5

Dustin

In our world, what do people want the most?

It’s power.

If they are not born with it, they do anything to get it. They can commit any crime, any sin, any unthinkable act to just become the one person who controls several others.

The excitement of commanding someone is just too tempting to pass on. To know someone is at their mercy makes it all the more thrilling. People…love playing God.

And when it comes to werewolves, they are worse than any average human and vampire. They thrive on their hunger for power, to be more than what they are, to be at the top of the hierarchy.

I am not any different. I like power, and what I can do with it. But the only difference between them and me is that…

I was born with power. I was destined to be above the rest of the people—the vampires, humans, the werewolves. And…they don’t like that.

“ Alpha Redley is dealing with that witch again. ” Ronac discloses and lingers close to the door.

“ And what is he buying? ” My lips curve slightly.

“ A love potion, Your Highness. ” He answers without a delay.

A love potion? I almost want to shake my head at that. Idiot!

The witch potions and spells don’t work on Lycans. He can try to get his daughter to drink a gallon of it, and I still won’t be affected. Not even a little.

“ Your Highness, I can go and bring Alpha Redley in right now. ” He suggests.

I sip on the wine and look out the window, towards the vast, calm sea.

“ Why bother? ” I hum.

“ This will be the end to his treason. ” He continues.

Like others, Ronac wants more power. If he can get on my good side, maybe I will promote him to a better position instead of keeping him as a spy, he thinks. Or maybe, I won’t do it, he is nervous.

While he waits for my decision, his heartbeat quickens, and I can sense him sweating behind me, the slow sound of his sweat trickling down his neck too loud in my ears.

“ Killing Redley will only anger his pack members. Why bother with that? It’s just a potion, isn’t it? ” I turn around and walk back to my desk.

I have to attend the meaningless selection ceremony in a few minutes. If the Alphas were not dying for me to have a delightful mate by my side, I wouldn’t bother with all this drama.

Because I already know who my mate is. She is a seventeen-year-old girl who would prefer dying before accepting to stay by my side even when she becomes a woman.

Not that I mind.

Her fate is already sealed.

That’s why I must protect her from everyone in this world until her time comes.

Pretending to be looking for my mate is the best course of action for that.

“ Your Highness, Alpha Redley will come up with something…worse if he is not punished. ” Ronac beats his nervousness and suggests, hoping his bravery will touch my heart.

“ Why are you so angry at Redley? He is so innocent. He just wants his daughter to cast a spell on me. Then, I will hand him everything on a silver platter. A happy ever…after for everyone. ” I drawl, eyeing the letter on the desk.

It’s from my sister again. I was not expecting her to write to me now that she is close to giving birth to her first child.

I shove it under the other papers and turn to Ronac, watching him shift under my dead gaze. He averts his eyes to the floor, his breathing quickening.

“ Get the snake’s head. ” I command. “ Lana is Redley’s Heir, is she not? She should know better than to try to manipulate an Alpha King. For what she did, she must pay with her head. ”

“ Your Highness. ” Ronac’s body jerks in shock. “ As I reported before…I believe Lady Lana is under pressure from her father. She doesn’t have a choice but to— ”

“ She could have come to me. But did she? ” I keep my gaze steady on him. “ Betrayal is a choice, not an obligation. ”

Redley is childish. He is playing on two fields. He hopes I will be under the influence of that spell, and become a puppet to his daughter.

Or if I don’t fall for it, I will go after him and he will be able to incite other Alphas against me before I get to kill him.

He did it before. He used Alpha Folke to bait me.

And like Alpha Folke is gone, it’s Lana’s turn to end up dead.

“ Grab her with the proof. She will be hanged publicly tomorrow morning. And Redley will become the father of a traitor. ” I say in a cool voice and turn away from him.

“ Yes, Your Highness. ” Ronac replies. “ Allow me to take my leave. ”

I nod without sparing him a glance as my eyes turn icy. Lana’s blood is not on me. It’s on Redley.

I fix my cufflinks, sensing her materializing behind me out of thin air.

“ Do you never feel guilty over killing innocent people? ” She floats closer, and perches herself over my desk, watching me from close.

I can sense her gaze, but she has no face. She is just a ball of light—a bright light that haunts me whenever she wishes.

“ You are Selene, the Moon Goddess. Can’t you tell what I am feeling? ” I reply flatly and fix my collar.

It’s time to play the part of a perfect Alpha King again.

The light floats right into my face, forcing me to pick my head and regard her from close.

“ Soon, I will know what you are feeling. ” She hums.

“ What does that mean? ” I cock a brow as my eyes run down the floating ball of light.

“ Your life… ” the floating light gets close enough to make my skin tingle and burn. “ …Is about to change, you troublesome child. ”

Before I can ask what that means, she disappears the same way she appeared, leaving me staring at the empty spot.

There must be something she planned for tonight.

A little skeptical, and a lot more curious, I march out of my office and step down the stairs. Voices rise, announcing my arrival before silence prevails in the Hall.

I can’t be bothered with the decorations or the crowd gathered down there, excited to meet me.

The boredom that lives deep inside my bones takes over, leaving me numb and detached from the rest of the world.

And then…

It hits me.

The scent of vanilla, sweet and subtle but intoxicating. I halt mid-way, my eyes scanning the bland faces of the crowd.

The heart eyes. The wide smiles. The excited glances.

And then, my eyes stop their search when they land on a familiar face.

My fingers tingle, my gaze stuck on her. She meets my gaze, and something shifts in the air.

I can no longer see the other faces. It’s like I am alone, and she is there, hogging all my attention.

I try to look away and fail.

I manage to step down the rest of the stairs and pause.

I try to think and my mind goes blank.

Lana. Her name echoes in my head.

Lana Redley.

Blonde hair. Blue eyes. Gorgeous body. It didn’t matter.

I watch as she runs, pushes past everyone, and reaches for me. My itching hands almost raise to catch her—almost. But I hold them by my side, and open my mouth—

Her hands land on my chest, and she covers my lips before I can say a single word.

Sparks slither up my hands, slowly curving around my skin and penetrating my flesh.

Mate. My wolf says.

Mate. I breathe, inhaling her scent, feeling her lips on mine as she parts for a second and then kisses me again.

She is eager, her hands lowering to my stomach, her nails digging into my skin as her unmoving lips press harder into my mouth.

This…

How is this possible?

My heart…is beating too fast.

It never…beats like this.