Chapter 15
AMARIS
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âYour Majesty, shouldnât we postpone the wedding?â Elder Mattias suggested after Beta Ross gave an update of the latest revolt between the packs about my Omega Queen. âSurely this would be the wiseâ¦â
âNo, the wedding will go on as planned.â I tried hard to hold onto my patience. âDo we not have enough security?â No one will dare to cause trouble on my territory.
Elder Jonas wrung his sinewy hands and looked pained. âI beg you, Sire. I know you have your choosing the Omega she-wolf, but you can always have her on the side. Choose another queen.â
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âAre y
you tired of living, Elder Jonas?â My hands shook as I gripped the edge of the conference table. How dare they! âIâve had enough! She is my mate. Do you get that? There will not be another queen!â
The elders and the rest of the council gaped at me in shock. I didnât want to disclose that bit of information to them, because I knew what their reaction would be. Silence filled the room.
âWe are doomed.â Elder Mattias was the first to break it. He sagged into his chair.
That was the last straw for me. I stood, banging my hands on the table as I leant forward.
âYou have no faith in my rule! Have I not brought peace to the kingdom? Have I not kept all of our people safe from human hunters? Have I not signed treaties with the other supernatural realms ensuring the peace?â | stalked around the table; my Alpha power made them cower in fear. âDo I need to select another council?â
My general at arms Lord Grayson held up his hands. âPlease calm yourself, your Majesty. Let Elder Mattias explain himself.â
I valued Lord Grayson. Of all my council members, he was the one that always had my back. I stepped away from them to grab a glass of water, downing it I wished it was something stronger.
âExplain then.â I folded my arms across my chest, waiting for Elder Mattias to speak up.
Slowly he lifted bleary blue eyes to meet my glare. âI do not need to tell your Majesty that the bloodline of the king needs to come from a strong she-wolf of Alpha blood or at best, a Beta or Ga mma.â
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âAnd
who made these rules, Elder Mattias?â I rounded on the old man.
He swallowed hard and sweat pearled on his forehead. âIt is the tradition, your Majesty, an unspoken rule.â
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âTradition my a ss! Who says my offspring wouldnât be strong enough?â I roared into his face. âSo, you want to tell me that tradition is above our beliefs that the Moon Goddess in her wisdom chooses whom we shall have as
our soulmate? You would challenge that?â
Elder Jonas said in a small voice, âItâs not that we do not believe in the Moon Goddess, Sire. But you are the
kingâ¦â
âExactly!â I exploded. âAnd I shall not take any other she-wolf than my true mate!â
âBut for the sake of the kingdom, your Majesty, to keep the peace, we beseech youâ¦â Elder Mattias caught my
arm.
âTo hell with the peace. The packs wouldnât dare defy me.â I shoved his hand away. âI will make my own rules.â
âWe need our mate.â Rage howled in my head. âBefore I rip their throats out!â
Lord Grayson stood up and confronted me. âSire, I understand, you are blinded by the mate bond. But you need to understand, you have a duty to your kingdom and the packs,â
My mouth fell open at his words. âWhen have I ever not done my duty, Lord Grayson?â This, coming from a man whom I loved as much as my own father.
He bowed his head in submission like he should. âOf course, you have always done the right thing. Please listen to us, Sire. The king needs a strong queen, not some scared little girl to be his right hand, the mother of our kingdom.â
I hardly contained my anger. My body shook with it. âYou are overstepping, Lord Grayson. Do not think my respect for you will keep me from killing you.â I kept my voice low. âNone of you know her. You are judging her without so much as giving her a fair chance.â
âYou are strengthening your brotherâs position!â Beta Ross slapped his hands on the table, âFor f uckâs sake, Amaris! His mate is pregnant, and she is from a strong bloodline.â If it wasnât for the fact that Ross and I have been friends since childhood I would have him executed for speaking to me in such a way. A shocked murmur went up from the rest of the council,
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I took a deep breath to try and calm my wolf down, his hackles were raised, and he was ready to explode into
action. âOut! All of you!â
They didnât need further invitation. They hurried out of the room. All except Ross.
I waited until I was sure they were well out of earshot.
âNever speak to me like that again in front of my subjects. Do you hear me?â I wiped the spittle from my lips. He has no idea how close I came to wiping the floor with him.
âAmaris, Iâm sorry, but you know theyâre right.â His tone was calmer than seconds ago, and he kept his eyes averted, hands clasped behind his back.
Every muscle in my body tensed up as I circled him. âNo, Ross, I refuse to be guilted into taking someone I donât love. Would you give Cara up?â Cara was his soulmate, and I knew he would kill to keep her.
He shook his head. âBut this is different.â
âHow is it different? I am a man.â I stopped in front of him. He kept looking down at his black boots.
âYou are a king first.â He looked up at me and I hated the pity in his grey eyes.
I shook my head in disbelief. âYou of all people I thought would understand.â
He sighed. âI do, Amaris. You are my friend and I support you as a friend, but as your Beta I have to put the needs of the kingdom first.â
âI have a task for you. Actually, itâs an order.â I waited for him to respond. âThis is for the good of the kingdom as well as mine.â
He bowed low. âOf course, your Majesty. I am at your service.â No matter what I knew I could count on him to follow my orders.
âYou will instruct Raine in her duties as queen. You will teach her everything she needs to know.â
âAmaris, even if I do that, I canât teach her to be a leader if she isnât one. Leaders are born, not made.â He was back to being my friend, second-guessing my every move.
I smirked at him. âAs my friend I appreciate your opinion. But as my Beta, you will do as I say, or suffer the
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consequences. She has strength, Ross. You will see it.â
âOf course, your Majesty.â He bowed again and I left him there to go and look for Raine.
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There was an uneasy feeling in the pit of my stomach, call it paranoia, but something was wrong. I hurried up the stairs towards the west wing where Iâd left my mate.
I
The salon was empty. I went to our bedroom. No one was there. Following her scent, I happened to find Rona in
our kitchen, preparing lunch.
âYour Majesty.â She bobbed a curtsy when she saw me. âLunch is almost ready.â
âWhere is Raine?â Food was the last thing on my mind. I wanted to find my mate. The uneasy feeling was getting
worse.
âI donât know, your Majesty. Isnât she in your rooms?â She looked puzzled, frowning slightly.
âWould I ask if she was there?â I snapped at the girl for asking me such a stu pid question. Without waiting for an answer, I left.
Her scent led me down the corridor to the east side of the castle. Maybe she was lost, and it made me feel guilty because I should have tasked one of the ser vants to accompany her at all times.
âRaine!â I shouted as I ran down the long hallway.
A figure came careening towards me out of the gloom and I grabbed her.
âOh! Amarisâ¦â She was ghostly pale, her pulse raced like crazy. Something had spooked her.
âRaine, Iâve been looking everywhere for you.â Relief at having found her me . âWhy do you have my brotherâs scent all over you?!â
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