Chapter 2 The Plan

CHAPTER TWO

The Plan

/-Jade-/

One Week Later

Skyspire was breathtaking. Vast, modernized, and far superior to RedClaw in every way. Even the poorest here lived better than most WereAlphas. The Lycans carried such regal presence that just seeing one stirred an uncomfortable sense of inferiority.

We were staying in a low-end hotel, thanks to Uncle Terad. I didn't expect him to have savings, but somehow, he managed to get us here and pay for a month's stay. It was a single room, so I slept on the floor. But I was safe, far from RedClaw, and that was enough.

Still, how long would that safety last? Uncle Terad had a dangerous plan brewing. Every day, he went out gathering intel while I stayed back to care for Merida.

Now, after a week of preparation, we were finally seated, ready to talk about it.

"From all I have gathered so far, there are two things involved here," he started. "First is the missing princess and the second is the Lycan Prince."

"The Lycan Prince?" Merida and I blurted at the same time. I thought she was sleeping but I guess children just have a think with Princes.

"Apparently, Princess Annabelle of Moonspire was engaged to be married to Prince Jalaal of SkySpire, but on their way to Moonspire, where the wedding was about to take place, a huge accident occurred, leading to a plane crash in the middle of the ocean. The Prince was retrieved but Annabelle was never found," he explained.

"That is very sad," Merida pouted. "Is the prince still alive?"

"The information hasn't exactly been made public yet so I couldn't quite get the details. All that we know is that they are desperate to find Annabelle. There's a ten million reward for any useful information concerning her whereabouts and fifty million for finding her," he answered.

"I know you're thinking, what is the plan here? We don't have any information concerning her and we can't even find her either," he continued.

It was a good question. How did I come in on all of this? What was he really after?

A wicked smile crossed his face. The kind that sent chills down your spine and made your skin crawl.

"Tomorrow is the Lycan King's birthday celebration. Important guests will come from all over the world, and most importantly, the gates of the palace will be open to everyone, which means we have free access to it..." he paused, giving us time to process the information before proceeding. "I imagine there would be lots of expensive and priceless gifts and as such, the royal treasury would be open."

My stomach sank as a feeling of dread washed through me.

"We will be attending that ceremony tomorrow. Now listen carefully because we are going to aim for double income. While I will devise a plausible lie as information for the lost princess to get the ten million reward, I want you to sneak into the royal treasury and grab the SkySpire Eclipse Stone."

"WHAT?!!!" I exclaimed. He was quick to shoot me a glare, of course. What the hell was he talking about?

Steal an eclipse stone? When I didn't have a death wish? I thought it was suspicious that he offered to give false information about the missing princess but asking me to steal something from the royal treasury was completely insane.

"Uncle, please permit me to say this... the Eclipse Stone is a sacred symbol. A relic...."

"Which is why it would make us a fortune in the black market!" He cut me short. "Not only would I be able to pay Merida's medical bills but we will live in luxury for a very long time. You don't even have to strip anymore!"

"What if I get caught, uncle? These are Lycans! They're three times more powerful than regular wolves and less merciful. If I get caught, they will behead me on the spot! Besides, I don't think they will just leave the Treasury unguarded..."

"Are you daft?" He snapped and I flinched. "Why are you making a big deal out of this? It's just a stupid stone. All you have to do is get into the Treasury and grab it. Or do you not want Merida to get better? Do you enjoy seeing her in pain? Looking so pale and sickly?"

"I... I just think ten million would be enough to..."

"Just listen to yourself! How selfish can you be?! This is clearly something you can do so why are you making a fuss? Would you prefer to continue stripping so you can injure every man that looks at you?!" He barked and my eyes watered.

He was practically asking me to throw my life away and acting like it was no big deal. Why can't he just be satisfied with the reward money? Do I really have to steal?

A hand rested on top of mine and I blinked back the tears rapidly. I looked up to meet Merida's weak smile.

"Auntie, is daddy upsetting you again? You don't have to listen to him, you know?" she said innocently, then coughed violently until she was spitting blood. I hurried to grab her a cloth and some water.

"Sorry," I apologised. "Please drink."

She drank up just as I requested. I hated seeing her so vulnerable and sickly. She was my only light in this miserable world. The only person who genuinely cared about me.

