The Lost Luna Princess

Escaped

Nick’s POV

I woke up on the floor. The bite on my shoulder almost healed; thank the goddess for being a werewolf. Had I been human, it would have taken me days, if not weeks, to recover. Noticing that Jason had gone, I quickly got to my feet. The window at the end of the corridor had been smashed, so I knew he’d desperately attempted to flee and jumped. Looking out from where the window once sat, my assumptions were confirmed as I noticed the flattened rose bushes beneath the windowsill.

‘The Luna’s going to be pissed when she sees them.’ Haze chuckled in my head as he imagined Vanessa giving Jason the beating he deserved. Sure, she’d be upset at the sight of her roses, but it would be the least of her concerns with everything else going on.

As I made my way to the palace entrance, I tried to mind-link Marie but got nothing. It was like a brick wall separating us. Hearing movement from outside, I went to see what it was. A pack warrior was growling as he slowly healed from what seemed to be a broken back leg. He would need to remain in his wolf form until fully healed; otherwise, there would be a chance his leg wouldn’t fix properly once in human form. I could see the pack doctor on the lawn out front tending to another wolf who’d had a leg torn entirely off, the sight making me squeamish.

‘That’s got to have hurt.’ Haze winced at the sight, knowing that had things gone differently, that could have been us. The thought sent an icy chill down my spine.

‘This had to be Jason’s doing; a rogue wouldn’t have the strength to do that. To another rogue, yes, but not to an elite warrior.’ My wolf just nodded in silent agreement.

I tried to contact William for an update, but instead of getting a reply, I got heavy breathing and a feeling of sorrow that seeped through me though I couldn’t process why. By the looks of the palace grounds, the rogues had either been killed or had retreated. Pack members were rallying around the injured as they helped in any way they could.

“Where are you, Alpha?” I asked through the mind link as I tried to shake off the feeling of pain.

After silence, he responded with two words ‘Safe room.’

His voice held pain and anger, which made fear run through me; Haze’s fur stood on end, and his tail was between his legs at the tone his Alpha used. I had left Marie in the safe room to protect Vanessa and her daughter. I should have stayed with them. As the Royal Pack’s Gamma, I had many responsibilities; however, playing bodyguard to the Luna and the Princess, protecting them at all costs, was always the most important. Giving my life if needed while a part of me always hoped that would never happen.

I ran as fast as possible, tapping into my wolf to gain extra speed. As I arrived, the sight before me knocked me to my knees. Sitting on the floor was William, Vanessa in his lap while he cradled her. The yellow sundress she had worn at the festival was now soaked with blood, a deep shade of scarlet. It was now that everything I felt clicked into place. Our Luna had died, her death seeping into us as her connection to the pack faded away.

‘Dammit, I knew I should have stayed with them; at least then she could have escaped. She didn’t deserve this.’ And she didn’t. Vanessa was one of the kindest, most pure souls around. It was partly why Jason had fallen for her many years ago. A part of me wondered if he did this out of jealousy. If he couldn’t have her, neither could William.

‘But then you would be dead. Anyway, you couldn’t stay because she gave you an order. You know as well as I that we couldn’t disobey her no matter how much we wanted to!” Haze was right; we couldn’t disobey the order of the Luna just like we couldn’t the Alpha; they were our superiors, the top of the hierarchy.

Looking around, I noticed that Marie and Angel were gone, but before I could think further about it, William caught my attention, groaning as he attempted to stand. The pain of losing a mate was enough to kill some wolves, but being the royal Alpha, it would take more than this. However, the situation gave me an insight into Jason’s plan. Weaken William by killing his mate, then go for the kill.

As I went to ask William where Angel was, my question was answered.

“I have her; I have Angel. We escaped but Vanessa, sh... she was stabbed. I…it was Jason. He’s working with the rogues, Nick! He followed us from the safe room, but I lost him in the forest!” Marie’s voice flooded my mind, trembling as she spoke. I could tell she was crying, her fear flowing through the mate bond, letting me know how she felt.

