I sighed in disbelif as I watched the dim lights flickered against the cold stone walls of the pack house, its lights casted jagged shadows over the number of few of my trusted warriors.
I sat at the throne that is made especially fo me, my silver crown heavy on my head and my piercing eyes scanned the room ensuring that it was full of pure dominance. The air was thick with tension, the scent of sweat and iron lingering making me annoyed.
My gaze turned to my warriors, I managed to meet their eyes and a smirk escaped my lips when I saw fear flickered in them.
"Find her!"
I ordered, my voice as sharp as a blade.
"I want her alive."
The warriors exchanged uneasy glances, but no one dared to question me.
I don't need to tell them who it was I wanted for them to find.
They know...
"Alpha."
One of the men, Lycarus, finally spoke, stepping forward.
"You rejected her. Publicly. Harshly. Why do you want her back now?"
My lip curled into a sneer.
"Because she is still useful to me."
"She's wolfless."
Another warrior muttered, shaking his head.
"She's of no value to the pack, Alpha Alaric. You said it yourself the night you rejected her and threw her away like a used toy."
I slammed my fist against the table, the impact of my voice reverberated through the room.
"You think I care about that? I don't need her as a mate, I need leverage. And Foxy is exactly that."
Silence fell over the room. No one dared to meet my gaze.
"She trusted me once."
I continued, my tone turning almost mocking.
"Stupid girl. She thought love would be enough. But love doesn't win wars. Strength does."
A cruel smirk tugged at my lips.
"She's probably running, hiding like the scared little thing she is. But she won't get far."
Lycarus shifted uncomfortably.
It's only been a few days since Brielle Fox dissappeared. Who would have thought that she would actually leave just a few hours after the night I rejected her?
I never want her, I don't feel the pull of connection of the mate bond with her, I don't even know where my now dead father even get the idea of me marrying someone like Brielle Fox.
Ever since we were kids, I always think of her as nothing but a weak little girl and the only reason why she still had a long standing in this pack only because she was the only daughter of Alpha Walden Fox.
And that's the reason I want her back. Not to become my bride again, I needed her because of her blood, her lineage.
My fists clenched at the thought before giving the warriors an order once more.
"I need her back. Find her."
I said greeting my teeth.
"And when we find her?"
Lycarus asked.
I leaned forward, my eyes glinting with satisfaction.
"Bring her to me unharmed. I want her to know exactly who holds her fate in their hands."
The warriors nodded, their expressions unreadable.
One by one, they filed out of the pack house, my lips once again curled with a sneer.
My warriors mission was clear.
As the heavy doors shut, I exhaled slowly as I leaned forward. My eyes shifted into the empty room as a cruel satisfaction settled in my chest.
"Oh, Foxy..."
I murmured to myself, my voice a whisper in the dimly lit room.
"How could a powerless, weakling and wolfless like yourself still hold a power to this pack? You maybe gone yet the pack I now rule won't trully be mine without you by my side. How can your dead Alpha father leave you with such power?
You should have known, you are nothing but a tool for me."
I speak to myself, loud and clear. My teeth once again greeted with anger.
How can my own pack won't respect me as their new Alpha? I killed my own father just to be in power and this is all I get.
Hearing the people of this pack call for her, and almost all the counsil members just can't get off my back telling me that rejecting Foxy was a huge mistake.
Like my father, they think Foxy holds more power to rule Shadow Walker Pack dispite being wolfless and weak.
"I need her back..."
It was the middle of the night when I gasped awake, my heart pounding against my chest, so hard its almost hard to breath.
The scent of blood still lingered in my mind, the echoes of Alpha Aric's last and desperate cry reverberating in my ears.
I could still see it, the fast poisoned arrow closing in, the whistling sound it made, the glint of its steel, and the sheer helplessness in his eyes.
I closed my eyes shut, hoping that by doing so, I could somehow forget.
"No..."
I whispered to myself as I gripped the blankets tightly.
"It was just a dream."
I reminded myself as I closed my eyes shut. But no matter how I try, the image of Alpha Aric's lifeless body refused to fade. It lingered in my head like a traumatizing event I couldn't find a way to forget.
The walls in my room suddenly felt too tight, the air too thick its almost hard to breathe.
I felt the need to get out, the need to shake off the nightmare's grip before it consumed me entirely.
I slipped in my bed and threw on my roab, its silky cloth felt like water in my skin.
I let out a heavy sigh as I tied my long and black hair into a bun and I padded silently to the door, careful not to wake the others.
The castle halls were silent, save for the distant sound of heavy wind gushing through the widely open windows.
I exhaled sharply, only to be greeted by a faint scent of power mixed with the faint musk of the wolves that resided within these walls.
It wasn't long before I continued walking, my bare feet made no sound as I slipped past the sleeping guards and out into the night.
