Chapter 15 Fifteen

It was still dark outside when I was awoken from my deep slumber when I heard the noises coming from outside my room, much to my annoyance when I turned to the giant wall clock hung above the door, the clock relayed the time 5:20 in the morning. I pushed the naked woman lying next to my bed as I tried to get up, I chose not to pay attention to the the soft groan that escaped her throat and I lazily put on my thich robe. "Where are you going? Come back to bed?" "Shush! I don't need you telling me what to do, Miya." I snapped at her, though I wasn't so sure whether she heard me because when I turned to face her, she has already snoozed back to sleep. I hurriedly stepped outside the door and didn't bother to close it shut. A grim smirk automatically escaped my lip when I was greeted by Lycarus and three other warrrios. "Given your timing, I expect you have some good news for me?" I asked, staring him down. A slight satisfaction seemed to trigger my senses as Lycarus looked away, unable to meet my gaze. "Forgive my disturbance, Alpha Alaric-" "I don't need to forgive you, Lycarus. Where is she?" The air inside the pack house seemed to become thick with tension. I saw how my warrior trembled with fear upon seeing how quick my reaction shift to being pleased to dissappointment when he slowly shook his head as an answer to my question. The dim lights lining the pack house hallway flickered wildly as I paced in front of Lycarus and three of his men, my heavy footsteps was loud, almost enough to echo against the marble floors. I glanced him a piercing gaze, an evil smirk escaped my lip as their heads bowed in submission. "You've been gone for weeks and you dare return to me with nothing?" I said, my voice was low as I tried to barely restrain my rage. I felt my muscles coiled as if ready to strike, and my canines elongated in frustration. "I sent you on one task. One. Find her and bring her to me. And yet..." I stepped closer, my voice rising to a deadly growl. "You come back empty-handed?" One of the warriors, a seasoned fighter named Renly, lifted his head hesitantly. "Alpha, we tracked her scent to the human borders, but-" "But what?" I snarled, my eyes flashing dangerously. Renly swallowed hard before speaking. "Her scent guided us through the Kingdom." "What?" I once again snapped as I began to wonder what could a weak woman like Foxy could possibly be doing in King Marcus's Kingdom. Yet my question was instantly answered as Renly spoke again. "The Lycan King took her." The room fell into complete silence, the only sound being the sharp intake of my breath. I felt my body went rigid, my veins pulsing with unrestrained fury. "Say that again." I commanded, my voice deceptively quiet as a stark contrast to the storm brewing within me. "The Lycan King." Renly repeated cautiously. "He took her to his Kingdom. Alpha Walden Fox's wolfless daugher was staying in King Marcus's kingdom, she's being treated as an honored royal guest." He complained, his voice trembling. "We couldn't do anyth-" My hand shot out, seizing renly by the throat. I lifted him off the ground with effortless strength, my claws digging into his flesh. Renly gasped, his hands clutching at my arm, his legs kicking helplessly in the air. "You couldn't do anything?" I hissed. "The mate I threw away, the wolfless weakling, is now under his protection? And you cannot do anything?" "A-Alpha-" Renly choked out. Took me a few more seconds before I finally released him with a growl, sending him crashing onto the floor. The warrior gasped for air, rubbing his bruised throat as he scrambled back. "Brielle Fox was already taken by the King days before you sent us to find her, Alpha Alaric. We cannot go any closer to the kingdom without being caught." This time, it was Lycarus who spoke. I turned my back to them, I tried to calm myself down as my chest heaving with fury. I clenched my fists, letting my nails bit into my palm as the thought of her, my discarded mate, being under the Lycan King's care made my blood boil. The very idea that the most powerful ruler in their world had taken an interest to someone like her enraged me beyond reason. How? Why? She was nothing. A pitiful, wolfless girl I had rejected without a second thought. And now, she was under the Lycan King's protection? I exhaled sharply, my temper barely in check. "Did you see her?" I demanded, my back still turned. One of the younger warriors hesitated before responding. "Yes, Alpha. She looked... different." I turned sharply. "Different?" The young warrior nodded. "She wasn't the broken girl we expected to find. The Kingdom's court council, even the King himself was helping her train, they seemed to have given too much attention to help her become stronger, confident, help her shift into her wolf. And she was by the Lycan King's side. The King seemed... protective of her." My jaw tightened. My nails bit deeper into my skin. I never wanted her, I loathed her since the very first day my father has taken her in, treated her like his own daughter, I still don't want her, I am sure of that. And if it wasn't for one reason why I needed to have her