564 HARD DECISION

"What is going on here?" Cane asked withdark voice, his expression told them he was not playing around and wanted a straight answer. 1

Their preparations were complete and they were going to leave when Iris came to Cane and asked him to change his decision, but now this happened. What the hell was wrong with these two warriors?

Cane took the two of them a little bit away from the entourage. He glared at both of them sternly.

"How long do you want me to wait for youranswer?" Cane spoke again, his voice became even deeper than before, telling them he was running out of patience at this point.

"I can't accept what he said about the luna!"Ethan said through his gritted teeth. His anger was so apparent and it was so rare for him to be so emotional like this.

Unless Ethan was triggered or someoneprovoked him, he didn't usually lose his cool, especially to his own pack member.

Hearing what Ethan said, Cane directed his angry gaze at Oliver, who had his head lower, his chin touched his chest, probably only now he realized how much he was in trouble.

"What did you say about my mate?" Canestalked toward Oliver and he stood before him. The alpha was so dominant, his presence alone demanded respect and recognition from people around him. "Warrior, what did you say about yourluna?"

"He is not my luna, alpha," Oliver replied, heclenched his jaw. He couldn't hide this hatred and because they were already at this point, there was nothing he could do to deny what he had said. Sooner or later the alpha would learn about it. "I don't accept her as my luna!"

Cane didn't need to ask 'why', because he had noticed the stern atmosphere among the warriors after the provocation from the royal warriors.It was a simple scheme, but Cyan knew where to hit the right spot and it left a long affect. Cyan didn't directly attack Cane, but she used a subtle method to ruin his foundation from inside and Cane's absolute foundation was; the loyalty of his pack member.

Cyan tactfully used their hatred and their provocation was like a slow acting poison, which eventually would kill you.

"Ethan, you can leave. Check your wounds."Cane didn't need to hear more explanation. If what Oliver said could set Ethan off, it meant, he said something worse than only not accepting Iris as his luna and Cane was not sure, he could keep his calm if he heard any of those right now.

Ethan wanted to argue, but the look on the alpha's face must have told him that was not a good idea, so he walked away. He was still not in a good mood. His wounds had started to heal, but he felt like he wanted to vent out some of his anger somewhere else.

"Until when will you put the blame over herhead for something she didn't do?" Cane asked Oliver once Ethan had left the two of them alone.

Cane could feel the black wisp started to shimmer from his palm, but he held it back and it disappeared before Oliver could notice that. This killing intent that Cane felt didn't belong to him, but in truth, he felt the same anger like the lycan did.

"I can't alpha." Oliver lifted his head. "I tried,but I can't accept her as the luna of the pack. She doesn't deserve you, she doesn't deserve the title, she doesn't deserve to be one of us!"

Oliver had put himself in this situation and there was no way for him to lie or go back on his words at this point, therefore, since he had no other option, it would be better if he told the alpha what was in his mind.

"She is Gerald's daughter and there is noamount of words that could convince me otherwise."

"Yes, there is no denying she is Gerald'sdaughter," Cane said, he looked extremely calm on the face of the person, who openlyhated his mate and it was terrifying. "But, what she had done to deserve your hatred?"

If this was someone else, Cane would banish Oliver for the way he talked about his mate resentfully, but Oliver knew the secret about the lycan and the fact the curse creature was Cane, he couldn't just banish him and risk the secret to be revealed.

He needed to tread this matter meticulously. His enemies were desperately seeking his weaknesses and if he let go of Oliver, he would only hand them the thing they really wanted.

"Answer me, Warrior. What she had donethat deserved your hatred?" Cane put his palms behind his back, his eyes were so sharp, he waited for Oliver's answer and calculated his next move based on that.

"The fact that she is blood related to thosenasty people is enough for her to receive my hatred!" Oliver growled in low voice, one could tell that was a bold move for him to be so disrespectful in front of your alpha to talk so bad about their mate.However, with how calm Cane was, indirectly, it encouraged Oliver to show more and more his animosity toward Iris, thinking the alpha was actually listening to his complain and maybe reconsidered his decision regarding who would be his luna. 1

Their ceremony in the capital city for the new alpha and luna had not yet happened, because of everything that was going on there, in that case the title was still opened for someone else, who deserved it.

Nodding his head as if he understood his warrior's grievances, Cane extended his hand and wiped the blood on Oliver's forehead with the sleeve of his cloak. "I can understand how you feel."

Before, Cane wouldn't doubt his pack member, he would have entrusted them with his life, but right now he was not really sure, especially when there was another mole inside his pack, who had revealed the secret passageways.

Not to mention with the wild hatred that the pack member and the warrior boretoward Iris after the provocation.

There was no helping it.

Oliver had gone too far with his hatred and there was nothing Cane could do to bring him back when he chose to be so blind and deaf about someone that he hated.

"Alpha, will you reconsider it?" Oliver wassurprised to see how calm Cane was to accept his exasperation and grudges.

Probably, whatever affection the alpha showed in public toward his mate was not how he felt about her. He knew how cunning the alpha was. He wouldn't have done something without any calculation. There must be the reason why the alpha was showing off his affection toward that woman.

Whatever the reason was; if the alpha was willing to reconsider who would be his future luna, it was already great.

"Let me think about it," Cane said quietly,but it was enough to make Oliver sighed in relief. "But, after your altercation with Ethan, I need to send you away for a while."Oliver didn't seem to be happy to be sent away, but he knew his position. While he was only a warrior, the ga mma was needed more by the alpha side.

"I need someone I can trust to overlook thetunnel construction in the Riverside pack."Cane added. "I don't trust the merchant."

Oliver's trouble expression softened a little bit when the alpha entrusted him with an important matter. It went without saying the merchant couldn't be trusted one hundred percent.

"I need you to go as soon as possible, it willtake times to reach the Riverside pack."

"Will do, alpha," Oliver said respectfully. Henodded his head solemnly and Cane patted his shoulder. "I will leave now."

"Thank you."

Oliver looked so proud of himself to carry out this mission.

"I will do everything for you in a heartbeat,alpha."

Turning around, Oliver rushed toward theentourage to prepare himself for his journey back to the Riverside pack, while Cane stared at his back.

After Oliver's figure disappeared among the crowd, he lowered his head and glanced at Oliver's blood on his sleeve. 3

Later on, when Cane ordered for the entourage to leave the Silver River pack, as they headed toward Diandem pack, he found Iris was staring at the window, she refused to look at him. She was still upset because they left this pack behind and Cane didn't try harder to help them.

Usually, Cane would come over and try to talk to her, but he didn't do that now. He went very quiet, which made Iris became even more agitated.

Why he didn't talk to her?

Why he became very silence?

Did he ignore her?

Did he expect her to break the silence?

Were they fighting now?

Iris didn't like this silence, it was sodeafening and disturbing. She tried to find a topic to break this tensed atmosphere, but she couldn't find any, until she caught a glance of the blood on Cane's sleeve cloak.

"Are you hurt?" Iris looked so concernedwhen she watched Cane took off his cloak and folded it. "Why there is blood on your sleeve?" 1

"This is not my blood. It is Oliver's."

"Oh..." Iris waited for Cane to talk more, buthe didn't say anything after that, which made the silence returned inside this carriage.

Cane chose to sit across from her, which was something he had never done again when they became so close. 3

"Cane..." Iris wanted to talk, but then therewere roaring sounds outside.