Prologue

Sitting on my throne, I looked at the people standing in front of me—my own pack.

I took a bite on my apple calmly as if we are going to go on a trip rather than a war.

“Hmm,” I grazed my bottom lip with my finger slowly.

I saw one of the men in the second column lowered his gaze for a moment as if it would be disrespectful if he’d look at me for too long. Is it the one I recruited last month? I’m not sure, but I don’t like it when my people are not looking at me when I’m trying to say something in front.

“Look at me when I am talking,” I demanded.

As if he knew that I was talking to him, he lifted his gaze at once and met mine. I raised a brow. I must admit, I like his eye color. A shade of brown close to amber.

Helion… that is his name if I remember it right.

“So, are you ready?” I asked everyone, chewing another bite of apple.

“Yes, Alpha!” they answered in unison.

A smile of satisfaction crept on my lips.

This dawn, we will head to the sacred cave in North Ridge. It is the cave where the Necklace of Divinity can be retrieved. It is one of the seven sacred werewolf possessions in the ancient books.

Based on what I had read, it will only appear once in five hundred years, and hours from now is the auspicious day. The necklace will recognize only one owner—which is the one who will touch it first. Why do I want it? It’s because anyone who could retrieve the necklace will have unrivaled power. And I want that kind of power to kill that person who owed a life to me.

"You are aware that a lot of packs will come as well, right?"

"Yes, Alpha!"

I smirked and tossed the apple in the air. I caught it in time and took another bite.

It was a busy night. I also prepared myself since I know that the way to the Necklace of Divinity will be tough. If everyone covets the same thing, of course it's normal to have a hard time in retrieving it. There will always be competition.

"Alpha, after you retrieve the Necklace of Divinity, what shall we do next?" Alya asked me. She is an Omega I raised myself. She's just a few years younger than me, though.

"What else shall we do?" I gave her a devious smile and stood from my throne. 

"Rule the world."

When I already have unrivaled power, I will kill Ezrael—my beloved mortal enemy. I will not only give him the death he deserves, I will make him feel every pain he made me feel that day. An eye for an eye. That is one of the rules I set for myself since that incident. I will not let anyone take away something from me without making him pay tenfold.

Then after killing Ezrael, that is the time I will rule the world. All packs will hail me as their queen. Everyone will abide my word. Everyone will bow before me. Everyone will shiver in fear when they hear my name. No one would dare to take something from me again. 

"This dawn, the world will be mine," I whispered to the air before I set a foot inside the sacred cave. 

I've divided the pack into small groups and given them their own places to guard. Most of them are guiding the cave's entrance so that no one else will make it inside the cave. But then, if someone will, it will be such a shame because he or she would surely meet death in my hands.

I walked to the narrow pathway. According to the books, the necklace will show on the stone with seven symbols at the center of the cave. 

No one has made it inside yet. I didn't smell any trace of someone.

When I finally made it at the end of the pathway, I saw the center of the cave. I smiled at myself and didn't waste time.

When the sun rises today, I will be the queen of the world.

I could already see the glowing necklace at the heart of the stone with seven symbols. I hurried, but just when I was a yard away from touching it, I felt a strong force that pushed me away.

"What the hell—" I stopped when I coughed blood. My eyes widened and held my chest.

My body isn't as weak as those ordinary werewolves even I am in my human form. I have gained strength and power in all those years of hard training. I also have the blood of an alpha running in my veins. If I get injured in just one blow then it must really be a strong one. But looking at the situation, no one is inside the cave aside from me. Which means that the force wasn't done by someone, it came from the necklace.

I stood and walked towards the stone again. This time, carefully.

Is the necklace trying to protect itself? But I haven't read anything that it has some sort of protective barrier.

I was about to move closer when I heard a shout.

"Alpha!"

I turned and saw that it was that guy with amber eyes. There was something in his look that I didn't understand.

"Why are you here? Didn't I instruct your group to guard the entrance?"

"The—"

"Nadia! An evil like you cannot take such a divine thing!"

My jaw clenched when I saw Aria successfully get through the entrance. She is the daughter of her pack's alpha. She must have brought their many troops just to outnumber mine. Or maybe she made some lame trick to make it here.

"You," I looked at Helion. "Bring her out."

He looked defiant. "But Alpha—"

"Are you questioning my word?"

He was silenced by that. Aria was about to throw me a dagger but Helion was fast enough to catch it.

There was a loud explosion. The next moment, the ground started shaking terribly and the rocks above started falling. 

Damn! The necklace!

I didn't mind Aria and went towards the stone, but like the first time I attempted, I was thrown away. This time, the force was stronger and I coughed more blood. I even lost consciousness for a few moments.

"Alpha!" I heard Helion's strained voice but I was too busy minding the pain in my head.

The back of it must have hit somewhere hard that made me feel this dizzy. And not just that. My eyesight even became blurred, I couldn't clearly see what was happening.

The next thing I knew, I felt like there was turbulence below the ground. Then I saw someone right in front of the stone with the Necklace of Divinity. His eyes reflecting the golden light of the necklace.

Helion.

"Move away from the necklace! It will only recognize one owner!" I shouted but he didn't even spare a glance. 

My fist on the ground clenched. This traitor!

I tried to stand but it only made me cough blood again. I was stubborn though, I attempted to stand again but before I could, the part of the ground where I was collapsed.

I closed my eyes when I felt myself falling.

I couldn't believe it.

All those years of preparing for this day was put to waste. I failed. Miserably. And I couldn't believe that I was ruined by my own person, someone I had given a place in my pack. Someone who pledged utmost loyalty to me. Someone I saved from his own doom.

A tear escaped my eye when I remembered the first person I saved. He was also the very  first person who betrayed me.

And the second one is that guy with amber eyes.

They should really hope that I will die today. Because if not, I will surely raise hell and make them pay the cost of their betrayal.