Ch. 251..255: Alpha King’s Lost Luna Chapter 251-255
Chapter 251 KALEB
| diligently stood in front of my mother’s grave solemnly, and after staring at the ornately carved slabi to dust off the stone. This was my first visit in quite some time, and the thick coating of grime on the ston it had been in a while. | normally didn’t allow it to get this bad, but as of late, things had been infinitely busy had a moment alone.
As | cleaned it, | pondered the state of things and then allowed myself to consider my mother. Ever since she died, l’a had a nightmare about her passing or otherwise. Nor had | after I’d killed all of my siblings and most of my cousins. Not even when I'd ended my father’s life.
| wasn’t afraid of ghosts or gods. | wasn’t afraid of punishment from the Moon Goddess for the acts I'd committed in the past.
But last night, | had a nightmare, one that | couldn’t shake. It was haunting my thoughts and bleeding into the waking world so vividly it made me uneasy.
In my dream, | saw my mother groaning in her bed. The scent of death permeated the air and filled my nose so much that | was practically choking on it. She was calling out for my father, her voice strained and pitiful. The agony of it was chilling. If it weren’t for her voice, | would have thought she was already dead. She appeared so weak, so feeble. Her skin was practically translucent, and her eyes, once vibrant, had lost their beauty.
Though she was barely clinging to life... she was still my mother. 4
Despite being the lowest among all of the king’s wives, a desperate and cunning maid who seduced the king and elevated her status to become one of his mistresses because of her pregnancy, she delivered a prince. She made the king a legitimate
son.
She had always said she was lucky that she was fertile. She told me that | was a gift from the Moon Goddess, but | couldn’t help but wonder if she truly believed that idea. Was her life confined in a small room, waiting for a man who would never visit again, better than her life as a maid?
In the dream, | walked closer to her, trying to stop her groaning. As | approached her bedside and the stench of death grew stronger, | stifled my urge to retch and tried to calm her down. | told her gently that Father wouldn’t come. | wanted nothing more than for her to pull herself together and stop calling out for him.
But when | caught sight of her hollow face and stared into her eyes, | realized that the woman in bed wasn’t my mother. It was Cassandra.
Her beautiful face, those lovely doe-like deep green eyes with their long lashes, her full, pink lips... all weren’t normal. Her face was ravaged and contorted into anguish. Even her long, copper hair was brittle and matted. It was a horrid sight that sent a shiver down my spine.
| tried to retreat, but she reached out and grabbed my arms. | tried to pull away, but it was of no use. She began to curse at me. At first, she spoke some vulgar words, and then they gave way to more specific things. She cursed me for what | had done: the nasty things I'd done in the dungeon, the ugly face I’d worn when | slit my father’s throat, all of the pain I’d caused since I'd become king of Yurene.
As she reminded me of these events, her words conjured up vivid images, and they grew so intense that | couldn’t think. All | could see was myself committing these atrocities over and over again, meanwhile, Cassandra’s voice continued to call me such vile things.
Ich pam my my chest, a great pain as if my very soul was going to dissolve as it grew stronger. It burned within me like a wildfire, and just as | became consumed by the blaze... | woke up
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| sat up in bed and panted as | fought to catch my breath. Sweat drenched my entire body and | gripped my sheets for comfort. Rationally, | knew that the dream wasn’t consistent, nor had it been real, but still, | felt a great burden from it.
It had taken much of the day to ease my thoughts, but as | stood in front of my mother’s grave, | wor had received from Anubis had caused the dream.
Anubis told me in the brief note that Roxy had been caught and that traces of him had been discover Wegalla before he could approach the king. He asked if Roxy should be abandoned, and that he needed because if he got caught by a Wegalla soldier, it would be an unnecessary loss.
I'd stared at the note for quite some time, unsure of what to do. Should Roxy be abandoned? essage |
| thought | would be decisive without any hesitation, but that wasn’t the case. | couldn’t make up my mind on the matter, but why? Roxy was useful but not indispensable. So why couldn't | make a decision?
This was the very reason | kept these pawns. | cared for them as my trusted companions to gain their trust and loyalty, and then when necessary, | would give them up.
