Book 3 - Chapter 4
2804 Words
Kelly
I could feel Keres trying to push forward the closer we got to Alpha Averys pack. I tried to talk to her, but she had been radio silent up until just moments before Jonas put the car in park.
"Lets go see mate." Keres said in a scary calm tone.
"Keres, what are you-" But my words were cut short when she painfully pushed forward, taking control of my body.
"Stay in the car Jonas." She snipped, strutting towards the alpha's house like she owned the place. Or was about to set it on fire.
I watched as many innocent wolves who had no idea what was going on practically dove out of our way to avoid being trampled. Keres kicked open the front door of the alpha's packhouse, not sparing anyone even a glance during her kill mission.
"Princess Kelly?" Someone asked.
"Bring me to your alpha." Keres all but roared.
"Yes, your highness." They quickly nodded and awkwardly bowed before guiding us through the pack house to Alpha Avery's office.
The smug bastard was sitting at his desk, shirtless, covered in hickies, and wreaking of s*x. Keres slammed the door shut and locked it before facing him.
"Princess Kelly, I thought you might be by soon." He smirked, getting up and rounding his desk. "Shall we get on with it?"
"This is your last chance, her or me. What will it be?" Keres hissed, getting right up in his face.
"Her." He smirked.
"So be it."
I felt like I was watching a horror movie. I was frozen in place, staring in horror as Keres shifted our hand into our paw, digging our claws into the unexpected Alpha's chest. He screamed in pain, clawing back at us in vain. His limp body fell to the ground, minus his heart which Keres ripped out and was currently taking a bite out of. I felt like I couldn't breathe. She just killed our mate. Not only was it next level killing, correction, murdering, but I was the princess, the future queen. What kind of a leader can't control her own wolf? Keres finished eating and wordlessly gave me back control. What the hell was I going to do?
After spending a few good minutes panicking and vomiting, I looked around the alpha's office and found a phone. Taking a few steadying breaths, I dialed my father's number and waited while it rang once, twice, three times. My leg bouncing furiously, a lump in the back of my throat. Pain radiating through me from the loss of my mate. Goddess help me if it went to voicemail. I think I will die right about now.
"Alpha Avery, is everything alright?" My father asked, a clipped tone to his voice. He hated it when people called his personal cell phone.
"Hi Dad..."
"Kelly? What are you doing in Alpha Averys pack?" He asked, concern in his voice. "Aren't you supposed to meet with Thorin for training soon?"
"I did something really bad..." I began to sob.
I told him the whole story, from meeting Avery to Keres eating him just minutes ago. He was upset, but he hid it well enough. He must be around others and didn't want to make a scene. He reassured me that he was on his way and we would figure things out. He told me not to leave the former alpha's office, or let anyone else find the dead alpha. Even though we both knew his pack would have felt him pass. It was at least a three-hour drive. When I calmed down enough, I bandaged my arm where Avery had sliced me using some paper towels and tape I found in his office. I tried my best to wipe my hands clean of his blood, using a half empty water bottle and a few tissues to clean myself up. Then I attempted to link Jonas, telling him to go home, but he didn't answer.
I paced the office, my stomach in knots, my head spinning. I was a murderer. My wolf, who was supposed to be on my side, to guide me through hard times, and give me totems of wisdom, made me a murderer. I hardly even felt the mate bond break because of it. Or maybe it just hurt less the second time around.
After what felt like an eternity, my father finally arrived. I knew because I could hear people running through the packhouse, excited to see their king in person. It took him a few minutes to eventually make it to the room I was held up in. The first thing he did was shut the door and open his arms up for me to run into. There I sobbed while my dad tried to settle me down.
"Alright. You've had your moment to cry. Now I need you to be the Alpha everyone is expecting you to be." He said, putting me at arms length and handing me a few tissues. "I have a plan, you'll just need to be present and not cry."
"King Carson, they are ready for you." Thorin said from behind the door.
"Who is ready for what?" I sniffled.
"The pack is ready to be addressed. They all felt their alpha die and they have questions that need to be answered. Come along."
"But-" I began, but froze in place.
