《Bound by Duty》


 1. Death is a New Beginning

    Running at a fearsome speed, an ash-grey werewolf lunged at the gaping man, clamped her jaws on his neck and twisted it with a sickening crack. The girl crouching at the side watched in horror as the man molesting her mere seconds before was now... dead. The wolf transformed back to a fully-clothed human. Danielle looked at the carcass apathetically, no sign of her earlier fury. The second Danielle''s step-uncle had breathed his last, she had known it was time to run. Jade Pack would not welcome her anymore.


    She glanced at her half-sister who was looking at her in shock, clutching her half-torn clothes. She took a deep breath. She was prepared for this. She knew that one day, she would run and never look back. It was the day she would be free. Of course, being a fugitive didn''t have many perks, but she felt relieved, seeing this chance of escape.


    Danielle quickly walked to her little sister. She bent down and gave her a peck on the cheek. She pulled the girl into her embrace and said, "Take care of yourself," Swiftly, she ran to the side of the large building next to the pack house. She scaled the wall with deft, feline movements and leapt into her room through the always-open window. Had she not been planning to run anyway, she would not have been prepared.


    But she had a duffel bag ready which she swung over her shoulders and strapped them on her back. She leapt to the ground again and shifted back into her wolf form. - Taking one last look at her supposed home, she ran towards the pack borders at full speed.


    Her heart was thumping erratically. She was both exhilarated and apprehensive. She was experiencing an adrenaline rush with a variety of strange, extreme emotions at the same time. Immediately, she knew what was going on."Lupa, dearest, if you could calm down, I would be able to think rationally."She spoke to her inner wolf in her mind.


    Lupa growled at her mentally."Don''t ''dearest'' me. We are breaking a packbond.We are breaking a familybond. We are breaking a paternalbond. You may not have to experience much of the backlash, butIhave to. So don''t patronise me."


    Even while running in a high-stress situation, Danielle felt amused. She was partly sorry for her wolf; she knew her wolf was right like always was. The wind tore past her fur, feeling like she was being pierced by dozens of needles.


    All her life, Danielle had done nothing but study, train and work hard. After all, she was the alpha heir-apparent. Although she was now no longer the heir, her readings did come of some use. Like which part of the borders neighboured which areas.The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.


    There were many smaller, subsidiary packs in the north, east and south of the Jade Pack. She neared the borders in the south-west of the pack territory. On the other side of the border was no wolves'' land. That meant that she didn''t have to go through the hassle of getting another alpha''s permission. Without breaking a sweat, she suddenly burst into a sprint and leapt across the pack borders.


    When her legs no longer touched Jade Pack territory, she suddenly felt like an uncaged bird. A thrum of enthusiasm ran through her body. It was as if nothing could tie her down. Running westwards for about eighty miles, she severed her links to her pack and finally became a free wolf.


    WIthin the Jade Pack, there was a grim air about every adult wolf. Some stared at the corpse. Others turned their heads, unable to look any longer. Alpha Jacob looked at what was once his brother-in-law with a strange look in his eyes. "The girl I''m ashamed to call ''daughter'' is a criminal. And every wolf in my pack will treat her as such," He warned.


    Suddenly, he felt a tug in his mind. All the wolves of the pack grunted at the pain. Those who had loved and respected their young alpha-heir felt their connection with her break. Innumerable howls filled the air. Howls carrying grief, blame and confusion of separation. She had been handling most pack affairs. With such a leader gone, it would not be long before the wolves began to doubt their pack''s leadership.


    <hr>


    Wanderers, her kind was called. Lone wolves were an accepted part of the community as wanderers. And like the packs, they came under the crown. She was now independent, answerable only to the crown. Danielle huffed, feeling relieved. She knew that the murder incident was far from over but for now, there was a reprieve.


    Having run for hours, she saw a small town with a sparse population. It seemed like a good place and time to take a break. Shifting into a human, she took a stroll around the narrow roads with bare feet, when she saw a motel with a glaringly obvious sign on it.


    "Travelling alone, love?" A middle-aged woman who was missing a tooth welcomed her at the entrance.


    Danielle gave a small smile and nodded curtly. "Room for one night, please."


    "Need some dinner along with that, hun?" Said the lady who loved endearments. Danielle shook her head. She would hunt for herself along the way. "Don''t be like that, love! My husband recently went out into the woods to catch some game and god bless his wolf, we did manage quite a hefty number of prey this time!"


    Danielle was getting rather impatient. But listening to her mention wolves, she asked, "What''s the best way to avoid the neighbouring packs'' borders? I am a Wanderer ¡ª I don''t want any trouble." She inquired, hoping to get some useful information. Thankfully, the lady gave straight answer, explaining all the routes and paths to join the wild again. "Thanks," Danielle smiled more genuinely this time as she picked her keys up and walked into her room.


    The middle-aged woman''s amiable expression soon turned sombre. Her eyes which gleamed with knowledge followed Danielle who was climbing the stairs. "It''s not going to be easy,luna regina."


    Danielle''s ears couldn''t pick up what the woman had muttered. But just like the woman''s words, the freedom she anticipated would never become hers.

 2. There is No Running Away

    "Dani!" Someone shouted, waving at a girl standing in the aisle of the department store. The girl waved back and went to join her in the queue by the payment counter. No one noticed the ears of an inconspicuous girl jerk her head up on instinct. She looked in the direction of the girl called Dani, her stare lingering at the same spot long after the other left. Wincing at her carelessness, she quickly stuffed some boxes inside the cart and pushed it towards the smiling clerk.


    "Good morning!" He chirped cheerfully. Jerking her head in an imitation of a nod, she pushed the boxes forward, immediately tugging at her hood which cast a shadow on her face. Being recognised by some overly observant civilian was the last thing she wanted. The moment he handed her the receipt, she grabbed the bag and shoved some notes on the counter, walking out swiftly. She got onto her bicycle, hanging the bag on the handlebars and rode down the road back to her temporary hovel.


    The last eight months had not been very pleasant for Danielle. She had been hiding in obscure places in big cities, not using any traces that might lead back to her. In fact, she was doing a good job of it until recently when, for some reason, the people tracking and tracing her location had increased. She was sure that it was from her father''s side or from her step-mother''s pack. More forces meant more people to trip upon. She wondered why her father was looking for her. Was it to punish her for killing that man? Her father had never looked favourably on her anyway.


    Danielle was a miracle case. She first phased at the age of five, where most would phase at twelve or thirteen years of age. She had had no help from her father then. She had managed to shift and shift back all by herself. That was a tremendous aptitude for a five-year-old. But once she mentioned this matter to her father, his surprise turned into strange looks and an Alpha command to not mention it to anyone until it was time. That''s when she understood that she was abnormal.


    She parked the bicycle outside the motel and hurried upstairs to her room, locking it. The curtains were drawn and the windows were closed. She switched on the light and quickly ripped off her clothes. The cool air from the fan brushed past her making her sigh with relief. Her pale white skin was covered extensively with crisscrossed patterns of different colours; scratches, gashes, wounds, cuts and scars decorated her body. Her face had been spared, though. She always wore a mask while fighting. At least they shouldn''t be able to recognise or identify her, regardless of who they were.


    Very carefully, she cleaned her fresh wounds and applied the salve, bandaging them up again. She took some ice and held it against her hip which had bruised quite badly and sat on the bed, switching on the television. A grainy cable channel appeared and she gazed at it unblinkingly. "Fucking hell," she cursed, "this is so twisted, I don''t even know whom to blame."You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.


    The previous week, she had been in another city in a similar motel. All of them, all the good, bad and the ugly chasing her relentlessly had been close to catching up. She always made it a point to avoid confrontation and escape as soon as possible. But sometimes, there were always people foolish enough to try and fight with her.


    Did they ever stop to consider that she had royal blood in her ancestry, and she was the product of two Alpha lines? How could they have known that she could challenge her Alpha father and goddamnit, win, but she didn''t because she didn''t feel like it? Her abilities far surpassed an ordinary wolf''s high up the hierarchy. The important part was that eighty per cent of her ability was honed and trained, and not inborn.


    She hated fighting, so when she saw herself being herded to an alley and not followed, she had no choice but to turn and face them. "If you go right now, you will live to tell your superiors where I am." She had told them in a hoarse voice. Weeks of disuse had done that.


    "You think you can take us all on?" The man looked taken aback. He barked out a laugh. "You sure are confident for a pup."


    Another woman smirked and perused her relatively small frame. "Look at her, no meat anywhere. Where does she get the guts from? She''s like a rodent which keeps escaping traps."


    Danielle sighed. The insults which used to infuriate her hot-headed self before no longer affected her. How much more could you fill a bowl which was already filled? They used to provoke long debates of self-reflection at the end of which Lupa would angrily shout at her and stop talking. So she silently contemplated these days, diving into despair often. The term ''get a grip'' was her favourite. It was the only reason she was able to move on.


    "Alright." She rasped. "I''ve warned you." Saying this much, she had lunged at the man, half-shifting mid-air. The woman froze in shock. Partial-shift was a rare ability, and the owners of it were deadly fighters. She quickly extended her claws and took a swipe at Danielle''s back. The shirt tore, but the skin was only scratched. Dani aimed for his neck and heart, to make a clean break, ignoring the woman like she was a buzzing fly. When two other people joined in, the fight got intense with bits of flesh flying around, sounds of fists slapping the skin echoing across the narrow path.


    Halfway through, growls started coming. She was always relieved when they turned to wolves. It was easier that way. A loud rumble came from her chest as she shifted completely. Lupa was indisputably larger, bigger than most Alphas. Some wolves in the front whined, stepping back. She growled loudly again, sitting on her haunches and looking down from above. All the wolves bowed and flattened themselves on the floor, unable to resist an Alpha''s Absolute Will. Seconds later, heads rolled, and she shifted back, gazing at the bloody mess.


    "They never listen. I hate killing." She murmured. Tying up loose ends was essential, or her surprise attacks wouldn''t be effective.


    Breaking out from her thoughts, Dani got up and walked to the balcony, feeling the breeze. The corners of her lips twisted into a grimace as a gust of wind blew from the north-west direction. Werewolves. Everywhere. It was time to move again.

 3. A Friend in Need

    The lights were blinding her eyes. She couldn''t stand them anymore. It was in these moments that she felt anything other than indifference towards her stepmother ¡ª irritation. She hadn''t wanted a birthday party. She hadn''t wanted a celebration for something that wasn''t even valued. She hadn''t wanted to see her eagerly watching for some male alpha to mate with her so that she would be long gone.


    "I can see the steam coming out of your ears. What''s going on?" She heard a voice next to her. Reece Landon, the alpha of the Opal Pack walked towards her. His hands were in his pockets, ruining the seriousness of the three-piece suit he wore. She perused him and could objectively conclude that he was extremely handsome.


    He had been her friend ever since the time he and his father had come to her pack to sign a treaty of cooperation. They had struck up a conversation and subsequently struck up a friendship. "Just... the lights." She muttered in response. His frown cleared in realisation. He understood that it wasn''t just the lights. Danielle was thankful to have friends like him. Suddenly, she felt a hand grip her wrist lightly. She looked up, startled. Reece was smiling down at her.


    "Come on, I have to give you my birthday present." He gestured for her to follow him. She looked around and saw that nobody would miss her. So she followed him wordlessly. As she had her back to the party, she couldn''t see her stepmother grinding her teeth with jealousy and fury.


    They walked out of the French windows at one corner of the house and Reece turned back and gave her a grin before she could see the view outside. When she did, her eyes widened and her lips parted in surprise. Four people stood there. What was extraordinary about this gathering was that all the people present were alphas of various packs. Of the nine major packs present in the continent, six packs'' leaders were here to wish her a happy birthday.


    Her lips broke into a wide smile. With that little move, they knew she was pleased. She came forward to hug every one of them ¡ª Misha Carlton, Samuel Eden, Caleb Holmes and Sean Grant. "Hey there, baby girl." Caleb winked at her, giving her a sparkling grin. "How was your gift?" He gestured to himself provocatively.


    "We aren''t the gifts, Caleb," Misha explained patiently. "Our presence is."


    Caleb rolled his eyes. "Buzzkill. Why do you always stop me from getting a rise out of her?" He complained.


    Samuel opened his arms wide as she laughed, trying to reach his tall frame. "Dani, we miss anything? We were a bit late, sorry about that."


    Danielle snorted inelegantly. "The only thing you missed is my dad''s wife pushing you to mate me immediately. Otherwise, no, nothing."


    The boys'' face turned red. Caleb started whistling, making it really awkward for everyone. Danielle rolled her eyes. She was used to Caleb''s antics. He loved to rile her up but never managed to succeed. "Come on, you idiots, I''m not asking to mate with you. Let''s go sit under the canopy."This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.


    They silently went with her and seated themselves comfortable. Danielle magically produced a few bottles of whisky. Some tension left her shoulders as they started to get the drinks in. "Say," Sean cleared his throat and began, "how many of you are against arranged matings?"


    Samuel raised his hand. So did Caleb, Misha and Reece.


    "It''s just not right, is it, Sean?" Reece said softly. "You''re taking away the goddess-given gifts- in fact, you are ripping them away from each other."


    "But what if you never find them in this lifetime?" Sean''s voice was strained.


    "You will. You are destined to a mate if you''re an alpha and she will find you." Misha replied.


    Danielle narrowed her eyes. "I am against it," she said. "If I cannot manage to get that one blessed thing in my life for myself, then I wouldn''t know what to live for anymore."


    At this, Sean quietened for a few seconds. "You would live for all others who care for you." He said, with a strange glint in his eyes.


    Danielle barked out a cynical laugh. But then she saw all of them looking at her seriously, and her laughter died. "Oh," she whispered. Her eyelids lowered and none of them was able to see what she was feeling. Slowly, a smile spread across her face. "Then if one day, I would like to live for myself, the first thing I''ll do is come to one of you."


    "Sure."


    "Absolutely."


    "My pack would love to have you."


    They voiced their agreements. For the first time in her nineteen years, warmth crept into her heart and she felt at home.


    Reminiscing did little good to Danielle at any point of time, especially since she was on the run and people wanted her captured or dead. But it came back as a particularly useful memory, given that she was about only eighteen kilometres away from the Amethyst Pack whose alpha was Sean. Blinking away any stress she was feeling, she ran towards the Amethyst Pack in full speed, not wasting a moment.


    Twenty minutes later, she was near the pack border. She didn''t want to cross the line without telling him about it, because that would be one alpha encroaching upon another''s territory. It was severely looked down upon as alphas were very possessive and territorial creatures. But she had no choice. She had no way of communicating with him.


    So she chose the next best route. She shifted to human and walked towards the border. This was to show that she was harmless. She stepped past the border because that would be the only way to get their attention. Sure enough, howls immediately filled the air. One after the other, they all ran towards the border where they felt the breach.


    She stood there, not moving, watching them alertly. Three wolves shifted to men, looking gloomy and forbidding. Anyone would wince at their huge beings and their scowling faces, but to Danielle, they were pups, still. "What are you doing here, wanderer? Just because we accept your kind doesn''t mean we tolerate breaches like this."


    Danielle had the urge to laugh. "Take me to your alpha. I want to meet him."


    Another man snorted, laughing. "You think our alpha is so easy to approach? Or do you think you look good enough to seduce him into mating you?" With a perverted grin on his face, he approached her. "You certainly look good enough for me to mate you."


    He stretched his hands to touch her shoulders but before he knew it, he was on the ground, biting the dust. He felt two accurate hits on his hand, dislocating his shoulder and breaking his wrist. Instantly, growls were heard all around. Wolves were ready to pounce on her and tear her apart, but she growled back menacingly. "I have come in peace, and this is your last warning. Don''t try to test me. Let me meet Sean Grant."

 4. A Friend Indeed

    The third man seemed to be a little smarter than the others. He immediately mind-linked the alpha and communicated with him. He turned to ask her a little more respectfully. "Ma''am, your name is...?"


    "Danielle Ward." She replied. The man sucked in his breath, recognising the name. He had some authority in the pack and he immediately made way for her to go. He asked her to follow him. He seemed scared of her, at the same time awed by her. They had all heard stories of her ¡ª legends of her prowess. But he underestimated the power she held over his alpha. They weren''t even half-way through when he came rushing towards her.


    He grabbed her in his arms and hugged her tightly. "Goddess, Dani! I was worried sick! We all were! We didn''t know where you were and we couldn''t even track you because of your powers! And¡ª"


    "Calm down, Sean." She muttered, uncomfortable with the display of concern. She began fidgeting, worming herself out of his clasp. He let go of her. But the other wolf ¡ª who must have been a beta or a gamma ¡ª was flabbergasted. His jaw had dropped all the way to the ground. He couldn''t believe that his alpha, who had never touched a she-wolf, in fact, hated touching a she-wolf other than his mate, would hug a she-wolf alpha like that. Of his own initiative.


    "Close your mouth, Cole," Sean warned, frowning at his beta. He was then all smiles when he turned to Danielle. "I''ll have to inform all the others, they have to know you''re safe."


    Danielle was already shaking her head. "No, I''m already feeling guilty, Sean, I shouldn''t have come here at all." She stopped her footsteps and said, wide-eyed. She was now realising the full repercussions of her actions. She was putting Sean and the Amethyst Pack in danger.


    Sean''s brows knitted together. "What nonsense are you talking about?"


    "You heard what happened, right?"


    Sean hesitated. "You... you killed your step-uncle...?"


    She nodded. "That means that that man''s pack is going to be after me. That pack is my stepmother''s maternal pack. My stepmother is going to persuade my father to capture me and bring me to justice or whatever."


    Sean wrinkled forehead cleared. He was able to understand what she was trying to say. But he feigned ignorance. "So?"


    Danielle kicked a stone frustratedly. It hit a nearby wall and crumbled into pieces. She swung around to Sean and hissed, "Don''t you get it? If I''m found to be here, both the packs are going to be after your pack. I don''t want to cause a war!"If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.


    She bit her lip and gnawed on it for a few seconds. "I think I should leave." She turned around getting ready to shift.


    "No, no, no, no, no, no! No way are you going to run again!" Sean physically stopped her. "How long have you been running? Don''t you think it''s time to stop?"


    Danielle struggled against his hold. "Not at the expense of everyone else." She said through gritted teeth.


    "That''s why," He replied patiently. "That''s why I''ll call the rest, so we have back up, just in case."


    She stopped struggling. Sighing, she turned towards the mansion and trudged on. He quickly followed her. Poor Cole was already forgotten. He decided to make himself scarce and ran back to the pack house.


    Minutes later, they made themselves comfortable in the alpha''s office. Sean quickly picked up his phone and messaged the other four alphas. "That''s done," he said, grinning at her. She managed a weak smile in response.


    "You should try to worry less about everyone else and more about yourself, Dani." He said bluntly. "Maybe then you wouldn''t get into such a predicament. Now, tell me, what exactly happened?"