"I'll do it," I finally accepted, sucking in a deep breath. "For Merida's sake."

"Like you ever had a choice," He scoffed. "Now go prepare yourself and find something presentable to wear for tomorrow's event. If you mess this up for me, I will kill you."

I lowered my head. "Yes, Uncle."

Everything went according to plan, just as Uncle Terad said. He got dresses for Merida and me, just so we wouldn't look rowdy and cheap.

We followed the long line of guests into the palace. The palace was simply magnificent and breathtaking. It reeked of wealth and power, the kind that made you feel small and worthless.

The walls were covered in gold and silver, the floors so shiny I could see my reflection. Bright lights sparkled from the ceiling, and the whole place smelled like roses and power.

I felt out of place, like I didn't belong here.

Soldiers in black armour stood tall at every corner, watching everyone with sharp eyes. I tried not to look nervous as we walked deeper into the palace.

"Stay close," Uncle Terad whispered, grabbing my arm. "When the dancing starts, we split. You know what to do."

I gave a slight nod, trying to ignore how my palms were already sweating. Merida offered me a weak smile before drifting off toward the long banquet table to get some treats. I was happy to see her so lively and excited.

I kept my head low as I moved through the ballroom. People were dressed in sparkling clothes, laughing and drinking expensive wine. I pretended to marvel at the giant golden statues and ice-carved wolves, even though my eyes scanned every hallway, every possible exit.

Where would they keep the Eclipse Stone? The Treasury had to be secured, but if Terad was right, the celebration would create a lapse in attention.

A bell rang and everyone turned toward the high dais.

Then they entered.

The royal family.

Every soul in that room bowed, or froze, like I did.

The queen looked cold and regal, her dark hair pulled into a braided crown, her eyes beautiful yet stern. The Alpha King, tall, silver-haired, and barely past his prime, wore a stoic expression that could've turned stone to dust.

The air in the room shifted and I could feel the pressure against my bones. So this was what being in the presence of the Lycan Royalty felt like. I was literally fighting the urge to drop to my knees and submit.

"Begin the ceremony!" the royal herald boomed, snapping me out of the trance.

Musicians began playing, dancers poured in from the side wings, and the guests turned to enjoy the performance.

It was my moment.

I slipped from the crowd as planned, weaving through the hallway while the guards focused on securing the ballroom.

My heart pounded harder with every step. I followed the map Uncle gave me, down the mirror hall, up the stairs, past the silver statue, through a side passage.

Then I saw it: the red door.

Two guards stood in front of it.

My stomach dropped.

But before I could panic, I heard a loud scream from behind me. Something crashed.

The guards turned and ran toward the noise.

That was Uncle Terad's distraction. Just as we planned.

I didn't waste a second. I ran to the red door and slipped inside.

The air inside was cold. Strange blue flames lit up the walls. The room was full of treasures, gold, crowns, ancient weapons and artefacts, but my eyes went straight to the centre.

There it was.

The Eclipse Stone.

It sat on a tall stand, glowing softly like moonlight. It was dark and beautiful, and it almost looked alive.

My breath caught.

This... was unlike anything I'd ever seen. No wonder the Lycans guarded it with their lives.

I took a step forward, heart thudding, reaching into my pocket for the silk pouch I was supposed to hide it in.

Just as I reached for it, a dark menacing aura infiltrated the room. It was nothing like the Lycan King's. It was five times more intense and suffocating. My entire body was trembling from head to toe, and cold sweat broke out on my forehead as I struggled to breathe.

I turned slowly and my eyes widened in horror. The sight before me didn't seem anything human. Six foot five, white hair that fell slightly below his shoulders and skin as white as snow.

His eyes were red-gold, like sunlight bleeding through wine, but they were dead and emotionless, surrounded by white, long lashes. Running from the side of his eyes to his jawline were two lines of symbols, vertically drawn on either side of his face.

He was nothing like anything I had ever seen. Unnervingly beautiful and almost unreal. Yet so terrifyingly powerful at the same time.

His eyes were fixed on me, yet it seemed like he couldn't really see me. Like he was looking through me.

He didn't ask me what I was doing there. He didn't give me the chance to explain.

Those pale pink lips parted and he uttered the one word in the iciest tone I have ever heard.

"Thief."

I almost peed in my pants right there.