Chapter 11

OLIVE

~A decade. That’s how long it’s been since I joined the Royal Army. I’ve seen things, done things, things that would make your skin crawl. All in the name of my king and crown.~

~My hands, they’ve spilled blood, taken lives. Innocent lives.~

~And now, I’m about to commit the most horrific act yet, ordered by my king. To sever ties with my past, just like he did.~

~To unleash my true potential, without any restraints.~

~In one hand, I hold my mother by her throat. In the other, green flames dance.~

~My mother clings to my wrist, choking, pleading for her life, for me to stop. She tells me she loves me, that she forgives me.~

~But there’s no trace of her daughter left in me. Years of rigid army conditioning have wiped away all the joy and happiness from my past.~

~I feel no guilt for my actions. In fact, I sleep peacefully at night. It’s liberating, not caring about what others think of me.~

~The eyes that meet hers aren’t the warm chestnut ones of her daughter. They’re the eyes of death: devoid of emotion, cold, even as they blaze with fire.~

~I channel my fire abilities, guiding the hungry flames towards her like a creeping snake.~

~She whimpers in my grip as the snakehead splits into two, inching closer before the flames sear into my mother’s eyes.~

~She screams, her body convulsing, but slowly, she stops fighting. The trembling subsides, then stops altogether.~

~Her body goes limp in my hand, the weight of her lifeless form becoming more noticeable.~

~Her jaw hangs open, her once warm and loving chestnut eyes—so much like mine—now nothing more than charred sockets.~

~With my mission accomplished, I extinguish my flames and toss her body to the floor, as if she’s a stranger, not the woman who raised me with so much love.~

My king will be pleased. ~I can’t help but smile.~

Suddenly, I wake up, screaming and crying.

“Mom,” I sob.

~Shhh, Olive, it’s okay. It was just a nightmare~,~ Raven tries to comfort me.

~NO! That’s what he wants us to become and I can’t stop it! If I don’t go, Mom will die. The nymphs will die! If I do go, countless innocents could lose their lives!~

~Olive, I know you don’t believe me, but this is all going to work out. This is the Moon Goddess’s will. She wouldn’t make you do this without reason.~

After ten minutes, I manage to calm myself down.

~If this is the Moon Goddess’s will, then let’s get this show on the road~,~ I think, resolute.

I ~will decide where and when I reveal myself to him. This is what I can control~.~

I get out of bed, take a quick shower, and dress in my black high-waisted jeans, a plain white T-shirt, and Vans. I fasten my black belt with the gold buckle and put on a delicate gold pendant.

I pack my few belongings into a backpack and sling it over my shoulder.

I find Daisy crying her eyes out. It’s comforting to know I’m not the only one who realizes I’m in deep shit!

We hug without saying a word. We don’t need to. Our hug says it all, radiating pure love. Daisy has truly become my best friend.

Saying goodbye to the rest of the community is just as hard. I’m going to miss them all. They welcomed me with open arms, something my own pack never did.

I know there will be guards outside, ready to escort me to the king or at least alert him when I’m outside. But I don’t want him to know when to expect me.

I’m clinging to the last bit of control I have over my life. This is mine, and I can control this one last thing.

Daisy and I have a plan. She’s going to distract the guards by causing a commotion to the east.

Then, I’ll spread my wings and fly out of the cloaking spell, staying just above the treetops, out of sight, leaving no scent to follow—at least none they can reach.

It’s time.

I close my eyes and focus on the familiar sensation of my shoulder blades. I think about how Amber and the other she-wolves have treated me.

Instead of suppressing my hurt and anger, I embrace it. My eyes and wings burst open together, the familiar green flames replacing the chestnut color of my eyes.

“I’m ready,” I tell Daisy.

Daisy nods and disappears.

I have no idea what she’s planning—but then I hear it. A loud explosion echoes three-hundred feet away. I can see dirt flying high above the trees.

The three guards outside exchange glances before racing towards the explosion.

~What the?~ I think, my mouth hanging open.

Daisy reappears, covering her mouth, giggling.

“What? I borrowed one of the abandoned landmines we found in the forest.” She shrugs.

I smile at my ridiculous friend, give a small wave, and shoot up above the treetops in the blink of an eye.

~Wow, these wings are fast!~

I fly low, slowly and quietly, over the dense forest.

