Chapter 5: Dinner Ultimatum

Robyn

I followed Nina down several long corridors until she stopped at a grand entrance. The intricate carvings of wolves on the doors themselves to the large grandiose dining room were breathtakingly beautiful. I’d never seen something so magnificent and beautiful before. 

When Nina opened the doors to the grand dining hall, I thought I was asleep and juuuust about to wake up in real life. I stood in front of the Alpha King himself seated at the grand dining table alone, appearing to be waiting for someone to dine with him. His eyes glowed red briefly enough for me to catch it and confirm my suspicions that this man really was the Alpha King. He looked dangerous, yet approachable and warm, as he stood to greet me from his seat.

He was an extremely large, hulking and imposing man, covered in knotted muscles all over his body with scars from wars and battles of the past all over him. If the scars and hunched posture didn’t give indication to his age, his wrinkled, leathery-tanned skin and scruffy gray to white facial hair with a head of thinning hair sure did tell me he was older than most wolves, today.

“Ah….come. Sit, child,” Alpha King Vale gestured to the seat across from him where a beautiful place setting was intricately placed for his guest, apparently me!

I looked back at Nina, who smiled politely at me before shutting the doors to the dining room to leave me and the Alpha King to dine together alone.

My heart sank into my stomach. I would be lying if I didn’t admit that at that moment, I was terrified.

Considering it didn’t look like I had much of a choice in anything at this point, I went to sit across from the king. I was shocked that he hadn’t ordered my death from the start. Why was he sparing my life? Was he just waiting to tell me he was ordering me to death to see the look in my eyes? To see some semblance of my father in me to take vengeance on again and sit there enjoying my misery?

I was a traitor…my mother assured me that was the reason we were in hiding all this time. That’s why I couldn’t leave the pack borders, at least until Oma died and we didn’t have a choice after that.

After situating myself, an older gentleman, another omega, I assumed, entered the room carrying two covered dishes. He placed one dish in front of me and one in front of the king before uncovering the dish for the both of us and quietly leaving. 

“Please,” Alpha King Vale held out one hand to suggest that I should enjoy my meal, “EAT!”

He smiled friendly enough. I wasn’t sure if I should, but he hadn’t killed me yet and if I was caught by him, I SHOULD be right now. So, there was that. 

I visibly gulped before picking up a spoon to take a sip of the delicate-looking, delectably smelling soup in front of me. 

The king was watching me with bated breath, smiling as if he was really hoping I would like the soup or something. It was on the verge of being creepy.

“Well? Do you like it?”

I was taken aback, but responded, “Uh…ye…yess…sir, I mean, uh…” I was so nervous I wasn’t sure how to speak to him. I’d never formally spoken to a man before, let alone a KING.

He looked amused about something and chuckled, “It’s okay child, you can call me Vale. No need for formalities here,” then he smiled. Why was he being so nice? Did he not realize who I was?

I continued to eat and nod, trying very hard not to make eye contact or say something that would be disrespectful.

Both Vale and I sat quietly eating our soups until we were both finished. It wasn’t an uncomfortable silence, it was actually quite pleasant. A few moments later, I observed the old gentleman return with another set of plates. 

He removed our soup bowls and replaced the space with our main meal. It was some kind of meat, likely deer, slow roasted in a sauce with potatoes, onions, carrots, and some green vegetables I’d never seen before. It looked quite delectable and just looking at it was making my mouth water. 

I watched and waited until Vale began eating before I started. The meal was delicious and I savored every bite. I had never tasted such amazing food before in my life. No offense to Mom and Oma’s cooking, but when that’s all you’ve had your entire life, almost anything cooked by someone else is going to taste amazing! 

“Let’s not waste any more time since you don’t seem to be much of a social butterfly and I know…there are many introductions to get through,” Vale began.

“What did your mother name you, child?” He asked sharply, looking up as he took a bite of his meal.

“Robyn,” I responded meekly.

“Robyn…a beautiful name,” He smiled before continuing, “So, Robyn, I’ve been told you have been living not far from our palace, on the outskirts of Tyr in the Forest of the Okapi all this time with just your mother…and well, a witch that obviously kept you both hidden from us, right under our noses.”

He kept chewing his meat, staring at me, studying my reactions to this information.

“Y…yessir…I…I mean, that’s correct…V…Vale,” I quickly attempted to respond without sounding nervous but failed miserably.

Vale smiled, “You don’t have to be nervous around me child. After all, you ARE my son’s mate,” he smirked as he wiped his mouth.

I almost choked on the piece of meat I had been chewing, “E…excuse me, Vale? You said…I’m YOUR…s…son’s…MATE?” I looked incredulously back at Vale.

He smiled, “That’s right…well, I guess I should explain how that happened, right?” 

I nodded.

Vale laughed, “Well, I guess I should start by asking you…Robyn, how much did your mother tell you about our kind and our existence?”

I looked at him confused. My mother told me what we were and how we survive so long ago I can’t even remember a time when I didn’t know what I was and how we came to be, “Um, I’m very aware that we are werewolves and we cannot tell humans of our existence if that’s what you mean.”

Vale shook his head, “No, I mean, about the real threat that faces us all. Extinction. If we do not start producing she-wolf pups, we WILL go extinct. YOU were the last she-wolf pup known to have been born. We haven’t had a she-wolf pup born in eighteen years.”

