Chapter: seventeen

Ezekiel knew he had to keep his cool, no matter what. Losing it would only set him back with Aylin, and it wasn’t her fault to begin with.

She could hardly recall the attack. But the fact that she could catch a bullet mid-air was something Ezekiel couldn’t quite comprehend.

“I know what you’re thinking,” Aylin interrupted his thoughts. “I don’t understand it either.”

Her shoulders sagged as her mind filled with the worst possible scenarios. Of course, there was something wrong with her. Nothing was ever simple.

Ezekiel sat next to her, draping an arm around her shoulder and gently threading his fingers through her hair.

He was at a loss for words. There was nothing he could say that would make her feel better. No comfort he could provide. And that troubled him.

He was supposed to be there for his mate in times of stress, but after being emotionally distant for so long, he felt ill-equipped.

“So, what happens now?” she whispered.

“What do you mean?” He had an inkling of what she was hinting at.

With a deep sigh, Aylin knew her next words would anger him, but she had to say them. “It’s not safe for me here. The pack could be at risk, and I think—”

A low growl erupted from Ezekiel’s chest, and his eyes shifted. He quickly pulled Aylin onto his lap, their eyes meeting.

“You’re not going anywhere. Do you understand?”

His growl made Aylin tense, but his gaze was soft. She nodded and rested her head on his shoulder, planting a light kiss on his neck.

Another growl made Aylin shudder. “Don’t do that unless you intend to follow through.”

A burning question was gnawing at Aylin. “Do you think the pack members will hate me now? They all saw what happened.”

“We’ll just have to wait and see.”

A firm knock on the door startled them both. “Who’s there?” Ezekiel called out.

“Quill.”

Aylin slid off his lap to answer the door.

“Is something wrong?” Ezekiel joined her at the door.

“We thought you’d want to see who the culprit was,” Quill said, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly.

Ezekiel raised an eyebrow, unsure if he wanted Aylin to see who it was, but he had a gut feeling he knew exactly who. “You don’t have to—”

“No, I’m the queen now. I have to handle this like any other matter.” Her voice was firm and strong, earning smirks from the two men.

“Let’s go then.”

They headed outside, where several warriors shifted, awaiting orders from the delta. “We’re going—”

“I’ll stay with the queen. She can’t shift yet.”

The wolves exchanged puzzled glances.

“It’s not far.”

“Zeke, it’ll take us twice as long to get there.”

“Shift, Zeke. Don’t worry about me.” She gave him a gentle smile, and he let out a sigh.

All the wolves, except for Aylin, shifted and darted through the forest towards the cells.

The wind whipped through her hair, and the sound of pounding paws echoed in her ears. But there was something unsettling about their destination.

The closer they got to the cells, the heavier the air felt. It was almost suffocating.

When they reached the cells, Aylin could smell the foul stench of the demon chained inside. But there was another scent, a sickly sweet one that she recognized.

Anger surged through her. She clenched her fists and pushed past the shifting werewolves, flinging open the door to the cells.

Behind her, she could hear Ezekiel swearing, ordering the men to stop her.

Just as she was about to enter the main hallway, strong arms wrapped around her. “Easy, Ay.” Ezekiel’s voice was in her ear.

As she struggled against him, he only held her tighter. Then he turned around and carried Aylin back outside. “Everyone go inside. I need to talk to the queen.”

Following his orders, all the warriors went down into the cells.

Ezekiel set her down. He knew he had to tread lightly. Truth be told, he was having trouble holding onto her while she fought against him, which was worrisome.

“I had a feeling it was her. That’s why I didn’t want you to come. But you have as much right to know why as I do.”

She scoffed and turned to him. “I know why,” she said angrily.

“Because she was fucking you before I came along, and you made promises. She’s lost all sense of fucking reason, and now she tried to kill me.”

For some reason, Aylin couldn’t contain her anger. It was as if there was a fire burning inside her, and she needed to let it out.

It was the first time she’d ever felt something so intense.

Ezekiel was taken aback by her sudden outburst of anger, something he had never seen before. But he couldn’t argue with her words. However, something else caught his eye at that moment.

The queen’s eyes were both red and golden. His first priority was to calm her down. The gradual changes in her were taking a toll.

“Maybe I did. I can’t deny it. But that time is long gone, I promise. ~You~ are the one I want now.”

Aylin’s chest was still heaving with anger, so he continued. “You have every right to resent my past. I won’t stop you, but we are here, in the present. You’re my queen. I chose you.”