My plan is to surprise the king at the pack house. Might as well make an entrance!

I’m sure he’s probably heard about the explosion, if he didn’t hear it himself.

As I reach the edge of the forest near the pack house, I land on a tree, picturing my wings retracting into my body.

With a few snaps and cracks, they merge back into me. I close my eyes and focus on my breathing until I feel my eyes return to their more “friendly” state.

After jumping down from the tree, I stand at the edge of the forest, watching the pack house from a distance.

That’s when I see him—the king—storming out of the pack house, looking around, ready for a fight.

His hair is a wild mess, and it's undeniably attractive. Even from where I stand, I can't help but wonder how it would feel to run my fingers through it.

Alpha Max is right next to him, hunched over, claws extended, slowly turning in a circle, scanning his surroundings for potential threats.

The alpha's attire is more relaxed than yesterday. He's wearing a snug black T-shirt that clings to every inch of his muscular torso and large arms.

His T-shirt is neatly tucked into his pants. He's paired it with loose black chinos and what appear to be all-black old-school Vans.

~Now that’s my kind of style!~

A gentle breeze stirs the early morning air, carrying with it the most intoxicating scent: a blend of citrus and pine needles.

I take a sharp breath, my eyes rolling back in my head as I savor the heavenly aroma.

The air around me becomes warm and charged. I can almost hear the crackle of electricity in each particle.

A loud growl breaks my reverie.

I freeze, my eyes wide, as I see the Alpha King staring directly at me, growling. His eyes flicker between his enigmatic silver and the bright gold of his wolf.

His wolf must be incredibly powerful. Golden eyes as bright as his are a rarity, only bestowed upon the most formidable wolves.

He's looking straight at me, as if he's ready to devour me, his eyes filled with what seems like murderous intent.

I meet his gaze, and something clicks into place, like a missing piece of a puzzle. His eyes revert to their steel-gray color.

~Damn! This was a terrible idea. He’s going to kill me!~ I panic.

~Olive, relax. He wouldn’t do that. He is our~—~

~He looks furious!!~ I mentally shout at Raven.

I remain rooted to the spot, locked in a stare with him.

If he doesn’t kill me for being a hybrid and surprising him like this, he certainly will now. It’s the ultimate disrespect to an alpha, let alone a king, but still…

I can’t tear my gaze away from his. I’m lost in his silver depths, even if it means I’m challenging him to my death.

I glance at Alpha Max, who stands frozen, his eyes darting between the king and me.

I see confusion and… is that pain crossing his handsome face?

Something inside me aches for him. He looks shattered.

I feel a sudden urge to rush to the king, to hold him close and make love to him right then and there… But images of my mother’s lifeless, burned-out eyes flood my mind.

~This was a mistake. I shouldn’t have come. I should’ve run away. He’s going to turn me into a monster. There has to be another way…~

My mind and soul are at odds.

Deep down, I know the truth… But it’s a truth my mind refuses to accept.

I glance back at the king and start to move one foot back, my fight-or-flight instincts kicking in.

This time, the smart choice would be to run. No sane person would dare challenge the Alpha King.

~"~Little Wolf, I wouldn’t advise that~,"~ he mind-links.

His gaze drops to my retreating leg. ~"~Stay put~,"~ he orders in a commanding tone.

I can feel the weight of his command like never before, but it’s still not enough to control me.

His eyes follow my retreating foot before he smirks and looks back at me.

~"~Interesting. I dare you~,"~ he mind-links me, smirking.

As the Alpha King, he doesn’t need to be in the pack to mind-link. He’s already connected to all packs through their alphas.

I turn and bolt, running as fast as I can. I desperately want my wings to emerge, but without anger.

I don’t know how to summon them. I’m too focused on running for my life to feel anger.

~"~I do enjoy a good chase, Little Wolf~."~ I detect a hint of amusement in his voice.

~So, he likes to toy with his prey too. Fantastic. Just what I needed!~

It only takes a few minutes before I hear the thud of footsteps behind me. I risk a quick glance over my shoulder.

~Damn! He’s closer than I thought!~

He’s about twenty feet away, a playful smirk on his face. He’s ~fast~! I expect as much from the Alpha King, but his speed is extraordinary! Definitely a notch faster than I am.

I can’t keep running. He’ll catch up to me in no time. Looking up at the trees, I come up with a plan.