    Danielle looked at him through the corner of her eyes. She didn''t really want to answer that question. But she owed him that much after the shelter he had given her. And the fact that he was a concerned friend. She pinched the bridge of her nose and closed her eyes. "I was in my office, taking care of my affairs. There was a rogue problem in the north-east that I would have had to handle. I had my hands full. But as the hours went by, suddenly my wolf became anxious. She began fretting and telling me to get out and find someone. I followed her directions and reached the spot." Here, she opened her eyes.


    "And then?" Sean asked curiously.


    "Who would have thought that that man was... taking advantage of his own niece. She was crying silently because her mouth was taped. He had torn down her clothes and was pawing at her like... like a beast." Danielle''s voice became lower and lower. It was a sign that she was becoming angrier. "I saw red, Sean, I obviously couldn''t remain silent. A haze washed over me and before I knew it, he was dead."


    Only the sounds of the clock ticking could be heard. Tick-tock, tick-tock, tick-tock. Sean didn''t know what to say. She had been noble. She had been sticking to wolf values of protecting their own. She had rid the world of one disgusting paedophilic pervert. But why, in the end, was she suffering? Why did she have to fight those battles which shouldn''t have been hers to fight? Sean didn''t know that his wolf was getting agitated and angry. He also didn''t know that this agitation was felt by his mate.


    She quickly climbed down the stairs and walked towards the office. Strangely enough, before she could calm him down, Danielle had only to place her hand on his arm and he quickly settled down. That was the sight his mate was welcomed with when she opened the door to the office. She just froze, unable to move. It was not as if they were doing anything objectionable, but even touching wasn''t something that Sean ever did.


    "Grace," Sean smiled slightly. "Come in. Let me introduce you to one of my best friends, Danielle Ward."

 5. Green Doesnt Suit You

    Grace managed to make herself smile. The shock to her wolf had been so sudden that she wasn''t able to recover in time. Danielle frowned. She had always been sensitive to changes in emotions. "Is something wrong?" She asked in a low tone.


    Grace merely pursed her lips and shook her head. Sean caught on to what she was saying. "Grace? You don''t have anything against Dani, do you?" He asked in a deceptively soft tone.


    Grace''s eyes widened. She had never heard such a dangerous tone from him directed at her. "Of course not!" She said shrilly. "I have no problem with the woman who was able to touch my mate and calm him down just like I can."


    Sean''s anger soared. He was already feeling indignant on behalf of Dani, now he had to deal with his mate''s irrational jealousy. He was about to growl at her and then some when he felt a small hand on his biceps. He stopped immediately. Grace''s panic and jealousy shot up at this scene and she growled, shifting. Danielle sighed. "You wouldn''t want to do that." Sean was about to shift to calm his mate when Danielle shifted even before he did.


    Sean never got tired of looking at Lupa, Danielle''s wolf. There was something about Lupa that calmed him, consoled him and made him be at peace. She was huge, huger than his wolf, and white and magnificent. It would make anyone be awestruck.


    Danielle didn''t want to use her Alpha''s Absolute Will on her friend''s mate, but it did seem like she had no choice. But before that, she wanted to try something. Her wolf was much bigger than Grace''s, but the smaller wolf was determined to fight over her territory ¡ª her mate. Lupa went closer to the wolf and touched her nose to Grace''s nose in a gesture of affection. Danielle licked the other''s face and snuggled into her neck affectionately.


    Sean''s eyes popped out of their sockets. What made him even more shocked was that Grace was calming down quickly. How was she able to do this? Was this one of her powers? If that was the case, was this all of her powers? Sean didn''t want to think too much about this until she spoke about it to him herself. Now, the priority was getting Grace to not misunderstand. He knew he had made a mistake of getting angry at her without explaining to her what had actually happened.


    He had a feeling she would be more amenable to listening to him now that she had experienced Dani''s powers first hand.


    Danielle shifted back and so did Grace. Grace wasn''t stupid by any means. She immediately understood that Danielle''s and Sean''s relationship was truly platonic. "I''m sorry," she whispered to Danielle. Her face was red and flushed with embarrassment. She couldn''t believe that she had lost control of her emotions that quickly.


    Grace turned to Sean, her face burning. Danielle slowly slipped away from the room, unnoticed. Sean mock-glared at his mate. "Did you have to cause such a scene?" He demanded. "Do I still not have your trust, for you to jump to conclusions like that?"Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    "Sorry, sorry, sorry." Grace buried her face in her hands. She sat down on the couch and peeked at him from behind her fingers. "I''m sorry, this won''t happen again. I promise. I trust you. I really do. It''s just that my wolf lost control seeing her domain encroached."


    Sean raised an eyebrow. "Domain?" He said. "So I''m a part of your domain, now, is it?"


    Grace stuck out her tongue, realising he wasn''t angry anymore. "Just like you claim that I''m your territory."


    He ran a hand through his hair. "You''re so fucking hot when you stake your claim like that." He pulled her against him until their chests were pressing against each other. She sucked in her breath. He lowered his head and kissed the tip of her nose. Then her cheek. The other cheek.


    He peppered small kisses across her face until she moaned, "Sean, stop teasing me!"


    And so he stopped.


    Then the real deal began.


    <hr>


    Danielle walked outside the room and managed to find herself on the grounds where the young wolves usually practised fighting and working with weapons. She lost herself in the battle arena, amongst all the weapons, types of equipment and implements for training. This is what she was good at. She was a warrior. Not a nurturer like earlier. There was nothing wrong with being a nurturer, but it was a very... different experience for her.


    But she couldn''t deny the twinge of envy she felt when she saw the interactions of Sean and Grace. It wasn''t exactly the romance of it that she yearned for. That was the last thing on her mind. Rather, she wanted someone to have her back, someone to have a deep sense of camaraderie with, someone who wouldn''t make her feel like she had the world''s weight on her shoulders anymore.


    She shook her head swiftly, waving away all those thoughts. She knew better than to go off into flights of fancy. She hadn''t done that since she was seven. She quickly began her training regimen. She held the pistols, the swords and the spears and attacked an invisible prey with them. Slowly, a group of people started to gather around her. Such was her focus that she didn''t even notice them near until she could hear their breaths.


    Furious to have been disturbed, she moved quickly and leapt to where they were, pointing a sword at the neck of the nearest one. The poor girl''s breath hitched and her eyes widened with fright. Tears welled in her eyes. "Not your pack, Danielle. This isn''t somewhere you can do whatever you please."


    Taking a deep breath, she took the sword back, curbing her instincts. "I''m sorry," she apologised to the girl, "I was in the middle of practice and when you suddenly came..."


    She looked around with a bizarre look on her face. Why were there so many people? Had they... had they come to see her? One man gulped, swallowing his fear and stepped forward feigning bravery.


    "I r-remember you," he stuttered. No one laughed at him. The way she was swinging those weapons... those were hands that had killed. "You''re the alpha of the Jade Pack."


    Danielle turned to him and looked at him with piercing eyes. That look was so intimidating that he had to take a step back. "We won''t tell anyone," he promised quickly. "But can you... can you teach our warriors w-while you''re h-here?"


    Danielle raised her brows. That... didn''t seem like a bad idea to repay Sean. She had trained contingents before. It wouldn''t be long before she whipped them up to shape. Blinking twice, she nodded. "Okay," she said firmly. "All of your warriors must meet me at six in the morning sharp. From tomorrow onwards, we begin your training."


    The man, Kit, was ecstatic. Trained by this alpha... there would be no better qualifications.

 6. Murmurs of Dissent

    "Come on, Dani," Sean pleaded. "Don''t be like that. Just once, let''s do it."


    Danielle shook her head so vigorously that her messy bun came loose. She could never, never give in to what he asked. She wasn''t such a bad friend.


    Sean grumbled, "At least tell me why!"


    Danielle looked him in the eye but hesitated. Sean raised his brows impatiently. "You will lose the respect of your pack." She said quietly. Sean jumped, startled.


    "Are you... are you saying that I will lose to you?" He asked incredulously.


    She was now annoyed. Hands on her hips, she demanded, "What''s your kill count, Grant?"


    Sean opened and closed his mouth like a fish. "That... that..."


    "Mine is three hundred and forty-seven," Danielle said sharply. Then she softened her tone. "I have more experience than you do. I fight to kill, not to spar. You wouldn''t win against me."


    Sean sighed, looking down at his bare feet. Then he looked up, determined. "I want to improve myself. Spar with me, please. It doesn''t matter if I lose face. They''ll just know you''re stronger, is all."


    She narrowed her eyes. "Sure?" He nodded. "Come to the arena, then."


    In the first round, no one was around, so it was a less humiliating defeat for Sean. Within thirty seconds, he was down. The second round, he lasted only slightly longer. This time, a crowd started gathering. The third round, he tried a new manoeuvre, but it just added ten seconds to his time of defeat. For nine rounds, he faced one defeat after another. Then, his stamina started to wane.


    Strangely enough, the warriors who had been trained by her these past two months were cheering for her instead of their alpha. This was naked betrayal, but no one said a thing. They all hoped for their alpha to become stronger and so encouraged their fights.


    Once Sean was completely worn out, he raised a hand to stop the fights. Panting and gasping for air, he saw that she was still fit as a fiddle. He nearly collapsed at that sight. This woman was a monster! Right at that time, Grace walked over to him. She stroked his back and told him, "You have the king''s secretary on the line."


    Sean raced towards his office. The wolves had a great heritage of royalty. The families and more or less treated the wolves right aside from anomalies here and there, so the wolves still maintained strict respect and protocol when it came to Wolf Kings and Queens. Sean certainly couldn''t keep the king waiting as a picked up the phone. "This is Sean Grant." He breathed.


    "Alpha Grant, this is McCall speaking."


    "Yes, McCall, tell me, what can I do for you?"


    "His Majesty the King will be visiting the Amethyst Pack for an inspection tomorrow. This call is to inform you to prepare yourself."


    Sean''s heart skipped a beat. A royal inspection. It hadn''t happened in decades. Why now? "Thank you, McCall. We await His Majesty."If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    Cutting the call, Sean immediately summoned his beta, his gamma and his mate. There was a lot to prepare and everything had to follow royal protocol.


    <hr>


    It was not long before Danielle caught wind of whispers in the pack. Her extraordinary senses didn''t leave her at peace.


    "Do you think the alpha is going to meet with her?"


    "I sure hope so, she would make a great luna for the pack."


    "I''m not saying Luna Grace is bad but she is better."


    "Hey, be a little loyal! Don''t you think she is a bitch to come between the alpha and luna like this?"


    "Yeah! What if she came with only that in mind? To break up the pack and take over?"


    "We are better off without her, honestly."


    "How can you say that?" This was Kit. "After all that she has done for us?"


    "Have you wondered, Kit, what her agenda is?"


    Danielle had heard enough. There was no sorrow in her expression. She continued to have a light smile on her face. But she realised inside that she needed to leave this pack soon, or she would be hurting her friends. Yes, friends, plural. She had become fast friends with Grace too ¡ª her first female friend. She was loathe to part with them, but it was time to change venues and start running.


    One more day, she said to herself, one more day and I''m off.


    She returned to her room and packed all of her belongings, meagre as they were. Once that was done, she walked around the pack grounds, trying to detach herself from this place that had been her home for two months, that had sheltered her in her time of need. She found it odd that more wolves were coming out to border patrol, but she shrugged it off as some new routine Sean was trying.


    "Dani! I''m trying a new lasagna recipe. Come, be my food taster." Grace smiled wickedly, knowing Danielle hated being a guinea pig. Danielle had just come into the pack house and was faced with this excited Luna. Grumbling but secretly pleased, she followed her inside and sat down on a bench in the middle of the kitchen. As Grace wore her apron, she switched on some pop music which Danielle loathed. Now she knew Grace was deliberately riling her up.


    As the various concoctions were being mixed, Grace, who looked ready to burst with excitement any moment, suddenly turned and looked at Danielle intently. "Dani," she said slowly, "you can keep a secret, can''t you?"


    Danielle narrowed her eyes. "May...be?"


    "Don''t tell Sean this, please please please!" She begged, waving around the spatula.


    Danielle''s curiosity was no provoked. Grace told Sean everything. She leaned forward in her seat and asked, "What is it?" in a whisper.


    Grace leaned forward and, making sure that no one was around, whispered, "I''m pregnant."


    Danielle blinked once. Twice. "But Grace," she told her friend softly, "Sean and I already know this."


    Grace dropped her spatula in shock. Gaping, she wailed, "But... but... how?"


    "Your scent," Danielle said simply. "It changed the moment you conceived. Any alpha can smell it on his mate."


    Grace leaned against the slab of granite and covered her face with her hands. Soon, sobs and sniffles could be heard from her. Panicked, Danielle walked to her quickly and pulled her hands away from her face. She quickly wiped the tears away and firmly gripped her shoulders. "Grace, it''s a good thing, it''s a happy thing. Why are you crying? So you didn''t manage to tell your mate first. But doesn''t this allow him to take care of you better? Take care of the baby better? This is instinct, not something you can control. Now his instincts will tell him to guard his mate and child well. It''s a good thing, Grace."


    By now, Grace had calmed down. She kept nodding at Danielle''s words. "You''re right, I''m being silly." She gave her a watery smile. "Let''s get back to¡ª"


    "Grace? Grace! What''s wrong?" Sean''s worried shouts came from the hall. Seconds later, he was in front of her, eyeing her stomach.


    "Nothing, it''s nothing, I''m fine." She insisted. Seeing that she seemed okay, he cradled her stomach with his palms and kissed her on the lips.


    "I''m so happy, Grace," he whispered. "So proud of you."


    Yeah, Danielle thought as she was once again pushed away as a third wheel, it is really time to leave.

 7. And Then I Met You

    Danielle was a light sleeper. But on this day, her wolf was feeling particularly lazy, which made her not get up at all until someone banged on her door. She woke up with a start and freaked out when she saw the time. "Oh, my god! My escape plans!" She whispered.


    She quickly opened the door. Cole, the beta, stood there nervously. "Uh, alpha? Something very important." He paused, taking in her bed hair. He whimpered at the thought of the consequences. "The king will be here in fifteen minutes. I think you should get ready."


    Danielle jumped back on the bed like a frightened cat. "The king?" she asked loudly.


    Wincing at the volume, Cole nodded.


    "Why did no one tell me?" She raged through gritted teeth. Cole shrank back.


    "It probably... just... slipped our minds?" He replied nervously.


    "Agh! Go, go, go! I need to get ready." She shooed him away. Ten minutes later, she was bathed and ready with her usual t-shirt and slacks and a messy bun with no make-up. Everything efficient.


    She went down the stairs and saw everyone lined up in formation outside. There was a team at the pack borders too, she was sure. She went and hid among the girls in the pack, not wanting to draw any attention. At that moment, she realised that Lupa was being weird. First with being extremely lethargic that morning, and second with not running away at the thought of seeing the royals. It was very possible for her to be put on trial because of that man being killed by her if the royals caught and identified her. She was risking so much because Lupa was averse to leaving right away.


    Soon, hushed whispers passed around. ''He''s here!'', ''he''s coming!'' etc. Danielle stifled an eye-roll at the excitement they showed. But she would be a hypocrite to do that as her stupidly bizarre wolf seemed to be acting that way too. She sighed, waiting to get over with this.


    A royal inspection though? she mused. Hadn''t happened in years. Decades. Why was there one this time? As she contemplated the possibilities, the buzz around her increased and so did the noise level. On the horizon, she could see a fleet of cars coming towards the pack house. Mere minutes later, they stopped before the house. A chauffeur came running to the side and opened the door. From the third vehicle, Sean and Grace stepped out. From the second, McCall, the secretary to the king stepped out. He looked clean-cut and bland as he ideally should. Efficiency. Danielle approved.Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.


    Then she turned her to the first car, where everyone''s eyes were on. His trousered feet stepped out first. Then his whole being. Danielle felt like she had been sucker punched. He wore glasses, so she couldn''t see his eyes. But the rest of what she could see consumed her as a whole. She didn''t recognise this feeling. This wasn''t a mere attraction. This was... this was destruction. He didn''t wear a suit. He wore a t-shirt and jeans. Efficient.


    He was not built bulkily nor was he lanky and thin. He was lean with power in each muscle. His firm thighs were accentuated by those jeans, making many girls drool. He had tousled, black hair which looked as if it could never be tamed.


    Danielle was stiff with shock. Because this wasn''t what unnerved her. It was the scent. His scent, goddess help me. That mouthwatering scent of everything she loved, chocolate, green grass and the woods. She lifted her feet to walk towards him but stopped herself.


    He was the king.


    She was a fugitive.


    Best to remember that. But what she was suspecting, she couldn''t be sure of yet. Masochistically, she stayed back without running. She watched as he turned her back to her. As he removed his glasses while she couldn''t see. As he shook hands with Sean. As he entered the pack house. As the entire pack knelt on one knee. As she refused to kneel before anyone because both her and Lupa were in agreement on that.


    There was stunned silence in the room. A girl next to her tried to tug at her hand, but she couldn''t move a finger of Danielle''s. Danielle was simply looking at him, shocked. He stiffened even before he saw her disrespect. His nostrils flared. His startling green eyes narrowed. His head swung in her direction. Looking at her deer-in-the-headlights look, he knew she knew too. He was in a daze, in no better state.


    McCall hurried behind him and stated, "Sire, her name is¡ª"


    The king raised a hand to silence him. He blinked, unable to believe that that beautiful creature was all for him. "Wh-" his voice came out hoarse. Clearing his throat, he asked, "What''s your name?"


    She broke out of the stunned stupor she was in. Clearing her throat, she said, "Danielle. Danielle''s my name. What''s yours?"


    A wave of gasps at the continuous disrespect could be heard. Sean was pissing in his pants. He didn''t want anything to happen to his friend; he could only appeal for the king to have mercy.


    But unlike everyone''s expectations, A slow curve appeared on the king''s lips. He absolutely loved her question. She was daring him, daring him to appear normal, daring him to go down to her level or bring her up to his level. "Fair enough," he said in a low tone. "The name''s Alexander Ernest Fallon Frederick Remington."


    "I think I''ll remember that," she murmured. Taken aback, Alexander threw his head back and laughed. It was a laugh full of joy and merriment. He was beyond happy; he was ecstatic. She smiled a little too. His laugh was infectious. She stepped past all the girls around her and stood before him. She stretched her hand touched his. This wave of gasps couldn''t compare to the electrified feeling the two people experienced. They slowly looked into each other''s eyes. Hers turned silver. His turned gold. Sparks flew between them as they continued to touch each other''s hands.


    "Mate." They simply stated, their fingers entwined.

 8. I Do, But Only If

    Suddenly, werewolves all over the continent shifted into their wolf forms and came out of their dwellings, howling into their air. Millions of howls filled the air, as the wolf-kind celebrated getting a Wolf Queen, their luna regina. It was their instinct to call out to her and show their respect and at that moment, all wolves bowed their heads in submission, showing their respect for her.