"Kelly, this is not the time or place. We will discuss what happened when we are back home and we will take corrective action. But right now, I need you to stand by my side. As the future queen, you are expected to put aside your own feelings and do what is best for the kingdom. Now come along." He said more firmly, storming out of the packhouse and onto the front lawn where a large group had gathered.
There were at least two hundred wolves if I had to guess. Thorin was at the front with a few palace guards waiting for us...or maybe just me. As soon as the pack saw us, they began bowing as a sign of respect.
"Good evening. I'm sure you all felt your alpha's death. As some of you may know, Alpha Avery has a long-run history of laundering money and abusing his pack in more ways than one. My daughter, your future queen, princess Kelly, ended that abuse today." He said with a booming voice.
The pack began clapping and praising me. Some were even joyfully crying, hugging one another. I looked at my father in pure confusion and he shot me a look to bite my tongue and act natural. They were praising me for murdering him? Well, they didn't know I murdered him anyway. They probably thought it was the king's orders I was simply following through with. Not the future queen a hostage to her own wolf, killing someone who we believed to be innocent.
"Former Beta Mateo, please step forward," he said. A young man stepped forward, an excited look crossing his face. "It is my pleasure to introduce you to your new Alpha. Alpha Mateo."
I stood there, dumbfounded, watching as my father made the Beta of the pack the new Alpha. The pack cheered him on and began making plans for celebrating with a bonfire and food later that evening. They invited my father and I, but he graciously declined, giving us a clean exit. The car ride home was deadly silent, only adding to my anxiety.
"Dad?" I asked as we exited the car.
"Kelly, go train with Thorin." He said as he walked inside, leaving no room for debate. "Dont speak a word of today to anyone."
I stood there with my mouth hanging open feeling like there should be more to this.
"Come." Thorin said, taking my hand and pulling me along. We walked in silence to the field where Thorin and I would normally train together. I wasn't looking forward to it. "This way," Thorin said, surprising me. I followed him along an old worn-down path just outside of the field. We walked for about half a mile into the woods, coming across a small cabin I hadn't seen before.
"Is this your home?" I asked as we approached the front door.
Thorin nodded and let me in. His home was small, big enough for just him really. I could see everything his home had to offer from the front door. A small kitchen, a two-person table and chairs, a queen-sized bed, a loveseat, an old-looking TV, and a tiny bathroom. It was all very rugged feeling between the woodwork, animal hides, and flannel. It screamed Thorin. He put on a pot of water and gestured for me to sit at the table.
"Did you build this place yourself?" I asked.
"Da." He nodded.
"It's nice, it feels cozy." I said before hanging my head in shame.
What was going to happen now? Keres was dangerous, which made me dangerous. If I wasn't the king's daughter, my fate would probably be death.
"I don't think your father would take kindly to me offering you gin." Thorin shrugged, breaking me from my thoughts, handing me a mug with a chip in it and a teabag before returning to the stove to make himself a cup.
"Thank you." I said, sipping the hot liquid.
"You never forget your first kill." He said over his shoulder, making me freeze in place.
"I didn't mean to. I didn't want to." I said, my lip quivering.
"But it happened and now you live with," Thorin said, sipping his tea. "Nothing can change that. Bright side, he was bad man."
"He was my mate," I whispered.
"And a piss poor one at that," Thorin grunted.
"Why doesn't anyone want me?" I started crying again.
Thorin's shoulders slumped and he pushed off the counter, taking my mug from me and setting it on the table before pulling me close to him, my head against his center, while he rubbed my back. "You are like precious jewel. You no settle for less than someone who treats you like the treasure you are. Alpha Avery was bad alpha. He would have dulled your brilliance."
- - - - - - - - -
King Carson
What a nightmare today has turned out to be. It started with my mate, Carleigh, having a tough time this morning. Her health has been up and down for years. Today was a bad day. Then Kylie was mouthing off to some of the guards who I asked to keep an eye on her. Kelsey and Mason were speaking of moving in together, they wanted my blessing. Thankfully, I was saved by the bell, when Alpha Avery called, only to find out it was my oldest who had just committed murder.
Thankfully, Alpha Avery has been under investigation for months now. Several members of his pack, including his own Beta, came to me and expressed their concerns. I posted one of my men in his pack, posing as a wanderer in search of a new pack. He had nothing but bad reports to give, which, up until a few moments ago, I was disappointed about. I knew I was going to have to take some extreme measures and have him removed, but it looks like my daughter's wolf did the job for me.
