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âThis is an unexpected surprise, your Majesty.â Alpha Axel of the Blood Fang pack greeted us in his home. âAnd I see youâve brought your warriors with you. Are you expecting trouble?â He invited me to sit, and I ordered my guards and Lord Grayson to wait outside.
âWell, couldnât have been so unexpected seeing as my secretary did notify you of my arrival. And as far as trouble is concerned, it has a habit of turning up.â I smirked at him, and he acknowledged my words with a chuckle.
âCouldnât agree with you more, your Majesty. Let me order us some refreshments.â He was about to link. someone, but I stopped him.
âNo need for that Alpha Axel. My business here with you is short.â I glanced around the room; it wasnât lavish but comfortably furnished. He doesnât seem to squander his funds on frivolous things. âI hear you are forming an alliance with other packs, Alpha Axel. And I want to know why.â
Alpha Axel was an imposing man, large in stature. Women would find him attractive, I supposed, with his chiseled features and blazing eyes. But I would feed his pretty face to the pigs if I had an inkling of a suspicion that he was working to usurp me.
He raised his brows. âYour Majesty was never one to mince words. Iâve heard that you have become a money- grabbing, narcissistic asshole, ensuring our kind work themselves to death to keep up your hedonistic lifestyle,â he added a chuckle. âAny truth to that?â
âHe is eager to die.â Rage barked, his hackles raised, âSack his entire pack and letâs return to our mate.â
I had no desire to start a war. Not yet anyway.
âWho told you these lies, Axel?â I examined my fingernails, feigning calm. When I looked up, he went over to his desk, opened a drawer and pulled out a ledger. He threw it down at my feet.
âProof. I have had an influx of wolves asking for refuge, because they had nothing left. Their crops were destroyed because they couldnât pay the kingâs taxes.â The disdain he felt for me was written over his face.
I picked up the ledger and perused the names. There were about a four dozen of them but all from different packs to the west, the coastal lands.
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âAnd to top it off, you take an Omega to be your queen. But you know what, Amaris, we welcome it, because it just shows us how weak you are,â
âCareful, Axel.â I was getting tired of his arrogant, self-important prancing about. âI could take your head for
treason.â
âYou could but you wonât.â
Hlaughed at his insolence. âYouâre so sure of yourself, Alpha. I want to speak to these people myself. Now.â
âYour Majestyâ Lord Grayson called over our link, âWe are surrounded by an angry mob. What are your orders,
Sire.â
âStand your ground. Do not attack.
I turned to Alpha Axel and despite the palpable animosity wafting off him towards me, I felt calm. âShall we? It seems trouble has found us.â
They were indeed an angry mob of wolves, hurling insults and rotten vegetable at my men. Fortunately for them, my warriors held their composure.
âEnough!â I yelled at them of my Alpha powers.
with the full fo
A heavy silence descended on the scene. Those who didnât fall to their knees, stood with bowed heads.
âAre you wolves or are you a bunch of miscreants? Behave orderly! Who are the elders among you lot? Stand up!â
Two older wolves came to the front with their eyes averted. I glanced at Alpha Axel who stood next to me, arms folded over his chest. I didnât trust him one bit, the arrogant pr ick that he was. He could have orchestrated these packsâ destruction to turn them against me. My instinct rarely led me wrong.
âSire, I am Elder John from the former Silver Hide pack. Your warriors came to collect your taxes and when our Alpha Rake couldnât give them enough gold, they took our sons as payment.â
âYour sons?â I was taken aback, to say the least.
âAs if you didnât know, your Majesty!â An angry woman screamed out from the crowd. âWhen we resisted, they
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killed our Alpha and burnt down our houses.â
âYeah, the same happened at our pack.â Another angry man shouted out. âThey raped and killed our women, took our daughters. When we got back from the hunt, everything was gone. Our Alpha and Luna slayed.â
âBut who said it was in the name of the king, in my name?â Who dared to use my name to commit these
atrocities?
âThey left some survivors, your Majesty.â Elder John spoke up. âThey told us that King Amaris Black would take his pound of flesh, if not in gold, then in sl av es to work in your mines.â
A guttural growl ripped from my throat. Rage pushed through my boundaries. âI would never give such orders.â I turned to Alpha Axel. âBy my blood, I will bring those who used my name to justice.â And in a low voice I told him, âYouâd better not have anything to do with this, Axel. You should have come directly to me with this, but instead you spread malicious rumors and prejudice about me.â I looked at Lord Grayson. âArrest Alpha Axel.â
âRight away, Sire.â He nodded to the warriors who grabbed the growling Alpha.
âYou canât do this!â He resisted, but my warriors were strong and had him restrained with silver chains in
seconds.
âOh, but I can. You will state your case to the council. Where is the Luna?â
A tiny blonde woman ran out of the packhouse towards us. She was far advanced in her pregnancy. âNo, you canât take him away.â She fell to her knees before me. âPlease, your Majesty, Axel has shown these poor wolves mercy, taken them into our pack when they had nothing. He
âHe will be investigated, Luna. I am not unjust. You may come with us.â I helped her to her feet. âAlpha Axel, link your Beta to take control of your pack in your absence.â I had a firm grip on the Lunaâs arm. I spoke to Axel so only he could hear me. âAlso inform him that if your pack tried to attack us, I will rip your pretty Lunaâs head right off her shoulders. Am I clear?â
âYes!â he snarled at me.
His Luna shook like the autumn breeze in my grip. I would never hurt her, but they neednât know that.
We left the Blood Fang pack, leaving behind enraged pack members, some of them who had shifted into their wolves, but dare not follow or attack us as we sped out of their territory. One down, how many to go⦠That remains to be seen.
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