    A hushed silence then fell over the room. All those present realised that they were seeing a historic occasion, McCall brought the man responsible for documenting the king''s life and made him take a photograph. This was one for the ages. Their king and their new queen were oblivious to anything happening around. The rest spoke in reverent whispers, hushed tones.


    Sean felt his heart settle back into his chest. He also felt strangely unsettled. His best friend was now the Wolf Queen. He thought about the implications of this incident. He thought about what she would be responsible for. And slowly, he seemed to understand why she could be as nurturing by calming people down as frightening when she beat him up nine times. He was sure that was not the extent of her frightening demeanour.


    The people who had knelt had not risen. McCall coughed once next to the couple. Alexander broke away from their trance. She, too, stepped to the side. Alexander smiled at those kneeling. "Rise," He commanded. Everyone rose to their feet and continued to look at them in awe. Alex turned to Sean with a wide smile on his face. He put one hand around his shoulders. "I''m not afraid to spill the beans, Alpha Grant. There was no bloody royal inspection. Mate hunting, that''s what I was doing."


    Sean both sighed in relief and stiffened at his king''s touch at the same time, although how that was possible only he knew. "Congratulations, Your Majesty." He wished his king. At this, there was a chorus of ''Congratulations, Your Majesty''s all around. Everyone was eager to be a part of their king''s life.


    People made space around Danielle, not daring to touch her now that she was the queen. She accepted their congratulations uncomfortably. She usually disliked attention on her, but she managed.


    As she smiled queasily at some of them, a hand slipped around her waist. She jumped, startled. He smiled comfortingly at her. "Ladies, if you''ll excuse me, I''ll have to steal her away from you."


    Amidst the gushing, he pulled her away from the crowds and mind-linked Sean to take them to his office. Grace followed them into the office. She asked, can I get you something, Your Majesty? Something to drink perhaps? Juice... or maybe champagne?"


    Alex raised his brows in surprise. "That''s a great idea. Bring out some champagne, we might pop a few bottles." He grinned cheekily, "I''m in the mood for it."


    Grace turned to get the bottles herself, but Sean stopped her. "Don''t walk around unnecessarily. Tell one of the others to get it." Grace rolled her eyes and mind-linked Cole to bring the bottles. And some glasses too.


    They got themselves seated. Alex pulled Danielle with him into the love seat in the room. She acquiesced to most of his demands mainly because she too wanted the same things. Only one thing was running on her mind. She was mated to the king. She was mated to the king. She was mated to the king.


    Didn''t this mean that he himself would put her on trial? And with all the false, incriminating evidence the other side was sure to produce, wasn''t he going to personally prosecute her? Then wouldn''t he punish her accordingly? Wouldn''t he become a laughingstock ¡ª the queen of his choice was actually a criminal. She was not. She was not. But they would make her out to be.


    Although she was only twenty-one, she would rather run her entire life than bring him shame.


    She didn''t know much about him, the person. She did know a lot about him, the king. She knew that he was wise and just but terrifying when he wanted to be. She had heard legends about him while she was growing up. He seemed to have grasped the perfect balance between being feared and loved.The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    He seemed perfect. She didn''t want to be the one to taint him. So some complications had to arise in that case.


    She sat quietly, thinking about her prospects from now on. Strangely enough, she had accepted quickly that she was queen and she was ready, looking forward to, even, the responsibilities that came with it. She had a feeling that she was enough and more for the role.


    This wasn''t her being arrogant, but her instincts demanding this confidence of her. Certainly, she was contradicting herself with the anxiety and nervousness that came with mating the king. Her main concern was, would he be nice? As naive as the wish sounded. But it was a young girl''s hope. For her mate to love her as she would love him.


    Shaking her head, she returned to the present, looking at the two men staring at her amusedly. "Something wrong, love?" Alex asked with an entertained expression on his face. She didn''t blink at being made fun of.


    "Shall we get to business, then?" She said briskly. The two were taken aback but Alex approved of this calmness.


    "Of course. I''ll call McCall in." Before his sentence was finished there was a knock on the door. It was Magical McCall who could understand his king''s every need. Well, most needs. McCall bowed to his king and queen who he had swiftly accepted. It wasn''t his place to accept or not accept anyway.


    He asked her, taking out a tablet, "Your full name, please, ma''am."


    Alex frowned. "McCall, you will address her as Her Majesty."


    "It''s alright," Danielle murmured, placing a hand on his thigh. He turned to look at her.


    "No, it''s not." There was anger at the slight shown to his mate.


    McCall began delicately, "Your Majesty, the queen cannot be called so until the coronation. It''s protocol."


    Alex gave him a hard glare. "Who makes the protocol, McCall?"


    "You, sire," He submitted quickly. "Your Majesty," he addressed his queen. "May I have your full name, please?"


    "Danielle Fiona Arabella Ward." Click, click, click, click.


    "Found it," McCall muttered. "Danielle Ward, daughter to Jacob Ward and Ursula Ward. Has royal blood in her ancestry from both sides." McCall yelped at this news. Sean''s eyes widened. Only the couple remained calm. Alex had already known she would have some royal blood in her. "Mother died when she was four years old from a rogue attack. She shifted when she was five years old. She left the pack when she turned twelve and it is unknown where she went. She returned when she turned eighteen to the pack. She is now twenty-one years old and was alpha heir-apparent to the Jade Pack. That was until nine months ago her pack and the Agate Pack declared her exiled. Since then, her location is unknown."


    Alex was feeling frustrated. His mate had experienced so many hardships, gone through so much. And he had been enjoying his comforts in the palace, the whole time. He turned to her and nuzzled his face in her neck, both seeking and providing comfort.


    "Before we go into this," Danielle hesitated, glancing at her mate. He looked up at her with concern.


    "Speak your mind," He urged.


    "Before I agree to come back with you to the palace," Alex tensed considerably. "I have one condition."


    Alex''s grip on her increased. With pursed lips, he said, "Name it."


    "If I don''t want to talk about a past matter, it will not be spoken about, at all."


    Alex narrowed his eyes. "And if I insist?"


    "Then I won''t be joining you to the palace, Your Majesty. I know the terms are slightly unfair, but some things are best kept to myself." Danielle stated simply. Her hands were in fists and her face was white as a sheet. Alex winced as she addressed him by his title.


    There was a terrible silence for a few minutes.


    "I agree to your condition," he said finally.


    Sean, McCall and Grace couldn''t believe what they were hearing. Was the king actually compromising? And to that absurd condition on top of that? Was he that smitten by now?


    In fact, Alex''s heart had dropped to his stomach already. When she mentioned the condition, his immediate reaction was fury. It was his right to know all he could about her, not all he should. But seeing her unperturbed look, he realised two things. First, that she would not budge from this decision and even if he took her forcibly, it would not be a good start to the mating. Second, any woman who could stand his anger unflinchingly and face it head-on was either his mother or the woman made for him.


    He understood this fact well. And so came the compromise.

 9. Reign Over the Animal In Me

    It had been a long time since she sat in a vehicle and drove at such a speed. She would have loved to be the one driving but unfortunately, her nearly two-hundred-year-old mate didn''t allow it. She decided that she had pushed him enough for one day and didn''t ask to drive anymore.


    In fact, ever since she agreed to his clause and both of them took a soul oath ¡ª an unbreakable promise ¡ª he had been very silent and uncommunicative other than the occasional touches here and there which wolves tended to do quite often. Sighing, she turned to him. Seeing her staring, he turned to look at her with raised brows.


    She smiled ruefully. "I''m sorry about earlier. It had to be done. I know you''re upset but I wouldn''t ask such a thing of you without a good reason, would I?" She stretched her hands to touch his cheek. Leaning into her palm, he placed his palm on hers.


    "You youngsters these days are so flighty, one never knows what you''re going to do next." He murmured. He leaned forward and stroked her hair, untangling her bun. Her brown locks tumbled down her shoulders, the curls framing her face. His breath hitched. "Goddess give me patience," he whispered.


    Without waiting for him to move, she leaned in and placed a soft kiss on his full lips. He grabbed the back of her head gently and guided her to continue the kiss. His onslaught was very soft and patient. He took his time to slowly explore every single inch of her mouth. Inexperienced as she was, she turned passive, accepting all that he was ready to give. Occasionally, she flicked out her tongue, licking the corners of his mouth. He would shiver in delight at the contact.


    By the end of it, they were breathing heavily. She tentatively put her head on his shoulders. He immediately put an arm around her, drawing her close. She snuggled into him comfortably, breathing in his sweet, delicious scent. "I''ve never done this before," She whispered. "I mean, I have hugged men, but I have no experience in this kind of stuff. I just wanted you to know."


    His eyes turned gold as his wolf, Lycan, rose to the surface. Two voices spoke together, "You had better have not. No one touches my mate and gets away with it."


    Danielle sniffed indignantly. Her sense of feminism rose quickly and she replied sharply, "And no woman is going to get away with even eyeing you." Her hackles were raised both as a woman and as a mate.


    Alex stroked her head and placed a kiss on the top of it. "You''re the only woman for me. I have been blessed with you after two hundred years of loneliness, of slowly losing myself to my wolf. If I make a muck of this, I''m not fit to be your mate or your king." He said quietly.Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.


    Her raised hackles hadn''t calmed down yet. "That better be the case, Your Majesty. I don''t share what''s mine." Then she muttered, "It''s bad enough that I''m sharing you with the kingdom."


    Alex laughed loudly, scaring the driver a little. "Darling, it''s a long ride. It''s best that you rest. I will wake you up when we reach the palace."


    She hummed in reply, sniffing at his beautiful scent once more. She purred contentedly.


    Not long after, Alex heard her steady, even breathing, and realised that she had fallen asleep. She was a territorial she-wolf ¡ª the first thing he had to remember about her. In his lifetime, this was the first time he was so ludicrously happy about something as small as learning something new about her.


    Perhaps to his headstrong mate, a mating was something usual. Something that was supposed to happen anyway in her life. Something that happened at the right place at the right time. She probably wasn''t able to recognise the significance of meeting one''s true mate, being quite young herself.


    But it was different with him. The last two decades of his life had been spent struggling to reclaim parts of his humanity that had left him. He had looked for his mate in every single pack secretly, but he hadn''t been able to find her anywhere. He had come to the conclusion that she was a wanderer. So he had spent some time in the forests close to the palace. But he couldn''t go very far. Duty called. He had to run a country ¡ª no, an empire of werewolves. Things needed to be done, wolves needed to be protected.


    And people needed to not know about his slow degeneration into a beast.


    "Don''t pretend as if you didn''t enjoy it," Lycan, his wolf, said snarkily. "It wasn''t as if the freedom of numbing yourself didn''t give you high in itself."


    Alex didn''t reply to that, continuing his line of thought.


    With great difficulty, he had summoned all his available strength and had decided to visit the packs again to find his mate. Someone he was desperate to find, kiss and kidnap back to the palace, tie her down there so she could never leave.


    But the Goddess worked in strange ways. From her very initial ''disrespect'', he knew she wouldn''t be bound. She wouldn''t be tamed. She was a force unto herself. His control over her would only be a struggle.


    But he also knew, the moment he laid eyes on her, that she was perfect. And so he didn''t hold back on all the love he had been planning to shower on her since he had found out about mates when he was thirteen.


    He took a deep breath in, remembering the oath she made him swear. Whatever her past was, it didn''t matter. What mattered was that they were in the present, and she was his present and he was hers. Bickering over something that might happen in the near future was not a sensible, adult thing to do.


    Alex decided that he could let it go. He had a choice before him ¡ª to either begin this relationship with a solid foundation of trust or begin with a slew of questions and doubts hurled at one another. He had made his mistakes. He had his secrets. He could understand, and he could let her have hers.


    His choice was to be happy with his beautiful Danielle and damned if anything was going to stop him in his path.

 10. Passing on the Baton

    It seemed like Danielle would not get entry into the palace any time soon. The moment they stepped out of the car at the entrance of the main palace building, she could smell powerful wolves inside, waiting for them.


    The king allowed her to loop her hand into his bent arm and he led her inside the gigantic doors. There, a group of thirty to forty people was waiting for them. At the forefront was a regal-looking, well-dressed white-haired lady with a forbidding look who oozed power and strength.


    "So this is the woman who''s taking my place?" The older woman looked critically at the girl ¡ª no, woman ¡ª standing beside her son. Alex narrowed his eyes at her tone, Lycan snarling inside. His wolf really didn''t like the way she was talking to his mate. He opened his mouth to warn her but she beat him to it.


    "How capable do you think you are, girl?" She demanded.


    "As and when the need arises, I will become that much capable," Danielle replied in all seriousness.


    Alex was so proud of her at that moment that his chest actually puffed.


    Danielle saw a flash of surprise in the old queen''s eyes, and she realised what the latter was doing.


    "Fairly good looks, but that isn''t what matters, I suppose, when one is dull as a beanstalk," Alex''s mother continued as she perused her daughter-in-law. "This is not a palace, girl, this is a war zone. We won''t have snivelling babes coming in here and causing needless chaos."


    "Mother!" Alex snapped. "That''s enough!" His mother snapped her head towards him. She was about to speak when Danielle placed a hand on his and spoke up.


    "You don''t see it, Your Majesty," She said in a low tone. Alex''s brows furrowed and the dowager queen looked at her, perplexed. "You don''t see that she is warning me, prepping me to take over. You are not looking the concern that''s hidden in her eyes."


    The dowager queen''s eyes widened and she took a step forward. She walked forward and pulled the young queen''s hand into her own. Her eyes, emerald green like her son''s, now had immense warmth in them. She looked her up and down affectionately. "Any child of Ursula is one of mine." She whispered to her, drawing her into an embrace. "You''ve brought yourself up well, child. I can''t see one more suited to the throne."


    A surprised Danielle hesitantly put her arms around her mother-in-law. Listening to her words, she noticed that firstly, she didn''t say ''I can''t see a woman'', she said, ''I can''t see one''. This meant that she saw her as her son''s equal. Secondly, she said ''suited to the throne'' and not ''suited to my son'', which made her feel complicated.


    After all, as a young woman, she also wanted to be suited to her mate.


    "Okay, mother, that was a good fastball you threw at me. Now please let go of my mate." He demanded. Danielle suppressed a smile at undertone of possessiveness in his voice.


    The dowager queen complied and stepped back. "Call me Helena," She told her softly. "Ask the guards to lead you to my study when you have any questions."


    Danielle nodded saying, "Of course."


    Alex then led her by the elbow and moved forward along the line that had been formed. "This is my beta, Richard." Alex introduced to her. Richard made a shallow bow with a distant smile.


    "It''s my honour, ma''am." He said in clipped tones. Alex narrowed his eyes about to show him his place, but he didn''t want to take away that right from his mate.If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    "Wow, what crawled up this guy''s ass?" Lupa commented. Danielle was bewildered why anyone would hate her without reason. Then she chuckled to herself. Didn''t her dad do the same for most of her life? He was still against her, sending forces to tail and capture her.


    Danielle was merely amused by this guy. She nodded. "Beta Richard," she murmured, looking right past him as if she didn''t notice his hostility at all.


    Alex''s lips curved slowly. Indifference was the best insult. Richard was a good beta but a questionable man.


    They moved on to the next person. "Darling, I''m not sure whether you know this, but the Royal Pack has two betas, and four deltas because of the large responsibilities they generally undertake. So this is our other beta, Ian."


    Danielle''s eyes popped out at the way her mate addressed her. She reprimanded him with her eyes but he merely chuckled. She turned to Beta Ian who looked like he was in his late twenties. But she knew everyone in this pack was filled with immortal monsters, so she didn''t even try to guess.


    Ian gave her a deep bow, his eyes filled with respect. He could sense the aura leaking out of his queen despite her trying to restrain it. He knew she deserved his, the Royal Pack''s and the kingdom''s respect. "My queen, it''s our good fortune to have you here."


    Richard snorted lightly; to him, Danielle was only a little girl. No on paid attention to him.


    The king introduced her to Spears next, the Head Butler of the Royal Palace. She would be interacting with him quite frequently. "My queen, I can''t tell you for how long this palace has been waiting for your arrival! Quite cheerless, quite empty. Regrettable, that''s what it was. Now that you''re here, we hope things will start changing!"


    Danielle smiled wryly. Happy? Cheerful? She wasn''t any of that. This poor butler was keeping unreasonable expectations. She patted Spears on the shoulder. "Good man," she praised him. "I - and His Majesty too, I''m sure - appreciate your loyalty to the crown."


    Spears beamed with joy as his eyes started to water. Wiping his eyes furiously, he said, "Thank you, Your Majesty."


    Following Spears were the four deltas of the pack. Then there were some lower rank wolves whom Alex didn''t bother to introduce. He slipped an arm around her waist and dismissed Spears who came running to help. The driver handed over the couple''s luggage to Spears who hurried to deliver them to the Royal Chambers.


    As they went passed many twists and turns, Alex introduced her to the many rooms, halls and ballrooms. He didn''t really expect her to remember which was which until much later. But he wanted her to feel at home and not be intimidated by this whole experience.


    He turned to look at her expression repeatedly. Sometimes she was interested, sometimes she was curiously bored. But she was never surprised. She was never fascinated. She was never awed. It was a calm that was beyond her years. This kind of calm and stability was scary for even a hundred-year-old wolf.


    Alex began growing increasingly curious about this seemingly extraordinary mate of his. A self-satisfied smirk slowly spread across his face. She was all his.


    Then they finally reached their rooms. There were two rooms side by side. One door had the king''s crown while the other had the queen''s crown embossed on them. These symbols conveyed that no other wolf had the right to step into these rooms unless she or he had permission. These rooms were royal territory.


    Alex led her to her room. He unlocked the door with keys that Spears had given him earlier and opened it wide for her to enter. When she went in, Danielle''s eyes were blinded. There was so much pink and purple that she wanted to throw up. She swallowed tremulously. "Erm... Your Majesty?" She said softly.


    Alex frowned. He turned fully towards her. He walked to her and she took steps backwards until she hit the wall. He placed his hands on either side of her and leaned in. He captured her lower lip and bit it hard until she hissed (out of pleasure or pain, it was unknown). "Love, I hate to do this, but you have to be punished for calling me by my title all the time. And my name isn''t ''Your Majesty''. It''s Alexander. Or Alex."


    Her breath hitched at the intensity of his eyes as they bore down hers.


    "Now, love, what were you saying?"


    She blinked twice and shook her head as if clearing them of thoughts. Alex found it adorable. "Well. Ahem." She cleared her throat. "I was wondering, Alex, whether I could redecorate this... room." She stopped herself from saying the adjectives ''terrible'' and ''awful''.


    Alex seemed to understand something as he looked around the room. He adjusted his shirt awkwardly, "You''re right, this doesn''t seem to suit you very much. Please, don''t ask permission for anything here. You''re the queen. Go ahead and redecorate."


    For the first time since he had seen her, Danielle gave him a full-blown smile that took his breath away.

 11. Secrets Will Only Scare You

    "There are two things you need to pay attention to, now." Helena''s voice rung across the hall. "First, your coronation. You have to go through all the rituals and practice them. Second, your status as queen."