As I stepped out of the castle, the cold night air instantly bit on my skin, but then I welcomed it. I slowly stepped onto the stone pathway leading to the outer walls, my breath coming in steady puffs.
For a moment, I simply stood there, gazing out at the dark expanse of the forest. It was comforting, in a way, the steady rustling of leaves, the hoot of an owl somewhere in the distance.
But even in this tranquility, unease settled in my bones.
I exhaled sharply, hoping that the cold air and the smell of pine tress was enough to calm down my senses.
"Couldn't sleep?"
I almost jump when I suddenly heared a deep familiar voice from behind my back, my body snaped into a defensive stance as a figure emerged from the shadows but it was automaticall replaced with content. My heart thudded painfully against my cheat as I saw King Marcus.
His piercing golden eyes studying me again intently. He leaned against the stone wall, arms crossed, his usual serious expression caught my attention.
"I-"
I hesitated, I managed to meet his gaze for a few seconds before looking away.
"I was awakened. I had a dream..."
I paused then shook my head.
"No... It was a nightmare..."
I corrected. King Marcus tilted his head.
"Must've been some dream to get you sneaking out of the castle in the dead of night."
I sighed, and rubbled my arms for warmth.
"I saw him... The Alpha. A-Alpha Aric, I saw him die."
I confessed.
His expression darkened.
"What do you mean?"
"It wasn't just a dream, a nightmare, I was there that night, I saw how the arrow appered form nowhere, I saw how it struck on his chest, I saw how strong and quick the poisoned arrow worked, I-I heard his last breath..."
My voice wavered, and I hated herself for it.
"I saw how his lifeless body crumbbled to the ground, and I saw how our people, Alaric did nothing to-"
I let out a heavy sigh before finally looking back at him.
"And what happened that night, it's haunting me... It wasn't just a dream, it felt so real... Like its happening again..."
King Marcus's golden eyes never left mine, as if he were searching for something in my words.
"Your old pack, the Shadow Walker Pack was still under my territory, Foxy... I knew what happened to Alpha Aric, he's been murdered."
He said, his face still expressionless.
I shivered, though I knew it was not from the cold.
"Yes, m-murdered... The arrow came from nowhere, I know it is wrong to hold someone liable behind Alpha Aric's death. I just… I just think it's his own son... Alaric Barlowe, my mat- ex mate..."
I said, my voice barely above a whisper, I wasn't even sure if he heared it.
King Marcus pushed off the wall and took a step closer. My breath hitched as I watched him remove his coat and without a word, he placed it on my shoulder.
I inhaled sharply, feeling the suddedn warmth.
"Then we will figure it out. Together."
He finally spoke.
I blinked at him.
"Y-You believe me?"
"I believe something's got you rattled."
He admitted.
"And I know better than to ignore a gut feeling. If there's even the slightest chance your acusation against Alaric is something-"
He lowered his voice, glancing toward the castle.
"Then we need to be ready."
I swallowed hard.
The nightmare had left me feeling lost, adrift in the unknown. But standing here, under the watchful gaze of the moon, with King Marcus beside me, I felt safe, its almost as if I found an anchor.
"It's late and it's getting colder, you should get back to bed."
He said, almost an order.
"W-what about you?"
I absentmindedly asked.
I immediately looked away when our eyes met.
"I'm not tired. You should go, rest. Your training resumes tomorrow."
He reminded making me smile.
"Training... How fascinating... My own pack, the only place where I grew up to, the only place I've known the warmth of my parents, threw me away like I was nothing more than a rotten piece of meat, the only pack I know that made my misfortune a laughing stock the night I didn't shift and the night Alpha Alaric rejected me as his mate, as his Luna...
I never once thought I will find myself here, in your kingdom... I was so lost when you found me in the middle of the forest that night, I didn't know where to go..."
I confessed as I hugged myself, I forced a bitter smilex when King Marcus remained silent for a second before he spoke.
"What made you think you can just go live with the humans?"
He asked, my nose wrinkled as I shook my head.
"To be honest I didn't know too, I just thought their world is where I belong... I can't be in another pack nor I can't be a lone wolf because..."
I chuckled making my situation a joke.
"Well, because I didn't have my wolf..."
I continued, this time, King Marcus let out a sigh.
"You will have your wolf. One day soon, you will be able to shift, you just have to trust yourself."
"I hope... Because I can't be just me, I can't just be the weak Brielle Fox who can't figure out her place in this world. I can't be just the Brielle Fox her mate rejected.
I can't have another mate... I don't think I can still stand another rejection."
I said, my voice full of doubt.
And few moments later, my heart pounded again, this time even harder when King Marcus walked even closer.
His pressence was suffocating.
Then I felt a huge lump in my throat making me unabale to say a single word when he spoke again.
"I won't reject you, Brielle Fox. The offer still stands, you can be my queen."