Ed was now at his wits end. He had to ask Cora more about Pierre. "Cora, did you and Dmitri ran away after Pierre was not found?"

"Yes, once Pierre disappeared, we were not able to stay in the pack because there were too many people who had rebelled. I had to take Dmitri out of it in order to save him and myself," she replied looking far in the distance as though remembering those days.

​​

"Who was the one who had started the rebellion?" Ed became more curious.

"From what I heard, it was a very small thing that escalated into that huge," she said trying to remember.

"Do you remember what it was?" As Ed asked his questions both Adrianna and Dmitri were looking at Cora intently. This was the most important discussion they were having ever since Adrianna and Dmitri had married.

"There were some people who wanted the change in power. They were waiting to take down Pierre even if he made the slightest of the mistake. The problem was that Pierre was a perfectionist. He ruled as the alpha of those four packs so nicely that it didn't bode well with his competitors. They demanded that they be granted the status of military general of the pack. However, Pierre knew that they had other intention of actually using the army of those four packs to conquer other territories and rule them and so he didn't agree to their demands. Rather he just told them to wait until he felt they were really ready for it. When this did not happen for a long time, it was in one of the meetings that one of them stood up and said that they were fooling themselves to think that there would be a change in power. He said that all of them were admiring a system that had no morals. He accused Pierre of accumulating more than he could ever spend while his pack members were starving."

"That man's speech worked effectively and werewolves in the meeting started taking his side. Pierre became very angry and he threw that werewolf out of the pack. He started a revolt against Pierre. Sometimes I feel that Pierre should have killed him rather than throwing him out of the pack. He was just too considerate. That is why I have always asked Dmitri to be a merciless ruler. However, even Dmitri has his 'kindness' that interferes in his ruling."

Cora stopped talking at she looked at Dmitri with a smile.

"Where did you go after you escaped from the rebellion?" continued to probe Ed. Ever since Adrianna had married Dmitri, it had been eating his conscience that he couldn't keep his friend's Pierre's words. He would reprimand himself that he didn't even remember the woman who had come to stay in his cottage. What a wretched man he thought he was?

"Pierre had a friend called Ed," said Cora looking at Ed with smile. "We went to stay with him. We stayed in his cottage for a year until I found my way out of that place into another safe hold."

Ed felt as though his head was becoming dizzy. Both Adrianna and Dmitri were into shock.

"Pierre had told me a week before his disappearance that in case anything happened to him, I should go and stay with Ed along with Dmitri. There I would stay safe. Ed never stayed in his house, so both Dmitri and me were practically staying alone and aloof. No one knew of our existence."

Ed's eyes became misty. His words choked and he couldn't speak any further. He looked at Dmitri with utmost affection and it was for the first time he could see that Dmitri bore resemblance to Pierre. He smiled as a tear came out of his eyes.

Dmitri noticed that affectionate tear. "Did Adrianna ever go to Alex's cave?" asked Dmitri.

Ed nodded, "Yes, and it was Pierre who found her in the cave. She was abandoned there by Kayla and her friends."

It was a moment that could be defined as a mix of feeling – waking up, emotional pain, happiness, at a loss of words and lots of love. Dmitri looked at Adrianna and his lips broke into a faint smile. For Ed it was a moment of emotions. Cora looked at all of them. "What is going on?"

Suddenly she read Dmitri's thoughts and looked at Adrianna.

There was happiness in the moment. It was such and intense feeling. It was as if a heavy burden had lifted from Ed's soul. It was like a beam of light to the soul. He felt warm and relaxed. He got up, hugged Dmitri and went out, with tears running from his eyes.

As for Dmitri, a smile stuck on his face for seemed like an eternity.

Cora could not stop bad things happening in the world but what happened just now could only be summed up as destiny. Adrianna was the same girl Pierre had pledged his son to. She got up from her place and hugged Adrianna tightly. She was the girl whom they had been looking for. She was right in their house and all Cora did was to neglect her because of a woman like Keisha. She could never forgive herself for this crime. The more she thought about it, the more she cried. When she hugged Adrianna, she felt closer to Pierre.

As for Dmitri, he was on the top of the world. He sat back on the sofa and let that pleasure soak into his bones. He closed his eyes only to thank god and to savor the moment. He wanted to grow old with Adrianna. For the first time in so many months, his mind and body relaxed. He had been searching for the girl his father had promised to marry and that girl turned out to be Adrianna! It was a miracle or was it destiny? In that moment, he felt as if there were no more expectations left in life. He was in fact the winner and Adrianna was his bounty.

Adrianna was feeling overwhelmed. The fact that her grandfather's wish had fulfilled like this was a big surprise for her. Cora's reaction was absolutely stunning. She felt so much closer to her than she could ever imagine. It was a new relationship. She patted Cora's back when she hugged her tightly.

"I want to give a dinner to all the chiefs in the werewolf kingdom," she said to Dmitri, releasing Adrianna.

"Sure," he replied with a huge smile.

"Today, I won't stop you two from being together. You both can sleep in the same room," said Cora and walked away from there. She had to plan dinner. She had made a stash of gifts that she had decided to give her daughter-in-law. She had to add more items to it and give them all to Adrianna when the competition was over. Suddenly, she felt that she could actually now leave the two of them and go for a long tour of the world. She wanted to see the human realm. Her quest for so many things was over. "Pierre, I hope you are safe wherever you are. I know you are alive."