Blood Moon

Chapter Sixteen- Autumn's POV

It had been four days, four damn days since I gave the order to have my father killed and there has been a non stop whirlwind of council meetings, pack gatherings and training. There has been no time to mourn either of my parents, so I’ve found myself crying myself to sleep at night. I know I have to stay strong for my Pack but it was getting hard. Alex would be coming back with his pack tomorrow, well I guess I should say our pack. And to say I was nervous was an understatement. 

“Your Highness?” Lucas said interrupting my thoughts

“Oh, Yes Lucas?” 

“It’s time for you to let the rest of the pack know what's going to be happening the next few days. You know with the Crystal Moon pack.”

“UGH! How could I have forgotten to tell them?” I said dropping my head into my hands.

“Princess, Alpha, you have been scattered in a hundred different directions the last few days, you haven’t had a chance to mourn and everything is catching up to you. It is only natural you forget a thing or two.” Lucas assured me. 

“It is no excuse.” I said standing from the throne (I was still getting used to) and straightened out my clothes. “Let’s go Lucas.” I demanded walking past him

I heard him sigh behind me as he turned to follow and quickly falling in step beside me. We walked in silence, heading towards the platform to gather the pack. They all seemed like they liked and approved of Alex, but merging the packs was on a completely different level. Normally, whoever mated to the Royal family would just transfer packs, but none have ever been mated to an Alpha, or gone through a situation like the one I am in. 

As we approached I could hear the packs murmurs, they were questioning why they were here, some were upset, some were just mad. I could feel their emotions and it honestly kind of pissed me off. How dare they question me? I was their princess, their Alpha.

“You will not question me.” I said flatly as I walked up to the platform.

The entire clearing fell short at my words.

“I am here to address you as your Alpha, not as a pack member you can question. Am I understood?” I seethed

  I saw as members of the pack shuddered and others cringed at my power.

“We are under extenuating circumstances, as such my mate’s pack will be merging with our own within the next few days. Never has a member of the Royal family mated with an Alpha. Mostly since the very first Royal, there has never been a daughter born until myself. I will not ask, nor will I allow my mate to give up his pack.  This merger with Crystal Moon will bring our pack to new heights and more power to protect our people. I expect everyone to welcome our new members and help them get settled in.”

  As I finished speaking a roar of voices flooded the field. People were happy about the merge, and excited that Alex was returning. It made my heart soar at how excited they were to welcome our new people. I was smiling as I made my way back to the palace. The whole pack was happy and that made me feel like butterflies were in my stomach. I felt like I was doing well as Alpha, the people were happy and thriving. They were welcoming of the idea of merging Alex’s pack with ours. 

The thought that Alex would be back soon, be by my side, was what was keeping me going right now. I could not wait to be back in his arms once again. After what had happened I needed him. His daily and nightly cheek ins, making sure I was ok and seeing how I was feeling, always made me smile. 

“Princess how are you?” Lucas asked catching up to me

“I’ve been better.” I told him honestly “But I’m feeling a little bit better. I don’t think I will ever get over giving the order I gave, or having to light his pyre though.” 

“I understand princess, but you have to know you did the right thing. Nothing could have been done after what happened.” 

I looked over at Lucas, he was trying so hard to make me feel better about my decision. I know he was suffering too though. He was the one who actually had to carry out my order. How could I have been so wrapped up in my own grief I didn’t even ask Lucas how he was doing? I shook my head, disappointed in myself. 

“How are you Lucas?” I asked as I stopped walking.

Lucas nervously put his hand on the back of his neck and started rubbing

“I’m ok I think. It’s been hard, I stood by your father’s side for 40 years. What I had to do, what we had to do, it was hard. But it was necessary.”

“Do you think you need a break?” I asked “Do I need to name a temporary Beta?” 

 I continued walking at that thought. How could I replace Lucas? Even temporarily, he was an invaluable member of this pack. He had been by our side since my father's Reign started. Now at the start of mine. Alex would take over as Alpha soon but I needed to figure out how I was going to tell the pack their king died. 

“No princess, I’m fine.” Lucas said looking at me. 

Apparently my face gave how badly I didn’t want to replace him. So taking a deep calming breath, I composed myself.

