Chapter 2

Zydan-

After hanging up the phone with my parents, I crushed my phone in my hand. My assistant and best friend, Jaxon West, opened the filing cabinet on my desk and pulled out a new phone. I had a tendency to break phones, so I had a stock of them in my desk.

“Why don’t you just agree to the arranged marriage?” Jaxon asked.

Without answering, I grabbed the phone and programmed it. I shouldn’t have to explain why I didn’t want to be forced to marry someone because of their title. Even if I didn’t have someone in mind, I wasn’t interested in marrying someone who was spoiled and pampered. Unlike my parents, I couldn’t care less about someone's title or place in the world.

“You would be able to become the Alpha King.” Jaxon said as he sat in the chair across from my desk.

Glaring at him, I reached over and grabbed my stapler before throwing it at him. He caught it and returned it to the desk. I knew he was teasing me, which is why I hadn’t thrown it too hard.

“Since your parents are worried about you getting married before you turn twenty-six, why not just marry someone else? As long as you secure your position as Alpha, they won’t be able to say anything.”

“Even if I don’t marry, I won’t lose my position.” I rolled my eyes, leaned forward, and placed my elbows on my desk.

Most families made marriages into business transactions. I thought my parents were above that, but they have been hounding me for the past year. The Alpha King and my family have been close for a long time.

I have never personally met him, but we have spoken extensively through emails. We have only discussed things on a business level and never on a personal level, which made me respect him. When it came to personal conversations, he spoke to my parents.

“Are you still holding out for that girl?” Jaxon asked with a heavy sigh.

I didn’t answer, but my mind went to the girl who saved me six years ago. I have been looking for her, but after that night, I wonder if I hallucinated. All I knew was that she was around fourteen or fifteen and likely a freshman in high school. By now, she should be around twenty years old.

Six years ago, I was drugged and tied up in an old factory. The people who captured me had died, but if it weren’t for the girl, I would have died as well. A fire broke out in the factory, killing everyone except for me. I only got out of there because a teenage girl helped me out of the building.

I hadn’t been able to get a clear view of her face. Not only because my vision was blurred but also because she had blood running down her face and was covered in a black substance, likely from the fire. I woke up in a hospital, but I don’t know if the girl had sent me.

Since that day, I have been trying to find her, but it was like she didn’t exist. I sent people to every school in the surrounding area, but no one recognized the bracelet the girl left behind. Opening the top left drawer of my desk, I retrieved the bracelet.

“How are you supposed to find her with just that?” Jaxon asked, leaning forward to get a better look.

“I don’t know, but I will not give up.” My thumb rubbed the wolf crest charm on the bracelet.

“Finding a girl, with no idea who she is, is like trying to find a needle in a haystack.” Jaxon pulled out his phone.

“I don’t care.” I returned the bracelet to the drawer. “I have a feeling this crest means something. Have you checked all the royal families?”

“All except the Alpha King’s. No one has seen or heard about the crest.”

“I doubt this crest belongs to the Alpha King.” I snickered. “There is no way that Accalia was the one who saved me.”

“Maybe she isn’t as bad as the rumors suggest.” Jaxton said without looking up from his phone. “Remember, the rumors about you are worse than hers, and none of them are true.”

He had a point, but it still wasn’t good enough to convince me to marry the Princess. The rumors were about how I was extremely ruthless and killed anyone for crossing me in the slightest. While I have killed before, I have never tortured and killed innocent people. The biggest rumor going around was that I was married four times in the past and killed all my wives.

I don’t know who started that one, and I didn’t care. If others wanted to paint me as the bad guy, then so be it. At least this allowed me the freedom to live my life in seclusion. Very few people have met me or knew me personally.

“How is the other thing I asked you to investigate?” I asked.

“There's still nothing useful, but I'm working on it.” Jaxon glanced briefly up from his phone.

I hadn’t planned to keep my identity hidden, but it had proved useful. I discovered many rumors about people in the company and prominent figures in the four royal families. All of which could be detrimental if not handled properly.

