CHAPTER SIX

RYLAN'S POV

The long process was rounding to a close sooner than anticipated. I couldn't wait to get out of the view of everyone else and lock myself in my study, reveling in the pain I'd caused my mate.

I betrayed her. Openly humiliated her before the eyes of the kingdom, even though I didn't attempt that actively, I passively brought her name to mud with my actions. I'd branded her a shameful name.

My thoughts were interrupted with shouts of "All hail the King and Queen. All Hail the King and Queen" filling the air suddenly.

The procession was finally over.

"Zadik. Come with me to my office. Now." I mindlinked to my most trusted aide. He was my Beta and the only person I could trust with my life. Even though he wasn't so pleased when he found out about Venn, he swallowed his disapproval, placing rational thoughts forward rather than emotions.

He'd fought bravely by my side during the unfortunate events that took my mother's life. Despite her bold front as she took the enemy head on, she wound up dead when she let her emotions get to her. One of them had disguised as a child and the moment she turned back, unknown to her, to save the so-called child, she was slain.

If only she'd put rational thinking before her bloody emotions.

My monster growled angrily and my claws elongated as the memory crawled into my subconscious once more. Those bloody bunch of tricky mimics. The more reason I prayed to the goddess against having a weakling as a mate. She could become easy target, thereby revealing my weakness t the enemy. Politics in the world of wolves was a game of superiority and flex of power and submission.

It was a game of who would submit to another and I was too proud a man to bow the knee for another who is supposed to be beneath. Hence the reason why I protested so little in favor of Neilla. As a matter of fact, Venn gave me no reason to incessantly worry. She was more than capable of handling herself.

Bitter to spell out but that was an extremely admirable trait I wished Neilla possessed. Unfortunately, she was more in tune with her emotions than anything. She is a wolf for crying out loud and you'd agree when I say wolves are meant to be savage. Despite the era of civilization we find ourselves, it cannot alter our nature. It should not.

I apologized briefly to the Oracle who only nodded in response, avoiding my eyes. I knew Sheila had a lot brimming in her head and would only spill when she'd come to a conclusion. When? No one knows. That's why the moon goddess chose her to be her mouthpiece.

Too damn secretive.

I recoiled when Venn touched my biceps briefly, asking where I was leaving to. "To my office. You stay here and have fun mixing with our people. You just became Luna after all."

The last part came out sarcastic but I could tell it flew over her head because she only squealed like a human teenage schoolgirl in happiness. Her reaction was very unnecessary since she already knew what the outcome would be.

.

.

.

I stepped into the office, two bulky men in tow. All traces of reactions wiped grimly off my face as I beheld Zadik already seated in the rich leather chair, made out of the hides of our enemies,opposite the large desk. One would expect the large table to be filled with paperwork but it only contained war strategies and carefully mapped out geographical drawings of each zone in the kingdom.

The air sizzled with tension as my wolf presented itself, characterized by my deep orange vision, tinged with hints of red. It was that way since my father was still in throes of agony, barely hanging on to thread of life.

"What do we have here?" My wolf growled as he pushed me behind and took a seat in the forefront of our mind, taking the wheel. His presence meant they needn't dilly dally in spelling out details.

Zadik raised his head, then dropped it immediately in a bow as he acknowledged my beast. "Your majesty. There has been recent spotting of strange activities by the guards we kept to keep wake in the kingdom's borderlands."

"And the outcome?" My monster queried, his thick voice laced with bitter hate. "The man you placed in charge to uncover those mysteries, what have they done?"

There was a slight hesitance in his posture. He cast a quick side glance at the others in the room, the wheels in his head turning. He looked back at me -the artifact behind me rather- following a threatening growl from me. "I'm afraid nothing, my Lord."

The orange tint of my vision drew darker, almost bloody but Zadik wasn't fazed. If anything, he merely averted his eyes.

Looking an Alpha in the eye whose beasts have taken over, could easily be misunderstood for challenging their authority despite whatever the topic was at that moment. Many have lost their heads on the account of ignorance while others merely attempted to be daredevils.

I struggled to take back rein of control so I could talk to my men and we could map strategies without letting anger get in the way. I couldn't afford to be like the Alpha of the neighbouring kingdom who couldn't keep a muzzle on his beast and wiped out his governing council. Not one person remained.

"Watch your mouth, dick!" My wolf swore at me in a threatening voice as soon as I yanked back control from him. He retreated into my head, prancing slowly like the predator that he was to watch the outcome of 'talking rationally'.

My vision cleared and so did the sudden urge to draw blood. "How did we end up with so much incompetent fools and cowards in the kingdom? We're reputable for having our hearts in our backs. Call up those idiots." I roared.

Zadik issued a signal to one of the soldiers present who then marched out immediately.

I paced about the office, fresh anger fueling my veins. More lives have been lost, fresh pups mutilated, meaning those mysterious wenches got away with their abominable crimes again. It took sheer willpower not to overturn the table in front of me and reduce it to splinters.

In this pack, we pride ourselves in attaining whatever we set our minds to do. Yet, the constant, recurring failure to grab a hold of these evil perpetrators was beginning to seep into me like bad blood, successfully ruining my mood and encouraging a bloodbath. How on earth would this be able to persuade the people that I was a capable leader when all plans failed woefully?

I wasn't just pissed. My monster had taken over once more and he was enraged.

Our ears picked up on the sound of several footsteps walking in the direction of our office. The stench of their fear hung heavy as they filed into the office even with straight faces.

One of them dropped to their knees immediately with his head bowed, his own individual scent suddenly masked fear pouring out of him in torrents and there was the potent smell of urine. He couldn't stop trembling like a pup.

"Spare us, your majesty." He cried. He even pissed on himself in terror.

We exhaled sharply, feeling the disrespect of the soldier like a smear on our faces, a stain on our rep. Both my monster and I. It wasn't in the books to kill anyone of the soldiers but issue a severe warning and send them out again myself. His show of weakness was repulsive. We stalked towards him ever so slow.

"I didn't train you to be wimps and cower in the face of death." I spat at his face, droplets of spittle flying out of my lips as my fangs and claws elongated. They dug well into his neck as we grabbed him, snapping bones and tearing out veins. All of his efforts proved futile against me even as struggled to free himself from my grip.

Soon, his struggle became sloppier even as more of his blood created a puddle in the wine carpet, drenching it in a darker shade of red. His hands dropped by his sides, dead. I tossed him to the side like a rag doll before turning my bloody vision to the rest of the soldiers...

...and they understood the assignment without being told.