6. The Square of Persecution.

Logan's POV

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[~Whoever you're looking for, is closer than you think. I know you're curious. Hint: Magnolia~] 

 -The Enigmatic Anonymist.

I kept staring at the note throughout the night such that I couldn't sleep. The words kept running through my mind and I kept asking myself, who was closer than I thought?

I couldn't think of anyone. The only person I badly wanted to tail was Magnolia like the Anonymist hinted.

And if it were Magnolia Anonymist was talking about then...I paused in my line of thought and stood up.

Magnolia wouldn't dare cross me, especially not this territory. Magnolia would be mature now and would probably be hiding somewhere as a rogue.

I stopped pacing and squeezed the note then threw it aside. Whoever that person was, I was going to uncover it somehow.

I summoned the presence of the pack guards the next day in my office. I was surely going to get to the bottom of everything.

"Search every nook and cranny of this territory for anything suspicious which could be linked to The Enigmatic Anonymist".

They all bowed before walking out of the office. I stood still in the same position I was when I addressed the guards. All I could think of was how pissed I was at the Anonymist, whoever he or she was. They kept sending those secret notes. Hinting at what-not.

They had, for the longest time, ceased sending those notes. I remember the last time was when my parents, Alpha Zefiro and Luna Emberlynn were still alive.

I didn't even notice that I'd been standing for a while until the door burst open and a guard rushed in.

"We found something, Alpha Logan". He came forward showing a white piece of clothing.

I retrieved it from him and opened the clothe immediately. My eyes darkened at the sight of it.

"Where did you find this?"

I asked squeezing the edges of my clothes.

"Behind the laundry cottage".

"Bring all the females of the pack here at once". I instructed and it didn't take the guard long before all the females trooped into the office awkwardly.

I stared around each of their faces with dismay. It was saddening to know that traces of a nemesis was found within the pack.

"Who does this belong to?".

I threw the clothes onto the floor. They all stared at it for a while before they broke into hushed whispers.

Hattie came out from their midst and approached me. She picked the clothe up and studied it.

She looked up at me with a frown.

"Alpha, this has nothing to do with our pack. The fabric, the stitching, nothing". Hattie clicked her tongue as she shook her head. "Not anyone I'm sure of".

I stared around everyone's faces again. That was it! That was why I felt unsettled.

"Where's the intruder?"

Everyone looked about themselves before a young girl stepped forward. Her head hung low.

"She's doing the laundry behind the cottage, Alpha Logan". She muttered low.

"Guards". I ordered. "Get her here at once".

Two guards scampered out of the office and Hattie looked at me with a frown again before giving the clothe back to me and walking away, back to where she was standing.

I hadn't even summoned her here.

The door flung open after a while and the intruder was dragged in. She was thrown with such force that she fell on the wooden floorboard with a painful thud. 

I stepped towards her. Whatever was her name again?

"You dare come into this territory?" I asked in a low growl and she looked confused and it enraged me.

"How dare you show your face, Magnolia?".

"I…I'm not Magnolia I…"

I immediately threw the clothe down to her. She raised her head a little to look at it and her eyes widened.

"Does this belong to you?". I asked with my hand in a tight fist.

She simply nodded and I went down to her level, holding her chin up so she could look at me.

"Who is Magnolia?".

She shook her head slowly and I let go of her chin as soon as tears escaped her eyes.

It was when I stood back up that I realised that the female pack members were still there.

"Everyone leave!!!. I spoke without taking my eyes off the woman in front of me whom I presumed to be Magnolia.

As the female pack members hurried out, I guess I saw Hattie shake her head slowly at me before going out.

I waited until the sound of their footsteps lessened from outside before I briefly stared at the door as the guards walked out and closed the door behind them.

I turned back to her.

"Now tell me who Magnolia is and how you have this".

She buried her head down on the floorboard.

"S-someone gave it to me". 

"Who?".

I asked but received no reply. I turned and strode to my desk, I stood supporting my balance with my hands on the table.

"So you won't talk huh?".

I stomped my already balled fist on the desk.

I felt more infuriated as more tears spilled from her eyes. Whatever happened, she wasn't the victim here at all. If she were Magnolia then…

I left my desk and unconsciously turned into my wolf form and leapt towards her.

An agonizing scream erupted from her mouth and she crawled backwards as I approached her.

It was at times like this that the effect was severe. I couldn't control turning into my wolf at odd times especially when I was angry.

As she reached the wall, she buried her face in her palms and I towered over her turning back to my human form. I smashed my fist against the wall above her and she raised her head once the red liquid from my knuckles fell onto her arm.

I turned away from her with my hand still on the wall.

"Guards, take her away to the square".

A few guards busted in and dragged her out to the square of justice. A place where persecution took place.

I sat down on the podium and watched as she was chained awaiting whatever her fate was.

She had been silent on purpose and that meant she knew something about Magnolia. She couldn't be Magnolia because she looked so young. But she surely had something to do with Magnolia or what if she was working with The Enigmatic Anonymist?

I got up and descended the podium and walked towards her with my hands behind my back. Once there, she didn't dare look up at me. She looked pitiful and wretched.

"I will ask you for the last time. What do you know about Magnolia?". I asked bending to look down at her. "Speak and you might just be spared".

"I-if I knew Magnolia, I would still be killed". She mumbled without lifting her head.

"So you do know something".

"I…I'm honestly saying the truth, I don't know any…"

"Then why did you have the piece of fabric with 'My Lovely Magnolia' embroidered on it?"

This was going nowhere. If it were true that she didn't know Magnolia then she was useless.

I stood upright and turned my back to her.

"Guards". I called over my shoulder. "Behead her".