Breathless, a young wolf ran through the forest, his heart beating in his chest. Fear began to grip his stomach, as the specked grey wolf pushed forwards. The wind in his fur, normally a pleasant feeling, did little to calm his anxious state as he crossed the border into his pack lands. The Wolf had been visiting his elder sister who lived as a peaceful rogue, just on the outskirts of the Matlock pack. She and her mate preferred a life of solitude, rather than living under an Alpha’s control. They were not feral, far from it, but lived more in touch with their human side than their wolves. They had been at his sister and her mate’s local, grabbing a pub lunch when three of Matlock’s pack wolves walked in, taking a seat in the booth behind them. Well, the wolves had been Matlock’s pack, but it seemed they had been ousted that day, turning rogue by the Queen herself. The conversation about the reasons why had sent a shiver of fear rushing through his body. The Royal pack was there, and the Prince’s mate was found, beaten, and abused. Alisha was the girl’s name, the future Alpha of the Edensor pack. The name brought out a forgotten memory from some years before, and it had chilled him to the bone. The younger Wolf knew there was some connection between the girl and his Alpha, although he was not sure what that had been. He knew that his aging Alpha had been on the market for a chosen mate, to produce an heir, and it didn’t take a genius to work out this girl's name had been mentioned, all be it years ago. But he distinctly remembered the conversation between his Alpha and Beta about the possibility of forming an alliance with Matlock in exchange for the girl becoming Edwards' chosen mate. If the prince found out, it would mean one thing only; an attack.
After overhearing the conversation, Wil had cut his visit to his sister short, and as soon as he had been safe, shifted, then began the run back home to warn his Alpha.
With his breath laboured, and his heart pounding in his ears, Wil skidded to a halt outside the pack house, remembering the ‘No Wolf’ rule, and shifted back to his human form. Walking into the Packhouse, he grabbed his emergency clothes bag that hung on his hook and quickly pulled on a tracksuit before entering the pack. The Derby pack was a little old-fashioned in their ways, their Alpha being from a different generation. There were no wolves, or nudity allowed in the pack house, and the men changed and shifted out of the presence of the female wolves, to give them privacy. It was very old-fashioned, by today’s standards, but one the Alpha enforced with the punishment of three days in the cells if you broke it. It was widely believed the Alpha wanted to avoid temptation, given he was without a mate, and from what everyone understood, had never had a mate, but nobody dared that mention it to him.
Walking down the long corridor that led to the office part of the pack house, Wil skidded to a stop outside the Alpha’s office door. It was soundproof, so he did not know if his Alpha was in a meeting. Normally, you would receive a pack mindlink if he was not to be disturbed, but given his visit to his sister, he had been out of mindlink range. Taking a breath, Wil knocked on the old oak door.
“WHAT!” The alpha’s voice bellowed as he opened his door, which creaked and groaned.
Wil's mouth became dry as he swallowed, and bowed his head at the old Alpha.
“I am sorry, Alpha, but I have just arrived back from visiting my sister. I have come across some news that cannot wait.” Wil bravely informed him.
“Come in, This had better be good,” Edward growled, hating that his private time with his laptop and porn had been disturbed. Hell, it was his only release not having a mate to please him.
Walking inside the Alpha’s office, Will stood with his head still bowed in reverence, as he waited for permission to speak.
“Well, what is it boy?” Alpha Edward growled out in annoyance. He had just gotten to the good bit of his preferred adult movie, the part that never failed to secure his release, then afterwards he would turn on the Discovery channel and watch wolves mating, so that his wolf could enjoy his own release, which helped keep him calm and not lust after the many omegas who he knew he could simply command to his bedchambers, but refused to do so, not wanting to risk impregnating them, and his offspring turning out to be a low rank.
Wil gulped, his Alpha was already in a bad mood, and he knew from experience, it was probably going to get a lot worse.
“Alpha, I was visiting my sister, we were having a pub lunch, when some of Matlock pack wolves arrived. Only they were ousted from their pack by the Queen herself,” Will began.
Edward placed his hands under his chin and leaned forward, indicating his interest.
“And?” he asked, impatient about what this man, who was little more than a boy in comparison to him, even at 34 years of age, had to say.
