Dead Men Smiling

2.3

I can kill for you, I can die for you but asking me to live for you; that's impossible.

______

Dolan settled on a couch and let out a heavy sigh as he felt his body relax. Reign placed his head on the young sorcerer's lap, tail thumping against the floor as the latter scratched the back of his ear.

Dolan stared at the book seated next to the dagger, picked it up and opened it, smiling at the title Ensnare the Mind: Non-Human Edition.

"Thanks," he muttered as he read the first chapter.

After two hours Dolan placed the book back on the table, pulled his wand from its sheathe and waved it, causing a notepad with all the information he dubbed from the book as important to appear. He studied the notes with a frown, "Thinking is now making me thirsty. May I please have a drink?"

Silence followed his words, making it seem like he was talking to himself. Reign tilted his head in curiosity just as Dolan stopped to scratch his head, ceasing when a glass of coconut milk appeared on the table next to the book. The white haired male smiled in appreciation and downed the whole thing in one gulp before continuing his research.

He would stop at nothing to find out what he had witnessed between Leilani and that Jack of Rosewood character.

His gold eyes skimmed over the words lazily when the word 'pack' caught his attention, making him read with a renewed curiosity.

The Rosewood Pack was formed through the unification of the Thorn Pack and the Ranger Pack when the Alpha of the Ranger Pack defeated the Alpha of the Thorn Pack and made the defeated Alpha his consort.

The newly formed Rosewood Pack soon rose to power and was one of the strongest group of werewolves to exist. Naturally, this attracted a fair number of Omegas and other Lycanthropic creatures to the pack with further strengthened it.

Like all great Kingdoms, the pack eventually begun to decline when James II became Alpha due to his refusal to form alliances with the Vampires or to allow his pack to master new technology which caused the pack to fall behind and be labelled as 'old-fashioned'.

"Would you look at that." Dolan closed the book with a thoughtful frown. "I would have been dealing with Wolves? Leilani is such a vibe kill."

He then stood and stretched his arms over his head and left the house opting to be outside.

Reign, who had long shifted to his wolf form, ran alongside Dolan, stopping every few minutes to sniff flowers and admire different herbs.

He waved his wand and gripped the newly conjured basket in his hand as he reached some ripe berries.

He threw a few to Reign who, for a reason Dolan didn't bother finding, loves berries. As Dolan reached for an apple and nearly bit into it, Reign's hackles rose as he went into his attack position. Dolan who was now certain someone Reign didn't recognize was nearby let out a sigh as he wondered how that person got past the magical barrier.

"Whose there?" a voice asked.

Dolan tossed the apple and caught it, "Just an Unwanted in the woods, trying to stay alive. I assume you're one of Nero's men?"

"Just one man," came the correction.

A man with roguish features made his presence known. Dolan frowned, he could never hurt a fellow Unwanted but maybe he could talk to the other.

"Do you want to talk it over tea? Wine?" He held up the basket. "Jam making? We'll just need to pluck some lemons so it doesn't clump. I'm Dolan by the way."

The man failed to mask his surprise; does he not know the consequences of letting him know his name? He sniffed the air slightly and shrugged, offering a hesitant smile. "I'm Warren. I'm a Faery."

Dolan masked his reaction well; he had expected him to be one of the more violent and less mischievous. He then shook his head and smiled at the other as a thought crossed his mind. This is an odd situation, usually it's the other way around. "Do you like candy?"

Warren smiled at Dolan as he licked his fourth lollipop that had been offered to him; it's hard to find someone who acknowledged proper courtesy. Then again, his species was one of the type that had respected courtesy much like his one- a thought that almost made Warren reconsider what he was about to do.

Key word being almost.

"Do you happen to know any Dead Men Smiling?" warren asked.

Mason's words chose that exact moment to ring through his mind. Never, under any circumstance should you lie to a Faery. Just answer 'yes' or 'no'.

He smiled, "Yes." "I see, who are-"

"Would you like a candy apple, Warren?"

Warren rose a brow and let out a sigh, seeing nothing wrong with what had just occurred, "Who am I to say no?"

Just as Dolan was handing the other a candy apple, Leilani chose that particular moment to walk out of the house. She rubbed her right eye as she tried to make sense of the situation. Her dark gaze landed on Warren before her eyes narrowed. "A Faery."

Warren's face darkened, "Daughter of the moon. I came here first." "I suggest you chose your next words carefully, for we are members of The Rebellion."

Dolan resisted the urge to face palm and settled for a blank expression as he watched Warren smile darkly before he left. Dolan mentally counted before facing Leilani, "I suggest you pack enough for some days, we're leaving in ten minutes."

Leilani understood, there was a possibility that the Faery that Dolan was with was a potential threat: especially after how she revealed there most guarded secret. She twisted the flower chain bracelet o her wrist as she nodded at Dolan's instructions. "My apologies."

He sent her a soft strained smile, "Don't forget your mask, King."

After nine years of never moving the house from where he had put it when he first got it, Dolan found himself repeating the spell he was taught and watched in awe as the house ad garden shrunk, appearing in the small box it had been in when he first got it. He felt dizzy and shook his head slightly before smiling at Malum, Reign and Leilani, "Let's go guys."

Warren paled when he reached where the house that belonged to Dolan should have been. He resisted the strong urge to flinch when he felt a firm hand on his shoulder. "I- I can explain. I swear there were two people living in a house here; one even said that they were members. Faeries don't tell lies, Your Highness, it's against our nature."

The voice that responded was calm, "Then why, pray tell, am I not with a member of that blasted rebellion?"

Warren fell silent as he internally struggled; perhaps he should say the male's name. surely his life would be spared. He opened his mouth before closing it, Dolan had been so hospitable though, would it be wrong to give his name? then again, it was common knowledge not to tell any member of his species your name. He trusted me, warren realized, he hung his head accepting his fate.

At his silence, The Emperor nodded and at that very minute, warren's blood was spelt.