When the wind rippled through my hair, a thought crossed my mind. Wasn't that exactly what I’d done to my sister, Eleanor?
My memory traced back to that awful competition in the dungeon. It was a brutal fight. We were all too clever, too hesitant, too indecisive. We were wasting time at first. We were all so young and stupid and thought we could change the way this country was ruled. We had believed that if we banded together and challenged the very idea of this bloody tradition, that they would surely yield.
But we had overestimated our willpower as well as how cunning a werewolf could be. So, we began to fight.
| wasn’t the strongest one. | hadn’t gotten the best training sessions. | was always excluded by my siblings when they accepted fighting lessons from the outstanding soldiers of Yurene. They loathed me for carrying a low-status woman’s blood.
All except Eleanor.
She was the firstborn child of the king, the best fighter, and the most respected heir. She was the only one that treated me like a brother rather than a nuisance. After their lessons with the soldiers, Eleanor would meet with me privately and train me herself. She took care of me with great empathy and | cared for her very much.
Everyone in this country had said that Eleanor was the true queen, the future ruler of Yurene, and the only one of us who was worthy of the throne.
In the dungeon, when I was chased and nearly killed by one of my brothers, Eleanor had protected me. She made a promise to me that she would take me out of the dungeon with her and together, we would make this country a better place.
But instead...
| glanced down my hand as if the blood was still there. Eleanor’s blood. | would never forget the sight of it as it gushed out of her. | had used my hand to cover her bright blue eyes as they stared at me in disbelief after I'd attacked her.
Since that moment, | haven't stopped fighting.
I'd told Eleanor’s body that | had to take the crown no matter what. | had to change the country. | would be a good king, no matter what it took
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But was | truly changing Yurene?
Or had | lost myself in this game of power long ago? 2.89%
| stood in front of the grave for a while longer and thought of Eleanor. Then, | rose to my feet and decided upon my answer for Anubis.
“Roxy is still useful. Take her back.” 2/8
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Chapter 252
As | stared at the beautiful yet disgusted face of the raven-haired sorceress before us, | searched
to go about questioning her. Now that we knew her name, Roxy, it was clear that she was on the v a matter of prying her further.
| remembered that | had once attended an interrogation with my father before his death. He’d been sile the dungeon, and once we reached the staircase, he turned to face me with a tense expression and his cold
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“We're going to teach you some techniques that will be useful in the future,” he remarked sternly. “Pay attention. This will useful in the future when you need to dig out the truth.”
Though | wasn’t too keen on the idea, there was no refusing my father, so | nodded, and then we continued our walk. Once we were in the dungeon, we were met by a pair of my father’s men and then escorted to a cell in the back.
They were interrogating a servant who had been involved in a half-baked plot to steal valuables from the treasure trove of the palace. He’d been caught on the scene, lingering around the entrance of the room, but despite his obvious involvement and intention to steal, he was stubborn and refused to confess.
| couldn’t remember what exactly they had done to make him speak, but when the servant broke down, he told us all of the details and became so cooperative that he even gave away his accomplice.
| hadn't understood why the servant would give in so easily, but when we left the dungeon, Father said that it was what people did when they felt abandoned and alone. If given the chance, they would act out after perceived betrayal, and try to turn things around by joining their rivals.
That was likely what Roxy was about to do, now that she knew that her accomplice- this Anubis, had betrayed her and left her behind.
We stood there in silence for a while. Neither Kane, nor Silas, nor | dared to speak. We simply waited for Roxy to start the conversation.
It simultaneously felt as if an eternity had passed but also a few minutes, and after Roxy wiped her eyes, | finally addressed her.
“Why are you here?” | asked firmly but still calmly. She seemed surprised by my question, and | half-expected her to scoff at me, but she didn't.
“The king of Yurene sent me to capture the king of Wegalla and bring him back to the North,” she explained, her tone rapid and her voice heavily accented. “I don’t know why he wanted me to do it, though | suppose it has to do with the healer.”
Her gaze shifted to me at the last word of her statement, and her discontentment was incredibly obvious. She clearly harbored some sort of irritation toward Cassandra, though | wasn’t entirely sure why.
“Since you don’t seem to approve of his orders, why did you go on the mission?” Kane spoke up before | could, and he crossed his arms against his chest.
