Chapter 2
{Von’s POV}
I sat in my office
- This can’t be happening-
I was pissed, to say the least; I knew people were going missing around local territories, primarily children, some men, and women. I knew of the rumors, but now it affected my pride. Six children ages 9-13 had gone missing on their way to school none. Less, I wasn’t sure who was doing this. No matter how hard the trackers tried, they couldn’t pick up a scent. It was genuinely frustrating; I took pride in the fact the Pride of Ra's best warriors and trackers, was the safest on their way. For centuries no one stood against us. We had a reputation for being ruthless, tactical, and vicious when protecting our own.
I growled in my anger; my Panther was no calmer. He wanted to tear everyone to shreds until he had answers. However, we both knew that would do more harm than good. My Pride left Africa centuries ago for this very reason; it was during the slave trade when our ancestors started to go missing. I, of course, have only heard the stories passed down, but during this time, they were thought of less because of their skin color. However, they would fetch a pretty penny if they were shifters who could endure more abuse and do more work than an average human. I know these times have mostly passed, and most people don’t feel this way anymore; however, it was difficult to remember those times and think that my people were disappearing again.
- I'm determined to kill them all.
-Who dares disrupt my pride and peace, Who dared endanger my people, Who dared step on my lands -
The thoughts roared in my head like howling winds, one after another, each idea causing my anger to boil over like a volcano-threatening eruption. I felt that I was a fair King to my people; I found ways to keep them safe and set their minds at ease after living through such hard times that some elders had lived through and still remember vividly.
{Garrens POV}
I heard the growl from his king’s chambers and knew I should go and check on him. Being the king’s right hand meant I was also responsible for keeping him in check when needed. The right hand was like a Beta in other shifter communities. Once I opened the door, I could see his anger and murder in his eyes. “My king, you have got to calm yourself; you can’t think straight like this, “ I said. I knew why he was angry and shared his anger as well. Especially since one of the missing children was my niece, Megan; she was barely nine years old; in fact, her birthday was only a week ago. I shuddered at the thought of anything hurting her and tried not to think about what could happen to my sweet loving niece. Instead, I thought about how to get her and everyone back; he refused to believe their lives were lost.
I knew he needed to calm down; if Von lost his shit, I left me trying to calm a highly volatile Panther. Von turned into the most vicious, murderous Panther I have ever seen. Sure, Aztec only got that worked up for the right reasons, but when he did, he was hell to calm down. Aztec was the King’s Panther. He was a massive creature with jet-black fur that was as soft as silk. His eyes were yellow and, more often than not, glowing with rage; the stare from Aztec was intense and made even the most powerful bow in submission. His teeth seemed snow white against dark fur, and he was hell on four paws when pissed.
I took a seat opposite Von. “What are we to do, my king?" I asked, giving him a look I didn’t even know was on my face; it was worry, worry for all but mostly Megan. My sister and brother-in-law have been beside themselves since she went missing. My sweet sister hadn’t left her bed, let alone her room, for weeks. My brother-in-law did everything he could for his mate while dealing with his pain. Megan was their only child.
{Von’s POV}
I noticed Garren's look. It hurt to know he felt this way, that anyone in his pride felt this way. Garren was not only my right hand but my best friend since we were children. We grew up together. Seeing my friend in such pain reinforced my need to end this as soon as possible. I wanted to bring sweet little Megan and everyone else home. "We will get her back and everyone else, too, “ I said sternly and firmly. This was something I knew about. I would figure it out if it meant Aztec and I had to fight against the world, the Royal family included. However, I was sure they knew nothing of this yet since it hadn’t reached the bigger cities closest to the castle as far as I could tell. Either they hadn’t made it that far or they were smarter than to try it. “Still though, Garren, no scent, not even a faint one when they must have lurked in our woods to learn the children’s routines and how they got to school and back.”
That’s when Garren looked at me. "Should we beef up security even more?" he asked. I nodded. Of course, I wanted to give him the order, but he beat me to it. “Yes, send every warrior who isn’t on patrol to walk every cub to and from school, and post more at the school and the area surrounding it; they seem to be looking for children,” I said with a soft sigh; children they wanted the most innocent of all. Garren looked at me with fear and understanding. “No, it couldn’t be, “ He said, shocked.
That’s when it hit me, and I knew exactly what he was thinking; of course, it makes sense now. “What other species can hide that well?" I asked. Who else had that sneaky annoying ability? No other species had it well None that I could think of. “Snow leopards," we both said in unison—a chill creeping down my spine.