This news hit me HARD. I was shocked. I knew I never saw young she-wolfs around, but I just assumed that was because they used the empty fields on the outskirts of Tyr and the Forest of the Okapi as their training grounds and I just assumed she-wolves didn’t need training since they weren’t warriors. 

I had no idea that our existence was THIS bad. Or was it?

“How is that possible? What happened?” I asked.

Vale deep sighed before continuing, “We don’t know why it is happening. It just is. The birth rate of she-wolves had been declining for hundreds of years, but you are the last one we know to be alive, therefore, the youngest she-wolf in existence and now…of age.”

I felt my heart drop into the pit of my stomach at that. I was the youngest she-wolf in existence. That was heavy.

Vale kept talking, “So, when you were born, to assure the wolves that the royal line would continue on, I declared you, my son’s mate. Don’t worry child, he isn’t much older than you. My mate, unfortunately, wasn’t strong enough to survive childbirth. Much like many of the last she-wolves that were born. After delivering healthy pups, they died. We can only hope, you, my dear, do not suffer the same fate.”

I was furious. How could he just declare me someone’s mate? What about the Moon Goddess? What about the mate the goddess has given me? But, before I could interject or respond to Vale’s ramblings, he continued.

“You see Robyn, I didn’t just choose you because you were a convenience for my own son. I chose you because your mother is also the only she-wolf to survive a successful birth in over seventy-five years! This means you’re strong and from a strong line of wolves. You will survive the demands of bearing pups for my son and allow him to live a long and happy life with you. That is all I want for you both,” he smiled, looking me directly in the eyes as if to try and impress upon me the sincereness of his statement.

I couldn’t think of anything at this point. I was so upset, I was FUMING. NO ONE would be forcing me into a mating!  The only mate I would EVER accept would be my fated mate and that was FINAL.

I couldn’t tell the Alpha King himself to go fuck off and that I was NEVER going to be his son’s mate. I had to find a way to decline, without getting myself killed. I should start with that point first - trying NOT to get killed.

“So…you aren’t going to kill me?”

Vale bellowed out a boisterous laugh, “Of course not! How silly! Robyn, you are the most precious person in this realm to our entire species! I would NEVER kill you!” He smiled.

I visibly exhaled. Now that I knew I wouldn’t be killed for what I said, I gulped and thought, ‘here goes nothing.’

“Um…well, thank you for your generosity Alpha King Vale…and thank you for a lovely meal, but I must decline your offer to wed me to your son as I have already been promised to another.”

Vale’s face fell from a big and warm smile to a scowl and then a flash of anger could be seen in his eyes, “What do you mean, you’ve already. been. promised. to. another.?” he gritted his teeth, seething. I could tell he was restraining his beast’s fury.

“My mother taught me about the Moon Goddess and how she gives us our fated mates. She told me that the Moon Goddess has already matched me with someone from the moment I was conceived and to go against her would be the worst possible crime anyone could ever commit. So, to mate with your son knowing my mate is out there somewhere…I just can't do that, Alpha King Vale, I’m sorry!” I looked down, losing my appetite and pushing my meal away, “This meal was absolutely exceptional. Thank you so much for the dinner, but I must be getting back to my room…so I can, um, change and leave…” I trailed off trying to subtly tell him I wanted to leave.

That was apparently Vale’s last straw. He exploded, “ABSOLUTELY NOT! I FORBID YOU TO LEAVE THIS PACK HOUSE!” He growled loudly as he stood up slamming his fist down on the table.

“Why?” I glared back at Vale.

“Because you ARE the Future Alpha King’s MATE!” He growled.

“I will not be a mate to someone that is not fated by the Moon Goddess to be mine!” I explained firmly holding my ground.

I could tell Vale wasn’t going to hear another word from me at this point. 

He exhaled loudly, “I didn’t want it to come to this Robyn, but…you leave me no choice. You can either accept my son and his pod as your mates or, you can become a slave to the crown and be my son’s breeder until you produce him an heir. Then, you will be passed off to the next wolf in line needing an heir and produce pups for our pack officials. You can become our pack breeding WHORE,” he spat the last words out with so much venom dripping from his tongue that hearing his words nauseated me. This was worse than death!

I gasped in shock at his statement and the glowing red in his eyes, clearly showing me that his Alpha wolf was too close to taking control, his eye color the obvious indicator of his rank.

“Please…I beg you…” I began.

“NO! MAKE YOUR CHOICE!” 

I shifted my eyes around the room searching for ANY kind of an escape. Something, anything! There was nowhere for me to go; I could smell the guards standing on the other side of every door into this giant dining hall. My heartbeat sped up as I began to panic. Think Robyn, Think!

Unfortunately, nothing came to mind that I thought could save me.

Acquiescing, I took a deep breath before exhaling loudly, “Only under ONE condition!”

At that, Vale visibly calmed down and returned to a normal, calm, demeanor, “anything.”

“Return my mother to me. You took her away from me when you captured her a week ago. That can be the only explanation as to where she has been all this time and why I haven’t been able to even mind link her. I will not do ANYTHING until I know she is safe, unharmed, and with me.” 

Vale smirked, “Deal.”