“| would do whatever he asked, she answered as if it were obvious, and then she softened. “I have always obeyed no matter what
Silas snorted and rolled his golden eyes. “And yet you didn’t obey this time, did you?”
Roxy shot him a glare and pursed her full lips. Though she diddy reply to his mockery, her face looked a little paler, as if the weight of her actions was dawning on her.
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“Who are you?” | asked her, and | lifted my chin slightly. “Where did you come from originally? And how are you able to use sorcery? Yurene has no history of magic power, so I’m not understanding your part in all of this.”
She glanced at each of us, as if searching for something, and then, after a while, a short laugh escap
“| can’t figure out if you’re joking or pretending to be confused,” she remarked, and then she smirked stupid. “Where did | come from originally? What a question.”
Her blue-green eyes glinted with amusement. “I come from the same place you do. We could very well be fr ancestor. If it weren’t for your first king who betrayed the great sorcerers, we would not have suffered-”
“Are you referring to Ewonmiams?” | cut her off as my eyebrows knitted together. “The ancient academy of sorcery?” Roxy snorted and rolled her eyes. “I see the great king of Wegalla knows nothing about history. Unsurprising, of course-” Irritation bloomed within me and | chose not to act on those impulses.
“Ewonmiams was closed because of a severe accident,” | replied. “Most of its members died from the accident and that’s why sorcery and magic is forbidden in Wegalla. It was made forbidden to prevent further damage and death.”
Roxy barked out a laugh again and shook her head.
“You would be idiots if you believed that to be true,” she remarked. “But then again, it’s understandable... after the purge, nothing about sorcery remained in this country. | suppose the real history of Ewonmiams was obliterated. So, I'll simply tell you the truth. Wegalla was built on treachery and slaughter, and your first king was no more than a thief.”
“Do not slander our first king,” Silas blurted out angrily. His eyes flashed and his hands were balled into fists at his side.
“Slander?” Roxy repeated. “If you think what I’ve just said is slander, then you'll be quite surprised by everything else | have to tell you. There’s a story you should all know, Once I’ve finished, you can decide if it’s true or not.
The day of interrogation passed quickly and soon gave way to nightfall. As a warm breeze blew through the wind, | took a deep breath. Despite the nice weather, | felt a chill and couldn't get warm. | was too plagued by what Roxy had told us.
According to the sorceress, the first king of Wegalla had used the great sorcerers of Ewonmiams to win wars and annex Packs that now belonged to Wegalla. After appointing himself the king, he betrayed the sorcerers and launched a purge against them, which lasted for centuries. Our country was founded on this betrayal and bloodshed.
As | pondered the tale, | heard someone approach and turned to see Kane. “How do you feel?” my stepbrother asked as he joined me. “Fine,” | remarked, though it felt like a lie.
“She might not be telling the truth,” he offered. “The sorceress might be trying to disorient us and distract us from what's going
on.
Despite his trying to soothe me, | could tell by his voice that he also believed Roxy to be telling the truth. It was undeniable that Wegalla had almost obliterated the history of Ewonniams. The only things that remained were the books Cassandra had read in the locked room of the royal library. We had betrayed the sorcerers and then wiped them from history.
“Do you think the people of Wegalla are proud of their country? | wondered.
Kane howned “What do you mean, Asher?”
“I've just been danking” | said, and | ran my hand through any her “What’s the point of being the king of a country that Find CRM For Small mess
was stolen in the first place? When | was in Wild Crawler, no one would say or even demonstrate pride in Wegalla. They were happy and content in their own Pack. And | suppose it will be the same in the Sky Pride Pack. So, what's the point of holding such a large country when my very leadership of it depends on the support of the Alphas? What is there to be proud
of?”
Silence lingered between us.
“| don’t know, brother,” Kane mused after a moment, and then he stared off into the distance. “I don’t know.” laa]
Chapter 253 SILAS
Much to my irritation, it was my duty to watch over the sorceress tonight. | wasn’t thrilled by the pros had to follow the orders of my king.
