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Head Sentinel Rodarh had approached him after the meeting, looking so concerned.

Of course, the Elephant changeling did not ask what was wrong because ALL of them knew what was wrong. Everyone heard the rumors that Alpha King had a fight with his mate and she might be returning back to her world anytime soon.

"He'd always been a damn scary male, but I've never seen him like this before." Rodarh was saying, "Ratinus pissed himself when he snapped at him, and I know he did because I was seated right beside him and I smelled it alright. Would have laughed at how ruffled the Rat bastard was and take a little pleasure from seeing him all nerved up like that after everything he'd put me through in this council but I couldn't even bring myself to do so. Not too much of a fan of his but at the moment, I didnotwant to be in his shoes."

"Hmm." Alphose huffed, not knowing what to say. Or do. He'd tried to get Wolfaraine to talk about it but he'd shut him out flatly whenever he raised the issue.

Rodarh scratched his head, "Do you think, maybe you could...uhm take him hunting for Wild Ones or something? Fighting might help, you know, calm him down or something."

Alphose didn't bother telling the Elephant changeling that Wolfaraine had actually taken him hunting three days ago and they'd discovered a lot of Wild Ones. It wasn't much of a fight when Wolfaraine simply went all savage on them.

He did not even shift into his otherhalf to battle them animal to animal—which was the best way to fight wild changelings—instead, he took them all in his human form. And he easily overpowered them and killed every last one of them in the most savage way.

No, fighting and hunting will not help. The only solution that can pull Wolfaraine out of this "emotionless machine" he has become, is the only solution that wasnotapplicable.

Alphose was on edge. Long after Rodarh and the rest of the Alphas left, he remained on edge. The helplessness was killing him.

"We will wrap it up here today. I know you are tired. Go home." A familiar voice rose in the air, shattering the rest of his thoughts. Alphose raised his head to see Wolfaraine getting up from behind his desk and closing the huge booklet in front of him.

He was tired but he wanted to stay and talk. However, he knows that tone. It wasn't that of his friend but the commanding tone of the Alpha King of Naturiah. Not even the 'normal' Alpha King but the 'post-Ismena' Alpha King.

Alphose knows when to pick his battles and this time wasn't one of them. "Okay."

Wolfaraine nodded curtly, walked passed him, and started down the hall towards his own bedroom, his hands behind his back, his black cloak making waves of dramatic movements as he strode away.

Alphose palmed his head, rubbing the spot that hurt the most. Indeed, he needs to sleep—if for no other reason than to get rid of the terrible, persistent headache he'd developed for the past three days.

As he walked out of the Tower, he was most surprised to see Kassandra barge in through the gates in her nighties, ignoring all the sentinel guards trying to stop her and running towards the entrance of the Tower. Towards him.

She passed him, so desensitized to her environment that she didn't see him. "Kassandra? What's going on? Why are you here—"

She was startled at the sound of his voice, turned, and ran back to him. "Alphose, Alphose, oh thank God, Oh, thank God. Please help—"

"You are crying. Why are you crying?" The cougar is already on high alert. Alphose forced himself to breathe through his nose, rattled at how distressed she looked and sounded.

"Ismena is dying! She might already be dead because it took me fifty-two minutes to get here. My best friend is dying—"

"Take it easy, take it easy." Alphose stepped forward, trying to calm her down. She sounded so out of breath it's a miracle she hasn't fainted, "By the moon, Kassandra, you'll die of a heart attack at the rate your heart is beating too fast. So, calm down let me understand what you're saying—"

"Ismena is in Crave Shock." She panted out, cutting him off abruptly. Tears streaming out of her eyes, she repeated, "Ismena is in Crave Shock."

Alphose needed that repeat because honest-to-God, he does not understand what she was saying. No, he heard the words clear but it wasn't making sense to him.

"No, she can't be, Kassandra. Apart from the fact that it sounds so far-fetched, it's not even possib—"

"She's been sick for three days now. The fever kept switching on and off, on and off, she wasn't getting better at all. Harhan was there, he'd rested her and given us her meds to treat her with. We did everything by the book but it's not working and then, we woke to her confusing and her skin turning red and her teeth clattering." She was speaking so fast, her words jumbled up but she couldn't help it.

"WHAT!?" Alphose felt his soul leave his body. Those symptoms—especially the color change of her body—caused a ball of fear to form inside him. It's Crave Shock.

Ismena went into Crave Shock.

Ismena went into Crave ShockFIFTY-THREE MINUTES AGO!

Alphose was already rushing back through the doors he just walked out from a few minutes ago. He was running and by the footstep he could hear behind him, Sandra wasn't far behind.

He took the stairs three at a time, his heart pounding in his chest. The rush of adrenaline pumping through him did nothing to cloud the panic that rose with each step he took up to Wolfariane’s bedroom.

By the gods, let this be a bad joke.