The White Snake and the Scarred Delta

Chapter 10

Garridan

________

I watched Tezy’s reaction to everything. When I showed her outside the house, she looked up at the sky.

“Your sky is blue, while mine is dark. This is amazing!” she said. Her eyes danced with fascination and excitement as she looked around us. “The tree leaves are colorful! In Hebbiza, they are all green. They only change colors when they hit the ground, after every forty two moons appear in our evening sky. That’s when we held my birth feast in Benzai.”

My brows knitted, listening to her comparisons between our realms. It was quite refreshing to know how different they were. She could not just make it up, if she was truly from another dimension and not just any sorceress’ magic.

But how could she be Ultima Danijel’s spy, if she were? I need to know the truth.

She looked up at an apple tree, taking in the sight of the fruits hanging from it. My mother saw us picking some of them and putting them in a sack. The goddess then helped my mother. I watched them together. They talked and shared stories while I listened. I had no idea how many hours had passed. I just forgot everything while observing the snake shifter goddess, who apparently went along well with my mother.

“Delta Garro, you seem to be so domesticated today,” Beta Stelian mindlinked me. I could hear his chuckle in my thoughts.

My head snapped to my left, eyes merely slits. He must be somewhere around here. I slightly sniffed the air. I knew his scent from everywhere. It was like mixed musk and baby oil. It was unique.

I caught his scent on the west side of the house. I smirked and saw his brown furry self hiding behind a large pine tree.

“How’s your neck, Beta Stelian?” I asked.

“As you can see, I’m up and about. How’s your prisoner? Or, should I say guest?”

I almost rolled my eyes. “Were you eavesdropping on my conversation with Alpha Kronid?”

“Everyone heard it. You made sure of it,” he revealed.

I let out a profanity. Alpha Best Friend Kronid must have heard it by now. I did not care. He should know I cursed him. In my head, I could even hear him and the others laughing, including Ultima Vasile.

Shaking my head, I blocked all the others except Beta Stelian, and he did the same. “I’m observing her. I want to know if Ultima Danijel has something to do with her.”

“Ah, you think she’s a spy.”

“She was there, exactly when we had a battle.”

“But your assumption must be wrong. You must recall that both our sides lost some pack members because of those two giant snakes, Delta Garro,” he pointed out.

My brows knitted again, my eyes shifting towards the two women, who walked up to another tree to pick apples. The autumn wind blew the goddess’ long silver hair. She looked so exotic and beautiful, like a fairy. I would have mistaken her as one, if I had no idea that she was a snake shifter, and a goddess at that.

“What’s your plan now?”

“I’m waiting for one of our spies to see what’s happening in Ultima Danijel’s camp,” I replied.

“Oh, you are.”

“Yes. Ultima Vasile knows about this already.”

“That’s admirable of you, Delta Garro!”

“Ah, don’t patronize me. We must know what our enemy is going to do next, after the battle last night. So far, there are no other movements except that they’re regrouping in the Balkan Carpathians in Serbia, so I don’t think they will have another surprise attack soon. They’re just assessing their losses. But I may be wrong in my assumption, too.”

“And you haven’t heard about them having any connection with your prisoner, have you?”

I sighed audibly.

“Let me guess. Your spy reported that Ultima Danijel is confused as we are, if those creatures got something to do with us.”

I was speechless.

“Then, why do you still think this snake shifter is in cahoots with our enemies?”

“Well… who knows? It could be just a play, so that she can stay here with me, and maybe she’s secretly reporting to Ultima Danijel. And maybe, she will strike before we can even have a guess.”

“Hmm. I can see you have trust issues. I don’t blame you. You hate our enemies, especially Ultima Danijel.”

“Don’t tell me that I’m just blinded by my hate for that werewolf, who’s our enemy, by the way.”

“Your hate is beyond Ultima Vasile’s, Delta Garro. I know it’s personal, so I can’t and won’t judge you. Still, you must have a clear mind about all this. What if you do something wrong and you’ll regret it in the future? I don’t want to see you destroy yourself, if that’s ever going to happen. I know you have gone through a lot, maybe more than anyone of us in the pack, but I just don’t want you to lose yourself.”

“Spare me your scolding, Beta Stelian.”

I heard him snort in my head. “I’m just reminding you, Delta Garro,” he drawled. “Clear your head, wolf!”

I scoffed. “Mind your own business, will you?”

He chortled and howled. I could not help but shake my head and smile in his direction.

“I have a feeling you⸺” Beta Stelian was cut off.

“Delta Garro?” Upsilon Darius, my spy, mindlinked me.

I borrowed him from Tau Gabriel, with Ultima Vasile’s permission. The youngest spy had the best potential I could see among his Upsilon peers. He said it was a great honor to work directly with me.

“Beta Stelian, hang on,” I cut him off and focused on Upsilon Darius. “You have something to report?”

“Ultima Danijel has ordered another attack! He’s using his German, Bulgarian, and Hungarian packs. It’s led by Alpha Relja, and they’re in Ruse!”

I cursed under my breath. They were in Bulgaria, close to the Danube River. They could just cross towards Slobozia or Giurgiu in no time.

“Stay low, Upsilon Darius, but keep an eye on Ultima Danijel, understood? I’ll report it to Ultima Vasile immediately!”

I mindlinked my ultima after Upsilon Darius affirmed my order. “Looks like we’re about to get busy again,” I told Beta Stelian, seeing his ass move away quickly from the area.

“Well, tell me about it. Anyways, Delta Ştefan is guarding the Bulgarian borders with the best Zetas, Etas, Kappas, and Lambdas. I don’t think enemies can get past the border. Besides, Alpha Kronid is already there with our best allies. They’ve already arrived there.”

“I didn’t know he went down there.”

“Oh, he did, after his talk with you. It just occurred to him that since Ultima Danijel failed to take Lipova, he would try to launch another attack on another site. And those parts are his best choices.”

“Wait, if he’s doing that, then maybe his regrouping in Serbia means that he’ll come back to attack Lipova, if he thinks it’s unguarded, since we’re going to focus on the other boarder.”

“Ultima Vasile has the same thought as you, Delta Garro.” Beta Stelian chuckled.

“You think this is amusing?” I snapped.

“Hey, don’t get your panties in a whirl,” he jested lightly. “We’ll get through this, okay? Just mind your prisoner, if I were you. You want to know the truth, so maybe you’ll have the chance to get it this time.”

“What do you mean?” I asked.

“Tell her what’s going to happen, and we’ll see what she’s going to do. If she’s indeed Ultima Danijel’s hidden weapon, as you suspect, then she will strike as well. There’s no better chance than this to snatch our territory. Just watch yourself, all right?”

Then, I heard him giving quick orders to our two other Deltas and Zetas in our open link. The two latter group heads also gave out their orders to their direct subordinates. I could feel the humming of my every fiber. I could feel the rush of adrenalin starting to pump into my body. I was going to another battle, and this time, I would see what the snake shifter goddess would do on the battlefield.

I jogged towards the two women, who were busy picking apples and laughing together, when my mother missed catching one from her long-reaching fruit picker.

“Mama! Tezy!” I called out.

The two women’s smiles faded, and my heart kicked in my chest.