Unlike the others, | hadn't believed a single word that poured out of Roxy’s mouth this afternoon. In her stor claimed were completely factual, she’d implied that the great sorcerers of old were omnipotent and incredible, werewolves were utterly useless. According to supposed legend, the most powerful of the magic-wielders could read people’s minds and even manipulate them when they saw fit.
But at the end of the day, these legends were merely stories. There was no proof that her stories were true and | only believed in solid evidence. Stories had never been enough. | needed to witness things with my own eyes, and thus far, | had no reason to believe her.
Besides, the sorceress was cunning. All she wanted was to play with our thoughts and intimidate them. Her sea-green eyes had a fierceness about them that couldn’t be denied, and no matter how much she fluttered her long eyelashes, | wasn’t falling for her tactics.
Unfortunately, once she realized that | wasn’t succumbing to her manipulation, she opted to make my evening a living hell. She kept making endless requests- to eat, drink, wipe her face, take her to relieve herself... the requests were constant, and | barely had a moment of silence.
When she wasn’t speaking, her gaze was fixed upon me as if | had something on my face. Though she didn’t comment on whatever was on her mind, her stare felt heavy, and there came a point where | forced myself to turn away slightly. But even when | closed my eyes, | could still sense her. It was annoying me to no end.
“Will you not speak?” she prompted me with mocking in her tone. When | didn’t respond, she spoke again. “Really? Not a word from you-”
“Shut up,” | growled before | could stop myself, and anger boiled in my chest. When | turned to face her, | was irritated to see that she wasn't intimidated at all. On the contrary, her lips curled into a grin and she tilted her head to the side slightly
“So, you do have a voice after all,” she remarked, and then she laughed lightly. “I know you don’t trust me, seems to hold no weight. Your Alpha King trusts me and that’s all that matters.”
but your opinion
“Silence,” | snarled. “If you want to challenge my loyalty to the king, you should simply hold your breath instead. Unlike you, I’m not going to betray my Alpha.”
My voice was heavy with disdain, so much so that Roxy was stunned for a moment. Her lips parted in surprise and then she gulped.
“You don’t understand,” she said in a low voice that was nearly a whisper, and she tucked a strand of black hair behind her ear. “You understand nothing.”
Though | was tempted to fall for the bait and demand that she stay quiet, | didn’t reply. She was trying to get a rise out of me and | couldn't fall for it, not when it was my duty to keep an eye on her. | had to remain composed, at least for the most
part. After a short silence, her eyes fixed on me again, but her expression lost its cruelness and grew serious. “You have no idea what | sacrificed for my loyalty,” she remarked.
“I'm not interested in whatever tale you have to tell,” | sighed as | rolled my eyes at her. Why should I care about her feelings? There were much bigger things to worry about.
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“You're not interested in anything other than your stupid loyalty” she fired back defiantly. “You're like a stick of iron, completely lacking emotions, while I’m not. That’s why you think you're better than me, but | can assure you that's not true.”
As her irritation reached my ears, | frowned.
Was there an ounce of truth in her words?
“Have you ever loved anyone?” she continued.
| didn’t reply, but | couldn’t resist getting swept into her question. Before | could stop myself, my mind wande to Becky.
| thought about our last meeting, the look in her beautiful reddish-brown eyes as she stared up at me. Was she alright? Was she staying with that healer man?
Had she given him an answer after his confession of love? Just the thought of it all was enough for a lump to form in my throat.
| tried not to think of these questions, as a very small part of me was worried that Roxy would read my mind like the sorcerers she spoke so highly of. | couldn’t risk her finding a weak spot in me and using it for her escape.
But much to my surprise, she was no longer watching me. Instead, she stared off at the distance and seemed lost in her own thoughts. She tugged at the sleeve of her black sweater absently.
“Love is selfish,” she mused quietly. “Loyalty is selfless. They can’t coexist.”
Before | could reply, she turned back to me. “If you’ve ever loved anyone and made a vow to be loyal to that person.... is your vow rendered broken if your lover chooses someone else?”
| watched her mournful face for a moment and then spoke. “Are you speaking of Kaleb?”
She didn’t answer, but it was obvious that | was correct.
“If something made you selfish, it should not be love,” | said. “Love is something divine and would have made you selfless. Isn’t the happiness of the person you love all that matters?”