    Danielle raised a brow and asked, "My status as queen will be questioned openly? I mean, I understand some will be unhappy, but they won''t rebel, will they?"


    Helena chortled. "No, no, no one will challenge you for your status. But you won''t have much of a political standing either."


    Danielle sighed, relieved. "So you''re talking about strength, mother." She said, the word ''mother'' coming out effortlessly. "If it''s that, you needn''t worry at all."


    Helena didn''t even listen to what she said. After hearing her call her mother, everything else floated over her head. A joyful twinkle appeared in her eyes, knowing that she had truly accepted and been accepted by this child.


    "Mum. Mum!" Danielle waved her hand in front of her face. Helena abruptly came to.


    "What did you say?" Helena asked dazedly. Danielle sighed.


    "I said that if it''s about strength," She explained patiently, "you don''t have to worry too much. That part, I will sort out."


    Helena raised her brows in surprise. "That is some confidence. Does it come from your training?"


    "No, it just comes from my ability," Danielle said simply.


    "Well," Helena drawled. "I will have to see it to believe it."


    "I will put up a fine show, then. Please take tickets for the front seat."


    <hr>


    The coronation was going to happen soon, and there were many things expected of Danielle during and before the coronation. The preparations were immense, she was told. There were actually people who were alive from the time the previous King Archer and Queen Helena were coronated. Like the Elders. Danielle felt her head spin thinking about living as long as even her mate.


    But in the face of all these pressures, Danielle remained calm. "Love, if you want, we''ll postpone the coronation, give you some time." Alex had looked at her worriedly. "I''m not sure... I''m not doubting your capability, but this truly¡ª"


    "Alex," Danielle had whispered, covering his mouth with her hands. "Calm down. See? I''m calm. This is not as difficult or tiresome as you make it out to be. I''ve seen what I have to do, and I can handle it."


    Alex had suddenly licked her palm. She had taken it back yelping. Glaring at him once, she had turned around and walked away, listening to his rich, beautiful laughter the whole way.


    She had then begun her etiquette and ceremonies'' class. She smiled at her teacher respectfully, as the latter was much older and experienced than her. The door to the ballroom had closed behind them as they began. For two hours, Alex, who was pacing outside, could hear only murmurs and instructions. But suddenly, the door opened. The teacher looked flushed, her face red and roused.This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there.


    She curtsied before her king and said breathlessly, "I can''t teach her anymore, my king!"


    Alex was alarmed. Surely Dani couldn''t be as bad as that? Surely she was teachable? Or was this teacher one of those who was biased against their new queen? Red hot fury flowed through his being, at the thought of his mate disrespected. He was about to rage at this woman when the latter continued.


    "Your Majesty, the young queen knew everything even before I began teaching her. And what she didn''t know, she picked up within seconds. That kind of grasping power is... incredible." The teacher lamented. "Your Majesty, I can guarantee you that the queen is ready to go through the coronation even if it is tomorrow. It''s best she spends her time in learning things other than my subject."


    Alex was stupefied, to say the least. His mouth was open in shock and didn''t show any signs of closing. Danielle came out of the hall finally and smiled a little at this look of his. She lifted his jaw and closed his mouth. He then snapped out of his daze.


    "Okay," he said finally, "okay. You''re dismissed." He sent the teacher away. He turned to his mate, with incredible joy in his face. He lifted her by the waist and twirled her about in the ballroom until she squealed happily. He put her down and steadied her. Pulling her close to his chest, he looked down at her deeply, his green eyes almost hypnotising.


    "You," he breathed, "are so much more than I expected."


    She smiled jerkily but in his joy, he didn''t see the difference. She brought her hand to his face. Stroking his cheek, she asked with a small smile, "I take it you like who you mated, then?"


    He nodded eagerly. "Oh, yes. And I plan to spend the rest of our existence showing just how much I like you, Dani."


    Danielle made a sound which was a mix of a choked sob and a laugh. Now, Alex noticed something off about her expression. Rubbing a thumb on her cheek, he asked, frowning anxiously. "What''s wrong, Dani? Aren''t you happy here? Did something happen?"


    She shook her head at his questions. "I''m very happy here, Alex. I finally have a mom, a home, a family and... you. It''s because I''m so happy that... it makes me emotional."


    Alex looked at her sceptically. She laughed a little at his suspicion. She decided to the one thing which would make him believe her. She simply leaned in and kissed away all his fears.


    It was an hour later that found her in the queen''s study. She asked the guards she had been assigned ¡ª Ryan and Terrence to help her bring in some of the files related to the alliances and treaties in the kingdom from the king''s office and the library. She spent the rest of the day reading through them and, whether anyone else believed it or not, memorising them.


    As she finished up, she stared at the lights, her thoughts drifting towards her fears, once again. The knowledge she held and the power she could wield were things which had to be feared. These treaties, these alliances, the workings of the royal household, the factions in the royal court, the history of politics among the werewolf nobility ¡ª she knew all of them. Without skimping on a single detail.


    It frightened her.


    Not because she had it, but because a slip of tongue, a casual remark somewhere could trap her. Bind her literally in chains. Knowledge was power. Knowledge was also dangerous. And she was mated to the most dangerous and astute mind in the continent. Currently, he was blinded by the mate bond between them, but soon, he would start to notice. This combination constantly kept her on tenterhooks. She wasn''t one to get pressured so easily, but keeping secrets and hiding things was taking a toll on her.


    She was just trying to do some good. Why was it so hard?

 12. What Wanders Gets Lost

    It was a slow day in the Jade Pack. Inside the alpha''s son''s room sat three teenagers. The television was on and the entertainment channel was playing. But none of them was looking at the TV. "So you''re telling me," Brandon, the oldest said slowly, in a dangerous voice, "that our sister killed our mom''s brother to protect you?"


    Naomi looked scared. She knew her brother was really, really angry. And she hated to be at the end of his questioning. Ben, her other brother was looking at her in shock. "Whoa, wait!" He nearly shouted. "Our uncle put his filthy paws on you?"


    "H-he was t-t-trying and I-I was fighting him off, I s-s-swear! But th-then I wasn''t able to and b-big sis smelled my distress." Naomi stuttered. The boys'' eyes widened. "She s-saw what happened and g-g-got so an-angry, goddess." She exclaimed, not wanting to recall how terrifying Danielle had looked when she had attacked. "Sh-she ripped him apart instantly. She took b-barely five seconds."


    Brandon grunted with frustration. He pulled at his hair, growling angrily. "What took you so long?" He strained to keep his voice low. His wolf was telling him to go choke his sister.


    "I was scared!" She yelled. "Dad, mom, granddad... everyone was going after her! I thought... if I said something, they would shut me up. You know how much they hate her! They just need an excuse to go after her, and if I ruined it, I would probably be sent away somewhere remote."


    "She is running for her life, Naomi," Ben held Brandon back from attacking her. "We don''t know if she is dead or alive. And let alone the fact that she''s the sister we have looked up to all our lives, she saved you from possibly being raped. At least for that, you should have let go of your selfishness."


    Naomi collapsed on the ground, sobbing. "I''m sorry, I was so scared."


    Ben sighed. He put an arm around her and pulled her into a hug. But Brandon couldn''t care less. His mind was constantly thinking of where she might be and how he could help her.


    "...queen and the king finally reached the palace earlier today. You can see on the screen that the mate bond has begun working already! How cute the couple looks! We have more pictures coming in of His and Her Majesty."


    "Shut that crap up!" Brandon growled loudly. He instinctively swung to look at the TV set when all three of them fell silent.


    On the screen was their king walking with their sister.


    "Inside sources tell us that although protocol demanded not calling her by her title before the coronation, His Majesty insisted that she be accorded every respect as a coronated queen. Well, folks, looks like this is a done deal!"


    "Oh, my god," Naomi whispered.


    "You got that right," Ben said in a whisper.


    "Shut up, I have to think." Brandon frowned. His elder sister. The one he had adored and hero-worshipped all his life. She was the queen. He felt rather complicated about it.Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    For one thing, she was going to be so far away. For another, he believed that that was where she belonged. She had been reinstated in her rightful place. He only hoped that His Majesty treated her well. Otherwise, he didn''t mind rebelling against the crown.


    "Bran? What do we do now?" Ben mock-whispered. Brandon looked at his siblings.


    "We," he said, "are going to the palace."


    <hr>


    Goddess. She was everywhere. Her face was plastered on every known website and every TV channel. The royal telephone was constantly buzzing asking for interviews and sound bites from her. On one level, she could understand that people were excited about getting a queen after a hundred and fifty years. On another level, this experience was completely surreal. She couldn''t believe that people were so interested in knowing things about her.


    She was a private person, so she asked McCall, who was now helping her out too, to decline all offers.


    "So famous. At least tell them my name, Dani. Don''t be evil and keep me hidden." Lupa spoke in her mind. Danielle thought about it for a while and decided to do one interview. She called McCall and told him about it.


    "Your Majesty, I would advise against it before the coronation. At least then you will have legitimacy in their eyes." McCall said pointedly. She winced. The truth hurt. "Might I suggest, Your Majesty, that we put up a profile of yours on the website of the crown?"


    She hesitated. "Let me talk to the king about this." She had self-knowledge and knew that these things were not something she had any experience in. So she walked quickly to his study but suddenly stopped outside the door. She didn''t know whether she should disturb him. What if he was doing something important?


    She hovered in that spot indecisively for about ten minutes, when suddenly the door opened. Alex came out of the room looking amused. "Darling, what are you doing outside my door? For ten minutes at that."


    For the first time in a long time, Danielle''s face flushed red. She was so embarrassed that she wished the ground would swallow her as a whole. Alex stifled a laugh. He extended his hand and she took it. He pulled her into his study.


    There were many files, papers and documents strewn across the table. Dani looked around curiously. She had never been to his study. There was a huge cabinet for keeping his books. It was like a mini-library. There was a cabinet for alcohol too. Then there was a huge painting of a man who looked so much like her mate. Except he had a French beard and was wearing the crown.


    "Your father?" She murmured. He looked at the painting and nodded. "How...?"


    His face sank and his eyes darkened. It seemed like Lycan, his wolf, was very close to the surface. She was taken aback. This question provoked such an extreme reaction? She let Lupa come to the fore. Lupa took over her body completely and walked towards her mate.


    "Mate," She hissed, seeing her other half for the first time. She ran her hand up and down his chest, calming the other wolf down. But Lycan didn''t retreat. Lupa cupped his face in her hands and pulled him close to meet her lips with his. The moment their lips met, Lupa attacked ferociously, fighting for dominance in their kiss. An excited Lycan reciprocated. When Lupa held his tongue between her teeth lightly, she slowly drew back.


    "Tell your human to go on a run, soon," she ordered. Lycan kissed her one last time before both gave up control.


    Danielle didn''t forget what just happened. She raised a brow at Alex. "Well? What was that all about?"


    Alex looked contrite and apologetic. "I''m sorry. I was already in a bad mood and was looking through some reports about Wanderers attacking packs. My father," he paused looking at her, "was killed by a large group of wanderers. It was a planned assassination. So it comes as no surprise that they are no better than filth to me."


    Danielle flinched at the venom in his voice. Her heart skipped a beat. Her hands trembled. She looked at her mate staring at his father''s portrait. "Alex," she said slowly, "I am a wanderer."

 13. Turning Over the Norm

    Alex saw her sit still on the dining table. Her knuckles were white from grasping the cutlery too tightly. She wasn''t moving her hands at all, staring blankly at the plate that was slowly filling up. Finally, he had to stop them from serving her more. He cleared his throat, hoping she would come to. But it had no effect. Sighing, he leaned forward and put his hand over her tightly gripped one.


    "Darling," he murmured. At the endearment, she snapped back to reality. Her blue eyes stared at him expressionlessly.


    "Maybe this is a mistake," She declared. Alex froze, knowing what was on her mind.


    He was very afraid to ask, "What... is a mistake?"


    She gestured between them. "This. Us. Our mating. Maybe the goddess was sleepy when she chose me for you."


    Alex took in a shuddering breath. "It was one argument, Dani. We can resolve arguments. You don''t have to doubt our entire relationship for the sake of a small dispute."


    Her eyes widened and he knew he had made some mistake. "A small dispute? You think that my identity as a Wanderer is a small issue? And it doesn''t matter that you''re so intrinsically prejudiced against my kind?"


    Alex felt his anger and despair rising. He controlled his rage and gripped the table with both hands. He said through gritted teeth, "You''re not a wanderer. You have always been in a pack, pack-link or no. And I''m not prejudiced. It''s a fact that Wanderers are dangerous beings that should not¡ª"


    "Enough!" She thundered. The stoic guards flinched at the tone, shocked to their core about the way she spoke to her mate. Surprisingly, Alex complied. But she couldn''t see that he was simmering with rage. She whispered, "This is why. This is the most fundamental part of myself that you''re refusing to accept. Why should I accept any part of you, then? Why must you be my mate?"


    The dining table broke and all the crockery crashed on to the floor, making a commotion. The maids wanted to hurry and clean it up, but they were terrified of the king''s wrath.


    "Don''t say that," Alex warned. "Don''t test me, Danielle."


    Danielle didn''t seem the least bit surprised. "I could as well reject you now," she said in a blas¨¦ manner. As if she didn''t care one bit that she was riling him up, "and we could go our separate¡ª"


    CRASH!


    The rest of the table broke with all the cutlery and crockery breaking because of the shock of Alex''s hit. His eyes were now glowing red. He was only partially in control, now.


    He stalked towards her, shoving her towards the wall. She continued to look in his eye, not resisting. "I have been nothing but patient, my love," Lycan said smoothly, threateningly. "And you have tested my patience repeatedly. I haven''t even marked you, despite how much I want to sink my teeth into your delicious skin. Yet you defy me at every turn..."Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.


    "I never asked you to wait," she said, matter-of-factly. "I was ready to be marked the first day. But now I''m glad you didn''t."


    Alex roared in anger. All the wolves in a five-kilometre radius shivered in fear. Raising his head with an animalistic howl, he swiftly came down on her neck, about to sink his teeth in when she slid her leg between his, twisted his shoulder around and tripped him up, placing a knee on his back and a hand on his head.


    "You will calm down." She ordered, her voice doubling with Lupa''s. The guards around felt like they should do something, but they decided not to intervene, afraid of making either werewolf unhappy.


    Alex struggled a little, growling and snarling uncontrollably. Then slowly, his breathing became ragged, his teeth retracted and he began to calm down. His breathing finally evened and he lay down still on the ground, exhausted, depleted and even slightly ashamed. Danielle didn''t let go of her grip the entire time.


    "Are you feeling¡ª"


    "Brother dearest!" A man burst into the room. "It seemed like you were furious so I, like¡ª what is going on?" He said incredulously.


    Danielle looked at him calmly. She was slightly surprised about who could have the audacity to barge in like that, but when she looked at him, she realised who it was. The man had silky black hair a mop of which fell on his forehead carelessly. He wore a suit and trousers and looked like he was just returning from official business. Overall a handsome guy, but she had seen many handsome men and this one didn''t unnerve her.


    "A little bit of anger management," she commented flippantly.


    "A-anger management?" He choked out.


    She let go of her mate, finally. He quickly stood up and dusted off his clothes. He looked drawn and tired. She knew this was not the time to give him comfort. And she was right.


    Humiliation and shame were coursing through Alex''s veins. He wasn''t even able to look his mate in the eye. He knew a great deal of this was his fault but he wasn''t ready to accept it right after being thrown on the ground unceremoniously.


    He turned to look at his brother. "Andrew, let''s go."


    Seeing the palpable tension in the air, Andrew obediently followed his brother, turning back to look at his sister-in-law with a hint of awe on his face.


    Danielle slid down on the floor, covering her face in her hands. What had she done? "Don''t feel bad about it. I''m sure he is already regretting being impulsive. The only thing you need to feel bad about is for provoking him, knowing he was angry." Lupa advised her.


    Danielle resisted the urge to declare that she had been angry too, but she knew better than to defend herself. She had been angry, yes. But that didn''t warrant her upsetting her mate when he was already upset.


    With the issue of the Wanderers, she decided to let it go for a time. She would slowly try and remove that huge bias he had towards them... and maybe then he would accept her for who she was in her entirety. Currently, he was in love with a dream, an unreal woman. A real person, in her opinion, came along with her or his past. Each person was a sum of his or her experiences. If he disliked, despised her experience, then there would be no point in forcibly staying together as mates.


    To her, her individuality was paramount. So what if the kingdom had a Wanderer queen? She wouldn''t give up on her identity and she wouldn''t give up on what it had turned her into, mate or not.

 14. Forgive, But Remember

    "Your Majesty, no, the other majesty, if you could please turn a little to the left... that''s right... that''s a great angle... if you could sit down... yes, that''s it. Your Majesty should hold her by the shoulders... perfect... yes, okay." The photographer gave instructions as the couple changed poses and appeared as loving mates.


    The shoot was taking place in a huge room which they called the Velvet Room. There were many long windows across the room, making it well-lit. The walls were also decorated tastefully, making this room ideal for photo shoots. In the centre was a grand-looking chair, the main prop for the shoot.


    Danielle had finally decided on her own about putting up her profile on the royal website, instead of taking part in an interview. She felt it was more appropriate if she gave an interview as a coronated queen. But when the royal photographer came, she didn''t realise that she had to take pictures with her mate too. She thought she could just pose and be done with it, but it was a long-drawn process with a lot of specifications for posture.


    It was torture.


    To just sit still while feeling the soft touches of Alex''s hands was tempting her to howl with delight; to kiss him senseless and beg him to mark her immediately. Her self-control was slipping.


    So, the moment the shoot was done, she quickly gathered her dress, turned on her heels and got ready to leave. But she felt a powerful tug at her hand which made her slide towards Alex and fall on his warm, powerful chest. She gasped, struggling to get out of his hold. "Let it be, Dani. My, oh, my! Isn''t he delicious!" Lupa exclaimed in her head.


    Lupa''s constant encouragement wasn''t doing her any good. Her strength was on par with her mate''s, but when he was being purposeful, she couldn''t get out without a fight. "A fight is also unnecessary. Just kiss him!" Lupa urged.


    She sighed and gave up, staring at his chest and refusing to meet his gaze.


    "Look at me," he demanded. She closed her eyes, disobeying him. "Look at me, damn it!"


    Her eyes snapped open and she looked up to stare into his eyes. He rubbed her cheek with his thumb and with that little gesture, she could feel his endless affection.


    Having lived for two centuries, he was able to be less petty and more patient. Time did that to a person. He didn''t want to lose out any time with her because of a little disagreement which didn''t even matter in the larger scheme of things.


    "Dismissed," he said brusquely at the audience they had gathered. They all scurried away quickly like mice.


    He then held her at arm''s length so that he could look at her properly. "I should never have tried to mark you without your permission. For that, I''m sorry." He said, his face so sincere that she had no choice but to believe him.


    She looked at him, her features softening. She gave him a small smile and nodded, accepting his apology. "I was upset and tried to provoke you again and again. I shouldn''t have done that, so I was wrong too."


