Chapter 16 Sixteen

I padded softly into the grand dining hall of the Castle, my shoes echoed lightly against the polished marble floor. The long wooden table stretched before me, it set with golden plates and steaming dishes of food. I smiled when I felt my stomach rumbled and tigtened with hunger as the scent of roasted meats and fresh bread filled the air. I have been staying in the castle for a few weeks now yet I am still adjusting to the strange customs of the royal court. Breakfast was supposed to be a quiet affair, meant for those who rose early enough to enjoy it alone. Which was precisely why I was here as I learned that an alone time was a luxury in a castle full of political games and prying eyes. Except now, I wasn't alone... I think no matter how early I try to get out of bed this morning, still not enough for me to be able to eat breakfast alone. I felt my chest tightened... Sitting at the head of the table, in a high-backed chair adorned with the Blackthorn sigil, was the one person I had least expected to see. King Marcus. I froze mid-step, my hands trembled slightly before I forced myself to calm it down. Though I find it really hard knowing that the King was watching me with an unreadable expression, his piercing golden eyes locked onto mine. I wanted to look away... Yet I couldn't... The morning light cast sharp shadows across his face, He was imposing, powerful... And... He looks beautiful... Not that I would ever admit it. I cleared my throat as I tried to appear unbothered by his pressence. "King Marcus." I greeted, slightly bowing my head. Marcus raised a brow and gestured lazily to the seat across from him. "Foxy." He replied smoothly, as if they dined together every morning. "Didn't expect to see you here so early." I hesitated, but hunger won out over suspicion. I moved to sit across from him, eyeing him warily. "Didn't expect to see you either." I said, grabbing a slice of bread and tearing it apart. "I thought kings slept in, what with all the ruling and brooding." I added wrinking my nose. Marcus smirked. "And I thought young wolves weren't so cheeky in the presence of their King." He replied, I felt my own heart in my throat as yet another smile ghosted on his lips, took me a few seconds to form an answer. "I tried to wake early today, I hoped to be early for training with the court council. And I thought I wouldn't have to disturb someone who wanted silent breakfast such as yourself." "You learn quickly, Foxy. You're getting stronger each time you train. And, if I wanted a silent breakfast, I wouldn't have waited for you." He said, the words I never expect, making me swallow the bread without me chewing it first. I hurriedly reached for the glass of water beside me and finish it in one try. His smirk grew ever wider fade. Instead, he picked up his cup and took a sip of his tea, watching me over the rim. The silence stretched between us, it felt comfortable but also felt charged. I chose to focus on my food, but I could feel his eyes on me, it was almost as if he was trying to read something in my expression. I tried not to think about the conversation I'd had the night before. The She-Council member, Lady Ayane, had confided in me last night, maybe foolishly, or maybe intentionally. Who knows? "King Marcus..." I heard Ayane's voice echoed from the back of my head. "I'm his rejected mate..." Since we came back from our short wander to the forest last night, I had been unable to hide my shock. Too much that Ibarely even slept. A rejected mate? A love lost by choice? Or a love that never was? The concept unsettled me more than I ever wanted to admit. And now, sitting across from the King, I couldn't help but wonder if that rejection haunted him. Just like how Alaric's rejection haunted me. If he ever thought of Elara, or maybe his reason why he rejected someone like her? My houghts broke when Marcus set down his tea cup. "You're thinking too much." I blinked. "Wh-What?" "You always do that when you're overanalyzing things, over thinking things." He said, casually cutting into his zsteak. "Always do what?" I asked, curiosity flickered in my eyes. "You frown, you bite your own lip, and you fidget on your fingers, It's very telling." I narrowed my eyes as I forced to meet his gaze. "Are you studying me, King Marcus?" "Only when you make it so easy." He admitted. His lips twitched, as if he were enjoying this far too much. I huffed and stabbed at my eggs hoping that it was enough to hide my shocked expression. "You must be very bored if you've memorized my expressions." Marcus leaned back in his chair, his one arm draped over the backrest. "Perhaps I just find you entertaining." "Hmmm." I gave him a sidelong glance. "Then maybe you should tell me why you were waiting for me." For a moment, I thought he made a show of looking surprised. "Waiting for you? Now that's an assumption." "Well, aside from that's exacty what you said just a few minutes ago, you are also sitting at breakfast at an unusual hour, with no one else around, and somehow, I just happened to arrive." I tilted my head. "Though I've not shifted yet, you do realize I'm still a wolf, right? I can smell the guilt." I said once again wrinking my nose. I have