Alpha Theo's Unloved Luna - Chapter 29: Chapter 29

~ Gwen ~
"Your Highness, I can't go back to Northern Alfar. I'm worried about my safety, my family, and my child," Gwen expressed.
"But what about my brother?" King Alexander asked. "Please, don't give up on him. You are my only hope. Arthur cannot die. He is the only family I have."
After the attack at the hospital, Gwen and Jacob reported to their contacts at the royal palace. Immediately, King Alexander went out of his way to meet Gwen. They had regrouped at one of the vacant offices to find a solution to the problem.
"I'll strengthen your security and include your son," the southern king proposed. "I'll ask Beta Ivor if Arthur can come over instead, but—"
The king hesitated before changing his line of thought. "I'll try to reach Arthur's beta first."
"But My King. Who would do this? Does King Arthur have enemies?" Gwen asked.
Alexander groaned. He gulped and answered, "I don't want to accuse anyone without proof."
Gwen frowned. She felt as though the king had a person in mind. She was about to ask when Alexander implied, "But there are more rogues in Northern Alfar. That is because it's more territorial there than here in the south. At least, here in my nation, werewolves from different packs can work outside their territories, particularly in Cada, Luminar, and Duskpine. You see, often, it is that need to earn and put food on the table that causes crimes."
"But in any werewolf nation, there will always be a power struggle. In a group of maybe thirty packs, there will always be at least one who desires to be king and have an overwhelming amount of wealth." Alexander shrugged and suggested, "Some desire control over the humans."
"So, I don't know for sure," Alexander repeated in a hushed tone.
"Look, Doctor Weneth." The king beseeched, "Please, do not abandon my brother. When our disagreement started, I was determined to prove him wrong, but no matter what, I still felt that familial bond. I miss my older brother and wish our nations to be one again."
"Unite the nation?" Gwen asked. "But that would mean you or King Arthur would -"
"Give up the throne?" Alexander asked. "If it's worth giving up the throne for, I would. But of course, I will have to evaluate things. I will have to see if my brother is willing to accept the ways of my country."
"To be one nation does not mean there can only be one ruler. Instead, it signifies a shared vision and collective effort, where leadership is a collaboration of minds and strength, not in the singularity of power," Alexander expressed.
"Your intentions are great, My King, but I don't know if they're feasible. The north and the south had been separated for too long," Gwen remarked.
"It will be hard, but I will regret it if I don't try," Alexander said. Then, out of nowhere, he kneeled before Gwen, repeating his plea, "Please, Doctor Weneth. Help my brother."
"No, Your Highness, please get up," Gwen requested, but the king remained to kneel before her with his appeal.
Gwen looked at Jacob, very conflicted. Beyond the doctor's code of ethics, she also grew to like King Arthur. She wished the best for him, but the threat to her life was real!
Seconds passed. Gwen felt pressured to make a sudden decision. Eventually, she said, "Can - can you arrange for King Arthur to see me instead, Your Highness? At least, here, I - I feel safer."
The king got up quickly. He nodded and replied, "Yes, I will do that. Thank you, Doctor Weneth, for your consideration."
In the days that followed, King Alexander increased the security at the hospital. In addition to Jacob, Gwen was now always accompanied by two royal guards. She was also informed that a few warriors were covertly watching her.
At school, Baron constantly waited for Ian. The academy had also tightened its security. Two royal guards often accompanied them when driving home and going to school. Overall, Gwen felt secure, and life went on again.
Almost two weeks had gone by since Gwen left Northern Alfar, and she was earnestly starting to worry for Arthur's health. Only King Alexander had direct contact with those in Dradhold Castle.
One morning, as she was entertaining new patients again, Jacob knocked on the door. He said, "King Alexander is here."
Gwen looked up to see the king with his royal guards. The second he entered, he went straight to the point, "According to Beta Ivor, my brother is coming here next week."
He beamed and suggested, "I might even get a chance to talk to him."