"Dr Barbato." I called as I approached his office.
"King Carson, to what do I owe the pleasure?" He asked.
He was wearing goggles, an apron, and rubber gloves but began removing them as soon as he saw me.
"We need to speak. In private," I said, storming into his office.
"This is pertaining to Kelly, I presume?" He asked after shutting his office door and taking a seat behind his desk.
"She needs something stronger. Much much stronger." I bit out. "Whatever you are giving her now isn't cutting it."
"If I knew the full extent of her wolf's condition, then perhaps I could formulate something more appropriate." He shrugged. "Saying she is high strung leaves much open to interpretation."
"Her wolf is...aggressive, on a physical level." I answered carefully. "I worry that it will cause great harm one day."
"That definitely changes things," he said, letting out a deep sigh. "I will give her something more powerful. Though it might affect Kelly and not just her wolf."
"Fine. Do what you need to. I would rather her a vegetable than letting her wolf run the show at this point." I said, standing to leave. "Is there a formula that could remove her wolf?"
"Not without killing your daughter in the process, Sir. Their souls are intertwined." He shook his head.
"Fine." I huffed. "I would like her to have something by the end of the week. Can that be done?"
"Of course."
I left his office and went back to my own to handle some paperwork. I didn't know what to say to Kelly. She had no control over what happened, but it was her who killed a man. I could only give so much sympathy. If I pardoned her every time she had an accident like this, what would happen? Her wolf could get worse knowing she could get away with it, the people would be fearful and untrusting of their future queen. An uprising could happen if we don't keep this under wraps. Today was far too close for comfort. I was between a rock and a hard place. If it was a stranger who had killed an innocent man, they would face life in prison or death. But this was my daughter, who I knew had problems with her wolf, and the man was not innocent. What am I supposed to do?
For now, I plan on upping her training to tire her out more and having Dr Barbato drug her up. Maybe spend a week in prison to hopefully scare her wolf straight. That might be punishment enough at the moment. Hopefully, I can find some sort of information about others who have had similar problems. Kelly was never cursed to my knowledge, our lineage was clean too. There was no explainable reason why she was given such a feral wolf and why she was rejected twice now. I don't know what the moon goddess had planned, but I wasn't a fan at the moment. There was no way I was letting Kelly become queen with her wolf like that. She would need to get her wolf under control or pick a mate who can control it for her before I'd even consider giving her the throne.
"Kelly?" I knocked on her bedroom door.
"Come in." My mate answered.
I walked into my daughter's room, finding her curled up in bed with my mate sitting next to her, rubbing her back. I, of course, told Carleigh what happened. She had every right to know what was happening to her own daughter. She also helped me calm down about the situation earlier today.
"Kelly?" I said gruffly. She sniffled and wiped her eyes before sitting up in bed. "I have come to a decision," I said. It took every bit of resolve I had left in me to look at my daughter, who, to me, was still my sweet little four-year-old girl, and tell her what her punishment was going to be. "You will have daily training with Thorin, two hours minimum. You will take whatever Dr. Barbato gives you without question. And you will spend a week in our prisons, starting now."
"Okay." She nodded. Her eyes were glassy, but she was brave. She reluctantly left her bed and gave her mother a quick hug goodbye before following closely behind me.
"Hey daddy! Hey Kelly." Kelsey said in passing. "Where are you two off to?" She asked.
"Not now, Kelsey," I said, continuing along.
I would need to sort things out with her later, otherwise she would be a trainwreck thinking she did something wrong. The poor girl was so sensitive. Perhaps allowing her to move in with her mate would do the trick. There wasn't much I could do to stop it anyway. They were of age. They had already marked each other. The boy was from a good home with a lot of ambition. They loved each other. Kelsey just insisted on having my blessing.
"This is for your own good," I said to Kelly as I nodded to the guards to open a cell. They all looked a bit unsure but followed my orders just the same. "She is to be treated as if she were a regular criminal." I said on my way out, but not before catching the look on Kelly's face that was completely heart wrenching. I was doing this for her own good. It's for her own good.
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