no idead where I am getting the courage to tease a strong and powerful Lycan King like King Marcus, yet somehow, I felt content, comfortable. Especially when Marcus exhaled a short laugh and shook his head. "Very well. Maybe I was… curious." "Curious?" "You have a way of unsettling people, Foxy." He mused. "You speak your mind, yet hold your secrets close. The court isn't sure what to make of you." "And you?" I asked, meeting his gaze. Took me few minutes before I spoke. "What do you make of me?" He held my stare for a long moment while I was busy cathching my own breath. "I haven't decided yet." He replied, making me feel so unsure if that should worry me or amuse me. So I chose to do what I thought I could do best, I grinned and took another bite of my food. "Well, please let me know when you do." Marcus chuckled, shaking his head. "You really are impossible." Breakfast continued as I let tension and humor intertwined like an unsaid challenge between us. The golden sun dipped lower in the sky, it casted an amber glow over the vast fields of the training grounds. I inahled softly, filling my lungs as a gentle breeze whispered through the towering trees, their leaves swaying in rhythm with what seemed like a nature's song. I sat beneath one of the largest oaks, I lay sprawled against its thick roots. I had spent the day training under the relentless guidance of the court councils and King Marcus. I felt muscles ached, but my mind was at ease. In a few weeks since my training, though I still can't shift I had learned to push past my own limits, to wield some of my power in ways I never thought possible, it somehow gave me the glimmer of hope that I could still be part of my own kind after all... In time... I hope... I whispered to myself. As my body sought rest, my eyes remained captivated by the figure standing at the edge of the clearing. The King... I found myself catching my own breath as I watched him stepped forward, his regal form shifting seamlessly into his wolf, a majestic beast of deep gray fur, eyes that gleamed like molten gold. The transformation was effortless, like a dance of power and grace that made my heart pound wildly in against my chest. Watching him like this suddenly made me feel something primal, like something ancient stirred within me, as if I was calling out to him in ways I couldn't explain. I absentmindedly held my own chest, no matter how hard I try, I just couldn't look away from him. It feels as if his pressence was too comforting. I clenched my fists as I forced myself to remain still. Pull yourself together Foxy... I reminded myself as I softly shook my head. I could not afford such distractions. Not when I had so much left to prove. Few moments later, movement beyond the King caught my attention. A group of warriors arrived, by the looks of them, they seemed to just came back from a very important mission, one I had no knowledge of. My sharp eyes silently followed as they bowed before Marcus, their faces lined with tension. Though I am a little far from where they stood, I could still feel the air around them shifted, It somehow became thick with unspoken words. Just based on their expressions, I didn't need to hear what they need to say, I knew that whatever news they brought, it wasn't good. Worry crypt inside me as I saw how Marcus's expression darkened. I tensed. I could not hear their words, but I could see the rigid set of the King's jaw, the barely contained rage in his golden eyes. My heart pounded louder. What had they told him? Moments later, the King shifted back into his human form, his powerful frame trembling with fury. He turned sharply toward the warriors, one of them was his trusted Beta, Serio. The King's voice was a low, dangerous growl. "Are you certain?" "Yes, My King." One of the warriors answered. "We found proof. They-" The warrior hesitated, even turned to Serio as if asking for help. I tried too heard to sharpen my hearing but all I could hear are whispers, their voices were too low I couldn't underatand. "....Shadow Walker-" My breath hitched as I somewhat hear my old pack. My past. It wasn't so long since I left them… What has happened to Shadow Walker Pack? I asked in silence as I continued to watch them speak. Their voices barely above a whisper, I couldn't catch every word making me feel so desperate to hear. I saw how King Marcus's fists clenched. "Whose on the run?" "Few. The pack's warriors are scattered. I am sure some are just out there." Silence fell between them. Then, the King spoke again, his voice laced with barely restrained fury. "Find them. Bring them to me." My stomach once again twisted. What had my old pack done? What did Alaric do? Then, as if sensing my gaze, Marcus turned towards me. Our eyes met. I felt my breath caught in my throat. I thought of seeing how his expression softened for the briefest of moments before the storm returned to his features. I had no idea what this meant, or what is going on, but I knew one thing for certain. Nothing good will come to Shadow Walker Pack, if someone like Alaric Barlowe remain in power as their Alpha. What did you do... Alaric? I asked the question again before I was finally able to break free from King Marcus's gaze.