“Lucas, stop worrying about me for just a minute and think about you. I will be ok for a few days. James can take over if you need to get away, that’s part of his job.” 

“Maybe so, but I don’t know if I want to leave him in charge of your protection.” Lucas said

“James?”  I called over the link

“Yes your highness?” He answered

“Come to the palace please, you I and Lucas need to have a chat.”

“Yes ma’am.” 

“Ok, James is going to meet us at the mansion. We will all talk together, we just won’t tell him why you ‘might’ need a break.” I said, emphasizing the might part.

Lucas just chuckled but said nothing else as we entered the mansion. It has felt so empty lately, so lonely. I knew soon it would be filled with Alex’s pack while their homes were being built. We had already started construction on a few but we were far from done. 

“Do I have to sit in that damn throne Lucas?” I asked

“Well no, not if you don’t want to.” 

“Good, it hurts and I would much rather have our meetings in a more comfortable place. Get a few of the Pack members to take one of the spare rooms and turn it into my office please.”

“Well, your father had an office if you want to take his.” Lucas suggested.

“Wait, what? My father had an office?” 

“Well ya, you want me to show you?” 

“Yes, I do please.” 

  Lucas nodded and led the way. Twenty one years and I never knew my father had an office. Was that where he always disappeared to all those times? I couldn’t believe my dad had a secret office. It was kind of exciting though, going to see my dad’s hiding place. I still remembered how he would just suddenly disappear when mom was mad at him. He got this look in his eyes then he would just be gone until she settled down. The big bag Alpha King was scared of my mom, the sweetest and most kind person I’d ever known.

 A twinge of pain tugged my chest at the thought of them. So many memories, good and bad happened here in the mansion I called home. Our never ending games of hide and seek, family night, where we would sit and eat snacks and watch movies all night, mom teaching me to cook, pranking my parents and more. I still couldn’t quite grasp the concept they were both gone. I still expected them to walk into the dining hall every morning hand in hand, then when they never did their loss hit me like a ton of bricks. 

“Here we are.” Lucas said stopping in front of a door I’d never seen. Come to think of it, I’d never seen this part of the palace at all. Furrowing my brows I turned to Lucas.

“Where are we?” I asked

“This is the king and Luna’s wing of the palace. This is where their bedroom suite, the King's office and a few more rooms. Your parents were going to show this portion of the mansion to you as a surprise when you and your mate took over the throne.” Lucas explained. 

Steadying my breathing I opened the door and stepped in. My father’s scent still lingered here and it brought tears to my eyes. His large redwood desk sat in the middle of the room with papers piled up all over it, a large black chair sat behind the desk with two others on the opposite side to allow more seating. Book shelves lined the walls, they were filled with old books, some looked like they were falling apart, some were made out of an old cloth looking material. A large sofa was on the other side of the room and behind the desk was a large window with a window seat covered in pillows. 

I couldn’t believe this had always been here. That somehow during all my exploring as a child I never just happened upon it. How could I have missed an entire wing of the mansion? It didn’t matter, all that mattered was this is now my office. Walking over to the desk I started organizing the papers. Most of it was old and no longer applied to the pack. Others were business matters that still needed tended to. Plopping back into my father’s chair I held my head in my hands. 

“What is it Princess?” Lucas asked

I looked up at him and gave him a small smile

“There is just so much they never told me about. They told me they would show me the in’s and out’s of the pack business once I got a mate, but we both know how that worked out.” I said dryly

“You know, they didn’t leave you unprepared on purpose Autumn.” Lucas said.

  My head snapped up to him after using my name. He has almost never used my name my entire life. It was always princess, or lately your highness or Alpha, never my name.

“You have something you’d like to say, ‘Lucas’?” I asked, the challenge laced my tone.

 Lucas just stared at me a moment, he then squared his shoulders and strode over to the chair opposite me and sat down. “Princess, you act as if your parents left you willingly. They never wanted to leave you like this. They wanted to see you meet your mate, have children, have a family. They wanted to watch you grow into your powers and teach you and your mate everything you both needed to know to run the kingdom smoothly. They loved you, so much. Please believe that.” Lucas said

I didn’t know what to make of his words. Of course I knew that, I’ve always known. But it still didn’t change the fact that they still left me, they left me here to deal with all this alone. But before I could respond James barreled in the room covered in blood and sweat.