Roxy laughed lightly and then shook her head. “You're so pretentious. What would you do if the one you loved decided to choose someone else and abandoned you completely? Would you remain so gallant?”
| pursed my lips. | couldn’t answer the question.
I didn’t want to.
The sorceress sighed. “You might be right. Love can be selfless as long as one can watch the person they love every day and feel the happiness of that alone. But being abandoned... that’s another story. For all of these years, | have tried to be useful to him. | obeyed all of his orders and did all of the nasty jobs he required of me. All | wanted was to be at his side and stay with him. But in the end. | was no more than a pawn that could be thrown away?”
Just as her bright eyes welled up with tears, she shifted her head and avoided contact with me, but not before | caught a glimpse of hate and longing on her face.
| suddenly fell suffocated
| didn’t know if it was a magic trick played by the sorceress or if it was simply her words that made me feel the were of es my antar
Berty
Chapter 254
The next day, we began our ascent up the mountain. 89% #
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The Sky Pride Pack resided near the top of these hills, and it was a grueling journey. Speed and swiftness had no advantage on steep hills, which was how Sky Pride had remained intact throughout the years, while other Packs suffered from constant wars and disputes. The location was advantageous and strategic, and while the climb was far from ideal, | had to admire their resilience.
None of us had ever visited this technically autonomous Pack before, nor had we expected to have such difficulty. We had to abandon most of our belongings on the way, as they only weighed us down and made the climb more cumbersome.
The only source of relief was the fact that | didn’t need to disguise myself here, as no one would be able to attack us in Sky Pride. No assassin would be able to reach the remote Pack, so a shroud or costume was unnecessary.
It was around noon when we reached the first gate. Our party waited around for nearly half an hour as one of the guarding soldiers went to report our presence to their Alpha. The remaining soldiers of Sky Pride, despite being told that it was the Alpha King visiting them, showed no reverence. They regarded me politely, but there were no outward displays of loyalty or acknowledgment.
Silas was outwardly slighted by their behavior but | stopped him before he could grow angry. There was no use getting upset with these wolves when we were trying to appeal to them for their support.
So, we hung back and waited until finally, the guard returned with a well-dressed man. This middle-aged man was lean and graceful in his movements. Though he smiled, his eyes were sharp.
He bowed courteously at me and then spoke.
“Good day, King Asher,” he greeted me warmly. “My name is Darwin Stone. | am the hand of the Alpha. Our leader is busy at present and has asked me to escort you to the castle in his stead. Will you follow me?”
“It is a pleasure to meet you, Darwin Stone,” | replied politely, and then | nodded. “Yes, we would be grateful to follow.” Darwin nodded back and then we were let in through the gates.
Our trek didn’t last long, and when we reached the castle, | was surprised to see how grim everything around us was. The crudely-crafted castle was tall and carved out of the same dark gray stone that surrounded us. Since we were up so high, the wind was bitterly cold, and there was little color around.
Sky Pride had never been a wealthy place, but they had the strongest soldiers, which made their walked into the castle, | tried to remind myself of this fact and forced a pleasant expression on my face. support
crucial. As we
Darwin explained that the Alpha would join us soon, and in the meantime, we were escorted to a waiting room. Though it was smaller than the ones in Merliscire palace, it was decorated nicely with simple but comfortable furniture, some oil paintings, and vases of mountain wildflowers. Their light scent filled the air and was a welcome change after all we’d been through lately in the woods.
Kane, Silas, and | exchanged glances with one another. | couldn’t say anything private to them with Darwin present, but they seemed to pick up on my silent request to stay on their best behavior. They nodded their heads at me obediently.
Once we were seated, Darwin cleared his throat.
Your Majesty, might | inquire about your intentions?” he wondered and he raised a dark eyebrow. “The Alpha King has never graced us with a visit, so we are greatly flattered to have you. Yet.. | suppose there is something you want from us?”
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.
| was a little taken aback by the abruptness of his question but | didn’t want to dance around my point. | knew it would be more respectful to go about this with utter honesty, so | raised my chin and answered.
“I'll be frank with you, Darwin,” | replied seriously. “There’s an impending threat on the horizon, and The hand of the Alpha studied me for a moment and then nodded as if to urge me to continue.
