Just The Two Of Them

Eyes turned in Sheera's direction. 

Odessa creased her brows in surprise.

Taking the deer, she never expected the low maiden would have the guts to defend herself. 

Sheera was panting as she stood before Keegan. "Forgive my intrusion, Alpha, but the game is mine, not hers."

Odessa's emerald eyes widened in shock, a hand flying to her chest. "What... what are you babbling about?" she sputtered, voice laced with disbelief. "If it's your kill, how come I was the one carrying it?"

"That is because you reached it before I could. Then, you proclaimed your victory to the Alpha. I was too stunned speechless, unsure how to challenge you. But it is wrong to do this to me. I went through the labour of getting it. You shouldn't take the glory for it." Sheera expressed.

"By the hunt!" Odessa shrieked in another gasp. "How could you... How could you even think to accuse me in front of everyone? This is not my first successful hunt! Why would I steal from you?"

She buried her face in her palms, and shortly, she had tears streaming down.

"It's fine." She sniffed. "I understand you are new here and feel the need to impress the Alpha at any cost. But there's no need for such deceit. We can all earn his respect. You can have the deer, if you truly desire it."

Her tear-filled eyes pleaded with Keegan, her hand reaching out to grasp his. "Please, ignore the fact that I showed up with the deer. I want the new maiden to have it. Please."

Sheera was utterly speechless. Her lips parted open in shock as she began to question her own sanity. What was the Mistress doing?! Was she in a dream?

Keegan withdrew his hand from Odessa's. A cold chill ran down Sheera's spine when she found his chilling eyes on her. They weren't looking at her, they were boring into her. 

Slowly, he stalked towards her, each step a silent threat. Panic clawed at Sheera's throat, constricting her breath as she stumbled backward. 

What had she done - she painfully thought. 

Eamon and Wulfric came up behind her, preventing her from retreating any further. 

A primal terror pulsed through Sheera's veins as Keegan finally closed up the distance between them. 

"The nerve of you to accuse my Mistress of theft." His voice wrapped around each syllable like thorny vines. "How dare you?"

Sheera was visibly shaking. She opened her mouth to speak but was choked by the icy grip of fear. 

Keegan's eyes held a glint of malice, a predator sizing up it's prey. 

He lifted his hand to her face, running a finger down her cold cheek. Sheera flinched and almost stepped away, but the Keepers behind her were a restriction. 

"A grave misstep, young lady," he murmured. "And a heavy price you shall pay." He withdrew his hand, the lingering warmth a mockery of the icy dread that encased Sheera.

Sheera could feel her soul departing her body. This was definitely not good for her. 

"F... Forgive me!" She said as the Alpha turned away from her. "I... I had no ill intentions, Alpha. And I ap...pologize for the inconvenience I...I have caused. But the kill...it truly was mine." Fear tangled her tongue, turning her sentences into a jumble of broken phrases. 

A cruel, guttural chuckle escaped Keegan's throat as he reached for his bow and arrow. Nocking the arrow into the bow, he turned to Sheera who was as pale as a ghost. 

Sheera couldn't even feel herself anymore. Her eyes widened in terror as the Alpha aimed the arrow at her. 

"Brother!" Malkar stepped forward, but Keegan didn't even spare him a glance. 

He squinted, a cruel parody of taking aim, then loosed the arrow with a snap.

Sheera shrieked as she crumpled to the ground a second before the arrow was shot her way. It thudded into the tree behind her. 

Her eyes glistened with unshed tears as she looked at the arrow in the tree, then at Keegan. Would he really have shot her?

Keegan cracked the hint of a smile as he lowered his bow. His cold gaze remained on her. 

"When we're back to the Fortress, I want her locked up." He instructed the keepers around who bowed in understanding. 

"The hunt is over." He announced before walking away. 

Odessa dabbed the tears from her face as she went after him. 

****†****†

Sheera was locked up in the dungeon for long hours without food, getting only water. 

Through the small opening in the dungeon, she was able to tell it was night. She pondered over how long she'd be locked up. 

One of the Keepers suddenly showed up, unlocking the gate. 

"On your feet." He ordered. 

It wasn't until Sheera tried to get up that she realized how weak she was. Gathering all the strength she could, she followed the Keeper who led the way.  

"Where are we going?" She managed to ask from behind. But the grumpy man didn't even spare her a glance. 

Was she being taken away to be punished? Sheera found it insane that she had to suffer for something she wasn't guilty of. Perhaps, she should have kept quiet. 

They walked for some minutes until they got into a hallway that seemed guarded and more beautiful. Sheera had so many thoughts running through her mind. 

Finally, the Keeper stopped in front of a door which had three other Keepers around. A cold dread began settling in Sheera's stomach as she had a bad guess. 

She flinched when she heard someone scream from the room. What in the name of Selene?!

The Keeper that led her there went in and returned shortly. 

"Come with me." He cocked his head. 

But Sheera was too frightened to move. Her bad guess was becoming more confirmed. It looked like the Alpha's chambers!

The Keeper stopped to glare at her when he noticed she wasn't following. 

"You wouldn't want to be dragged in, would you?" 

Finally, something enough to make her move. 

Taking a deep breath, she went in with him - into a room that was ten times larger than the room she had been assigned to. 

For a moment, the exquisite interiors gripped Sheera's attention. Even without seeing the Alpha's face, she knew it was his. 

Her attention was drawn back to reality when she heard the whimpers of a man. 

In the center of the room was a man on his knees, blood dripping from his hand. In front of him was Alpha Keegan, holding a blood-dripping Wic'ca blade. 

A furrow settled between Sheera's brows.

As wolves, mere weapons couldn't harm them. But there were specific mystical weapons that could. And the Wic'ca blade was one of them.

By the hunts, she didn't want to witness another murder!

"Forgive me, Alpha. It will never happen again!" The man pleaded. 

Sheera was disturbed by the satisfaction she seemed to find on the Alpha's face. She's heard stories of him taking pleasure in torturing others, but she was witnessing it firsthand.  

"I detest people like you, Nita." Keegan said, going round the man. "First, you break the rules. Then, you plead for mercy. It doesn't work that way in my books." 

He stopped behind him. 

Sheera's heart thumped hard against her ribs as she watched him put a hand around the man's neck. 

"Please! I beg of you!" He cried.

Tilting his neck up, Keegan put the Wic'ca blade in front of it and slit his throat. 

A scream died in Sheera's throat, replaced by a gasp so sharp, it hurt. Her hand flew to her mouth, eyes wide with terror. What did she just watch?!

The body dropped to the floor when Keegan let it go. The Keepers in the room hurriedly went to it, taking him out of the room. 

"I'll deal with the others tomorrow," Keegan said to Kalaril who had been there the whole time. 

Inclining his head, Kalaril turned to leave. 

His gaze fell on Sheera on his way out, and she looked back at him. She could tell he was no different from the Alpha - cold-blooded. 

Her fears multiplied when she was left in the room with the Alpha. There were no keepers around, no Beta. Just the two of them. 

Sheera had no idea her eyes were shimmering with unshed tears. She suddenly hated her father for bringing such predicament upon her. If he hadn't messed with the royal family, she wouldn't be stuck with this cruel Alpha!