“Apparently, the Matlock pack had been abusing Alisha and Iesha Wilson, the Alpha and her sister of Edensore. The royal family are enraged, as Alisha is apparently Prince Asher’s fated mate. I remember her name coming up once when we were searching for you a chosen mate. I believe Jabez approached you with a deal, and I just wanted to inform you that the Royal’s are looking for blood regarding her mistreatment, according to what I heard.”
Alpha Edward sat back in his seat and nodded at Wil.
“You did right in coming straight to me with this information. However, I must command you to silence on this subject, that will be all.” Edward gave his alpha command, wanting to avoid a panic in his pack, as Wil bowed his head, and walked out of his office.
As soon as Wil left, Edward let out a growl, he had a vague memory about the offer Jabez made, but could not remember all of the details, and it never amounted to anything anyway, but instantly mind linked with his Beta, as his own memory was not what it once was, given his advanced years.
“Harold, come into my office, we may have a problem.”
Not a minute later, Beta Harold walked into the Alpha office, bowing his head.
“Alpha, what troubles you?” he asked, taking a seat in the receiving chair. He had known his Alpha man and boy, and was just as old as Edward. However, he had been blessed with a mate, and had five pups, all of which were mated, and had pups and grand pups of their own. However, he remained in post, rather than giving his rank to his eldest son, purely because his Alpha was not one for modernisation, and Harold had been like a brother to him from the age of 3 months old when they had both suckled at the breast of the pack's old wet nurse. Back when Charles the Second came back and began his reign over humans.
It seemed to Edward that his life began with Charles on the human throne, and would end with another, only 300 years or so apart. The irony did not escape him.
“Jabez, some years ago, he made an offer for an alliance with his pack, a girl was involved, but I cannot remember the full details of what transpired,” Edward looked at his Beta.
“Yes, I remember, it came to naught. He wanted to give you Alisha Wilson, Alpha of Edensor, and her pack-lands in exchange for an alliance, and preferential trading prices with all of your companies, and promise of complete protection against any man, woman, or pack that tried to stand against him in future years. Snively little man he is. It was considered for a time, but you refused, due to the fact we found out that she was under age, just 15 at the time. However, we never got to do the official refusal, although the letters were typed up, signed and dated, because word came back that the girl herself point blank refused, leaving him with egg on his pathetic face,” Harrold said.
Edward nodded his head,
“Yes I remember now, seeing him squirm when he visited to say the deal was off, because he was outsmarted by a 15-year-old girl, was much more satisfactory than just rejecting the stupid idiots' insulting offer. I am a lot of things, but little girls are NOT my weakness, that is for sure!” Edward shook his head.
“Yes, but it was fun watching the man beg and plead for you not to attack him because of the girl. You had some fun with that, making him practically empty his bowls in fear,” Harold laughed at the memory.
Alpha Edward had a bad name in the packs of the area, but he was not as fearsome as many believed, but took great delight in playing with weaker Alpha’s, ensuring they kept in their lane and did not get ideas at being able to overpower such an old Alpha.
“Well, it seems Jabez mistreated the girl and her sister, pathetic excuse of a wolf that he is, and what is worse, the Royals have found out,” Edward stated.
“Shit, that is not good,” Harold said, suddenly feeling nervous that if Edwards' involvement with the girl became apparent, they would face a full investigation when the prince arrived for his visit in a week or so.
“Hum, but what is far worse, is the girl was found, and as it turns out, she is Prince Asher’s Mate. We had best get our ducks in a row, and pray the prince does not come knocking,” Edward sighed.
“Double shit!” Harold stated,
“Yes quite. But we have proof of our refusal, or would have been refusal, and hopefully he has a gift of discernment to attain to the truth of our testimony, else we may not have a pack in a week,” Edward sighed, he would not go up against the Royal family, he was loyal to them, obsessed by not just human royalty, but also that of the werewolf world.
“I will pull out all the files, and recordings of the meetings, and our comments from the archives and have them ready,” Harold said, his chair scraping the slate floor as he stood up, ready to head down to the lower floors of the packhouse and retrieve them.
“Alpha, the KING is here, at the border!” A warrior guard linked with him.
“The king is here. Best get those files Harold, and pray he believes us.” Edward said with a sigh, then schooled his face into a hard stoic mask as he left his office, and stood at the packhouse doorway ready too, greet his king. Chapter Twenty-One – The Forgotten Bride and The Alpha Prince.