Chapter 21

It was a few days later, her and Marc had grown more intimate but she wasn’t quite ready for him to mark her. She was enjoying having her wolf, even though she was still getting used to the primal thoughts that seemed to pop up. Her wolf didn’t seem to quite understand that Klara was in charge of her skin body and would regularly pipe up in conversation.

Klara took a deep breath as soon as she got onto the balcony. It had just stopped raining and she loved the sweet-smelling aroma, the water droplets made the trees look covered in thousands of jewels with the sun appearing behind the last of the clouds. She hummed and leant to rest her chin on the stone railing.

A flash of white brought Klara’s attention to between the trunks, she scanned wondering if she imagined it. She gulped and ducked as the head of a black and grey wolf appeared just at the edge of the treeline, she knew that head. She ran.

She scrambled through the bedroom skidding on the rug but managed to regain her footing. She sped her way down the corridor and then the stairs before she realised she had no idea where Marc would be. She saw the red-haired female at the desk. “Er… Marc! W-Where’s Marc?” she asked, trying to keep the panic from her voice.

“His office, My Queen,” she said, and she pointed to her right, Klara’s left. Klara sprinted and when she was halfway down the corridor a double door opened towards the end. “What’s the matter?” he asked as she made it to him as quick as her legs could carry her.

“Dad!” she shouted as she flew into him, gripping onto him like a koala. “He’s here!” Marc blanched.

Marc’s thoughts went ten to the dozen thinking of what he needed and what he should do. “He’s not going to get to you.” He picked her up properly as her legs were clamped around his thighs. “Klara, you’re going to stay here, two guards will be outside the door.” He quickly mind linked two of his best. Marc carried her to his desk chair, all the while battling her fear to the back of his mind. “You’re going to sit here,” he started untangling her limbs from his body.

“Wade, shall we see if the kingdom-wide link works?” Wade nodded stiffly.

“I’ve linked the patrol.”

Marc muttered a thanks as he gave Klara a swift kiss on her forehead before getting to Wade. Wade put his hand on Marc’s shoulder, “Ready?” Both males took a breath before opening their channels, their eyes glazing, pushing to every wolf in the Kingdom, “Intruder in Royal pack lands. Ensure he does not get to Silversmith land.” They closed the link and both swayed a little with the strength needed for the link. “Think it worked?” Wade asked, but as the last syllable came from his mouth, howls echoed around them, some sounded within their own pack but others were faint. “I think it might have, thanks.” Marc clapped Wade on the shoulder.

Marc turned back to Klara. “Where did you see him?”

“At the trees where you run in the morning, I’m not sure if he saw me.” She was beginning to calm down with how seriously Marc looked like he was taking it. “Wolf colouring?”

“Black and grey, white stripe down his side.”

“We’ll find him, stay here he won’t be able to get to you here,” she nodded.

Marc and Wade swiftly left the King’s Wing, ‘We have a scent,’ Jesse’s voice crackled into Marc’s mind.

‘Follow it,’ he ordered back, knowing they would already be doing so. Both males reached the back of the palace, striding along the wet grass. ‘I can smell another wolf, stay alert,’ Wade said in his head. Marc had smelt it too, he scanned the tree line but couldn’t see anything. ‘The smell’s too strong for them to have left.’

‘Follow my lead.’ Marc broke their link. “They must be long gone,” he spoke, he was certain there were wolves just outside of his eyeline. “We should check down there, my King.” Wade gestured further up the wood, they walked down the grass, slipping into the trees. Without making a sound they backtracked.

As they silently walked along the damp ground both were linking warriors and guards their position when they saw figures looking around the trees towards the palace, all were in human form and Marc counted six. ‘Do you think they’ll be more?’

‘I’d have thought so, somewhere, the Alpha wouldn’t come with six.’

‘Seven,’ Wade counteracted, ‘One more behind that tree, behind the others.’ Marc looked and Wade was right. ‘Why are they in skin form?’ Wade asked as they stopped to not draw attention to themselves. ‘Pass-’ he was going to continue when the link of ten came in at the same time

‘Here.’