A smile spread across Gwen's face. She got up and acknowledged his presence. Then, she answered, "That's great, My King. I'm happy for you."
"That will be all, Doctor Weneth. Once again, thank you for your cooperation. I'll inform you when Arthur is on his way," King Alexander said, keeping his smile as he exited Gwen's clinic.
Gwen was utterly relieved that she was no longer flying into Northern Alfar. Apart from safety reasons, she did not want another encounter with Theo.
She resumed her day's work and was about to visit admitted patients around eleven when she felt her heart racing. Gwen thought something was terribly wrong.
In the middle of the hospital hallway, she gasped repeatedly, her trembling hand resting on her chest. She called, "Ian?"
"Jacob, can you check on Baron, please?" Gwen requested.
"What's wrong?" Jacob asked, frowning at her reaction.
She did not reply. Instead, she attempted to call Baron, but her brother was not answering. She also tried to mindlink with her brother. However, communicating through the mind was weak because they were outside their pack, and the school was farther from the hospital.
"Gwen, what's wrong?" Jacob repeated.
"I feel something has happened to Ian," Gwen finally explained. "And Baron doesn't answer."
They decided to make their way to Ian's school, and while rushing out of the hospital, they frantically called Baron. It was on Gwen's tenth call that her brother finally picked up. She immediately said, "Baron? Why aren't you answering my -"
"Gwen, I'm sorry. They took Ian," Baron said while panting on the other line. "It was a teacher. They were having class, and we were not allowed inside -"
"No!" Gwen screamed, her chest tightening as tears welled up in her eyes. Already in the hospital lobby, she leaned against the wall, her strength fading at the news. "No, Baron! No! Not my Ian!"
"The entire classroom was filled with Wolfsbane gas. The kids were all unconscious when we entered; even I lost consciousness for a few minutes," Baron explained.
"Some of the children have still not awakened," one of the royal guards reported. "The teacher and whoever planned the kidnapping had apparently created an underground passage within the classroom. That was how they left without being noticed."
"We tried to follow where the passage went through, and it led to the next building's parking lot," the royal guard said while shaking his head. "There was no trace of Ian or anyone else from school."
"Oh, Goddess!" Gwen covered her mouth as she shook with her sobs. "Why? Why my son?"
Gwen and Jacob made their way to the school, and in the principal's office, she received the full report of what had happened.
King Alexander immediately canceled all his plans to attend to the kidnapping. He stood before Gwen and said, "I'm sorry, Doctor Weneth. This is my fault. I endangered your son. I promise I'll find him. I'll find him."
A day had passed since Ian's kidnapping. Gwen, Jacob, and Baron hadn't slept at all, spending the night driving around Cada City in a desperate search for Gwen's son. Even her parents, Juliet and George, had driven in from the Purple-Eye Pack to assist, but their efforts were in vain. Their last hope now rested on the surveillance footage from nearby buildings and streets.
At around six in the evening, King Alexander had requested Gwen's presence. Her family and Jacob visited the Central Fort Palace for the first time in Cada City. In the king's sitting area, they were informed of the result of the investigation.
"The building across from Ian's school recorded a car speeding away at the time of the kidnapping," Alexander revealed. "Given their haste, my men suspect they were the ones who took your son. My warriors were able to confirm it when the same car was spotted pulling over in Luminar—"
"Luminar? That's four cities away," Gwen reacted with a frown.
"Yes, and it has a small airport there," the king revealed.
"Oh, My Goddess," Gwen covered her mouth as she sucked in a deep breath.
"That small airport only operates private flights," the king said. "They had fake documents that suggested he was someone else's son."
A royal guard presented Gwen with copies of the fake documents. The king revealed, "They have taken Ian to Northern Alfar."
"Oh, no. This can't be happening," Gwen said as tears flooded her cheeks. "Why? Northern Altar and why, my son?"
"We have no choice then," Baron said angrily. "We are going back to Northern Alfar."