As he tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, the color in her eyes returned to the beautiful blue he was familiar with. Tears welled up in her eyes as they continued to gaze at each other.

“I’m sorry. I don’t know what came over me.”

Ezekiel kissed the top of her head, growing increasingly concerned with the changes in his mate.

Ezekiel couldn’t shake the feeling that she was being targeted by demons, especially after the second incident. “How did it feel?”

“It was like a firestorm in my chest, growing with my anger. It didn’t even feel like my words, but like some other part of me was speaking.”

Ezekiel held her close, stroking her hair. “I’m here. You’re safe.”

After a few moments, they decided to venture into the cells.

The strong smell of demon made Aylin’s head spin, but she kept her composure. All the warriors were lined up by the cell, standing two by two against the wall.

As Aylin got closer, the sound of sizzling flesh and silver filled the air. Ana was screaming, but no one reacted.

Seeing the king and queen, Ana smirked maliciously. “Come to visit? How sweet,” she sneered.

She then turned to her brother, who stood firm with the others. “And you? Betrayed by my own blood. I should’ve known. You’re weak!”

“I didn’t realize you hated the queen so much you’d choose death,” he shot back.

She glanced at Angus and gave a slight nod.

“It’s over, Sister. You knew I wouldn’t betray the king.”

“What was your reason for attacking the queen?” Ezekiel’s voice echoed off the walls.

“Stupid wolf. To kill her!”

“Did you have any accomplices?”

Silence.

“Ana, does the name Zagan mean anything to you?” Aylin stepped forward, wanting to ask her own questions. Ezekiel and Quill stood behind her.

“Answer!” Quill roared.

A venomous smirk spread across Ana’s face. “Maybe.”

“Answer the damn question!” the king demanded.

She raised her hand, and he froze, focusing on her eyes. There was something different about them. Something else was inside. “She’s not herself.”

“How can you tell?”

“Her eyes.”

In a fit of rage, Angus flung open the cell door. Grabbing Ana’s hair roughly, he yelled in her face, “How fucking dare you betray your family? You worthless whore!”

Immediately, Quill and several others pulled the enraged brother away from his sister. He continued to kick and scream at her.

“Get him outside!”

As the group dragged him out, Aylin froze when the woman in the cell started laughing. “He’s coming for you. Be ready. He won’t stop until you’re his.”

When she joined the others outside, she saw Ezekiel had Angus pinned against a tree, trying to calm him down.

One quick look told her it wasn’t working. The warriors had them surrounded, ready to act if the beta tried to escape.

He kept yelling and demanding to be released, wanting revenge.

Aylin made her way through the men. Quill was the last one before she reached the king. “Don’t. He could explode at any moment.”

She gave her friend a gentle smile and continued forward, placing a hand on the king’s arm.

Looking down at her, Ezekiel wasn’t sure what she was planning, but he eased his grip slightly. He didn’t want his queen hurt by an angry werewolf.

“Angus,” she said softly.

He grunted in response.

“It’s not your fault. There was nothing you could’ve done to prevent her actions; she would’ve committed her crime regardless.” She paused, noticing his features soften slightly.

“You did the right thing, standing by your king. Now, will you do the right thing and stand by me?” She placed both her hands on Ezekiel’s arms, and he understood to let the beta go.

Stepping back, Angus let out a thunderous roar. When the warriors moved to restrain him, Aylin raised her hand, stopping them.

She shook her head, signaling them to let him continue.

“He’s entitled,” the king added.

After venting his anger, Angus stood up, facing the king, queen, and warriors. He knelt down, bowing his head in submission.

“I failed as her older brother. I didn’t watch her closely enough. I was too focused on improving the pack, and I pushed her onto you, Your Majesty.”

Ezekiel clenched his fists at the confession.

“As for the queen, I can’t undo the disrespect I showed you, and if you wish—”

“That’s enough,” Aylin interrupted.

“It’s true. Maybe your past actions were…unfortunate. But it seems you’ve learned from your mistakes. I can’t speak for the king, but I can forgive you.”

“You’ve served me loyally, Angus. You’ve been someone I could rely on, someone who always put the pack first. You never led me astray.

“I suppose I should also thank you for sparing Aylin when you knew the law. As for your sister, I don’t know…”

Aylin turned to her mate, her brow furrowed. “Zeke?”

“It’s still a crime,” he stated. “There’s only one thing he can do.”

The tension in the air was palpable. Aylin held her breath, fearing he would revert to the old ways when such a crime was punishable by death.

