Losing a war. What was she talking about?

Lorenzo's thoughts broke from the mutters by the others around.

"What are you talking about?" Richard huffed the opinions of everyone.

"The dragons that you have been paying tribute to have just been deceiving you."

"What do you mean?" Richard asked, sitting back down in his chair.

"Haven't any of you noticed it up until now?"

"Noticed what?" Alessandro asked.

Karen turned to him. "The heat, the change in the atmosphere. The dragons have been destroying this planet by warming it, changing it to suit them. In other words, lickfinger Richard, they plan to eradicate all life on the planet."

"Impossible they said —"

"They lied. We have been attacking some of the areas that they have set up to do these sites. Using human labors to dig that seemed warped out of their mind. However, even if it seems like we are winning. The dead green dragons just keep rising again like magic."

"Why haven't any of us know about this?"

"To not put the home of our forest in danger. I thought between you and Mark that things would be different, not that you would form gangs. We need allies to find solutions, brute strength alone doesn't work."

"We aren't gangs. We are the Mafia. Without it this city would long be destroyed from social unrest," Albert said.

"Who are you?" Karen asked.

"Mark's son," Albert said.

"Oh," Karen said.

"Mark died trying to negotiate with the others; some races didn't understand anything else except strength," Albert said.

"I see." Karen scratched his head. "Where did you bury him?"

"He couldn't get a burial not like Richard would have been interested in seeing him buried either," Albert snarled.

"Mark had nothing to do with me. Your father and I were friends long before you were born."

Lorenzo gritted his teeth. Like Angelo?

"You said the dragons kept raising themselves from the dead? In the war with the humans, they couldn't even dent their thick scales," Alessandro said.

"Yes, I found it strange but there was nothing else we could take away from it other than magic. I actually came back here to find someone that would be able to identify what kind of magic that this was," Karen said.

Despite the cold Lorenzo was sweating. He wanted to ask about Canta, and he wanted to say something about Angelo but if he interjected it might cost him his life. His father had been serving the dragons almost to the word. Was he a traitor? He came here with the intent to almost bribe the alpha away with gifts and to show how much he has accomplished. That was it, the only reason Lorenzo had been invited as another tool for his father's sake. He had to say something now or forever be locked in his father's shadow.

"I think I know what the dragons want," Lorenzo said. His hand gripped tight enough to bleed.

"Lorenzo," his father said.

He swallowed as his father's men turned their guns on him. In quick succession the pair were knocked off their feet as wolves bore down on them.

Karen's eyes locked onto him beaconing him to speak.

"The dragons want a witch. I think she knows a way to defeat them... and my father knows. He has her."

Lorenzo's father snarled. "What are you saying? You bastard."

"Where is she, Richard?" Karen asked. Her eyes shifted to him, lifting him up off the ground. "Well then talk?"

"I don't know anything about her, Karen. If you must know. I ordered him, my cub to take a hit today on someone that worked for me. He broke the rule and had to be punished. The boy is clearly making up things."

"Making things up?"

"If there was a way to fight them, don't you think that I would let everyone know. You feel I want to be, want us to be licking their feet."

My nails pierced into my palm. "It's true what my father said he did order me to kill him but there is more to it than that. The shine is used throughout Black Water, and it was only after becoming aware or seeing something that he was killed."

"Who's the person that was ordered to be killed?"

"Nobody."

"Angelo, he had a name. He respected you, you took an oath with him and cast him aside."

Richard growled.

"He's been pretending to be alpha for the longest time. The others here must know how he's been protruding over his dominance. I don't know what he wants to do but I just know that he isn't honest. I know that the witch Canta is the answer to everything."

"I did send some men to look for her, but nothing came from it. I am telling you the truth. I just didn't want my men on that stuff. It turns them upside down and then they talk garbage."

Lorenzo held his tongue. Not sure if he should mention what Angelo had said because he didn't believe it much either. He was risking everything here and he felt as though the ball was slipping away from him as he noticed Karen's grip slackening on his father.

"If it meant nothing father, why would you have me almost shot over it for the mentioning of it? Why is it so offensive to the dragons? Why only him? Angelo didn't start using it one time, he was using it for years."

Richard exhaled; his eyes shifted among everyone. "The dragons told me that they wanted the witch Canta. I didn't ask about it. One of those royals. Why would I if it would be for maintaining peace. Angelo was ranting like a lunatic, and I didn't want him to cause any trouble. He said something about the dragon and visions he would be seeing." He paused. The cold... you feel I would risk that on everything else."

Karen's eyes shifted between the two of us. "I suppose, we have something of interest that they want. I can't trust you though lickfinger Richard. How do I know without certainty that you aren't betraying your own kin to save your life." Karen released him and as Richard fell to the ground, she paced around in a circle.

Everyone stood silent waiting for her to speak. Her finger finally pointed at Lorenzo. "You."

"Yes, alpha," Lorenzo said.

"Come with me," she said walking towards the burnt building. "The rest of you wait here."

Lorenzo followed behind her silently as she came to a stop before three graves with small tombstones and halted. His eyes noticed the fading names marked on each, Tom, Ron and Ames. Unlike everywhere else this place was well maintained the ground for this area seemed to have been cut quite recently and flowers resided by each grave.

Karen exhaled for a brief moment she didn't seem like the imitating force he had witnessed. Instead, she seemed relieved. Was it at the chance of hope?

"Is it true? Does the witch know a way to defeat the dragons?"

"I believe she might know something. I don't know if what Angelo said is true about the dragons."

She nodded. "Tell me exactly what he said."

"His words were that he saw the end of the dragons. They were afraid of the cold, and he saw piles of bodies littered upon a field of snow and ice. Find Canta. I assume my father has her. He could be lying. He could already have sent her off."

"And if he isn't lying, she could still be in the city with the dragons prowling waiting for her delivery which would mean time would be the issue." Her eyes fell back on Lorenzo.

His head lowered. "Yes, alpha."

"What do I do?" Her hand rubbed her face.

Lorenzo swallowed. "I can find her for you, alpha and find out the entirety of the manner."

"You?"

"Yes, I have nothing else to lose. My father would probably have me killed for speaking out. With your blessing alpha allow me to find her and also..."

"Protect you from the wrath of your father?"

"Yes."

Her eyes fell to the grave. "Fine."

"For me to have the power to move freely. I need a promotion to underboss. Also, I request that you keep my father away from the city."

She chuckled. "All of that can be arranged. Let's go, time is not on our side."

The pair walked back out to the others.

"Lorenzo will be the underboss for you Richard and you will stay here with me as I deem you compromised."

"What!?" Richard shouted.

"It's better than the alternative. This isn't a playing matter. These castles are erected all over the world and I am not sure what their intentions are but from how they see us. It can be nothing good. Her eyes turned to the other mafia members. "Working with Lorenzo finding Canta is the priority."

"If we don't hand her in Karen that could mean the end of Black Water."

"If they are willing to wipe out Black Water that means there might be a deep truth in what Angelo had said to you."

With a few calls Lorenzo had been promoted and watched under the eyes of all those who were there. Richard did it bitterly. Lorenzo was the first to leave an air of relief on him as he exhaled and entered the car. The fur seated in the front handed him back his gun.

"Well, well how does it feel to be underboss?"