Empress Khione: Her Revenge

Catching up

Khione clenched her teeth together, a ferocious anger growing in the pit of her stomach. She didn't know what it was, but the girl she once considered her best friend reminded her of nothing but an annoying bug at that moment. Her voice, her look and even her presence annoyed her to great lengths. 

"I was not aware that the Blue Valley Pack participated in things like this," Khione said, managing to sound clear and unbothered. 

"They decided on it pretty last minute," Macy giggled. Khione wasn't sure what she found so funny. "Since I'm the most powerful she-wolf in the pack, they decided to send me."

By powerful she meant highest status, Khione assumed. Macy was a petite girl, barely above five feet. She was the type of person that would literally trip over when the wind was too strong and the last time Khione had spoken to her, she could barely even throw a punch. However, she was the daughter of the Blue Valley Pack's Beta. 

Not only was Beta Lowell was a very good warrior and a loyal subject, but his reputation proceeded him. Everyone knew about him and his conquests and many even called him the true alpha of the Blue Valley Pack. The fact that they had sent Macy to such an event meant that Khione's father had to put aside his pride and ego in order to show the other packs that they were still at the top. And considering the Blue Valley Pack were all about their reputation, if they were sending a someone to represent them in front of the royal household, then they would make sure that their representative was groomed and trained to perfection. Especially since she was most probably sent to compete with the Luna Princess and future Empress, Hera Cuthwulf of the Red Stone Pack. They would never risk ridicule by sending someone unskilled. So Khione knew very well not to underestimate the girl before her even if she was a little weakling only a year ago. After all, Khione herself change a lot in one year. 

"What are you doing here?" Macy then asked, her shrill voice sounding like darts hitting Khione's brain. "I thought you were dead!" 

Khione raised a brow and couldn't help but think that her friend sounded upset over seeing her alive. 

"I'm very much alive," Khione sent her friend the sweetest smile she could muster. "And I am here to join the mating ceremony." 

It took a moment too long for Khione's words to sink into Macy's head but once they did, her face contorted into something between disbelief and shock. 

"W-Which pack are you representing?" Macy stammered, looking quite unhappy with what she had heard. "The Blue Valley Pack banished you."

Khione held in the urge to roll her eyes. Macy had never been the most intelligent person but to think she was joining as part of the Blue Valley Pack was simply ridiculous. 

"Did you form your own pack?" Macy then gasped, taking a step back in slight fear. 

Forming her own pack would have meant that she would have either had to kill the alpha of another pack or she would have had to recruit wolves and rogues to join her pack one man pack – which was illegal to do unless you had the permission of the royals. 

However, the royals were generally against the idea which is why they hadn't had the formation of any new packs in over a century. The big six packs were enough for them and they preferred that the werewolf community stayed within those six. 

And since they were against it, it would mean that Khione would have turned into a rogue by the next full moon had she not joined a new pack. Werewolves depended on two things for their powers: their packs or blood. If they weren't in a pack and they were turned into a rogue, then they would have had no choice but to drink the blood of virgin children for their survival. Of course, they could have also gone for regular wolves as well, but if they weren't a virgin then the likelihood of them being mated was quite high so the survival of the rogue would have been minimal. They would have a very angry mate onto them within minutes. 

Do I look like a rogue?" Khione scoffed, showing her disgust towards the evil and merciless creatures. 

Macy looked her up and down before she shook her head. She then tilted her head to the side and looked at Khione with a confused yet curious look. 

"I joined my grandfather's pack," she told Macy. "My mother was from the Mountain Gale pack, remember?" 

"Oh, right," Macy exaggerated each word. "Well I'm glad to see you're healthy after everything that happened. Such a shame, really." 

"Thanks," Khione forced a smile towards her friend. She really couldn't help but feel that something about her old friend was very off and it just made Khione's feelings towards her become more and more negative. 

The words she uttered next however, only solidified Khione's sudden dislike for her. 

