Chapter Three

Northern Bristol in England, the Kingdom of the werewolf, and home to Alpha King, Drakken.

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"Check!" The sound of the Queen on the chess board reverberated as Drakken slammed it with so much to infuriate his gaming partner_ his younger brother, and gradually raised his head arrogantly to smirk at the younger lad whose face was filled with so much acrimony at his brother for his incessant win.

"You are cheating! That must surely be it!" The lad declared and jutted out his lips in a juvenile ilk that left him looking nothing less than the pup he was.

Drakken pushed away the blond lock falling across his forehead, grinned widely and shook his head. "I will gain a victory with my eyes closed, kid. It comes with age."

"That's a lie!" The boy stood up from the stool and crossed his hands on his chest defiantly. "Father said he won his first game at..." He stopped to think of the age, then jerked his head. "You are boring, I am off to meet father to teach me other cool stuff."

"Oh, C'mon!" Drakken feigned hurt at being called boring, and as he opened his mouth to express an appeasing comeback, a knock came at his study entrance halting his statement. "Come in," He ordered and as his brother wandered to the door, it unlocked and Duncan, his Beta, came through.

"Hey, little man," Duncan riled the lad.

"I am no little man!" The boy careened and banged the door loudly and thereafter, his step echoed down the hall as he took off.

Drakken’s chest rumbled with light chuckles. "Someday you will get what you deserve for calling him a little man," He told his Beta and stood up from the desk he had been slouched for the past hour, basking in his little brother's rebellious company. "Any report?"

His Beta having regained his composure from their slight chatter, straightened and his face turned serious. "They have the girl."

The King who was now standing by his minibar at the farther corner of the room pouring himself a glass of Scotch stopped and gradually turned to face his Beta. "Where is she?"

"They are bringing her here, as we speak."

The King's visage suddenly lit up. This was good news. Finally, he was going to have his long-awaited revenge. That little twat thought she could hide from him forever. Oh, how it would have delighted him to make her father watch him shred his precious daughter piece by piece until she was nothing but bones and blood. "Very fine news, Duncan. Very good news. This deserves a banquet! Once she is here, let me know."

"Of course, My King. I will let you know immediately__" He halted as a link came through. After a while, his stoic facade dissolved, he nodded and came to. "They are already at the gate, my King."

"It appears I will have fun before twilight, my friend," Drakken said eerily and pitched his glass of Scotch at Duncan. "Come, come join me, we have to celebrate. Finally, our wish is coming to fruition. We now have our enemy on a platter of gold."

Duncan beamed loosely and went to accept the glass from his King and gulped down at once. "Are you going to kill her?" He inquired.

Drakken's sharp Hazel eyes met his Beta in aghast, wondering if something has gone awry with the man's head. "Why else would I have been searching for her all these years, Duncan? Tonight, I shall feed her corpse to the hungry rogues in the dungeon. I will watch them tear her apart limb by limb and that would give me great pleasure."

Duncan nodded in agreement. "I hope this sends a message to the humans never to cross us ever again."

"I hope so too, my friend. I truly hope so for their own good." He swirled the top of his glass absentmindedly, and then from the corner of his eyes caught a movement from outside causing him to look through the window of the study and saw his brother on top of a horse while his father guided him down a path holding tightly to the reins.

"I will hurry along and make sure she is thrown in the dungeon then," Duncan said and downed the content in his glass, slightly squeezing his face from the sour aftertaste.

"Right," Drakken acquiesced. "Let me know once she is in the dungeon."

"Yes, My King," The man hurried away from the room.

Drakken remained by the window with his glass watching his father play with his brother_something he never had the opportunity of. From childhood, he has always been training in preparation to take over from his father. Sometimes, he can't help but envy his little brother despite the little hellion being very dear to his heart. He smiled and looked away. Today was indeed a good day.

Not only is the full moon arriving soon, but his Kingdom's enemy’s spawn has finally been caught and he was going to make her pay direly. He had the last laugh.

“Your Highness!"

He slowly recovered and listened through the link.

"Duncan?"

"She has been deposited in the dungeon, my King."

"Okay, I am on my way there."

Duncan seemed to hesitate. "There seem to be a little issue, My King,"

"What?" He was already out of the door walking down the hallway.

"The guard used his power on her and now she is unconscious."

Drakken rolled his eyes. That was easy then. He would just have to kill her fast and feed her to the rogues. It made things easier for him. "I'm on my way, Duncan." He severed the link.

At the dungeon located on the outskirts of the palace, he produced his napkin and covered his nose from the pungent smell of both grime and powers emitting from the captives.

The moment he entered the gate leading to the building, as a volcano hit him, he staggered back, his head seeming as though he was struck by lightning.

"What the fvck?" He hedged, recovered, thinking maybe it was due to the numerous powers emitting from the rogues in the dungeon but this time around when it struck again, it was fiercer, and accompanying it was a scent he never thought he would perceive in his lifetime.

"Cinnamon and Beetroot," he muttered. "...My mate's scent." His eyes expanded and at once, his legs moved of their volition. It was as if something possessed him and then the next thing he saw his Beta and the guards and they were standing in front of an open cell.

He faltered in his step and gradually moved closer, his heart hammering audibly. He got to the front of the cell and stopped, his mouth ajar, his body frozen, and his senses obscure. By now the scent was prominent and threatened to overwhelm him.

He found her! He found his mate.

He stooped towards the girl's body on the floor and gently touched her hence he rasped...

"Mine!... Mate!"

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