Suddenly, memories from her time in the Dark Moon Pack flooded her mind.

“The only one allowed to punish the offender is you.”

Angus looked up, his eyes wide. He lowered his head again and sighed. “I understand.”

Ezekiel turned and walked away, leaving everyone in shock. Angus stood up, staring at the king’s retreating back.

“What’s our next move?” Quill questioned.

“I’ll handle it,” Aylin assured him.

“I thought we were beyond this,” Quill muttered, disappointment lacing his words.

A voice they didn’t anticipate echoed from behind them. “I’ll follow his orders.”

They spun around, taken aback. “No, I’ll talk to the king—”

“My lady, he’s correct. Her crime can’t be overlooked. I’m just thankful he forgave my thoughtlessness. And you, too.”

“Let’s head back, Aylin. Before anything else goes wrong.”

As they made their way back to the castle, Aylin felt a heavy burden on her heart that she couldn’t shake off.

She was torn between feeling let down by Ezekiel and wishing things had taken a different turn.

The situation was somewhat fortunate since Ezekiel didn’t demand Ana’s immediate execution, but it was inevitable. Yet, something else was eating at her.

Entering the throne room, Aylin caught a whiff of his scent. She saw the king seated on his throne, rubbing his forehead, clearly troubled by the day’s events.

She attempted to tap into his thoughts, but he had shut her out. He was so lost in his thoughts that he didn’t even notice her presence in the room.

“Zeke,” she called out from across the room.

“Am I being too harsh?” he questioned, his voice trembling. “Should I have handled it differently?”

She sighed, settling into his lap and wrapping his arms around her. “You’re the king. I trust your judgment. If you’re having second thoughts, then maybe you shouldn’t go through with it.”

“But what he did—”

“I agree. His decision to push his sister on you wasn’t the smartest move, but let’s be real. If I remember correctly, you weren’t exactly eager for a mate, nor did you feel the need for one.

“You can’t really blame him for wanting to secure the kingdom.” Aylin could feel Ezekiel’s muscles tighten as she continued to speak.

She didn’t want to be the one to break it to him, but it wasn’t something he could ignore just because he wanted to.

“As your queen, I’ll support whatever decision you make, but you need to be certain it’s the decision you’re most comfortable with.

“If you’re doing this just to punish Angus, then don’t. He’s already paying the price. But the final call is yours.”

Leaning back in his chair, Ezekiel let out a sigh. “Damn it. Decisions like this never used to be this hard.”

“First, I think we should try to get more information out of her. She seems to be hiding something. And who knows, it could be linked to the attack at Dark Moon.”

Suddenly, Aylin yawned, causing Ezekiel to chuckle. “Quiet, you.” She playfully slapped his chest.

The sound of heavy footsteps caught their attention. Standing up, they waited for the doors to swing open.

Quill walked in first, followed by Angus. “Have you made a final decision?”

“Since when do you question my decisions?”

“Since you got a queen who can sway your mind.”

Ezekiel huffed at his brother’s comment, reconsidering his initial judgment, only to remember Aylin’s recent words.

She would stand by him, but she didn’t want him to doubt the decision he was about to make. After all, a life was at stake.

For a moment, he was taken aback by the fact that he actually cared about such things.

“Angus, step forward.”

The beta moved forward, kneeling before his king and queen.

“After much consideration and taking into account the queen’s opinion, I’ve decided to postpone her execution until we’re certain she has no more useful information to offer.

“When that time comes, you will be the one to end her life.” With that, Ezekiel turned and exited the throne room.

“What the hell is he thinking?” Quill roared.

Instead of engaging in a heated argument, Aylin approached the kneeling wolf, lifting his chin. “It wasn’t easy for him to make that decision, and I assure you he didn’t take it lightly.”

Stepping back, she addressed the warriors. “Ensure he gets back to his room safely, and get him something to eat.”

They all bowed and exited the room.

“How can you back this decision?” Quill was furious, not just at his brother but at Aylin as well. He couldn’t comprehend the joint decision they had made.

“He’s not only making Angus kill his sister, but he’s making him wait too? What kind of bullshit is this?”

“Don’t you understand? He’s doing it this way so Angus has more time to accept what she did. If we rushed into it, nothing would be achieved.

“He would freeze up and embarrass himself. This reflects on all of us, and he didn’t want that.” She let Quill digest her words for a moment.

“Besides, we still need more information. It strikes me that this might be connected to the Dark Moon incident.”

“How can you be sure?”

“I just have a feeling.”