So, | told him everything that we were facing, though more concisely so | wouldn’t overwhelm him with i simply explained that Oliver Moses was trying to overthrow my rule and that the King of Yurene was plannin war against Wegalla. We were here to ensure support from Sky Pride and request their allegiance.
Darwin listened intently and didn’t seem surprised at all by anything | said. He waited for me to finish and then offered m another polite nod.
“This does indeed sound quite serious,” he remarked, but then he shifted his tone. “However... though | can see your difficulties in the matter, Your Majesty, | don’t see what any of this has to do with our Pack. No matter who rules over Wegalla, Sky Pride will remain the same.”
Suddenly, Silas uttered a growl. “Have you forgotten your vows to the king of Wegalla?”
Darwin smiled. “I assure you that we will never forget our oaths. But | must remind you that the vow was made to the king of Wegalla, not to a singular man. It doesn’t matter to us who wears the crown.”
He then turned his attention to me. “Your Majesty, | want to be honest. | see little possibility that you could win. The old Beta Oliver has solid support from both councilors in Anemond and wealthier Packs such as the Moon Gem. Not to mention that many Packs in Wegalla still harbor ill feelings after your treatment toward the country’s traitors... the Felix family.”
My nostrils flared at the mention of the Felixes.
“You made quite a fuss after the death of the traitor’s daughter,” Darwin continued. “It has not been forgotten that you demanded the Packs to assist you with finding a ghost.”
Anger flooded through me and | was mere moments away from losing my temper at such an accusation, but | managed to stay calm.
“The Felix family weren't traitors,” | answered with little hesitation. “And my mate didn’t die. | can prove it to you and all of Wegalla once this is done. Until then, | can offer an apology for my behavior five years ago-”
Darwin smirked. “That’s all well and good but there’s no need. Forgive me, but | don’t see why Sky Pride should risk our soldiers’ lives to help you. If that’s your only intention for your visit, Your Majesty, you'd better leave before others catch wind of this proposal.”
His last sentence was so rude that Silas sprang up from his seat. His golden eyes flashed, and he was about to lunge toward Darwin, but | managed to stop him in time. | shot him a look of warning, but before | could say a word, a deep voice traveled in from the corridor.
“Darwin, you shouldn't be so rude to our guests.”
Upon hearing the voice, the hand of the Alpha’s eyes widened and he sprang up from his seat and bowed in the direction of the corridor.
Chapter 255 ASHER
By Darwin’s reaction, | knew at once that the voice belonged to the Alpha of Sky Pride. | shifted in my seat and turned around to face him. When | did, | was surprised by his
appearance. He was
quite tall, with dark skin, gray hair, and beard, and a large belly. His brown eyes crinkled at the corners and when he smiled, | was impressed by the whiteness of his teeth.
He walked into the room with the support of a young woman. They both appeared ill, though they wore it differently. The young woman was beautiful, with long, thick curly dark hair, and pretty hazel eyes, but her frame was incredibly thin. A small wind could easily have blown her away.
The Alpha himself appeared to have difficulty breathing. Once he reached us, he opened his mouth to speak but began to cough before he could utter a word.
Darwin rushed over to support him on the other side. He smiled at the young woman, and she lowered her head to avoid his gaze.
They helped the Alpha sit down, and once he was seated, he raised his eyes to meet mine and then smiled broadly.
“Forgive me for my tar dines s, Your Majesty,” he said kindly. “My name is Arthur Harvey, | am the Alpha of the Sky Pride Pack. Welcome to my home.”
“The pleasure is all mine,” | replied with a small smile of my own and then | introduced the rest of my group.
Arthur offered a round of nods and smiles, but when he caught sight of Roxy, he frowned in confusion. To his credit, the dark- haired sorceress had been tied up with a robe and was standing beside a soldier of the Myriad. It was a strange sight to be certain, but | tried to explain it simply.
“She is a captured spy of Yurene,” | stated. “Pay her no mind.”
The Alpha did not comment and instead turned back to me. “I’m happy to have you here, Your Majesty. Please pardon Darwin’s lousy attitude. That is not how | like to conduct my business, especially in front of guests.”