Then another link, ‘We’ve got them surrounded.’

‘On my mark.’ Marc was surprised the males that were now surrounded hadn’t moved.

‘INTRUDER IN THE KING’S WING.’ Panic jolted through him and he knew it wasn’t only his own. Marc pushed his link to any wolf nearby. ‘My wing immediately, your Queen’s in danger.’ Then directed it to the wolves about to attack ‘NOW!’ He watched for a second to see ten of his own wolves dive on the seven before turning and sprinting back towards the palace, Wade on his heels.

They made it back to the wing, to see both the guards dead. They turned to see a large male with chestnut hair that Marc didn’t know being restrained by five, including Rose. “I know she’s here!” he sneered, thrashing trying to break free. Someone sprinted in behind Marc with a mutter of, “My King.” Before scarpering towards the throng, handcuffs clutched in his gloved hand. Marc followed and waited for the handcuffs to be attached. “Your daughter is here, but you will never see her.”

“I knew it! Let me go! I’ll take her home to her mate.” Marc’s jaw tightened.

“You trespassed.” The man Marc was assuming was Alpha Silversmith tried to stand only to be held to keep him on his knees. “You kneel to the King,” one of them snapped.

“He’s not my King.”

“Silversmith, shut up.” Marc ordered, “You were foolish to come onto my lands.”

“You wouldn’t give me permission! I needed to find my daughter, my pack needs a new Alpha!” a small level of panic entered his voice. “She’s sick she needs to pass on her Alpha status!” Marc smirked looking up, “She doesn’t look sick to me,” he stated smugly looking at his mate, her eyes electric of her wolf.

“Come here, darling.” He held out his hand as those holding Alpha Silversmith dragged him out of the way for her to easily get passed. “Klara! I missed you!” Alpha Silversmith exclaimed, his tone almost passable for a concerned father.

“Yes, missed beating us, missed watching us be raped, missed poisoning us,” the gravelly voice of her wolf hissed as she clasped Marc’s hand. Some eyes went wide of the guards and warriors that were around. Marc hadn’t disclosed Klara’s abuse, naturally. “Nonsense child, your mate’s waiting for you, he’s been going frantic without you by his side,” he convinced, his eyebrows furrowed in concern.

“You would take your daughter from her true mate?” Wade’s voice cut through, Marc had almost forgotten he was there.

“Mates are mates, the male chooses the mate. I chose my daughter’s so our pack will have a strong Alpha,” Silversmith replied, snapping at the Royal Beta.

“I am Alpha!” Klara’s wolf roared. “And the King is my mate. I’m not leaving, neither are you,” she sneered. Marc felt rage to the point of murder, knowing it wasn’t his own he gripped Klara strongly around the waist. “He’ll go to the cells, he’ll stand trial,” Marc muttered to her. “Take him away!” he ordered to the guards.

Klara snarled and pushed against Marc’s grip. “NO! You will not move!” she commanded and the guards froze as if a spell descended upon them. “You will release me!” she ordered to Marc who felt an overwhelming urge to comply. His limbs weakened, his mind telling him it was the right thing to do to release her before the Royal Wolf surged and his grip tightened. Marc found himself in a battle of wills as an Alpha command strengthened within him as if Klara’s will permeated him, a force to comply he had only felt through his father before. “Klara, stop!” Marc demanded, struggling with his resolve, he forced himself to hold her tighter while she struggled against him.

Alpha Silversmith began to laugh, “What a weak King. You call this wolf your King?” Klara’s canines extended, as did her claws. “Hold your tongue!” Klara bellowed, “You are weak! But I am not!” Every wolf in the room was battling against Klara’s will, her fury and strength rippling to all. Wade forced himself forward and knelt before her. “My Queen, you are not weak, no-one believes you’re weak. You have more strength than your father. Alpha… your father will pay but you do not wish blood on your own hands. You are an Alpha, Klara. Please remember the responsibilities of that.”

While Wade was addressing Klara, Marc managed to shake her command over him and as soon as he’d finished spun her and forced her face into his neck. “NO!” she struggled and sunk her teeth into his neck.