    "And for a wolf as old as I am, I should have had better control over my anger."


    "It was my fault for even suggesting a... separation."


    Alex growled again about being separated from his mate. He felt a sharp pain in his chest at the thought of being away from her.


    Seeing this, she leaned in and pecked him on the lips. But before she could pull away, he yanked her back, kissing her as if he were swallowing her as a whole. When they broke apart, they were both gasping for breath. A slow smile appeared on Alex''s lips. "So we''re good, then?"


    Still gasping for breath, she said,"Oh, yes."


    <hr>


    It was lunchtime and as usual, there was a large spread for the royals. There were four places set for them, but currently, only two were occupied.


    "Twenty years. Twenty years that I haven''t seen you! No calls, no emails, no contact with the pack, no contact with your brother." Helena berated her second son endlessly.


    Andrew had stuffed his mouth full and he looked at his mother with puppy dog eyes. She just smacked him on the head inelegantly, waiting for him to chew and swallow. "Nearly two centuries and you''ve still not learnt your table manners." She paused, "In fact, I have never had such an expectation of you as long as I can remember."Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more.


    Andrew rolled his eyes. "Mum, your expectations dried up when you poured them all on my big brother." He said blandly. "I could never decide whether I was jealous of him or relieved that I don''t have that responsibility."


    Helena looked at her outspoken son with mixed emotions. It was true that she had not given him as much attention as his brother. But wasn''t it time to get over those issues? Did they linger for this long? It wasn''t as if he was ill-treated or even neglected. She had paid attention, but just not enough.


    Archer, on the other hand... he had been great with the boys. They never felt anything but confidence when they were with him. Oh, Archer.


    Andrew''s face fell looking at his mother''s changing expressions. "You''re thinking about dad again. And you''ll feel sad about it for the next hour. And I won''t get to talk to you properly because of that."


    Helena smiled softly. She was beyond crying and grieving for her mate. Although it hurt every single day, she had only fond memories left which kept her heart warm at night. "No, no. Come, tell me about your so-called adventures."


    "Oh, is Andrew here, too?" A voice came from the entrance. The king and the queen entered the dining hall. Reflexively, Andrew stood up. His wolf didn''t allow any disrespect to the couple. Alex looked at him exasperatedly. Danielle was bewildered.


    "Sit down, Drew. I can''t believe you still do this." Alex muttered. "It was bad enough when I had just become king. But still?"


    Andrew scratched the back of his neck embarrassedly. "It''s a habit. And Rey doesn''t let me be seated." Rey, his wolf, was a stickler to rules. He turned to Danielle and stretched out his hand. "Andrew Remington, my lady. When I saw you yesterday, I knew immediately that I liked you."


    Danielle shook his hands with a smile, as Alex paused slightly at the reminder. "It''s a pleasure to meet you, Andrew. I think we''ll get along famously." She gave him what could only be called a wicked grin.


    To Alex, she seemed so easy and open and free at that moment. "She is never like that with you." Lycan snarled at him in his head. "She doesn''t want you the way we want her. Do something about it!"


    In Alex''s head, the blame fell entirely on the Wanderers. They had destroyed his family and now destroying his mating. Even he didn''t want to imagine the consequences of his misplaced anger.


    Danielle noticed that Alex was being strangely silent and she looked at him quizzically. Instantly, his face brightened and he plunged himself into the conversation. She gave him an odd look and began participating in it herself.


    "Darling, the coronation is two days away and you haven''t had your last round of fittings, yet. And you too, Alex. You need fittings for your robes on the day." Helena urged them both. Both of them muttered their assent.


    "What I find interesting," Andrew began with a mischievous gleam in his eyes, "is that suddenly, the queen is darling while the king is Alex. How, I wonder, did this happen?"


    Helena merely hmphed. Danielle laughed and Alex looked as if he was just realising it. "Don''t try to sow dissension, Andrew," Alex glanced at his brother while taking a bite of his food. "Mother has accepted her as a part of the family, and now it''s only right that she treats her well."


    "Oooh," Andrew drawled still smirking. "So what would have happened if mother hadn''t accepted her, brother?"


    Alex frowned. Why was his brother trying to create trouble? "That''s a hypothetical question, which I don''t need to answer."


    Andrew chuckled. "Sis-in-law, he already refuses to take a side. Imagine your life for the rest of your existence!"


    By this time, their lunch was coming to an end. Danielle wiped her hands with a napkin and stood up, going over to where Andrew is seated. She leaned forward and whispered, although everyone could hear her, "I think it''s best if you don''t take out your frustrations on your brother." She said sternly. Then she softened. "You can always tell me, we can think of a way to sort it out."


    Andrew froze in his seat, as did Helena. Everyone forgot at that moment that the queen was only twenty-one years old. She had much less experience than those sitting there, but by making that statement, she showed exactly how mature her thinking was, how good her instincts were, and how intuitive she was.


    Andrew cleared his throat uncomfortably. "Will do, my queen." He said quietly.


    Danielle glanced at her mate from across the table only to see his eyes swirling gold with his wolf at the surface. She finally acknowledged the restlessness Lupa had been experiencing. She had to shift. If she didn''t, Lupa would fight back viciously, giving her a headache.


    "Alex," she said tentatively. He looked at her askance, his eyes returning to green. "How about I meet the pack tonight? I want to go for a run, so I think it''s a good idea to run with everyone."


    Alex''s brows furrowed. "Are you sure you''re ready?" He asked. She shrugged.


    "Ready as I ever will be, darling. What preparation do I need to meet them?" She raised a brow.


    As they spoke, Helena and Andrew silently exited the room.


    "I just thought you needed some time to get used to this, that''s all." Alex insisted.


    Danielle walked to him and placed her hands on his chest. "Love, I think it''s sweet that you''re taking so much care about how I progress, but you have to understand that I have already accepted this. My role as your mate and as queen. I am ready to do whatever I have to and I don''t need to wait. So." She blew air on his ear, smiling. "Can I meet the pack tonight?"


    Alex put his arms around her and pulled her into a hug. "You can do whatever you want as long as you smile at me like that every day."

 15. Mark of the Moon

    Even before Alex heard the knock on the door, he knew who was outside. "Come in, love." He called out.


    Suddenly, Danielle burst into the room and nearly ran around the table. She pressed him back against the chair he sat on and smashed her lips against his. She was slightly clumsy at first, having little experience. But slowly, she became sure of herself and became increasingly bolder in her conquest of him.


    Her legs wound around his hips and she sat on his lap, rubbing against him in all the wrong places. Her hands gripped his raven hair and yanked at it as her sexual frustration became unbearable.


    Alex was bewildered, to say the least, but he was more than happy to comply. He participated in this ''make-out session'' with a great deal of enthusiasm.


    When she was breathing heavily, having parted from his lips, she closed her eyes and moaned as he placed small kisses from her temple to the base of her neck. His tongue swirled around her earlobe as she gasped, making these small noises that fired Alex up and made him gradually give up control to his wolf. He bit on her earlobe enough to hurt but not enough to break the skin. She hissed, although it may not have hurt her that much.


    "You''re so unbelievably responsive, sweetheart," he groaned, in between pecks he gave her on the neck above the collarbone.


    "I was made for you, after all," She replied cheekily. But he was gone. He was beyond carrying a conversation. The little rational voice in Danielle''s head told her to prepare, to beware, but her and Lupa were, if not in the throes of ecstasy, experiencing this kind of pleasure for the first time.


    It was painful.


    It was addictive.


    And goddess, did it make her feel good.


    Alex didn''t allow her to think anymore as he continued attacking her body in ways that she could never imagine. It was at this time that she saw his golden eyes. She knew her intent would come to fruition. She kissed him on his hair, on his nose on his cheeks, on his lips, everywhere.


    "Dani, I can''t hold back much longer," Alex said through gritted teeth, closing his eyes as if it pained him to stay away from her.


    She looked at him and smiled softly. "That''s why I came, Alex. I want you to mark me."


    Alex''s eyes flew open in surprise as she swept her hair to one side. She nodded, indicating that she was ready. A wicked smile came on his lips. His canines extended until they were around six inches long. He went into a half-shift in his urgency and excitement to claim her as his.


    Raising his head, he growled loudly as his teeth came down, sinking into her skin. She growled a little instinctively but calmed down knowing that it was her mate. She winced in hurt but that was all. It was relatively painless compared to some things she had experienced.


    At that moment, Lupa instinctively took over and half-shifted. Her nails extended to claws and her back hunched a little. Her canines extended and her eyes turned silver. She grabbed his shoulder in an animalistic way and sank her teeth into his neck. Alex stiffened, growling but relaxed slowly.


    The couple clung on to each other for a what seemed like hours but was in fact only five minutes. They let go of each other and, raising their head to the sky, howled in joy and contentment. Alex was particularly pleased. This was it. She wouldn''t leave after this. There was no way things could go wrong.


    <hr>


    The palace was right in the middle of the Vauxterel Forests. And minimal deforestation was done to build the palace centuries ago. And there was a large area of land at the back of the palace for assemblies, training, garden parties, etc. which connected directly to the forests. Under the moonlight, where there ought to have been quiet, there was a great amount of activity going on on the royal grounds.


    "So," one wolf whispered to another. "I heard that the... queen was going to run with us tonight."


    The other wolf seemed taken aback. "The queen? So soon? I thought she would wait until the coronation."


    "Heh," a warrior smirked. "She thinks she is all that, thinking she is ready to lead us? Peh!" He spat on the ground. "Let her come and see what is real strength!"


    The first wolf flinched at the malevolence in his voice. "I think... if the moon goddess made her queen, then... she must be that capable."


    "Shut up, omega. We won''t stand for an incapable, weak female to run things around here."


    As she came out of the palace and walked on the royal grounds, Danielle heard many voices speak either for or against her. She felt strange that she actually cared about what they were saying. Going solo her entire life, this was a bewildering feeling. When they saw her coming in, some stopped talking and bowed, while others pretended she didn''t exist. She watched the whole thing with interest. She was completely ignored, with the endless gossip and chatter running on and on.Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    But then the king walked in.


    And there was an immediate silence. One second they were buzzing like bees and the next, the bees were all dead. Not even a single shuffle was heard. Men, women, children, teens, everyone was bowing his or her head, showing their heartfelt respect and slight fear towards the alpha and king.


    Alex didn''t say anything, strolling leisurely before the ones in the front. He could hear their heart race. "Good," Lycan growled. "You haven''t disciplined them enough." His face was expressionless and he showed no joy towards his pack. Alex grunted in agreement. "Give me one reason," he growled loudly, "just one, as to why I shouldn''t punish this irreverent pack."


    He could now hear hundreds of hearts racing.


    He exerted pressure ¡ª his aura as king and as their alpha. Not many could stand that kind of pressure. Knowing this, Danielle placed her hand on his shoulder and pressed down on it. "Love, I can''t earn their respect by you scolding them. Besides, doing this will only garner their hatred towards me." She spoke through their mind-link. One of the advantages of being marked was that they could talk to each other telepathically.


    Alex huffed, still indignant about all the whispers he had heard. "My queen tells me to let you go because she is merciful. But if I hear you saying what you said, and doing what you did again, then goddess help me, I won''t be responsible for my actions." He said in a low, deep tone, but every single wolf could hear the threat in his tone.


    "Tonight is important because my mate," he paused, flashing her a quick grin, "and your queen will be running with the entire pack. This is so she could get to know you better. Now, who has any objections to this plan?" He asked loudly. No one dared to utter a peep. "Good. Let''s begin the run."


    As was custom, the wolves respectfully let the king shift first. But to their horror, the queen began shifting along with the king. She was just thinking how convenient it was to not remove clothing and wear them again. They automatically appeared when they shifted back. But from the shocked pack members, several protesting squeaks and disgruntled shouts could be heard across the land.


    The king''s wolf, their true wolf king, Lycan. They had all seen him and were immensely proud of the strength their king had. But this was the first time Danielle was seeing his wolf. And she had only one word for him. Breathtaking. He truly had taken her breath away. In her eyes, he was about seven feet tall and had pitch-black fur. His eyes were golden and seemed to be swirling constantly, hypnotically. But the most enthralling part was the patterns.


    From the back of his neck till his chest, he had silver patterns which looked like ancient writings. All the patterns came together in his forehead, marking a little crown on it. There was no more proof that he could provide to say that he was the king of werewolves.


    But while she was busy admiring and drooling over her beautiful mate, Danielle didn''t know that everyone was looking at her with shock, and Alex with surprise and joy.


    Danielle was an ash-grey wolf. The colour was very close to white. But what she wasn''t aware of was that she too had similar patterns on her wolf, which congregated on her forehead with a little crown up there. "This must be because of the marking," Alex told her.


    "What is?" She asked, confused. Then she realised how differently wolves were looking at her. "Alex, what''s wrong?"


    Alex stifled a laugh, but he barked anyway. "It looks like we match, love. You have the queen''s patterns all over you."


    Danielle yelped. "Is there a lake, nearby?" She asked, panicked.


    His big head nodded. "Come, I''ll show you." He said. Turning around he took off into the forest. Very quickly, she followed behind him. According to pack hierarchy, each one of the wolves instinctively organised themselves and took off behind their king and queen.


    By the time they followed their scent and reached, they could see the king''s mate looking at her own reflection in the lake while the king stood next to her licking her neck, nipping at her ear and generally fooling around in an unkingly way. So unkingly that his own pack felt embarrassed for him.


    Then they all heard the king''s orders, "Follow the usual path to run," he commanded. Quickly, the eager young wolves who loved a race and the older ones who wanted to free their wolves shuffled around restlessly. This time, the king and the queen didn''t run ahead of them, but with them.


    Lupa ran around with the other wolves. She was fast, too fast. So she slowed down to their pace and matched their speed. When she saw the young ones, she instinctively rubbed against them, nudging them to try running faster. When she met the older ones, their wolves quickly dipped their heads to her, slowing down. It didn''t matter that their human forms didn''t like her. Their wolves knew she was their rightful queen. She could never become queen without their acceptance.


    She urged them to race with her and run, following the path that the entire pack was taking. She didn''t interact with her mate much because she knew he was having a serious conversation with his betas. She didn''t want to ask or interrupt when she was trying to bond with the pack.


    Hours later, they came back to the spot where they began, by the lake.


    The king walked majestically up a small hill and looked back at his queen. She quickly followed him up the hill and stood next to him. This was an animal''s seat of power. From here, they could oversee. They sat there, rolling about, playing around and teasing each other for a while. He actually began to play a game of chase with her. She watched him with helpless amusement and went behind him to catch. Every time one caught the other, they would pounce on them and lick them, nip them until it tickled.


    As the night began to leave, giving way to the light, Alex looked towards the moon solemnly. Danielle watched as he dipped his head and raised it slowly. Staring at the moon that gave him strength, he let out a loud howl of joy, of contentment, of power and of dominance.


    Mid-way, she followed him and howled to the moon like never before. It was her prayer to the moon goddess, of expectations and of hope for their kind.


    Soon, the forests were filled with howls of the royal pack, still remaining in the skies long after the wolves were gone.

 16. The Race to the Crown

    When they neared the palace, the three siblings found that there was absolutely no place to park their car. "Fu- damn it!" Brandon swore, looking at the sea of cars being valet parked by the palace staff.


    These were all important people. In fact, he was also an important person but he had no invitation. Besides, his pack had exiled their queen, so the palace could potentially be hostile to the members of the Jade Pack. Naturally, once she was crowned queen, all the exile orders would be null and void.


    "Brandon, what do we do?" Naomi asked anxiously. She was afraid to be seen by anyone who could tell her father on her. Ben gave her an impatient glance. It seemed like his sister''s moral compass needed serious correction.


    Brandon took out his phone and dialled the number of the secretary, McCall. He had stolen the number from his father''s study before leaving.


    They shuffled in the corner uncomfortably, trying to remain as inconspicuous as possible. Despite their efforts, they were caught by some people. These people were the elite guests for today''s programme, but they recognised the siblings.


    "Ah, look who it is!" Reece clapped Brandon on the shoulder enthusiastically. "Brandon Ward, heir-apparent to the Jade Pack!"


    "Alpha Grant," Brandon greeted him, fidgeting. His eyes shifted from one side to another like a cornered prey. And the situation was not very different from that.


    Misha, the alpha of the Aquamarine Pack, eyed Benjamin up and down. "Brutus, is it? I remember your parents named you both after B," Misha scoffed. "How very common of them."


    "It''s Benjamin, alpha," Ben stood straight and replied with all the courage he could master. His wolf was already feeling nervous about being around so many alphas, him being a beta himself.


    "Whatever, it doesn''t matter does it, when our soon-to-be queen was treated so abominably by your family?" Samuel Eden, alpha to the Turquoise Pack, waved their inanities off impatiently and directly scolded them.


    "And this chit was the one behind all this, am I right?" Caleb Holmes smiled gently, deceptively. He gave Naomi an intense stare when she lowered her eyes in submission quickly in a frightened manner. "Che," Caleb clicked his tongue. "You must feel ashamed, being her sister, giving way to an alpha so easily."


    Reece hummed in agreement. "First time I saw her, she was only seven. I was already alpha, by then. She looked me right in the eye and stared me down, asking, ''you''re an alpha, aren''t you?''"


    Brandon knew that they were feeling indignant on behalf of their sister. So he tried to clarify the misunderstanding. "It wasn''t us!" He insisted. "It was father and mother! And while they are still alpha and luna, we can''t do much!"


    "You could have cleared her name!" Reece nearly roared. He lowered his voice to not attract attention around them. Already, there were more looks they were getting than required. "What did you do all the six or eight months she was on the run? Enjoying pack life? You knew why she killed¡ª"


    "Reece!" Someone hissed behind her. Everyone''s head swung towards the new entrant, listening to the familiar voice. "Back off!"


    "Sister?" Brandon whispered incredulously. Wasn''t she supposed to be getting ready for the ceremony? "What are you doing here?"


    "For once, I agree with him," Misha narrowed his eyes. "Why are you out here in disguise?"


    She was looking mighty odd in her disguise. She was wearing a maid''s dress and had done her hair up in a way that nobody would recognise her at first glance. She had also put on some make-up to hide her features.


    "That''s beside the point," she looked at the five men pointedly. "Why, for the goddess'' sake, are you bullying children?" In her anger, she released her aura accidentally.


    The men quailed at her sharp look. Their wolves immediately submitted to a regal Lupa. "Sorry," Sean muttered. "We just wanted to talk¡ª"


    "Just talk? Then why did I see Ben''s head lowered?" She demanded. She didn''t notice that she was acting very much like a mother wolf protecting her cubs. Or a queen protecting her subjects.


    "Sis, it''s alright, I¡ª" Ben started talking nervously.


    "It''s not alright, Benji!" She retorted sharply. Seeing him flinch, she softened her features. She looked at the three of them.


    "Now, what are you three doing here?" She asked in a much milder tone. The alphas felt miffed at the change in her demeanour. She became someone they couldn''t recognise. Was this really the harsh, dominant and headstrong girl they all knew?


