Mystery solved.

...she got to the door and turned the knob.

"Luna.." . 

Someone had called from behind her. She turned her head to see who it was.

"Walter.."  . She voiced,  slowly taking her hand off the knob .

___

Suspension…

"Did you hear that?" .  April  whose troubled eyes by now are locked in Stace's asks in a whisper tone.

"Someone's at the door " .  Stace affirmed.

___

"Elegant as always.." .

Walter voiced as he approached her. Feeling flattered , Luna took off her glasses flashing a smile at him.

"I haven't seen you in a while. Seems you've been quite the busy one" . She told him.  He heaved a sigh that released a smile .

"I'd Blame your fiance" .  He replied. 

"Well.. yeah.. he is thorough. Something I love about him. Anyways,  it's a good thing you're here" .  

"Why?..".  Walter asked with deep curiousity.

"You'll find out inside" . She insisted, turning towards the door again and just before she could reach for the knob once more , the door creaked open . 

"Good morning ma'am.." . April greeted as her eyes met with Luna's, she lowered her head to walk away while Luna stood there giving her the dirty look. As she watched her leave, she proceeded to step into the office, Walter followed behind her. 

"I really don't know what you see in that girl " . She said to Stace in a hateful tone .  She could see Stace well seated on his chair and looking buried in his computer with his fingertips tapping on the keyboard .

"If you paid more attention to work, you would know she has what we need" . 

Stace replied to her from his position. She pulled out a chair to sit and so did  Walter , it was almost as though he knew he was going to enjoy the conversation.

"I don't like her" . Luna expressed.

"You can't like everyone" . Stace responded to her with his eyes  fixed on her, as be took his fingers of the keys.

"Is there a problem?" . He asked as he held her stare.

"I am afraid there is.." .  She stated.

"Then tell " . He pushed , resting his back on the chair. She remained quiet for a bit before she started.

" BLEDIG "  . She said. 

The name seemed to ring a bell .

"Sorry, BLEDIG?" . Walter asked rather doubtful. 

"Yes. BLEDIG". She confirmed. From the look on her face, Stace could tell something was off.

"That is not possible. I killed him."  He explained rather relaxedly.

" And obviously he didn't die".  Luna noted .

" Somehow with black magic  of course, he was raised" . She continued.

"but he lost his beast, and if he wants it back..." . She added.

"Sorcery.." . Stace and Walter voiced Synchronously.

"Yup...Mystery solved" . Luna concluded.

"Bledig was a monster, who would be foolish enough to want to  bring him back?" . Walter asked.

"Whoever it was has his own interests for sure " .  Stace affirmed in a disturbed countenance.  He got up from his chair uneasy .

"This is so not a good news.." . Walter said heaving a long sigh. 

"The dead bodies near the clearing was just his way of letting us know he was closing in on us." . Stace  spoke rather upset. 

"And he will be heading straight for each and every one of us. I mean, we wiped out his entire pack before you killed him. Whatever he is up to.."  . Walter added.

"...is all for revenge.."  Luna continued.

"We need to signal the pack. My apartment , at 8pm, till then, this stays within us" .  Stace instructed.

"What if we are already too late?  it's clear that he has everything all figured out and how are we sure he hasn't already begun?" . Luna asked.

"He wouldn't strike now " . Stace assured her.

"And you know this because..?" . She asked him .

"He has always been a show-off. He would want to make a big impression and wouldn't strike from an unexpected angle. He will attack when he sees us coming" .  Stace replied.

"Then we strike first" . Walter suggested .

"We will. But we must be careful. We do not know the powers in his possession or what he has made of himself. "  Stace warned as he sat back in his chair.

"You must be prepared.... you predict his moves from the man he once was, he isn't a man anymore. He will come  at  you with everything that he's got" . Luna explained.

"How did you come to know about this if I may ask ?" . Stace asked her .

"I have my ways okay? . You accused me of  being selfish and less concerned about the affairs of the pack and so I pulled some strings on the matter " . She replied rather irritated and displeased. Stace bored his eyes into her for a while  before he looked away.

"I killed him once, and I shall kill him again but this time I just have to find a way to make sure he stays dead".  Stace replied to her.

She could tell from that statement that he had something planned in his head already and the Stace she knew wouldn't share so she didn't push on any further . She noticed how his eyes met with Walter's for a bit. It made her feel left out and reminded her of how much distrust he had developed for her. She felt bad but she remained calm. 

______

Tryst…

Dave's eyes got fixed at her and his heart missed a beat. While this wasn't the first time , it was still a very rare event. All shades of beauty personified and wearing a hot red bodycon strap fitted gown that was slightly above her knees which showed off her sexy long straight legs in sparkly silver heels . Her honey blonde hair which she had made to rest on her left shoulder revealed her silver bohemia leaf drop earrings that glittered . He was impressed.  He could see she had make-up on, it always looked good on her, his mouth watered and a gulp came to his throat. 

He smiled at her. He loved her or maybe Love was the most approximate word he could come up with as he sat there, stupefied . For Dave nothing moved for a few minutes until she was right there at his table. Slowly standing up with his eyes still fixed on her and without a word,  he stepped away from his space and moved over to hers which was at the opposite end of the table. He pulled out the chair for her and as she sat, she appreciated him with a,

"Thank you" . 

He moved back to his seat and signaled for the waiter who soon appeared . The waiter greeted and placed the menus before them as he stood awaiting their orders. Without wasting time they made their pick and the waiter left.

