The Lonely Lycan Alpha Queen

Chapter Six

MALIKA’S POV

We spent the afternoon just chilling, the guys took turns napping and following me around the castle and the grounds.

We spent some time talking about all that was going on and I rang Karla to check in. She said all was well there and she was as pissed as we were about what was happening here.

We met King Haidar back in the dining room for dinner and he advised us that he had sent some people to talk to Frank and see if there was anything they could follow up on. It was a half-hearted attempt to rectify the situation, but I guess it was better than nothing.

We had already decided we were going to spend the day in the village and mountains tomorrow, but I had yet to advise the King.

“So, Alpha Queen Malika, have you had a chance to think about what we discussed earlier in my office?” Haidar asked.

“Oh, I am still weighing up my options. You know I have many things to consider, since we are both rulers of different kingdoms. I am actually planning to spend some time thinking tomorrow as I explore your land some more. There is nothing quite like fresh air to help one think.” I said to him.

He looked a little disappointed. “Oh, of course, take all the time you need, and I agree, fresh air is wonderful for mental stimulation. What time will you be going off exploring tomorrow?” He asked, clearly wishing to spend some time together.

“I was thinking we might head off after breakfast, we should be back by the afternoon before dinner,” I replied, shovelling food in my mouth so I could get away as soon as possible.

His face fell even further. “Oh, very well. At least I get the honour of having breakfast and dinner with you” he mumbled. It took a lot of effort not to laugh in his face at his expression.

We made small talk for the rest of the meal and as soon as I could do so politely, I excused myself and headed back to our suite.

The guys will be taking turns guarding my door through the night. I tried to tell them it wasn’t necessary, but they wouldn’t listen.

I lay on the huge, fancy, four-poster bed thinking about all that had happened today. My mind continuously circled back to that roar and the strong pull I felt towards the mountains.

I was antsy about getting back there and looking around further. I eventually felt tired and drifted off into a restless sleep.

I awoke just at daybreak and was already antsy about getting going. I got out of bed needing to use the bathroom.

Ajax was leaning against the wall just outside my door. “Good morning, Alpha Queen,” he said, standing up straight.

“Good morning, Ajax, how long have you been on duty?”

“Only a few hours. I took over from Evander so Ward and Ramon could get a decent sleep”. I nodded and smiled at his thoughtfulness.

It is well known among many species that mates don’t sleep as well when they are apart from each other, and although Ramon and Ward are often apart, it was still nice that their fellow guards took them into consideration.

I did my morning business and got dressed in some comfortable clothes ready for a day of exploring the mountains and looking into the disappearance of Frank’s mate.

Thankfully, this suite included a mini kitchenette with everything I needed to make a coffee. I didn’t function well without it, especially at my age.

Sometimes being immortal was really tiresome, particularly when you had no one special to share the days with. I felt the ever-present loneliness settling into my heart.

I sat looking out the window towards the mountains as I sipped my coffee, my mind wandered to the usual what-ifs.

What if I still had a mate out there somewhere?

What if I wasn’t really the only living Lycan in existence?

What if there were others who had miraculously survived the disease or whatever it was that killed everyone?

I needed to shut these thoughts out and think about better things, so I turned my what-ifs towards the here and now.

What if Frank’s mate was still alive and well, just waiting to be rescued?

What if the Baihu could be saved and brought back from its feral state?

“Mali…” I turned to see Ward standing beside my chair looking concerned.

“Oh, good morning, Ward, is everything all right?” I asked.

“That’s what I would like to know. I have been calling you for a good minute. What has your mind so wrapped up that you didn’t hear me?”

I blinked up at him. He had been calling me and I hadn’t heard him. That’s dangerous. Anyone could have snuck up on me. I needed to stay out of my head and keep my wits about me.

“Oh, I’m sorry Ward, just thinking about things and letting myself get a little consumed. I’m fine though.” Ward looked down at me and studied my face. He eventually nodded.

“OK Mali.” He knew me well and he wasn’t buying what I told him but knew better than to question me, opting to change the subject instead.

“When did you want to head off to the mountains?” He asked, changing the subject.

“Straight after breakfast, though honestly my Lycan is antsy and wants to get going now.”

“So why don’t we duck down to the kitchen and see if they could prepare us something now as well as something to take for lunch and head off early? The earlier we get there, the more we can explore,” Ward said.

That actually sounded like a great idea. “You know what, let’s do that,” I said.

So, everyone gathered what they needed for the day, and we quietly headed to the kitchen. When we walked in, some of the same ladies as yesterday were already preparing things for the group breakfast.

They happily agreed to make us something for now and to take with us for lunch. We chatted away while they worked, and then we ate there in the kitchen at the stainless-steel workbench.

Once we were done eating, the head kitchen woman handed us a huge carry bag full of food. After thanking the kitchen staff, we slipped out the back door.

The air was fresh and the sky was painted in the beautiful colours of the sunrise.

When we were far enough into the woods we all stripped off and shifted. I gathered up the bag of clothes and Ward’s wolf grabbed the food bag handle in his mouth.

Just like yesterday, I let the wolves set the pace and we took off. The trip was almost exactly like the day before but my Lycan was a lot more alert and hard to control.

For some reason, she wanted to just leave our guards and travel at full speed. What has gotten into her today?

We eventually arrived at the village. It was still quiet since it was so early in the morning. We all shifted back this time and once dressed we walked through the village.

Those villagers who were awake at this time of the day just ignored us and went about their business.

I decided that I couldn’t hold my Lycan off from heading to the mountains so we would see Mr Felon on our way back through instead of this morning as I had originally intended.

“All right, guys, we are going to need to be on full alert. Frank says there is a Baihu in this mountain and I absolutely believe him. He also said it was feral and remained in Tiger form, so there is no telling what it might do if we crossed its path."

We walked around the base of the mountain for a few minutes looking for a trail or track that would make for the easiest route up the mountain.

We finally found what looked like a semi-worn track and decided that was our way up.

Ward and Ajax took the lead and Ramon and Evander followed behind me. It seemed kind of ridiculous being flanked to climb a mountain, but I just let them do their thing. I mean, the truth of the matter is, if I were attacked I would be the strongest one here and could easily take care of myself, but you know how it is, nonsense royal protocols and such.

As we walked further up the mountain, my Lycan became more and more agitated. I could almost picture her pacing in my head. Every now and then I caught a sweet scent in the air, and I wondered if it was a particular flower or fruit.

We had been walking for about an hour before Ward stopped and squatted down on the trail.

He called me to him, “Look at the size of these paw prints, this must be one hell of a tiger to have paws that big.” He said and I heard the slightest hint of nervousness in his voice.

I squatted down next to him and hovered my hand over the print. It was the same size as my human hand, which, as Wade said, was quite large for a tiger.

“OK, let’s keep going, but be really careful from here on out,” I said.

We had only gone a further thirty minutes up the mountain when a roar echoed around the mountains. The sound, much like the first time, caused the tiny hairs to rise on my body and goosebumps to ripple over my skin.

The roar did not scare me in the slightest and I desperately wanted to keep going, but my guards had stopped walking, blocking my path.