    Benjamin lowered his head, nudging Brandon. Naomi tried to curl up as much as possible, but to her horror, her sister came and stood before her. Naomi was terrified. She thought that now that her sister was queen, she could take a great deal of revenge on her for not speaking up earlier. When Danielle''s hands extended, Naomi flinched.


    Danielle merely placed a hand below her chin and raised her head. Naomi still kept her eyes down. "It wasn''t your fault, you know." She said to her younger sister. "None of it was your fault. And if these boys," she glared at her brothers, "and men," she looked at the alphas pointedly, "are giving you grief about it, then you have my full permission to ask them to sod off, okay?"


    Her tone was soft and almost maternal. Danielle usually acted as if she were annoyed by her half-siblings. She held some leftover resentment about how soon her father had taken a new bride after her mother''s death, so she had decided when she returned that her stepmother''s children would be as jealous, spiteful and downright villainous as their mother.


    But once she returned to the pack when she turned eighteen and established her authority, she began to pay attention to them. That was because the little ones who were only ten, eight and six years old always tagged onto her like a tail. They followed her everywhere. She may or may not have experienced some embarrassing moments because of that, but that was another story.Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation.


    Suffice to say, that she couldn''t, in good faith, remain indifferent to them. She took great care in their upbringing, making sure they stayed away from the poison their mother spewed. And seeing them as teenagers these days was a little unbelievable, but the silent affection she had for them would never disappear.


    That''s why, despite knowing Naomi''s cautious character well, she consoled her unconditionally.


    Naomi''s wide eyes widened further. Her eyes slowly welled up with tears. She began sniffling daintily. Everything Naomi did was dainty ¡ª that was how she was. Then she began crying earnestly, throwing her arms around Danielle. Danielle was shocked for a moment. She quickly regained her bearing and patted her awkwardly. Naomi quickly pulled away, wiping her tears hurriedly.


    "Ohmigodess! I cried before the queen! I hugged the queen and dampened her clothes!" She reprimanded herself.


    Danielle chuckled. "It''s okay, Mimi. I''m still your sister, am I not?"


    "Are you? I''m thinking you''re only her sister and not ours," Ben muttered. Danielle looked at her scowling brother, amused. She glanced at Brandon who, for a change, was not reprimanding their brother. He couldn''t meet her eyes, keeping them low.


    She frowned. "Chin up, boy! I didn''t teach you to submit to someone the first chance you get!" She barked at him. His eyes snapped up and he looked into her eyes.


    "Does this mean that we won''t get to see you anymore?" Brandon whispered worriedly. "Will the king let us see you often?"


    Danielle tilted her head. "When have I ever let anyone tell me what to do?" She could remember some instances, but they were not fit stories for present company.


    The siblings grinned broadly. "So we can meet you often, right?" Brandon shuffled his feet, looking here and there. "I-I mean not that I would be affected either way." He said with his chin up, trying to put up a fake bravado.


    "Don''t lie to me, Bran, it''s never worked. You will see me often, but I may not be available all the time, of course." She said to the group.


    "Love, it''s time. You should say goodbye and come back quickly," Alex mind-linked her.


    "I''ll be there on time, don''t worry," She replied.


    She blinked, changing her demeanour quickly. She was now the leader to whom everyone yielded. The group was stunned by the change, but they quickly adapted. "I have to leave, now. Alphas, I''ll see you soon. Kids, stay out of trouble. Don''t do anything dangerous until things settle down."


    She turned to leave. "Wait!" Ben stopped her. She turned and raised a brow. "How did you know we were here?"


    She looked at him puzzled as if wondering why he would ask that question. "I could smell you, I could smell your discomfort." She nodded at the group, leaving. She walked into the palace and disappeared from their view.


    "She is something, isn''t she?" Misha murmured.


    "Tell me about it," Caleb muttered, taking his eyes away from the palace gates.


    "D-does that mean that big sis can s-smell th-that far off?" Benjamin stuttered.


    Brandon looked at him oddly, "Obviously."


    <hr>


    "Alex, old fellow! It''s really been too long! Last we met... during your coronation? And it''s already time for your mates! Will you look at that!" A middle-aged man exclaimed with the demeanour of an ancient creature. But judging by what he said, he would definitely be one of those old monsters who has lived for hundreds of years.


    Alex''s lips twitched. He pulled Danielle to his side and introduced him to her, "Sweetheart, this is Warlock Everett. He has been acquainted with the wolf kingdom for a long time and frequently acts as a liaison between the Magus Tower and the Werewolf Monarchs," He paused, "which would be us."


    The Magus Tower was the highest authority for all warlocks and witches. They were also called mages. Mages were not as tightly knit as werewolves, and they were loosely congregated. But they did have this authority which they could not disobey.


    Danielle gave the man a little smile. She then proceeded to make a series of gestures with her hands which resembled a blooming lotus. The warlock''s expression changed dramatically. "What was that?" Alex whispered in her ear. "What did you do?"


    To this, Danielle looked at him solemnly. "Remember your oath, Alex."


    At that moment, Alex wished the ground would open and swallow him up. He couldn''t believe that the moment he had been dreading had come so soon. He flushed red with anger, humiliation and the blatant way she was ignoring him then. But before either person could notice, he had regained his composure.


    Meanwhile, the warlock, Everett was muttering, "So that''s it... that''s how it ties up... I understand... I understand..."


    He shook his head twice. Thrice. Then he walked towards Danielle and made a deep bow. "Your Majesty, I''ve just realised that it''s my honour to conduct and oversee the proceedings of your coronation."


    Danielle shook her head. "You don''t have to do all this. I just want you to remember whose side you are on."


    "Of course, of course," he murmured. "Let''s proceed, shall we?"


    Alex quietly led them both through the twists and turns of the palace to the very end at the back. Of course, they were followed by guards, who were more like assistants because the couple had strength beyond what was normal. The guard at the door opened it for them and announced loudly for all to hear, "His Royal Majesty, King Alexander Remington and his mate, Ms Danielle Ward!"


    It was according to protocol. Alex loathed it.


    He held her hand and exited to the huge grounds connected to the back of the palace. They stepped on to the grounds, and Danielle was immediately overwhelmed.


    Stands had been constructed around the edges of the land for the wolves to sit in. The stands which had wooden, well-engraved chairs were for the upper class, the Council of Elders and their families, the alpha, beta and delta families of all the nine major packs and the alpha families of the minor packs. That was the VIP lounge.


    But all the rest of the stands had plastic chairs which numbered to thousands. And Danielle was deafened by the cheers and roars of these thousands. These were her subjects. Her people. Looking at the wolves thrilled at meeting their monarchs, Danielle felt a rush of adrenaline go through her. She made a promise to herself silently that she wouldn''t let them down.


    She couldn''t let them down.


    Still bearing a stoic expression, she walked to the centre along with the others.


    At the centre was three very fancy-looking chairs on an elevated platform. The one at the centre was, of course, for the king. The one on the left for the dowager queen and the one on the right was for the warlock, Everett.


    Below the elevated platform was a battle pit. Danielle knew what she had to do. She walked into it and continued staring at the crowds. Helena, who had arrived early, Alex and Everett took their seats.


    Alex raised his hand, signalling them to quiet down. "Two weeks ago, I found my mate, Danielle Ward," he began. "Alex, don''t say anything unnecessary," Danielle warned telepathically. He feigned ignorance and continued, "The goddess couldn''t have matched me with a better woman. It is my good fortune that she has accepted and agreed to be my queen." He heard his mate sigh mentally.


    The crowd was listening with rapt attention. Only the cries of babies were heard here and there but otherwise, the silence was a sight to behold.


    "It is tradition that when a monarch is mated, the mate must be coronated and crowned queen or king. And this process of coronation happens to satisfy both the wolf and the human. Once these proceedings are complete, then we will have a new queen." Alex smiled. "I declare the that the coronation ceremony of my mate, Danielle Ward, has officially begun."


    At this point, Andrew appeared from nowhere and took over as Alex seated himself. He opened his mouth to speak, when someone from the VIP stands shouted, "I refuse, Your Majesty! I refuse to have her as queen!"


    There was one still moment. Then there was an uproar. Everyone started talking at once. This was a drama. It was happening in front of their eyes. How could they not watch, greedily absorbing every detail?


    A vein throbbed in Alex''s forehead. He was ready to rip the head off of the speaker. Cursing, he mentally directed Andrew. "Who speaks?" Andrew roared. "Who is so brave as to interrupt a royal ceremony?"


    The man slowly walked out of the stands and towards the dignitaries. He stared at Danielle who likewise stared back impassively. As if sick of seeing her face, he turned away and addressed the prince politely, "I''m Jacob Ward, my prince, alpha of the Jade Pack. And that woman," he pointed to Danielle, "is my daughter."

 17. Hatred without Reason

    Danielle stared at her father''s figure, her eyes never leaving him for a second. She had long grown indifferent to his attitude towards her. She knew why he had stopped the ceremony, but after years of her good deeds being spoiled, she finally wanted to ask him why. Just how big a crime had she committed as a five-year-old for him to treat her like that?


    "Daddy, mommy gave me new toys! Come pway with me!" Little Danielle held her doll and tottered into the room. At the mention of her mother, Jacob''s face snapped up and fire blazed in his eyes.


    "Get out of my room, you little fucker!" He roared, pushing his Alpha''s Will on to his own daughter. "Who told you to enter an alpha''s room?!"


    A scared Danielle ran out and back to her mother. Her mother, her unparalleled, beautiful mother who was her sunshine, was in her room, writing something in her notebook. Danielle walked up to her and pulled at her sleeve.


    "Mommy," she whispered, "what does fucker mean?"


    "Who dared¡ª ah, I see." Ursula''s face fell with realisation. Gritting her teeth, she muttered, "It must have been that bast¡ª your father."


    Danielle had a worried little frown on her face. She anxiously wanted to know what that word meant. Did it mean daddy now liked her? "Daddy said I was a wittle fucker."


    Ursula''s chest twinged with pain, looking at her hopeful daughter. "Let me tell you something, Dani." She said gently. "That word is said by horrible people like your dad who don''t like seeing others happy. They are meanies."


    "But what does it mean?" Danielle stamped her foot, insisting on knowing.


    "Oh, honey... It''s a bad word," Ursula broke it to her finally. "Daddy was being very rude to you."


    Danielle''s face fell in disappointment. Habitually, she brought her thumb to her mouth. Her mouth turned into a sad curve and trembled at the corners. She was a good girl. She wouldn''t cry. And she didn''t like daddy anymore either.


    <hr>


    "Daddy! Daddy!" Danielle screeched, hopping up and down. "I want mommy! Where is my mommy?!" It had been seven days since her mother had died but Danielle just wouldn''t believe it. Her round face was red with exertion and her arms were shivering with... fright or excitement.


    "Brat, your mother''s gone to hell," Jacob casually threw a remark, "and she is going to remain there. That''s what happens when a she-wolf doesn''t respect and obey her mate. Do you understand?"


    There was a pause. Danielle froze. Her trembling became even more violent. "Mommy... mommy is in... hell?" she whispered.


    "That''s right. She''s being boiled in a large cauldron and she is getting burnt alive."


    "No!" She snarled. "You''re lying!" A low growl came from her chest. Danielle felt as if a red hot pipe had been shoved down her throat. The next second, she felt as if she had been dunked in an ice bucket. The feelings made her want to scream but she was in so much pain, even a scream was out of the question.


    Her hands and feet and teeth became more painful by the second. All of a sudden, her nails and her canines began to extend. Fur started growing on her little body rapidly. A crack was heard as her spine bent to transform into a wolf.


    "Of course I''m not¡ª oh my goddess. No, no, you... you abnormal creature! You can''t shift this early!" Jacob screamed shrilly, irrationally. "S-stop, I tell you! I forbid you from being as deviant as that mother of yours!"


    Who could stop a change ordained by the goddess? Minutes later, an ash-grey pup kept tripping over its own feet, feeling more confused than ever. At a time that she needed a guiding figure, Jacob spat to the side and walked away.


    That was the day she stopped regarding him as her father.


    <hr>


    "So you''ve stopped crying for your mother, I see." Jacob leaned against his chair, staring at his daughter who was a two-week-old wolf. She stood straight and stiffly. He winced at the thought. He stood up and walked around the desk. He reached out to place a hand on her head. "No, don''t flinch, I''m still your father, and I''m not going to hurt you. Now, listen to me," he bent down to her height. "Your mother is dead and burnt to a crisp and all you have left is me. If you obey me quietly, we can live together quite well, see?"


    "..." Jacob either didn''t recognise or didn''t care about the flames that raged in her eyes.


    "I''m speaking to you, little bitch." He casually threw the word in a dangerously soft tone.


    "Yes, alpha." The child said hoarsely. Mommy had told her that only if she was strong would she be able to do whatever she wanted. She would listen to mommy and become strong.


    And become strong, she did. Five years later, she snuck out under her father''s very nose and ran away to the woods.


    <hr>


    "Your Majesty," Jacob addressed the king. "This woman who I''m ashamed to call my daughter has committed many irredeemable sins." He paused, perhaps for dramatic effect. "She is responsible for slaying her own kin!"


    "What?"


    "She killed a member of her family?"


    "How ruthless of her!"


    "Hey, hey, hey, he says and you believe?"


    "That''s right, let''s wait and watch."


    The crowd instantly began its discussion.


    <hr>


    Far away on another continent, an incredibly good-looking woman stood in front of the couch, sucking on a packet of blood. On the couch sat another gorgeous man. Both their attention was on the television set. Although they couldn''t hear what Jacob was saying, they could more or less figure out through his lips.


    The man''s eyes narrowed. "You think she''ll be able to deal with it?"


    The woman scoffed. "He''s a small fry. She could have dealt with him ages ago. But she is sentimental."


    The man looked at her, puzzled. "Why are you so sure?"


    The woman smiled softly. "Because she''s just like her mother."


    At that time, there was a knock on the door. "Night Empress, there''s someone here to see you." The Night Empress turned to the door and smiled beautifully.


    "Come in," she said, her mere voice titillating all the listener''s senses. "A fabulous day, isn''t it?"This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    <hr>


    "JACOB WARD!"


    The king''s roar reverberated across the make-shift stadium. Thousands of people shrank back at the unwitting display of power.


    The king''s eyes were now gold and Lycan was clawing from the inside to get out and end this man. "You better have a good enough reason to accuse and insult my mate!"


    Jacob''s knees gave out and he collapsed on the ground, kneeling unconsciously. "My l-liege," he drew up his courage and began speaking again. In his mind, he realised that he had underestimated the position his daughter had in the king''s heart. "What I speak is the truth. I have with me a detailed report of that and many other incidents."


    Danielle began to smile slowly, although there was no mirth in her eyes. It looked like her dear father had come fully prepared. She wouldn''t have expected any less of him.


    Seeing her odd smile, Alex began to feel restless. How was she so relaxed? Did she have a counterattack? Did she have a proper defence? He began to rapidly ask these questions to her mentally. He only received two words in response.


    "Just wait."


    Sensing him being fidgety, Warlock Everett said in a low tone, "She''ll be fine, believe me. Believe her."


    Alex felt a twinge of annoyance. ''Do you know my mate better than I do?'' Apparently, he did. The king settled down his agitated self and turned to look at Jacob. The latter took out a few files and sheets from his bag and walked to the king, but he was stopped ten metres away. One of the guards took them from him and gave it to the king.


    Alex started to read the report.


    "Brutally murdered her step-uncle in cold blood... body mauled beyond recognition... feel grief for the passing of my brother-in-law by my own daughter... ran out of guilty conscience... subsequently killed all those sent to bring her back... murdered a count of three hundred and forty-seven werewolves... must contemplate whether she is suitable for the throne... ideally, she should be nurturing and motherly to the werewolves, but this kind of... personality will only bring ruin to the kingdom."


    Alex had killed before. In fact, his number was much higher than his mate''s. He knew Danielle was the serious type, who valued and even cherished responsibilities. He also knew she had the strength to actually carry out all that she had been accused of. But he just couldn''t reconcile between the Danielle he had come to know and this hard-hearted, cruel and vicious Danielle.


    Of course, he had to take Jacob''s report with a pinch of salt. It seemed like his beloved had not been treated very well when under this alpha''s ''care''.


    He opened his mouth and was about to speak when someone beat him to it. Andrew approached and mind-linked him. "Brother, Alpha Reece has asked for permission to come forth with the queen''s... half-siblings."


    Alex was now curious. What was this twisted family dynamic? And where did Alpha Reece come from? He nodded. "Permission granted."


    Andrew called out loudly. "Alpha Reece Landon of the Opal Pack and alpha heir-apparent of the Jade Pack, Brandon Ward are permitted to approach the king."


    The sight that Alex was presented with was quite comical. That eighty-year-old alpha, Alpha Reece was being urged by the young Brandon to hurry up. Alex spoke in Reece''s mind. "Getting on in your years, eh, Landon? Arthritis getting to you? Need a teenage boy to help you walk faster?"


    Startled, Reece shot the king a glance and began walking with Brandon quickly. Something that Alex found even more curious was Brandon dragging his sister with him. In a second, they were in front of the king, bowing.


    Jacob walked to his son quickly, saying, "Brandon, what are you doing here? This is a serious matter, not child''s play!" When he was five metres away from him, Reece, Andrew and the guards stopped him.


    "Since he has volunteered to be a part of this... trial, Alpha Jacob," Andrew emphasised, "he and his sister are now under royal protection."


    Embarrassed and furious, Jacob went back to where he stood. He occasionally shot furious glances at both his eldest son and daughter, but he didn''t know that Danielle herself was surprised by this. She didn''t want them anywhere near this mess.


    "Alpha-heir Brandon, what do you have to say?" The king demanded.


    Brandon took a look at his sister who narrowed her eyes at him. Chin up, she had told him. So, he drew himself up straight and spoke. "Your Majesty, my sister is blameless! I am not concerned about the death of our uncle, because he was a pervert, who didn''t even let go of his own niece, my sister, Naomi!"


    "Nonsense!" Jacob nearly popped a vein. "Gerald was every bit an upright and honourable man! How dare you slander the dead?"


    "I''m not slandering anyone, I''m telling the truth!" Brandon said furiously. "If you want to, ask Naomi. Your Majesty!" He turned to address the king. "Please allow Naomi to share her memory with you. She is the victim here." He pleaded.


    As if Alex would say no to that. He gestured for her to approach him. Naomi hesitantly walked towards the king. She scurried to him like a mouse and looked at Danielle.


    Danielle, who hadn''t spoken the entire time, finally spoke up, "Mimi, you don''t have to do this if you don''t want to."


    Naomi hesitated and looked at Brandon, who nodded. Feeling a rush of courage from that nod, Naomi''s expression became firm. Her eyes looked determined and for the first time in her life, she was decisive about something. She held out her hand and Alex grasped her forearm. She stiffened but relaxed slowly.


