~Ethan.
I rubbed against my temples as I listened to the nth complaint from the same person since the meeting began. We had gathered to discuss the health issue of our pack, and he chose to use the medium to talk about his farmland. I wasn't really concerned about his farmland, if pests were disturbing, him, then he should find a way to get rid of them without making it an issue, besides, he wasn't the only farmer in the pack.
“...all I'm saying is that…"
“Can I know the main reason for this early morning summon?” I asked, cutting him short.
“The main reason, you say?” One of the elders, Lord Harrison, said, jumping to his feet. “Like you didn't hear or see rather what happened last night. Do you know how many lives that were at risk?”
I corked my head to the side and raised a brow as I scanned him from head to toe.
The brevity of this man, speaking to his Alpha with such disrespect.
Some of the other elders who were wise enough to notice my stare tried to drag him back, but he stood tall with his silly head high.
“Lord Harrison, could you step forward,” I called with a playful tone and if I squinted, I am certain I'd catch him gulp before he stepped forward.
“From today henceforth, Lord Harrison will be responsible for making reports on the victims of the plague, how bad it has affected, those we managed to cure and those we lost. He is to work side by side with the doctors and report directly to…Sam.”
I heard Sam groan and I bit the inside of my cheek to hold back my chuckle. Turning to Sam, I signalled him with a nod to go fetch Aurora, perhaps, the elders will let me breath if they say saw her.
“But my Lord, I am not a medical practitioner, neither do I have any experience in medicine.”
I raised my other brow, “but you're passionate about the health of your pack members, we might as well put that into good use.”
“But…but.I…I might get infected.”
“Enough Harrison, one more word from you and you will face the scaffold. I trust you know I don't make empty promises.” He nodded as he gulped before shuffling his feet back to his seat.
“Is there anyone else who wants to try to be reasonable.”
“My lord,” Lord Fletcher, the man who oversees the business in the southwest wing of the pack, spoke.
“I don’t know if you’ve gone through the report on the business that went on in the southwest wing in the past weeks, if you have, you will notice the decline we have been experiencing in business.
Many traders have fallen ill and most of the market's southwest sector has been closed down because of this. While some with the plague closed down their shops, some are still trading because their daily trading is the only means of their family survival. Schools, the temples and all leisure places are also on lockdown due to the plague
My lord, if we are to continue like this, many people would get infected by the plague and that would lead to a severe decline in the market which would be far worse than what we experienced during the time of your great-grandfather. I am now afraid to go back to my home because with the interaction I have had over the month, I am afraid I may have gotten infected.”
All eyes which were on Hans turned to me, as they were expecting me to have a thousand and one solution to Fletcher's complaint.
“Any other complaints?” I asked and Fletcher, who was still standing, took back his seat while shaking his head in disappointment, which was no surprise. I was the king of disappointment.
“My king, my daughter has been sick since the day of her supposed wedding. It has been months since it happened, we have done everything we can to save her, but her health keeps getting worse. Her suitor is no longer communicating like he is supposed to, and we are now afraid that he may no longer want her.”
“I have told you people that I am working on this. This plague struck my sister and father too, you don’t expect I will sit back and watch the sickness take him their lives. I have your best interest at heart, that is why I reached out to the doctor and was hoping for a positive result. The doctor will be with us soon and everything will go back to normal. Neither Felicia's mother nor Seth's grandmother will die, and we will not suffer any decline."
“That is what you have been saying for months now. Is it when the enter pack is wiped off that you would step up and do something? And who is this doctor we are waiting for? I believe she is not the only person who can help us, if you have our interest at heart like you claim you do, you would have gone far and wide to search for someone who is more than willing to help us.” Enoch, a commoner who managed to find himself among the elders, spoke.
I smiled, “I would have gone far and wide to find someone had the doctor not agreed to help us. As a matter of fact, I am thrilled to tell you that she, the doctor I mean, arrived last night.”
Lines of surprise ran through their faces as they began whispering among themselves.
“I know you all are surprised, I know you were never really expecting me to provide a solution to this problem because you’ve never believed I could amount to anything, but I am sorry to say that I will keep disappointing you. My father handed the leadership of this pack to me ten years ago and for ten years, you all have been waiting for me to break and crumble not that I blame you, but I promise you, I wouldn’t.”
“Bring her to us! We will not believe she is here until we have seen her with our eyes.” Fletcher demanded, and other elders nodded in approval, still murmuring among themselves.
As though the universe were paying attention to us, the twin doors to the courtroom pushed open as Sam walked in, with Aurora following him closely behind.
My heart skipped a beat, Leo umped inside of me at the sight of Aurora. She was not the tired yet beautiful lady I saw earlier but, a neat and composed, strikingly gorgeous lady now dressed in a crisp white button-down shirt which was tucked into a tailored black pencil skirt that fell just above her knees. A sleek black leather belt cinched her waist and her hair was neatly pulled back into a low bun. She stood tall, exhuming elegance and gorgeousness.
Her sea blue eyes sparkled as she flashed bright smiles to the elders, who were awe-struck by the fact that I actually brought the doctor like I said I would.
Aurora came to stand by me, her smile turning into a low scowl as her eyes met mine, but disappeared immediately as she turned to the elders, the scent of her lemony cologne filling my nose.
The Aurora I knew ten years ago didn't fill her room with just her presence, the Aurora I used to know always hid in a corner but perhaps, I didn't know my Aurora well because this certainly isn’t the Aurora I used to know.
This Aurora who stood by my side was no longer like I knew her ten years ago, this Aurora was fierce, strong, and ready to take over the world by the storm.