Chapter 3

Alpha Keanu’s POV

I ran my fingers through Petra’s hair as the advisors gave their report. She had settled in my legs like a docile kitten and I used her to ease my building frustration. If there was one thing I hated the most, it was incompetence. And my advisors were constantly proving that they were appointed for nothing.

All tasks were too big for them to handle. They only enjoyed being called advisors and all the benefits it came with.

I looked away from the reporting advisor, scanning the others in the room. They avoided eye contact which made me believe that they knew exactly how incompetent they were.

The only one who managed to hold eye contact for two seconds longer than the others was Alfonsus, Petra’s father, but he lowered like them in the end. I commend his two seconds of bravery though.

Out of all the advisors in my court, Alpfonsus was the only one who had not been born into a noble house. He was the son of an ordinary locksmith, but he had worked his way through the ranks to become an advisor. Which I commend him for, but he was still as incompetent as the rest.

Men have been given to them at their disposal. They had only one simple task to hunt down the damn pack that kept attacking the other packs but it seemed that was too much for them. Until now, all I got was excuses and more excuses.

“Shut up” I snapped and the whole room went silent.

Even Petra stiffens underneath me. My irritation was growing and her presence no longer did anything for me. I lifted her off me as I stood and approached the cowering man in the center.

“M-My lord” he stuttered.

“How many weeks has it been?”

“Four…. Six weeks, my lord”

“You’ve shown your incompetence constantly for six week Daarion”

“Forgive me my lord, we were doing our best”

“Your best isn't good enough. The longer it takes for you to find those damned criminals involved, the more other packs are attacked. How many packs so far?” I asked again.

“My lord….” Alfonsus stood up and I growled at him.

“Shut the fuck up and sit”

He returned to his seat and I faced Daarion again.

“My lord” Petra’s voice filled the room and I felt her slender fingers in my arm.

I tensed under her touch, my wolf not accepting her as he raged. I brushed her hands off me. As a subtle warning which she should have taken and returned to her former solution, staying silent like a perfect pet.

“Answer me Daarion” I snapped at him.

“My lord don’t you think you’re being harsh?”

I stilled at her words. Harsh? I slowly turned around and faced her. She was still rooted to the same spot with a defiant look in her eyes.

“Harsh you say?”

Doubt flickered in her eyes. Perhaps she was realizing that she shouldn’t have said what she just did.

“I mean, they are trying their best and…”

“You think I’m overreacting?”

“N..no…”

“That eight men with over a thousand guards each have been given over six weeks to find a group of wolves and not even a single positive news?” I drew closer to her.

“My lord” I heard my Beta call but I held my hand up to silence him.

“Maybe they can be given…”

“More time? More men? Do you realize how daft that sounds? Because I let you sit in couple of meeting you think you know it all?”

“Forgive me my lord. I shouldn’t have said anything”

“Yeah.. you shouldn’t have, you shouldn’t even be here. That was my mistake too. I seem to have given you a lot of free hand and you are starting to overestimate your importance around me?”

“I’m sorry” her lips shivered as she spoke. I nodded as I ran my fingers through my hair.

“Of course you are” I looked around the room one last time. No one dared to say even a single thing.

“Get out”

“M..my lord?” She stuttered again.

“All of you, get the fuck out now”

There was an annoying grating sound as they hurriedly pushed their chairs and scampered out in fear. I only relaxed when I heard the door shut but I knew Noir was still there.

“When I said Everyone, that included you too” I said without looking at him and approaching the back door leading to my wing.

Noir was silent as we climbed the staircase and I just ignored his presence.

“I did find something concerning the strange group of wolves that attacked the packs”

“You did? Why didn’t you say a damned thing then?”

“You were in a bad mood”

“I’m still in a bad mood Noir, my wolf is on edge”

“It’s not close to the full moon yet”

“The fuck if I know why he’s acting up” I entered my office and went straight to the window overlooking the entire castle grounds.

“I take it you won’t be taking Petra as your mate”

I scoffed. “I had no intention of ever doing that”

“Really? She has stayed with you the longest out of all the other women you keep”

“The number of years doesn’t matter. I’m not taking Petra as anything”

“So you’ll let her go?”

“I’m not holding on to her”.

She was only there for my physical urges. She could be replaced at any time. She has not given me any reason to replace her yet. But between the two of us, she wanted to remain at my side at all costs.

We heard a soft knock and the door opened. Petra entered cautiously, her eyes darting between Noir and myself.

“My lord”

“What do you want Petra?”

“Are you upset with me? I didn’t mean to talk out of turn during the meeting. Forgive my insolence”

“There is nothing to forgive Petra. As long as you know not to do it ever again”

“I won’t, believe me. I’ll never speak out of turn”

I nodded. “Good, return to your home with your father”

“My lord, you said you aren’t upset with me”

“I’m not, but you must return with your father. I’ll be very busy in the next few weeks so you have no reason to be here”

“It doesn’t matter my lord. I can wait but please don’t send me back”

I drew closer to her, cupping her face gently.

“You aren’t listening love” I said in a low voice.

“I’m not asking you what you want. Return to your father until I send for you again” I pulled away from her and returned to the window.

“Noir will see you to the exit” I turned my back to them and I heard footsteps retreating and the door closing.

My shoulders dropped, I was exhausted. My wolf was on edge. For so many reasons and one of them was the fact that I was yet to find my mate. It was the norm to already have found my true mate or marked a female as my mate by now. No king had ruled for ten years without a queen, A Luna by his side.

I was already holding the record and whispers were already going around, not that I cared in the slightest but my wolf needed a mate. I could feel my control over him slipping and I feared that one day, he would give into the madness and never come back.

Noir returned a few minutes later.

“I’ve seen them to the exit” I nodded.

“About what I was trying to say earlier. It’s not a pack doing this… it’s a group of rogues. I discovered an attack that happened recently and from the findings, they may be associated with the black market”

I frowned.

“They are selling humans”.

My frown deepened. “Humans? They attacked a human village? We’ve not received any reports about them”

“Yes. I was surprised about that too”

“Contact the human king. I should have a word with him”

The king's castle was the nearest human village to my land. We often communicated and offered our protection since most of the human villages fought against each other.

“I will my lord. There was a rogue on our land”

“Deal with the rogue. I don’t have the time for trespassers”

“Yes my lord”.

The next few days were filled with activities. I had an audience with the human king. He was also surprised about the attack on the human village since it was a distraction.

Noir sent out his men to keep investigating and after six weeks, it was starting to look like we were making progress in finding the attackers.

I was having a walk in the grounds. There were servants scattered around engaged in one activity or the other. I walked past a group working closely together pulling out overgrown weeds. A scream caught my attention and my feet moved in that direction with Noir close behind.

“My lord”

A slave was on the floor, with hands shackles behind their back.

“That’s the trespasser from the other day”

I stopped walking. Since it was a trespasser… they were probably being punished. But just as I was about to turn around, the girl was forced to her knees and I caught sight of her face. Our eyes clashing despite the distance and I could feel her blue orbs draw me in.

I moved closer, blocking out all the sounds until I was standing a breath away from her. I didn’t have to touch her to know that I found my mate.