    "Just think about the incident, any and every detail. What happened before, during and after. I need to know everything to help your sister."


    Naomi nodded mutely and closed her eyes, following his instructions and recalling everything that happened on that fateful day. Alex closed his eyes, probing her mind. It was a skill that all werewolf monarchs possessed. Slowly, the memories flowed into his mind. He saw the man''s lecherous looks, he saw him pawing this innocent girl, he saw Danielle rushing towards them, shifting midway in fury and finally, he saw through the girl''s terror-filled eyes, the way Danielle ripped the pervert apart.


    Alex approved. He felt a sense of pride about having her as his mate.


    Once he read the memories, he released her hand and gestured her to go back.


    He looked at the crowd who were waiting with bated breath. "As far as the murder of kin is concerned, my mate was justified, and I declare it a non-issue."


    How could Jacob have not known about his brother-in-law''s womanising ways? He knew that once Naomi showed her memories, it would all be over. So he latched on to the next issue. "It is regrettable that I didn''t know of my brother-in-law''s character. He had us all deceived." Jacob lamented. "But Your Majesty, it doesn''t erase the fact that she is a mass murderer! Three hundred and forty-seven kills is not a small number!"


    Alex felt a headache coming. He looked at Danielle tiredly. "Sweetheart, I don''t think your coronation is going to happen anytime soon." He spoke in her mind.


    "It''s okay," she replied, "as long as you haven''t changed what you think of me."


    Andrew once again approached him and whispered with a bewildered look on his face. "The alphas of the Aquamarine, Turquoise, Sapphire, Amethyst and Topaz packs request your audience."


    "Granted," the king said. He frowned, wondering what this was all about.


    Danielle frowned, "What''s going on?" She mind-spoke to her mate. He shook his head, indicating that he didn''t know.


    Soon, the smaller arena around the king was filled with alphas. "Yes, alphas. What is it that I can do for you?" He inquired.


    The alphas bowed first. Alpha Wilson first stepped forward. He looked at Danielle and she nodded. "Grandfather, you didn''t have to come." She murmured. Henry Wilson smiled, shaking his head. "You''re as independent as ever." Turning to the king, he said, "My king, maybe my request is invalid because she is my blood-related granddaughter, but I wish to be her guarantor."


    There was a hushed silence. Guarantor? That was something no one would dare to do. If you were a person''s guarantor, you were essentially declaring that you believed in that person''s character; in that case, she would be acquitted of her crime for that one time. In addition, you would be completely responsible for any crimes committed by him or her in the future. So if Danielle committed any crime henceforth, Alpha Wilson would bear the consequences.


    The other alphas stepped forward. "We would like to be her guarantors too, Your Majesty."


    "No. No!" Danielle objected sharply. "Grandfather, what are you doing? And you four, what is wrong with you? Do you realise what you have undertaken? How much of a liability I am? Besides, I killed them all in self-defence! I don''t need guarantors!"


    Everyone ignored her. Alex looked at the alphas intensely, feeling green steam coming out of his ears.


    He was jealous. There, he admitted it.


    He hadn''t known that she had so many alphas at her beck and call. He didn''t know what kind of a relationship she had with the other alphas. In that one second, all kinds of scary thoughts passed his head. "Don''t be a fool," Lycan sneered. "She''s yours and no others''."


    He collected himself and nodded. "Alright, you five will be noted down as guarantors for Danielle Ward." He looked towards a frustrated Jacob Ward and announced, "Danielle Ward is acquitted of all crimes that she was accused of. I have to remind some of you present that she is a member of the royal family. And any slight to her would be a slight to the crown."


    As Jacob was returning to his seat, Alex mind-linked him, in a warning tone. "I don''t know what you have against my mate, and I don''t care either. If you dare pull a stunt like that again, you wouldn''t want to face the consequences." Jacob''s face paled, losing all colour. He hurried back to his seat in the VIP lounge.


    By this time, the crowds had calmed down, the issue had been sorted out. Everyone was ready and impatient for the main event to start. They all knew what was coming next.


    "It''s time for the ceremonies to continue. Don''t you agree?" Andrew said, smiling.


    The coronation was back on. Who knew what else it would bring?

 18. She Went All the Way

    The huge, majestic ash-grey wolf sat on her haunches, staring impassively at her opponent. She looked deceptively calm, but those who knew Lupa recognised that this was her highly alert state, ready to spring into action any second. In comparison, her opponent was restless, twitching every two seconds. It was a she-wolf, who went first against her.


    There were seven of them, who dared to risk the king''s wrath and fight the to-be-queen. This was the first round of the coronation. A fight till a plea for surrender was heard. Any citizen of the kingdom had the right to challenge the queen in the first half of the coronation ceremony, but there were only seven spots. It was tradition, and werewolves didn''t give up on tradition.


    The warlock had already enchanted the arena so that they couldn''t step out until they surrendered, and also so that no one could enter the arena before the battle ended. He raised his hand and swiftly brought it down in a chopping motion, indicating that the battle had begun.


    Lupa was a natural, instinctive fighter. She thrived on the opponent''s fear. So she made no move. A few minutes later, she slowly stood up and stalked her prey circling around the arena. She was in no hurry to finish the battle. Danielle was, sure. But she wouldn''t listen to Danielle now.


    When the brown wolf least expected it, Lupa feinted on one side and quickly turned to lunge at the other, pouncing on the side of the brown wolf and sinking her claws into her. The brown wolf whined in pain as a violent gash quickly appeared on her back and till its belly. She was also quick to react. Taking advantage of the opening, she ran to get to Lupa''s hind legs and drag her behind.


    Lupa wouldn''t have it. With a speed which didn''t match her size, she turned around and attacked the she-wolf head first. They ran towards each other when suddenly Lupa skidded to the side, taking the brown wolf off-guard and quickly brought her humongous jaws on the she-wolf''s throat. Lupa''s canines began sinking in slowly as the brown wolf''s growls turned into whines.


    When she realised that Lupa was really going to kill her, she wasted no time shifting back and shouted hoarsely, "I surrender!"


    Lupa, 1. Evil father, 0.


    It was impossible not to have noticed it. Jacob had spoken to most of the contestants and sent them ahead to tire her out and injure her. There was no honour here, no ''may the best man win''.


    It was pure ruthlessness and no matter how hard her father tried, she knew she would emerge victorious. He was a small fry in her life, an aberration. Something to forget and move on.


    Lupa growled ferociously, her growl echoing across the stands. There was no dismissing Danielle as a young wolf by the fact that Danielle''s wolf was superior in every way.


    "That was quickly done!" Alex mind-linked her, his tone pleasantly surprised.


    Lupa just snorted. "I''m disappointed in you Alex. To have had such low expectations of your mate."


    Alex chuckled. "Yes, yes, my queen. Hurry up and get this over with. We will have a lot of time to make up for your disappointment."


    Lupa rolled her eyes as she watched her next prey walk in. As they began fighting, it showed that the male wolf had plenty of technique but very little experience. He fought on technique alone and held his own for a few minutes. But soon, he too succumbed to Lupa the Hunter.


    The two wolves that fought after him were not worth mentioning. They were taken care of easily, to the extent that she had languidly stretched in the middle of the fight as if she were sleeping in the woods.


    But the fifth candidate was special. He had undergone strict training, it seemed, and he had a lot of experience being put in arenas such as this one. So he excelled at close-combat fighting. As they butted heads, the fight became so intense that Lupa yipped joyfully. "It''s been so long since I had such a good fight, I''m having so much fun!" She spoke in Alex''s mind.


    Alex could only shake his head, amused. He knew she was not fighting to her full potential.


    Soon, she decided to not drag it on and ended the fight, resulting in his surrender. But Lupa was very happy with this fighter. She shifted back and gave back control to Danielle. The male wolf was also human and was getting out of the arena when she said, "What''s your name?"


    The man''s pupils dilated in fear. He quailed before the queen who he knew to be a fearsome person, now. "R-Reginald." He replied, hating how he stuttered.


    "Well, Reginald, how do you feel about being my personal guard? You have a great foundation and this could be a good opportunity for you," Danielle explained, trying her best to appear non-threatening.


    But to Reginald, this sounded ominous. His first thought was whether she would take revenge on him for daring to fight against her. But he dismissed the thought, telling himself not be silly. Then he understood the real meaning of being the queen''s guard. Regular food. Permanent shelter. Comrades. Regular pay.


    It sounded like heaven.


    "I accept. Thank you, Your Majesty." Reginald bowed deeply. Danielle smiled. His address showed that he had accepted her as their queen already. And she was sure that many people were feeling similarly, at that time. She nodded to him and he turned to leave. The moment he walked out of the arena, he was whisked away by the media persons to interview him and he went with them, feeling like this was all a dream.


    The sixth one was again nondescript. He didn''t put up much of a fight as his will had been broken, watching the ruthless way she fought.


    Finally, the last opponent entered. It was a she-wolf, again. And this wolf was different. She looked sly as she smirked, waltzing into the arena. "Hope to see you snivelling, queen." She mocked her. Danielle internally raised a brow, still in her wolf form. She wondered why so many people loved challenging her.


    The fight began. Initially, there were minor scrapes caused by either party, but slowly, they began to see that the opponent was fighting dirty. She was attacking taking every breath of opportunity and she was striking repeatedly at Lupa''s underbelly since that was a sensitive part of a wolf''s body.


    As the fight became tenser and the crowd began hurling curses and abuse at the grey she-wolf, Danielle was getting frustrated over this battle. She didn''t want to use her full strength because it was unnecessary, but truly, this wolf''s fighting technique was nasty.The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    Finally, she got ready to deliver the last strike when she felt a piercing on her face. The grey wolf had delivered a blow right to her face and Danielle was in shock, having been caught off-guard. She was trained for better, so she quickly struck the last blow and subdued the wolf. The she-wolf struggled desperately and viciously, but it was in vain.


    After her surrender, Danielle came out of the arena as a wolf. The crowd burst into heartfelt applause and cheers, chanting slogans and expressing their admiration towards her. Danielle was still not over the adrenaline rush. She had fought, she was sweaty and dirty, but it didn''t matter. Because for a wolf, that was a mark of effort, and to some extent, pride.


    She surveyed the grounds regally. No one stopped her. She occasionally growled and snarled. She finally threw her head back and howled powerfully into the air. Heads dipped in submission as the kingdom symbolically accepted her as their queen.


    Lupa was thrilled. She was enthralled by the authority she could wield, becoming slightly drunk on power. "Come to your senses!"Danielle hissed at her.


    Jerking out of her hazy trip, she shifted back to her human form. She approached the platform where her mate sat. Irreverently, she climbed on the platform, walked to the king and gave him a kiss he would remember for a long time.


    <hr>


    The second half happened inside the throne room. The hall was big enough to accommodate all the important people, and there were screens put up in the grounds for all the commoners to watch. Cameras were set up in different parts of the room and every media house wanted a piece of this historic event.


    Everyone waited silently in their places, maintaining etiquette. Soon, the orchestra began to play a slow song that unconsciously built tension in everyone''s hearts. A side door was opened by the guards. According to the beats, feet slowly entered the room, stepping on the red carpet that had been laid out for it.


    Those feet had one strand of anklets on them, with small bells attached to them. Each time she took a step, keen werewolf ears could hear the little jingle. She wore a long black flowing gown, the kind that kissed the floor, trailing behind her. The gown had a tightly fitted bodice with cascading frills emerging from the waist. The entire gown was embroidered in the borders in gold with various fashionable patterns. The embroidery wasmainly focused on the shoulders, the neckline and the chest.


    On top of the dress, she wore a thick stole around her shoulders which had many symbols of werewolf royalty and their origin.


    Her head was wound up into an intricately braided bun, unlike the usual messy bun she loved to wear. Her ears were adorned with gold earrings, and each of her hand wore a wide gold bracelet.


    She took her steps slowly, turning to the left, and walked to the centre of the room. She turned and faced the audience, with an air and dignity of a ruler. Her confidence was as unmatched as her appearance. Everyone maintained a respectful silence.


    Alex sat on his throne situated up the stairs. He too was a part of the ceremony, as an overseer. But his role became pronounced later. He eyed his mate from top to toe. He felt a twinge in his heart. She looked so beautiful, it was otherworldly. She felt so confident about everything that he had a strange feeling that he would lose her somewhere. Ignoring the bizarre thoughts, he looked at Everett. "You may begin," he declared.


    Everett nodded. He had set up four items and placed them as four points of a square. These four were a piece of wood from an ash tree, a ring from the previous queen, a piece of silver and a piece of wolfsbane. There were two objects that were good for werewolves and two which were harmful. This was symbolic in that she had to overcome the weaknesses of her kind through this ritual and prepare herself to protect her people.


    He waved at the orchestra to stop the music.


    "Please step into the Magus Domain," he told her. A Magus Domain was the area of effect of a mage''s magic. She complied, trusting him to carry out the ritual well. The moment she entered the domain, she felt her strength suddenly deplete. It was the aura of the silver and the wolfsbane. She looked at Everett questioningly. He nodded, telling her all was going right.


    Everett brought forth the staff he carried with him and began his chant. The chant was of ancient words which were common to most supernatural creatures. Although the werewolves could not understand it, they definitely felt a resonance with it. Feeling the ringing in the air, all the people present were in a trance, their eyes not wavering from their queen.


    Danielle, meanwhile, tried to maintain her balance as she felt the wind whip past her face. Slowly as the chant went into a higher octave, her strength started getting restored. And by the time the chant was complete, she was back to how she was before.


    This whole process utterly puzzled her. But she didn''t want to question it in the middle of the ceremony, so she went along with Everett.


    The warlock then faced her solemnly. "We come to the most important part of the evening," he said. "If you are to be queen, you must now take an oath. I must remind you that this is not a mere verbal oath. It is a soul oath with magic bound to it. Will you take this oath to become queen?"


    Danielle cleared her throat. "I will."


    He nodded. "It is only right that a queen is inducted by her king. King Alexander will conduct this part of the ceremony."


    Alex had already climbed down and walked over to his mate.


    He cleaned up rather well, in Danielle''s opinion. She pretended that she didn''t care a hoot about the fact that he looked gorgeous in his royal robes. But she turned off those thoughts when he took her hand and placed it between both of his.


    "This is an oath that every monarch must take in one form or the other. By becoming queen, I hope Danielle will follow this oath both in letter and spirit." He said.


    Everett began chanting in a low tone as Alex began the oath.


    "I, Danielle Ward, mate to Alexander Remington, monarch of the kingdom of werewolves, do solemnly swear," he paused.


    Feeling rather foolish than solemn, she repeated what he said.


    "To rule over my subjects to the best of my abilities in a just and fair manner and to always put the kingdom over my crown." he stopped. Here, she began to feel solemn. She earnestly repeated his words.


    "I take an oath to strive for the betterment of my kingdom, and to never abandon subjects in the hour of need."


    "I take an oath to strive for the betterment of my kingdom, and to never abandon subjects in the hour of need." She said, her voice ringing loud and clear.


    "As queen, I shall first and foremost remain loyal to my king. As long as I am queen, I shall protect my people and the rights of my people from dangers which may come from within or outside the werewolf kingdom."


    Danielle paused, looking him in the eye. His eyes were challenging her to defy him, but she did no such thing. "As queen," she said, "I shall first and foremost remain loyal to my king. As long as I am queen, I shall protect my people and the rights of my people from dangers which may come from within or outside the werewolf kingdom."


    "With this oath, I fulfil my goddess-ordained role and ask for her blessings for every step of the way." Alex finished.


    Who was the moon goddess? Where was she? Had anyone seen her? It didn''t matter. It was tradition, so Danielle repeated the concluding line.


    At this, Everett''s chants grew louder. He brought down the staff, touching their joined hands with it.


    Everyone felt the air around them change. It seemed like there was some force in the air that was rushing towards the young queen. In hundreds, thousands, millions. Even Danielle couldn''t handle the assault by this force. She staggered back, almost losing her balance. If not for Alex gripping her hand firmly, she would have already fallen.


    Alex stared at her with great concentration. It had to work. There was no other option.


    Danielle ripped her hands away from his and closed her ears, frowning hard. "That noise...!" She groaned in pain. "So... many..." Her knees buckled from the pain in her ears that was giving her a headache. She sat down on the ground, growling from the pain.


    Alex immediately realised what was happening. He bent down and put his arm around her. He then whispered in her ears, "Don''t block it, listen to them, the sounds! Don''t hear, listen."


    Under his touch, Danielle slowly relaxed. She followed his advice and tried to calm down, to listen. Slowly, the garbled noise became clearer. It became so clear that she could differentiate each vein, each connection. She couldn''t hear everything. She could hear everyone. She had direct access, a hotline, to all the werewolves in this world.


    With that realisation, Danielle opened her eyes.

 19. Royal Tutelage

    "Do you understand the noise, now?" Alex extended his hand for hers. This time, she sheepishly gave it to him.


    Nodding, she whispered, "I understand."


    Everyone in the crowd let out their breaths. The power of the chant had accepted her. For a whole day, she had toiled and finally, she possessed all the qualifications to become queen.


    Alex signalled to her silently. He turned his back to the audience and walked back to his throne. But this time, he wasn''t alone. The audience saw her turn and walk along with him. They walked abreast. Danielle reached out her hand and grabbed his. Her mate looked at her, surprised that she took the initiative. There was that sheepish smile of hers again. Alex began to find that expression rather endearing. She looked like a thief, giving back what she had stolen.


    They walked together holding hands as the orchestra started to play a faster-paced piece. Climbing the grand stairs, they reached the thrones. The one on the right was hers, she had learnt. With a swish of her dress and the jingle of her bells, she turned around. And as the world watched this momentous occasion, she seated herself on her throne, laying her hands on the beautifully engraved armrests.


    Two guards held the velvet cushion on which sat the bejewelled crown and climbed the grand stairs from the left. From the right, Warlock Everett joined them. They stopped two steps before the platform. Taking the cue, all but the violins stopped and they continued to play in the background.


    Alex was garbed in complete royal robes including a cloak which looked similar to the one that his mate wore. And on his head sat his crown, signalling that he was the undisputed monarch of the werewolves. He walked to the two guards and took the queen''s crown in his hands. Striding to the centre of the platform, he faced his queen and smiled. Everett''s staff twirled and his incantations began.


    "I, Alexander Remington, take an oath to protect, cherish and love my mate. As king, I shall first and foremost remain loyal to my queen and will, to the best of my abilities, be a friend, partner, lover and mate for the rest of my existence." He paused, looking at her jaw drop. His smile grew wider as he continued. "With this oath, I fulfil my goddess-ordained role and ask for her blessings for every step of the way."


    Everett finished his chant and Alex suddenly felt soothed. Stabilising his mood, he gently placed the crown on her head and adjusted it slightly. He took a step back and gazed at her.


    She looked radiant.


    He forced himself to sit down on his own throne while the guard hollered, "Stand and bow to the luna regina of the Werewolves! Her Royal Majesty the Queen, Danielle Ivy Ward!" The wolves obeyed and rose to their feet. It was a grand sight for the world to see. They watched as the cr¨¨me de la cr¨¨me of the werewolf world honoured her with a bow ¡ª the luna regina, the luna queen.