There were different rumors going around, and each of them contradicted itself, but it was enough to make me investigate. I tried talking to my parents about it before becoming Alpha, but they told me to stop listening to the rumors. Maybe I was wrong because in the last few years, I have been investigating, and I haven’t found any concrete evidence.

Either way, I still felt that I needed to continue to investigate. It wasn’t just my company that had potential issues; it was the hierarchy of the four prominent families. The main concern was that there was a rumor going around about overthrowing the Alpha King. If that happened, it would break down the foundation of everything our kind has accomplished throughout the years.

It was bad enough that wars were breaking out all over the world, with what humans were left, the full-blood werewolves, half-bloods, and the turned werewolves. If we indeed had a breakdown, we could end up in a full-blown war, with too many lives lost.

Thankfully, there was an underground sector called the Renegades, consisting of very highly trained full-blood werewolves. Each of them had a unique ability. I was also part of the Renegades but didn’t rank high. I participated as an occasional volunteer.

Unlike those fully engaged in it, I didn’t have a unique ability other than being a strong Alpha. The fiercest member of the Renegades was a female warrior who went by the name Akira, but many called her the Lightning Queen.

“Maybe you can ask for help from the Renegades?” Jaxon asked.

“There is no need to involve them yet. We can’t ask them to get involved and waste valuable time and resources based on a rumor. Once we have something more to go from, I will request a meeting with Akira.”

“You have been with them for years. How have you not met the infamous Lightning Queen?” Jaxon looked up from his phone with his brows arched.

“Compared to them, I am nothing more than a grunt. I don’t participate very often, except when it is necessary. As far as I know, no one has officially met her except for her second and third in command. I doubt the Alpha King has ever met her.”

“Maybe you could marry her if you decide not to marry the Alpha King’s daughter. The Lightning Queen is as powerful as the Alpha King, if not more.” Jaxon smirked.

“I admire her, but no. I couldn’t care less about gaining more power.” I said as my phone rang.

“Tell that to them.” Jaxon pointed to my phone.

Groaning, I answered the phone. “Hello, mother.”

“I forgot to mention something earlier.”

“What is it?” I rolled my eyes.

I loved my mom, but she could sometimes be a little annoying. It doesn’t matter if we have a four-hour conversation; she will still call me a short time later to either tell me something she already told me but forgot about or tell me she forgot to tell me something. Sometimes, I think she just wanted to keep tabs on me.

“I just wanted to call to remind you about the engagement party the day after tomorrow. I just got a call from the Alpha King confirming he would arrive tomorrow. We planned to pick them up and have a meal together, but I was told there would be a change.”

“What change?” I held my breath, hoping the change meant the engagement would be canceled.

“Accalia wants to keep her identity a secret, so everyone must wear a mask.”

“Are you serious?” I expelled my breath and snorted. “What is the big deal with keeping her identity a secret? Is she ugly or something?”

“It doesn’t matter why she wants to keep her identity a secret. Just wear a mask like your mother said.” My father's deep voice came through the phone speaker.

“Fine.” I groaned. “Anything else?”

“No, nothing else.” My mother sighed.

“Well, I will see you at the party, but I need to prepare for a meeting.” I lied.

“It is at eight p.m. on Saturday. I will send you the details later. Don’t be late.” My mother said, using the same tone she had used on me as a kid when she wanted me to eat my vegetables.

“I won’t. Bye, mom and dad.” I said before hanging up the phone.

“So, your engagement party turned into a masquerade ball?” Jaxon chuckled.

“Shut it.” I said and picked up the mask I had resting on my desk.

I have used the same mask since I started the company, and I decided to hide my identity. I also wore it when I worked with the Renegades. Without the mask, I was considered a nobody who went by Zy. With the mask, everyone knew me as Alpha Zydan Hynes.

Staring at the mask, I guess I couldn’t complain about wearing it. I didn’t want to go to the party, but at least my identity won’t be exposed. If I am lucky, I can also find a way to break off the engagement.