Digging deep, I leap as high as I can and grab hold of any branch within reach. I swing my legs up, propelling myself onto the branches.

I sprint along the branches before jumping to the next tree. The Alpha King is frowning up at me while I smile back at him.

It’s as if he didn’t expect me to put up any kind of resistance. I move from tree to tree, leaping from branch to branch with grace and ease.

Below, I hear the sound of bones popping and cracking… He’s shifting! Within seconds, the thumping of feet is replaced by the thunder of paws.

I continue my tree-to-tree escape when a deafening howl tears through the air. My hands fly up to cover my ears as I try to keep moving.

My luck runs out when the force of the howl hits me and I’m thrown from the tree. When I hit the ground, the wind is knocked out of me.

~What was~ that!?

Turning around, I see my pursuer stalking toward me like I’m his prey, a low warning growl emanating from the silver wolf before me.

He’s incredibly handsome as a wolf too. His stunning golden eyes contrast beautifully with the silver of his fur.

He has an almost silver glow about him, as if his power is so intense it’s radiating from him.

He shifts back into human form before my eyes. My mouth hangs open as I take in the godlike figure before me. His chiseled chest and abs, leading down to the V that points to… Oh my goddess.

My eyes widen as I take in the size of the cock before me. Raven is in her element, drooling and itching to get out. She can hardly believe she has just seen the Alpha King’s cock.

My body is playing tricks on me. Just one look at him and I can feel the wetness between my legs. He’s got this smirk on his face, like he’s already won, and it instantly douses my desire for him.

He knew I didn’t stand a chance. He just wanted to play with me, like I was his personal toy. I start to back away, my heels slipping as I try to find my footing.

He gets to my feet and extends a hand, his face a mask hiding his true feelings. I glance at his hand, tilting my head to the side, puzzled by his offer.

~If I take his hand, is he going to kill me right here? Skip the whole trial thing?~

My heart is pounding. Fear and, oddly enough, anticipation are racing through me.

~What does his skin feel like?~ Raven wonders.

I reach for his hand, but at the last moment, I grab his forearm instead.

A gasp escapes my lips as a jolt of electricity pulses between us. It doesn’t hurt, though. In fact, it feels amazing!

I shake off the surprise and pull him with all my strength. His eyebrows lift slightly in surprise.

As he starts to move forward, I lift my legs, placing my feet on his hips and push, trying to flip him over my head and away from me.

He reacts as if he saw it coming, placing his hands on the ground and pushing, flipping over with an elegance and style that’s surprising for such a big guy. He lands on his feet.

He dusts himself off before turning his attention back to me. My little trick bought me enough time to get back on my feet and start running again.

But I don’t get far. I feel a large hand grab the back of my neck and push me into a tree.

My body betrays me again, my arousal filling the air. He moves closer, pressing his body against mine.

His nostrils flare as he takes in my scent. The heat of his body envelops me, making me feel like I’m melting right there.

He spins me around so I’m facing him and lifts my chin so I’m looking directly into his silver eyes.

He places his hands on either side of my head, trapping me. He kicks my legs apart so that he is pressed between them before lowering his head to my neck and taking a deep breath.

I let out a small moan, partly out of fear, but mostly pleasure.

He kisses my neck, sending waves of pleasure through my body. My legs start to shake. I can feel him smiling against my neck.

“Such a responsive little wolf, aren’t we?” His voice is thick with desire.

I feel him harden against me.

~Oh my god! Does he always get this turned on when he’s catching his prey?~

The thought of him doing this to another woman makes Raven growl in disapproval.

That thought is enough to snap me out of my lust-filled daze for a moment. I place both hands on his broad chest and try to push him away... He doesn’t move, of course.

It would take a freight train to move this guy.

I try again and again, growing more frustrated and angry each time. When I try for the fourth time, he just smirks at me. I’m furious.

The fire in my eyes flares. The Alpha King’s eyes widen for a split second, before his usual cocky grin returns.

This time, my anger getting the best of me, I try to punch him. He catches one hand and then the other before slamming my hands above my head with force. I wince but keep my eyes locked on his.

His silver eyes are mesmerizing. They look like they’re filled with a million secrets and stories, just waiting to be discovered.

With his free hand, he cups my jaw and starts to rub gentle circles with his thumb. A low rumble comes from his chest. He’s looking me straight in the eyes when he speaks.

“Mine.”