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There was a tense environment that had started to build up in the room. It felt like I was in some interrogation room waiting to be bombarded with questions while someone is watching us from the outside. This man, Henry Collins, did not look any fishy to me, but I somewhere had a gut feeling about the kind of questions that he would be asking. 

As long as he doesn\'t reveal that I was a princess, which I thought he knew, I would keep my mouth sealed about it and relay all the answers in any coded way as possible to me. 

"Selene, I don\'t wish to ask any stupid questions," Mr Collins said nonchalantly as he stared at me dead in the eye. I knew he was an elder, and he had a lot of authority here, but the way he looked had some underlying warning in it. Like how he was last time when we had met, like this was his den. "I will only ask questions with good meaning to it. Rather, I just have one question, what is your main goal as the Beta of Winterwells?"

The question was very focused and anyone who spied on us from outside or anywhere else would think the same. But I was aware of the fact that Mr Collins knew my identity. 

He had mentioned how his question was going to have some meaning to it and it sound like a meaningful question, directly cutting to the chase. 

But the main question was hidden behind it. He did not want to know my intentions as the Beta, but rather what the Alpha princess of Adalolpha was doing here in disguise. Now, since he had framed it in a hidden way, I had to answer in the same way. Whether he understands or not was his lookout. 

"I want to see Winterwells grow, the people her to break their own boundaries and become friends with their better selves that lie on the other side of their invisible borders," I answered without any hesitation. My sentence held a lot of meaning and I just hoped he understood what I meant. It was going to be a conversation between us where we simply talked in vague and embedded language instead of bringing out the truth. If Mr Collins was smart enough, he would understand the analogies in my sentence. 

"True. No man can grow unless the conflict with their past self stops," He replied with a hint of taunt laced in it, and I smiled at his answer. 

He was truly a smart man that he had understood exactly what I had meant with my words. When I had said boundaries, I had meant the border and there was only one border around Winterwells, which divided Waterwoods and Winterwells into separate lands. 

Thinking about it now clearly, Mr Collins mentioned \'No man\' and \'Conflict\' which meant No-man\'s-land between the two villages and the conflict that had been going on since the past.

The way he had acknowledged my sentence meant we were on the same wavelength here. 

"Yes," I agreed with Mr Collins before saying, "and I want to aid them in ending that conflict with their past self and expand the reach of their abilities." At this point, I was confused about how to frame the sentence, but the message I wanted to convey was already said and I knew Mr Collins would not miss out on it. I wanted to end the conflict and the age-old feud that went between the villages and that was one mission where I severely needed the help of the elders.

Although it was a good cause, the war had been going on since before my birth so it was a given that the other elders had seen the war take place and probably even participated in it and survived.

I needed to make that impression of war in their hearts change. 

Mr Collins hummed as he took in my answer and smiled, "you come with a noble heart and a noble cause, Selene. " 

That was a big approval from his side. He couldn\'t obviously approve of it directly, but him acknowledging it was enough of an approval for me. At least now I knew it was not going to be as tough as I had imagined it to be. Rather, there was someone who would be in support of me. I did not know about the other elders, but the one sitting in front was okay with that idea, and I just wanted to see if he was willing to help me with it. 

"I won\'t be able to succeed without your support," I said in a polite tone. It was obvious what I was asking here. In any village, the last decision lied with the elders, not the Alpha and nor the public. 

"Well, I always support a good change, Selene," Mr Collins replied, and that was enough for me. There was one elder already on my side and with him being Channing\'s father, I just had to keep track of his thoughts and what happened inside the quarters here with help of Channing. Mr Collins continued, "you can of course talk with the other elders. I am sure they would have similar thoughts. Usually, their minds conflict with mine, but who will deny such a great change? I heard about the new initiative you started."

My heart clenched at his words. They were positive, to begin with, but Mr Collins had carefully said that usually, the other elders did not get along with his thought process. It was probably because he was the youngest elder here and others were old enough to not accept the change so easily or not at all. 

"Yes, I want the people to be strong and also grow our pack," I replied to his last statement about the new initiative I had started. 