“It's no trouble at all,” | assured him. | began to explain again why we were here, but the Alpha raised his hand to stop me. “| heard everything from the corridor,” he explained. “And while | appreciate and
admire your dedication, Your Majesty, I’m not certain this is a request | can honor.”
“What can | do to sweeten the deal?” | blurted out, and then | calmed myself. “I can offer you substantial coins and land as a reward-”
Arthur cut me off with a laugh and shook his head. “I’m not interested in useless promises such as these. If you were to fail, these rewards would never reach my doorstep and | would suffer the loss of my soldiers for no reason. | need more incentive than that, Your Majesty.”
| fell silent for a moment and then spoke. “If not coins or land, what would you like in return then?” Arthur didn’t answer directly. Instead, he shifted his position and glanced at the young woman beside him.
“This is my only daughter, Kiara Harvey,” he introduced her to us. “My wife died in childbirth and Kiara nearly died as well. As you can see, she is too physically weak to take the crown as the next Alpha, so she’s in need of a good husband.”
| stared at him in confusion as | tried to make sense of his words.
“Do you need me to find your daughter a husband?” | wondered, and then | frowned. “Though I’m surprised to hear that you’d need my assistance. Doesn’t Sky Pride have plenty of young and strong soldiers who could be eligible matches?”
Arthur laughed heartily and then smirked. Beside him, Kiara’s eyes widened in embarrassment.
“You're right,” he remarked. “Sky Pride has plenty of good fighters, but that’s not what | need. | want a young man who knows business better than fighting, someone who treasures wisdom better than brutality, and most importantly... someone who could win my daughter’s heart. My people are simple-minded, Your Majesty, myself included. Most don’t know how to run a Pack nor how to please my dear daughter.”
Silas, Kane, and | exchanged glances and then | spoke. “| would be more than willing to help find the right son-in-law once everything is sorted out-” Arthur held his hand up. “This must be sorted out first. Otherwise, I’m unable to offer any support to you.”
As unease swirled in my belly, | glanced over at Kiara. The girl was completely silent. She didn’t seem to object to her father’s decision, nor did she seem content with it.
Darwin, on the other hand, wore a sullen expression. His eyes were fixed downward and
his lips drew into a thin line.
| attempted to assess the situation. Perhaps the hand of the Alpha wasn’t too pleased by what his leader proposed. These terms were unusual, after all, and we all seemed perplexed by the idea.
| was hesitant to respond. If | was in Anemond, | might have looked through the councilors and their heirs and selected a nice gentleman who seemed best suited for the job. But this was impossible to do now that | was so far from the palace. And the Myriad... how was | supposed to know which soldier was smart and which wasn’t?
L Atest? A competition? Some sort of questionnaire that determined their identities. outside of the orm?”
The clock was ticking. How could | waste time on this while Oliver and Kaleb were taking such action against the country? Their strength was likely growing by the day. If | didn’t act soon, Wegalla could crumble and fall to its demise.
All of a sudden, Roxy barked out a laugh. All turned to face her with surprised glances, and then, she spoke.
“There seems to be the perfect pick for Alpha Arthur’s lovely daughter,” the sorceress remarked with a cruel, mocking grin on her face. She fixed her teal eyes on Silas, and everyone followed the direction of her gaze.
Silas’ cheeks flushed scarlet.
“Who better to wed the young woman than the Alpha King’s Beta, the heir to the Moses family,” Roxy suggested with a dark, raised eyebrow. “As far as I’m aware, Beta Silas is still single, and he would be more than willing to support his Alpha in whatever capacity he needs. He is exceptionally loyal, after all. I’m sure he would be quite pleased to offer your daughter his hand in marriage. Isn’t that right, Silas?”
She took care to emphasize the word “loyalty”, and when she did, Silas glared at her. It seemed as if there was some kind of issue between them, one that had arisen before in camp.
| wasn’t sure what to say. Since he already had a mate back in Anemond, Silas wasn’t exactly available for such matters, but before | could breathe a word, Alpha Arthur’s brown eyes
lit up and his lips curled into a warm grin “Is that true?” he asked me directly, and then he glanced over at Silas.