wolf had retreated again and the only thing that remained was my anger at this stupid discussion that had backfired from the start.

Bloody hell.

"What happened between you two?", Leonardo asked me, looking at my anger.

"He thinks I'm unworthy to lead his pack, especially since I'm blind and we had the war with Blue Moon. He thinks we want to take his land.... He thinks I don't love Bora.

The last sentence made me swallow and I paused.

"Someone in our pack told him that we would seek this very conversation with him ... No wonder he thinks so badly of me," I shook my head in bewilderment and sighed loudly.

"We both know that's not true. You were the last person to take an interest," Leonardo replied, to which I nodded. "Not talking to him about it would have been the confirmation he needed..."

"I'm sorry Lorys... The Council pushed me into it... I didn't know anything about it," Leonardo said quietly, feeling guilty now.

I shook my head and frowned, "No... I think someone is trying to sabotage the whole thing..."