"Smart move," he remarked, and I knew it was a clever move. There were already a few people who were thinking of joining the pack today. "I wish you the best of luck. If there is any help you need, make sure you come to ask. We are very giving"

I was sure the sentence meant completely otherwise of what he just said. Although he might have genuinely meant to come and ask for help, I think he meant it only in reference to himself. If there are times, which I think would come in the future, I knew now which elder to come to. Henry Collins looked like a helpful man. But his last words where he said that they were very giving, I was sure it had other meaning. It only meant that elders wouldn\'t be helpful this simply.

"Sure Mr Collins," I said, "it is great to know that. I am sure other elders would be more supportive and provide with some funding"

I did not mean to ask for funding, rather some kind of open-minded approach which I did not know how to frame. I just hoped that he picked up on what I was trying to say. This was getting tougher with time and if I could meet this man outside of this building where there were no eyes on us, I might be able to tell and ask him everything freely.

Mr Collins laughed at my words, "funding is something that Channing can negotiate for you. Go now get your branding done." 

I was sure he had not understood what I had meant and just went ahead with the chat. But Channing had told me he would come for me after checking if the branding was ready. Why did Mr Collin ask me to go?

Right that instance I heard the cafeteria door open and Channing called out to me, "Selene," I looked at Mr Collins in shock first and then at Channing, who waved in a come hither motion, "Come it is ready." 

"Okay," I responded to him. How did Mr Collins even figure out Channing was coming here before he came? I was the one facing the door, and I did not even see Channing come here. Was Mr Collin\'s nose that strong that he could even sense Channing from far? Probably it was something else with his abilities. "It was nice meeting you," I greeted the man sitting in front of me and he extended his hand ahead for a handshake.

I took his hand generously and his hold was as firm as before. "Same here. I hope your mission to better Winterwells goes well" 

"Thank you," I replied as I walked past him and joined Channing. 

Channing hurriedly walked me through the lobby, "Isn\'t my dad cool?" He asked like a little boy and I smiled at him. Channing turned to face me, raising his eyebrows questioningly, and I couldn\'t help but chuckle. 

"He is nice," I replied, and Channing unconsciously puffed his chest as if the compliment was for him and not for his dad. But I had to admit, Mr Collins was one good man to make Channing feel this proud, even though he was adopted. Channing suddenly halted and pulled me in a corner. We stopped away from the main lobby near a fire exit. "Woah, at least warn!" I said in a hushed voice.

Channing looked at me innocently and shrugged, "Sorry, but I forgot to tell you something."

I was rubbing my hand where Channing had suddenly pulled me, "What was it?"

Channing looked left and right and above the stairs to check if anyone was there. It was an idiotic idea because, inside the fire exit, the voice echoed. Channing came ahead to whisper in my ears, his voice was as low as he could manage, "Last night Fang invited me and you for a celebratory party in Waterwoods for you. It will be tonight after twelve when people go to sleep."

"What!" I almost shouted when Channing placed his hand on my mouth.

"Shh! We are talking of enemy here," Channing warned, and I ridiculously looked at him. He could have told this after we exited the elders\' quarter but he had to do the dare game. 

"What!" I whispered this time, "Are you sure it is safe? I don\'t understand why does he has to give a celebratory party for me."

Channing clicked his tongue and rolled his eyes, "Just come, it is for you becoming the Beta, there is a place in Waterwoods where others don\'t come and me and Fang had held many partied there. Some pack members from Waterwoods join as well. It\'s a win-win situation. You will get to know them and they get to know you. Won\'t it work better for your mission?"

"Y-Yea" I drawled on my words. It truly was one of the golden opportunities, but it was Fang, and I was very doubtful of that man. But the mission comes first, and I had to agree, "Let\'s go then, it sounds like a good opportunity."

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Author\'s note: I sometimes upload chapters late and in a hurry, so the chapters are not edited. I know you guys are eager for more chapters, but it is my humble request that you unlock the chapter half an hour later than the upload. It is occasional but just so you can read it after opening it directly. I have some daily word quota to meet to keep this book running in win-win so I might upload unedited chapters on the days I start writing late. Thank you for understanding ^^