back, I could have been careless. Yet the idea of another male, especially that King who showed up uninvited that same night I rejected Fox was now laying claim to what was once mine somehow filled me with unrelenting fury. "She's mine!" I growled, my voice filled with dark possession. Renly, still rubbing his neck, dared to speak again. "Alpha, she's under his protection. It won't be easy to take her back. The Lycan King is not an enemy we want." I turned, my eyes dark and wild. "I don't care if I have to burn his entire Kingdom to the ground. She will return to me. She's mine to use as I see fit. No one takes from me and lives to tell the tale. Whoever it was." The warriors exchanged wary glances, but none dared to argue. I cracked his neck as a cruel smirk formed on my lips. "Prepare the warriors. If the Lycan King thinks he can steal from me, he will soon learn just how wrong he is." Lycarus bowed his heads, acknowledging my order though a heavy weight settled in the air. For some reason, my wrath had been ignited. And I know for sure, nothing would stand in my way. I don't give two fucks about whatever kind of a King, Marcus was. Serio's POV The moon seemed to come to our favor as it hung low over the dense forest as we moved in silence, our black cloaks blended into the shadows. The King personally selected me for this task, and I handpicked the very few of the strongest warriors in my hoard for their skill and loyalty to accompany me. King Marcus had sent us on a mission to investigate whispers of treachery brewing within the Shadow Walker Pack. The young Brielle Fox who is now under the kingdom's care and protection suspects a foul paly behind the former Alpha Aric Barlowe's death. We silenty crouched low behind the underbush, watching the pack's gathering from a distance, in front of the Pack House. A small fire crackled in the center of the clearing, illuminating the hardened faces of Shadow Walker's warriors. At the forefront, I saw the new Alpha, Alpha Alaric Barlowe, the fallen Alpha's son, his expression cold and calculating as he addressed his men. "We can no longer stand idle while that King keeps what is rightfully ours." Alaric growled, his voice filled with conviction. "She belongs to this pack, and we will take her back. The Lycan King has no claim over her." I narrowed my eyes, glancing at his second-in-command, Lycarus. The pieces were falling into place. Without knowing much about the true reason why we were here, what's in front of me now seemed to be reason enough to be convinced that whatever is going on in this pack, it is clear that this was no ordinary dissent. They are planning a rebellion against the Kingdom. Against the Lycan King. "She's nothing but a wolfless girl!" One of the Shadow Walker warriors scoffed, but there was hesitation in his tone. "What power does she hold that warrants such risk?" From a short distance, I saw Alaric's expression darkened. "She may be wolfless, but the power her blood and heritage hold is enough for me to take her back,. She belongs to our pack. The King has taken what belongs to me. He has humiliated this pack by sheltering her someone like her. What do you think our neigboring pack would think when they found out how we discarded someone like her for being weak only to be treated like a royal in King Marcus's Kingdom? This is about more than just her, it's about our pride, our power." A murmur rippled through the gathered wolves, some nodding in agreement, others shifting uncomfortably. I clenched my jaw. This was worse than I expected. Alaric was using his personal vendetta to fuel a rebellion. If this pack rose against the King, others might follow. "We must act!" A warrior beside me whispered, his voice barely audible. "We need to report this." "Not yet." I replied, keeping my gaze locked on Alaric. "We need more." I remained focused as another warrior stepped forward from the Shadow Walker Pack, his tone sounded hesitant. "But, Alpha, the King, he's no ordinary Lycan. His forces are strong. If we go to war with him, we risk everything." "Now this one got a bigger brain than the Alpha." I whispered smirking. Alaric sneered. "Then we do not face him head-on. We use strategy. Stealth. We take the girl back before he realizes what has happened. Once she is with us, the King will have no reason to interfere." A silence followed, then nods of approval Alaric had convinced them. I felt my blood ran cold. The rebellion wasn't just a possibility, it was set in motion. I signaled to my warriors with a flick of my hand. It was time to leave. We had seen and know enough. As we retreated back to the Kingdom, through the shadows, my mind raced. The King had to be warned. A storm was coming, and the Shadow Walker Pack, the abandoned pack the poor girl our king had helped had just declared war. What good are you to them now, Brielle Fox? What about your blood and lineage has to do with how a dumb Alpha like Alaric Barlowe ruling the pack that you believed was forcibly taken from his own father by murdering him? Who are you, Brielle Fox? I silently whispered to myself as we go deeper in the forest, back to our kingdom.