“Marie, thank the goddess!” I shouted back through the mind link. “I couldn’t get hold of you. Are you and Angel ok?” I asked her calmly, trying to ease some of her fear. I wanted to go and find them, to ensure they were safe, but I couldn’t. William needed me here, so I had to trust that Marie would protect the Princess with her life. Something I knew without a doubt she would do.

“We’re both in one piece if that counts.” She responded with a slight chuckle though I knew she was scared even though she was trying to stay strong.

I told her about Vanessa and how she died shortly after William had found her. I could feel how upset she was; Vanessa and Marie had been good friends growing up. Marie’s mum became a second mother when her own could no longer stay by her side.

“Stay hidden. I will find you.”

William’s POV

After my beautiful Vanessa died in my arms, my wolf Maximus took control, allowing me to sink into the back of the darkest depths of our mind. I couldn’t think straight at the moment. I knew Angel needed me, but I was useless to her like this. Maximus, however, was as clued up as ever and was gunning for blood. Jason’s blood.

Nick had filled me in on what Marie had told him, how Jason had been the one to take my mate away from me, which somehow, I already knew. What I hadn’t known, however, was why. He had been my best friend since we were children; we had trained and fought together. Never in my life had I imagined him to be the one to betray me. I had wanted to interrogate Jason at the beginning, but now, f**k that, I want him dead. I want him to die painfully and slowly, just like some of my warriors had, just like my Vanessa.

I had sent out several of my most skilled scouts who searched everywhere for Jason, but he wasn’t found. News of another nothing had my wolf pacing in my head, completely angered with being unable to deal his revenge.

How the hell had a fun-packed family day turned upside down so quickly? It was a festival that had been held for over a hundred years. Each year outshining the last. Except this one. This year’s event would be a day that would haunt me forever. Not only had I lost the only woman I had ever loved, but I’d lost the chance to ever make peace with her. To ever make peace with myself. I didn’t know what the future held for me at this moment, but I knew that I would be a different person going forward. Nobody, no Alpha, no God, would remain the same after what happened here.

Eventually, our persistence paid off. My scouts were as determined as I to seek vengeance for their Luna, and in proof, had captured two of the rogues. To say I didn’t take pleasure in beating them continuously with silver whips, letting them heal and then beating them again until they told us their plans would have been a lie. They played a part in the attack, so I enjoyed every second of their torment.

They told us how they planned to eliminate my family and me, hoping my former beta would become King and themselves ranked pack members. We had kept them in the dungeon, chained to the wall with silver cuffs like the dogs they proved to be. The silver would cause them irritation to the skin on their wrists and stop them from having contact with their wolves leaving them weakened and practically human. One of the rogues didn’t look any older than seventeen, but I couldn’t think about that. He was old enough to know the difference between right and wrong and knew what he was doing when he attacked us. He was old enough to partake in the attack, so as far as I was concerned, he was old enough to suffer the consequences of his actions. A lesson he should have learned before following the others into battle.

After a week, we were finally finished with them, so I wasted no time ending their horrid lives. Angel was still with Marie; we’d agreed it wasn’t safe for her to return just yet, even though I missed her with all my heart and being separated pained me deeply. Together Nick and I formed our own plan. It would be risky, but if we pulled it off, the pack and my daughter would be safe. But first, we needed to put my Luna to rest.

A few days later……

“Alpha, we spotted the traitor at the edge of the lake to the southern side of the territory.” One of the guards shouted through the mind link catching me off guard as I spilt my hot coffee onto my lap. Growling as the burn stung, I threw the cup across the room, causing it to smash as it hit the wall.

“Do not approach him; I want to kill him myself.”

I would make him pay for everything, and it wouldn’t be a slow death, either. I promised myself I would make it as painful and lengthy a process as possible. He had committed treason to his kingdom, plotted to kill his Alpha and murdered his Luna. Not just any old Alpha but the King of all Alphas. One thing was for sure; I would make him regret ever being born.