"Your beauty is overwhelming.."

Dave complemented as he reached out his hand across the table to touch hers. She felt the softness of his palm but took back her hand from beneath his with a sigh .

"You wanted a dinner date. I obliged but please don't touch me". She warned him. 

"Why? .. you claim you do not want me anymore but still my touch does something to your senses and you know it" .  He responded as he leered at her. 

"Dave.. what do you want exactly? You get caught and now you're sorry and wouldn't let me be , all of a sudden you realize how much you love me, and want me? . How can you claim to love someone and still hurt the person in the most heartbreaking way, are you normal?" She asked him with peering eyes.

Just then the waiter returned placing their orders before them as he helped pour wine into their glass cups. 

"Babe, i never meant to hurt you. Believe me when I say that i love you sincerely… I mean it.. " . He told her at the exit of the waiter.

"Hmm" . She breathed rather doubtful.

Dave countenance suddenly became sad as he looked like there was something he was trying to say. She sat there with her gaze fixed on him.

"Listen.. i know.. i haven't been a hundred percent perfect in this relationship.." 

"Yea, and your major problem has been your inability to control your d*CK"  . She cut in.

"Yes… I have a problem… its not as though you aren't good enough for me, you are.. I mean.. you are everything… good..caring and loving and crazy, you are perfect… and it's not that I see you to be desperate , i just .. believe maybe if we got married.. it could help tame me… and change me…" .  He spoke rather sadly. 

"What are you bluffing about Dave?"

She had asked in a tone that made it clear she was fed up. 

He sighed.

"April.. when i was seven.. Mom and Dad always argued.. I heard them every night but was too young to understand and when I became ten , they got a divorce . I stayed with mom more, and i look very much like my Dad , she loved him, was actually obsessed with him. When she heard he had moved on to marry his mistress, she got worse, Became an alcoholic and as time went on,  i guess she began to see him in me."

"Woah woah.. what are you..wait.. are you? Are you saying your mom..?"  . April stuttered in a whisper tone as she brought her head closer to the side of his table .

"Yes.. " . He cut in.

"She was drunk one day and as i slept in my room, she crawled on me. I couldn't run. She kept saying "Love me again Jake.. love me.."  . It was terrifying. She succeeded and i thought she would  you know, realize what she had done, apologize maybe. But she never did any of that. She sort of got addicted to it. It happened severally till i ran away. "

"Oh my God.. i am so so sorry…" 

April said to him as she placed her hands on his on the table.

"Yea.. " . He voiced.

"Why didn't you tell me…? Is that why you never talked about her?" . April asked him .

"It's harder for boys who went through sexual abuse to speak up because you know, society expects us to be the stronger ones ." . He replied with his eyes down. 

"What happened to her?" . April asked Dave who by now seemed too embarrassed to continue.  She noticed.

"It's okay… if you don't want to tell". She told him.

"I chose to be with my Dad instead , told him she wasn't well, he had her admitted in a psychiatric hospital . I just never wanted to see her again. I heard she was doing better afterwards but i never got better myself. Perhaps because I never talked about it"  . 

"This is insane.. you should have told me. We would have worked something out and you would be better.. " . She assured him.

"I know.. it was just too embarrassing and irritating to talk about with anyone. I hope you understand.. i never meant to hurt you. My exes left for same reason.. but I love you too much to let go, I am sorry , I just can't.. and now that you know this.. i beg of you to not judge me any further , or don't you get it ..? I need you April Smith.. I need your help.. your love… you are the one I want to spend the rest of my life with. Make me a better man.. don't leave me…" 

Dave begged.

"I am here for you…" . She assured him with a smile. He looked at her and saw she was only being informal. He reached for her hand and held it like he never was going to let go.

"I don't want you to be here for me as a friend. I want you to be my April again. Be mine…" . He said to her . She saw sincerity in his eyes and felt it in his touch. She knew he was never going to give up , she understood him better now. But just then, she felt her clotch vibrate.

She withdrew her right hand from his grip . 

[Stace Calling….]

Kept flashing on her screen as she took out the phone. 

"Who is it?.." . Dave asked her with suspicious look.

"Oh.. its Mo.." . She lied.

"I take it that she wouldn't be pleased to know you are here with me" . He said .

"Well she isn't really pleased with you ". 

She silenced her phone.  Dave smiled.

"I know she has intentions of killing me" . He joked.

"Actually she tells me that Everytime" 

April responded as they both shared a laugh.

"I missed this… Seeing you laugh. Having you with me.. I miss us.." . 

Dave continued . April noticed her phone kept ringing which became a major distraction for her. 

"Maybe you should take the call.."

Dave insisted.

"Hmm.? Uhn..why?" .

"Obviously you are distracted" . He replied her .

"I am sorry about that. Maybe I should just take it. I will be right back" . She told him as she stood up to go over to the ladies room.  Dave gave her a smile as she left and sipped from his glass of wine.

____

"Hey.. " . She voiced as she placed the phone over her left ear.

"Hey, how are you?" . 

Stace asked as he sat on his bed wearing his bathroom robe.

"Oh.. I'm good.." . She told him rather nervous.

"Ok.. ummm.. i was wondering if we could see?" .

"Why..? Is everything ok?" . She asked.

"Yea…   are you home?" .

"Home? No.." . She replied in one breath.

"Where are you?.. "  .

He asked further, his countenance changed almost like he worried or feared the worse.