    In that moment, both Alex and Danielle turned to the side, looking at each other. Her cheeks became a lovely shade of pink, as she was reminded of his oath. She quickly turned away, trying to look regal.


    The only thought in his head was, "It fits. The crown, the woman... everything fits."


    <hr>


    "Sire, if I may, we need at least two of your guards with you. It''s for your own safety," A man earnestly insisted. The king was going on with his daily activities which he had neglected for his mate. It was during noon that Alex took a walk around the borders as a human and walked with his betas and gammas.


    "That''s enough, Richard," Alex said curtly. "Now what''s going on with the Lost Star regiment?"


    "But my king, if we walk on the grounds without¡ª"


    "Will you test my patience, beta?" Alex said in a deceptively soft tone. He continued strolling across the border as if he owned the land he stood on. Which he did.


    Richard instantly bowed his head in submission, "No, alpha. Apologies." Alex ignored him and walked on. The beta hurried to catch up. He hesitantly spoke up, "About the Lost Star regiment..." Alex gestured with his hand to go on.


    "According to the captain''s report, out of the ninety members, only fifty-six returned alive from this mission. Out of this fifty-six, thirteen sustained light injuries while eight are heavily injured." Richard recited. The men around inhaled sharply.


    "Richard, you seem rather slow today," The king glanced at him casually. The rest looked at Richard pityingly. They knew the mistake he had made. They also knew why Richard was off his game that day.


    "I''m sorry, my king¡ª"


    "That''s one too many apologies out of you," Alex snapped. "I don''t care what''s going on with you, but I need you to do your duty, beta!"


    Poor Richard kept nodding until it seemed like his head might come off. He looked at his tablet and scrolled through, his brain in a mess, unable to make sense of anything. "Ian, you begin," Alex said at last.


    Ian didn''t even have his tablet on him. "Sire, the information that Captain Dyer received was of a sort of vampire coven in our territory which was interspersed with... wanderers." Ian glanced at his king. Seeing no reaction, he continued. "Intelligence said that this coven had about thirty vampires and around fifteen or so werewolves."


    "About thirty? Around fifteen? What is this, child''s play?" Alex said in a normal tone. The fact that he was able to casually scold them without changing his expression brought goosebumps to the men. No matter how many decades they had worked with the king, they couldn''t adjust to his... frightening self-control.


    If only they knew all the times he had lost control in the past couple of weeks.


    "That was Captain Dyer''s first strike, Your Majesty. The intelligence network which Captain Darren had built so carefully has been ruined in his hands," Ian continued cautiously. "That is his second strike. When the regiment left for the mission, he handed the low-ranked warriors low-quality equipment. That is his third strike, Your Majesty."Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.


    "I''m sure there''s more," Alex said with certainty.


    "Yes, sire, there¡ª" Alex lifted a hand.


    "Ian, Richard, tell me one thing," he said in a low tone, "First strikes, I can accept. Second strikes, I can barely tolerate. Since when did we start giving third chances?" He looked at them all. His face darkened. Richard and Ian knew there was going to be a show to watch that day.


    "We don''t, sire, it was an oversight," Richard admitted, owning up to his mistake.


    Alex just looked at them for a full minute. "The goddess knows how many strikes you two have had," he muttered irritably. "I need to meet this Captain Dyer. Where is he?"


    This, Richard could do. He closed his eyes and quickly sensed the man. He seemed to be in the gym, hitting on she-wolves instead of being in the training room with his comrades.


    "The gym, sire," Richard said quietly.


    Without any warning, Alex shot forward towards the gym with supernatural speed. The rest were used to it and followed at his heels. Seconds later, they arrived at the northern part of the pack''s territory. Every wolf was used to seeing the king in this part of the pack. After all, the palace was in the north of the centre.


    As soon as he came, they gave way respectfully. Alex strode purposefully into the gym and asked, "Where is Jeremy Dyer?" He asked. People quickly recognised him and pointed towards the man in question.


    Alex moved as quickly as his wolf and had the man by his throat and hanging in the air. He tilted his head curiously as if looking at a shiny new toy. "It''s interesting, really," The king mused. "I wanted to see what a fool looks like and my beta recommended this man. He does have some distinct traits, can you all see it?"


    He asked the entire gym the question. No one dared to laugh. No one dare do reply.


    When Jeremy''s face started to turn purple, Alex let go. As we walked out, he told his beta, "Take him to the chambers."


    Despite the haze of losing oxygen, the king''s words managed to penetrate Jeremy''s mind. Once the message registered, he knew his little life was as good as gone.


    <hr>


    "I don''t want to do what others are supposed to do. I don''t do altruism, neither do I do accommodation. Do I need to tell you that?" Alex questioned his betas and gammas harshly.


    "No, alpha," they muttered.


    "What happened this afternoon, I don''t want that happening another time," he warned. They nodded furiously. "Richard, you can go handle the interrogation." Alex looked at him pointedly. "I hope you won''t let me down again, today. That would be twice in the same day."


    "I will, sire. It won''t happen again, sire." Richard hurriedly assured him. Alex relaxed against the chair. The men knew that the dreaded part of the discussion had come.


    "As for the others... you were rather mediocre when I need your best," The king said slowly. "Richard will take seventy-five, Ian... will take twenty. The gammas will each take thirty."


    They let out a breath they were holding. It wasn''t so bad. It seemed manageable. Alex abruptly straightened in the chair and a second later, they realised why. They could feel and smell their queen. The doors were flung open and she walked in. The men tried to stay out of the way as much as possible but it was obviously impossible.


    "You told me I could enter anytime, so here I am." She grinned cheekily.


    A smile grew on Alex''s face. He stretched his hand out and she walked around the desk, taking his hand. "Hello," Danielle looked at them all curiously. "What were those numbers that Alex allotted?" She asked them.


    The wolves were under the compulsion of obeying their queen, so immediately, before Alex could stop him, one of them replied, "Lashes, my queen."


    Danielle opened her mouth in shock. She turned to Alex who preferred to be anywhere but there. "You administer lashes to your trusted subordinates?"


    "Love, we can have this conversation later," Alex said quietly.


    Danielle frowned, "But really, Alex¡ª"


    "Danielle," Alex said sharply. "Let''s have this conversation later."


    She was taken aback by the tone. She stared at him and he stared right back. The men wanted to quickly run out of the palace, but they had no such choice. They had to stand there and watch the recently mated couple quarrel.


    Danielle broke away first. "Are you done?" She looked at the wolves. She looked back at Alex. "Are they done?"


    Alex nodded. With a motion of his head, he basically told the wolves to get out. They had been fidgeting as if they had ants in their pants. The moment they got their order, they ran out as quickly as possible.


    The doors closed behind them automatically. Danielle sat opposite to him. "Is it later, now?"


    Alex sighed. "Danielle, you can''t just do that," he said.


    "Do what?" She looked bewildered. "I''m clueless, Alex, help me understand here. If this is about me barging in then¡ª"


    "No, absolutely not," Alex replied swiftly. "I always want to see you. So I am more than pleased whenever you come in unannounced."


    "Then what...?" Danielle frowned and tilted her head.


    "Don''t question me in front of the wolves," Alex enunciated each word. "It is in bad form."


    "Are you saying that you are always right about the way you rule?" She demanded.


    "I did not say that!" Alex said exasperatedly. "I''m saying that as monarchs of a nation, we shouldn''t easily let others know what we''re thinking. That''s bad for maintaining order and conducting diplomacy. So, it should also not be known if we both have any difference of opinion. We must always project a united front. Having a different opinion is okay, but just between us, we have to settle the issue. This is the first point."


    He continued to patiently explain. "The second issue is the matter of authority. When you, as queen, question my decisions as king in front of our subjects, you are undermining my authority. Our subjects then will ask, ''If the queen herself doesn''t agree with the king''s decisions, what right does he have to expect that we will?'' That one line, Danielle, implies a lot of things."


    Danielle was stunned. She understood the crux of the matter quickly. "Oh, goddess. I never thought of it that way. Thank you," she fingered his shirt''s collar, "for telling me. I don''t think you''ll see me saying such things again."


    Alex gave her a small smile, "I''m glad."


    Danielle looked at him critically. "You seem worn out. You don''t look it, but I can tell."


    He continued to smile simply. She was right and her presence was giving him a lot of comfort. He stood up from the chair and pulled her to the couch. Flopping on it, he gave her a tug and she tumbled on him. He pulled her close until their bodies were sticking to each other and gave her a chaste kiss on the lips.


    "I don''t really know much about you, Dani," he whispered to her. "Tell me something about you."


    Danielle scrunched up her nose, looking adorable. "What is there to tell?" She said with mild distaste. "I''m that horrid man''s daughter. I remember very little about my mother, but all that I remembered was happy. I am indifferent to his second mate, but she appears to have something against me." She paused. Then her face brightened. "On the other hand, I like her children who don''t seem as paranoid as their mother. So there you are," she finished.


    Alex chuckled, hiding the sadness in his heart. He knew she wasn''t likely to reveal anything significant about herself, so he let it go. Time would change things. Or so, he hoped.


    "Alex?" She called out.


    "Hm?"


    "We''re going to be talking about those lashes, okay?"


    "Mm-hm."


    "I''ll take that as a yes."

 20. Of Lashes and Lies

    Elsewhere, at the same time


    A gust of wind rushed eastward carrying with it the dust which had risen off the ground. The barren land was getting eroded continually and the people who owned it cared two hoots about it. They didn¡¯t want to grow anything there. They had a very different agenda.


    A small village had been created by these owners and a small self-sustaining economy had been established. The central aspect of the village was a huge, forbidding skyscraper. There was a large signboard on it, which didn¡¯t mince any words saying, ¡®FLO23. Residents¡¯ entry to the side¡¯.


    It was around sixty floors high. One would have thought that people would notice when a building suddenly popped up out of nowhere a few years ago, but none of the villagers even knew that the building existed.


    Needless to mention, it was the work of the mages. It was rather a simple chant for them. The chants had different levels and the more powerful a mage was, the higher the level of chants she could use. But it was also true that the more the practice with higher level chants, the easier it was to become more powerful.


    And so the building stood protected from prying eyes. If they couldn¡¯t see, how could they question?


    At that moment, the air a few feet from the entrance shimmered, and the air seemed to open in that spot. A leg popped out of the opening, a hand and then a body. It was a girl who looked barely fifteen or sixteen. Another leg stuck out, and another body exited. It was a boy who looked only slightly older than the girl. The boy was a space-dominant mage. He was responsible for all the magic relating to space like teleporting. Once he created a portal to this village, all his comrades could arrive there.


    More people came out in a constant stream. Nearly seventy people gathered in front of the building. The girl who came out first went forward, leading the group. She glanced around at the big bunch and nodded grimly, looking too mature for her age. She gestured for them to follow and the group complied.


    The boy walked forward and muttered a chant that allowed him to get through the invisibility barrier. Once the group crossed the barrier, the building came into view. They walked to the side of the building.


    ¡®RESIDENTS¡¯ ENTRY¡¯, a board hung above the steel door. The girl pressed her hand against the door. The door broke into two panels which slid to either side. One by one, they walked in. Once inside, the boy who came out second said, ¡°Steady.¡± His staff appeared and a second later, they were in a large hall which was bustling with activity.


    There were two prominent elements in the hall; on either end was what looked like a reception counter. The girl and rest strode purposefully to the left end. ¡°Reporting,¡± she said.


    The man behind the counter looked at them lazily. He looked quite average, but he had a distinct mark on his left temple which resembled an ancient sign. That made people hard to forget him. ¡°Name?¡± He drawled.


    The group was immediately irked by his attitude. The girl gritted her teeth and replied, ¡°Gwen¡ª¡±


    ¡°Not yours, rookie, the name of the motley crew you can barely call a squad,¡± the man continued in a bored tone.


    The air was suddenly filled with growls and hisses. The vampires bared their fangs and the werewolves¡¯ eyes changed colours.


    Suddenly, the man sat up straight. Gone was his languid demeanour. In its place were sharpness and vigour. His eyes gleamed strangely. He stared at the girl whose hand trembled a little. His eyes swept past the group. ¡°Name, rookie,¡± he said in a low voice.


    ¡°D-Dawn Guard,¡± she muttered, hating that she stuttered.


    ¡°Dead?¡± The man asked bluntly.


    The girl widened her eyes. ¡°Six,¡± she whispered.


    ¡°And how many were you?¡±


    ¡°Seventy-five,¡± her head lowered until it couldn¡¯t lower anymore.


    ¡°The dead are gone and it was because they were weak. Incompetent. Inattentive. Just as I expected from you lot,¡± he sneered. This time, they didn¡¯t dare to be hot-headed. From his aura, they identified him as a high-ranking person from one of the top floors.


    Gwen, the girl, did have a strong sense of responsibility. She explained, ¡°We were conducting the exercise in Wanderer territory. As we progressed, we didn¡¯t realise that we had neared royal pack¡¯s border,¡± she said earnestly.If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.


    ¡°The royal pack¡¯s border,¡± the man echoed, staring at the lot of them. ¡°What gave you all the courage to go even fifty kilometres near the royal pack when you can¡¯t even hide your scent properly?¡±


    ¡°B-before we noticed, the tracker had already traced us. We were only a few seconds late to react before the regiment arrived and charged at us,¡± she paused. ¡°We were taken off-guard but we responded almost instantly. Most of us were racking up kills well, but those... six lagged behind. They were too slow and got themselves killed,¡± she ended her account firmly.


    The man stared at them impassively. ¡°You will know the results of your performance in two and half hours. Until then, you¡¯re permitted to rest,¡± he informed them.


    Their taut bodies sagged with relief. Some of them even began to smile. The man turned to leave, creating an opening in the air, a portal. Before entering it, he turned back and said casually. ¡°Oh, and prep your bodies for the chambers.¡±


    He entered the portal and vanished from their view, but not before seeing their aghast expressions.


    <hr>


    ¡°I think it¡¯s time, Alex,¡± Danielle said solemnly, buttering the bread with a knife. They sat at the dining table for breakfast. Andrew wasn¡¯t present for the meal and Helena had exercised her privilege of having breakfast in bed. Alex sat at the head of the table while Danielle sat on an adjacent chair.


    Alex nearly choked on his food. What was she trying to bring up now? He looked at her with a raised brow. Early that morning, he wore a black buttoned-up shirt and black pants. She, on the other hand, wore a new t-shirt he had bought for her along with beige capris.


    ¡°The lashes,¡± she said earnestly. ¡°You said we would talk about the lashes, remember?¡±


    Alex barked out a laugh. ¡°I did no such thing. It was you who assumed,¡± he said, amused.


    Danielle pouted. And at that moment, Alex got to say one of the rare sights in the world; his mate behaving like a child.


    Alex sighed. ¡°Okay, what about the lashes?¡±


    ¡°Why do you do it?¡± She asked, seeming more curious than anything.


    Alex frowned in thought, thinking about how to explain it to her. ¡°It¡¯s more than a punishment,¡± he murmured. ¡°It¡¯s about motivation, I suppose, to make sure everything runs smoothly. This is the most important pack of all, the centre of the werewolf kingdom. If it isn¡¯t run properly, then I¡¯m jeopardising the safety of millions.¡±


    This got her thinking, as she moved on to having her Greek omelette. ¡°I disagree,¡± she said finally. ¡°What if you use rewards as motivation and taking away privileges as negative reinforcement? Wouldn¡¯t that work too?¡±


    Alex was startled first, then looked at her fondly. He was looking at her, but he wasn¡¯t really seeing her. ¡°Father used to advocate a lenient rule like the one you¡¯re suggesting. Finally, his own gamma led him to the Wanderers who¡ª¡± Alex abruptly stopped. It turned out that the Wanderers had become taboo in his own house.


    He cleared his throat. ¡°Suffice to say that I believe keeping the pack on a tight leash will do the kingdom a great deal of good. At least that way, the chances of regicide are less,¡± he said matter-of-factly.


    Danielle smiled, rather sadly in his opinion. ¡°I can¡¯t convince you of anything, it seems,¡± she murmured. Then she chuckled, saying, ¡°Rather useless for a mate.¡±


    She reached for the napkin and wiped her hands. Looking everywhere except at him, she rose to leave the hall. ¡°Sit down, Danielle,¡± he said quietly. ¡°Please,¡± he added.


    Very cautiously, she sat down, absently brushing at her dress. The next second, she yelped as he dragged her chair towards him. When they were close enough to kiss, he held her hand in hers. It was much smaller than his, but not at all dainty. ¡°I¡¯m sorry I made you feel that way,¡± he said in a low tone. ¡°You have no idea how much of an impact you have had on my life. I promise you that you¡¯re more than a glorified assistant to the king.¡±


    Danielle had her head down, staring at their joined hands, so he couldn¡¯t see her expression. ¡°What is my role then? As the queen.¡±


    ¡°You can be whatever kind of queen you want,¡± Alex said as if it were obvious.


    Danielle¡¯s looked up incredulously. ¡°And you would allow that?¡±


    Alex scoffed. ¡°There is nothing for me to allow or disallow. The queens of werewolves have always done what they want, and as their mates, we don¡¯t much of a desire to stop you. A force of nature, that¡¯s what you are.¡±


    Hearing those words, Danielle¡¯s eyes glazed over, reliving a memory.


    Her body was on fire. Every inch of her body burned until she thought she was going to pass out. She grit her teeth and held on. She had taken the decision and she would follow through all the way. ¡°Ugh!¡± she grunted as another searing lash landed on her shoulder. These were whips coated with silver. They were covered with spikes. And they didn¡¯t show any mercy.


    With a crack, the whip slapped her shoulder at the same place. At this point, though, she was beyond complaining.


    Whistle, crack! Whistle, crack! The man behind her was unrelenting and unsympathetic towards the girl tied up in front of him. He gazed impassively at the crisscrossed lines all over her body. With clear-cut precision, he raised the whip again and was about to crack down on her when he heard her hoarse voice, ¡°Your symbol,¡± she said, ¡°does it mean the god or the devil?¡±


    The man froze. He slowly came around and lifted her bent head with her chin. The man who was known for being stoic was smiling at her. ¡°You¡¯ll go places, Danielle,¡± he said, ¡°you¡¯re a force of nature.¡±


    Danielle jerked out of her reverie and blinked. She looked at Alex whose face was contorted.


    ¡°When were you planning to tell me?¡± he asked hoarsely.


    Danielle was puzzled. ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°That man, Danielle! When were you planning to tell me about him?¡± Alex raised his voice.


    ¡°What ma¡ª oh goddess, no,¡± Danielle whispered. She quickly collected herself. ¡±Projecting my thoughts was an accident, Alex. I am not going to explain things. You already made a vow about this too.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re missing the point, Dani,¡± he said softly. ¡°That man, I know him. I know who he works for. My question is, why do you, a youngster, know him?¡±