"They know about your past though, right? It would be awkward for them to suddenly find out you have a mate," she asked, as she innocently blinked up at Khione. 

Khione gulped down the urge to curse out and widened her smile instead. 

"Of course they know," she said. "I made sure to include that I had a mate on my application." 

"Great," Macy grinned. "Well, I need to go and rest a bit now. I had a very long journey."

With that, she wrapped her arms around Khione and Jasper before she turned and entered her room. 

"That was awkward," Jasper breathed out. "Was that really our best friend, Mace? She has suddenly turned scary!" 

Khione who was still staring at the door Macy had walked through turned towards Jasper with a glare before she unlocked her own door and stepped through. 

"Why do I suddenly hate her so much?" she asked once they were in the confines on their own little complex. 

"Because she's your competitor now?"

"No," Khione sighed as she started looking around. "I hated her the moment I saw her standing before me, before I even knew she was a competitor." 

Jasper didn't have an answer to that. He personally felt no hatred for Macy at all. He did feel the awkwardness between Khione and Macy though. There was a strange iciness between them and he really hoped it wouldn't last for too long because he preferred peace and happiness. 

"Alright, well we should rest a bit. Apparently the introduction and meeting with the Alpha Prince is tomorrow!" 

"What?" 

Jasper picked up a paper from the entrance table and held it to Khione. 

"It says the initiation of the ceremony is tomorrow. Afterwards there's a dinner with all the contestants and the royal family. The ceremony will officially kick off with the physical test the morning two days after the dinner."

Khione took the paper from him and just as he said, she would be meeting the contestants and the royal family the next day. 

To be quite honest, Khione was looking forward to meeting the rest of the contesters over the prince. The meeting and dinner the next day would give her an opportunity to study her opponents and hopefully figure out their weaknesses and advantages.

"By the way," Khione called out to Jasper who had started walking through the complex, "do you know who Macy's guardian is?" 

Jasper returned to the main lounge area with a confused look. "I didn't even know she would be joining the ceremony. They had been preparing all this time in secret so I have no idea."

"Considering the guardian needs to be a human pack member..." Khione trailed off as she gave her friend a pointed look. 

"s**t," Jasper cursed underneath his breath. "It's probably one of my family members!" 

Jasper was the only boy in a household of six siblings. He was raised by his two older sisters which according to him was the main reason why he was more effeminate than other males. His father was always too busy with pack work and their mother was too busy looking after his baby siblings. 

"It can't be Jasmine or Jasayla since they're too young. Jasleena just had a baby so it can't be her either. It must be out of Jasinta and Jasminah then..." he trailed off and then placed his hands together in front of his face in a praying gesture and began to chant, "Please let it be Jasminah. Please let it be Jasminah. Please let it be Jasminah!" 

Jasminah was Jasper's second oldest sibling and the sister he was also the closest to. She was like his personal lawyer and would defend him no matter what the situation. She babied him so much that she naturally became his favourite sister. 

Jasinta on the other hand was the devil's incarnate. She was his twin sister yet she acted like his boss most of the time. And although she had grown in a household with mostly females, all of her friends at school ended up being males and she somehow ended up being like the man of the house. So while Jasper was more of the sensitive twin, Jasinta was rough and had a no-nonsense attitude. She was tough through and through, and she didn't understand why her brother was so weak. So she constantly provoked him with hopes of toughening him up. 

No matter how Khione thought about it, she was sure Macy's guardian was Jasinta. The thought made her chuckle which gained her a glare from Jasper. 

"Let's go to sleep then," Khione changed the subject, hoping to get Jasper's mind off his siblings. "Which room do you want?" she asked as she pointed to the two doors that were side by side on the opposite direction of the lounge. 

Before Jasper could answer, someone suddenly knocked on the door causing Jasper to grumble to himself as he opened it. 

His face fell the moment he saw the person on the other end. 

"Hello little brother." 

"f**k!"