Not a Coward

Two bulky guards stepped to the sides, allowing me to enter the grand hall. I had rarely been in this part of the Alpha's castle, but then again, I couldn't remember the last time I'd asked the king for an audience. And I couldn't remember it because it had never happened.

I'd heard that some of our pack members waited months for the Alpha King to set up the date, and yet, I hadn't waited even an hour before my name was called out.

I passed the threshold, and my heart began to thunder. The hall was filled with black marble, luxurious sculptures, and ridiculously expensive paintings framed in gold. The vaulted ceiling had been coated with black, polished stone. Twenty crystal chandeliers hung from it, illuminating the hall and the podium.

This place was supposed to be the heart of the Altheris Kingdom, a shiny spot to cover up the fact that the less fortunate wolves in our pack were starving just a few blocks away.

A tall blond-haired man in a tailor-made black suit was sitting on his massive throne on the podium. I slowly walked toward it, respectfully keeping my gaze low. Yet the closer I was, the clearer I saw the Alpha King's face, and today, that sight made my insides twist.

The resemblance between Alpha Lucien and his son was almost terrifying. Looking at the king, I saw an older version of his son. Our eyes met, and to my surprise, Alpha Lucien rushed down from the podium and strode over to me, his arms spread wide. “Kara, my dear. I know you must be devastated.”

I froze. Did he know? Had Lance told him that he had rejected me? No… I doubted the king would have been so calm had that happened. I carefully curved my lips into a faint smile.

The king pulled me into a brief embrace, quite awkwardly patting my back. Then he quickly stepped back and cleared his throat. “Remember, the Moon Goddess chooses our mates in a way we rarely understand. I truly hoped you would become his Luna, but since it's Delphina… I hope you can still rise above this complicated situation and give them your blessing.”

I blinked. My brain must have malfunctioned since I could barely grasp the sense of his words. Then slowly the disbelief and confusion gave way to frustration and anger. “Delphina is… Lance's true mate?” I strained through my teeth.

Sighing, Alpha Lucien nodded. “You need to accept this. I know that you and my son were close, but this is the sacred bond we're talking about.”

I wanted to scream. I wanted to tell him the whole truth, mentioning every word his precious son had told me, but I had to act with caution. Clenching my fists, I managed, “What exactly did Lance tell you, Alpha Lucien, about last night?”

“Ah, right!” He hummed a laugh. “Lance mentioned he couldn't find you at the ball last night. Did you decide not to go at the very last minute?”

My wolf roared. This was too much! That bastard had been preparing his ground before my body was washed ashore. They all assumed I'd died in the sea. “Actually, I was on the yacht last night,” I said tightly.

Alpha Lucien raised his brows. “Were you now?”

Knuckles bleached in my clenched hands. “I was,” I gritted out, rage spreading through my veins. “In fact, Lance saw me, too. He even reje—”

The doors opened, and Uncle Demir strode inside. “Alpha Lucien, I'd want to discuss moving my daughter to…” He paused as his eyes found me. Then he slowly stepped closer, his lips twisting into an uncomfortable grimace. “Kara, good to see you,” he bit out.

“That's doubtful.” I offered him a cold smile.

People said that he and my father looked alike. They were both strongly built and tall. They had fiery-red hair and green eyes. But my father was a good man who cared about others while his brother was an asshole willing to sacrifice everything and everyone for his career and position.

Alpha Lucien cleared his throat. “As you see, I have a guest. Have you come with something urgent?”

Beta Demir nodded before pulling two envelopes from his jacket pocket. “This is the latest report, and a contract that needs Alpha King's signature.”

Alpha Lucien took the documents and returned to his throne. He pulled out the folded pages and started to read them as my uncle lined up with me. “Think carefully about what you're going to tell the Alpha.” He kept his voice low enough for only me to hear. “Our Alpha hates liars… He tends to punish them quite painfully.”

Shivers rushed down my spine, but I didn't give up. “I'm not a liar,” I hissed.

A cold smirk twisted his lips. “It might be your words against his son's,” he purred.

My stomach roiled. I hated that he was right. Lance had already presented his version, and I wasn't in it. I had nothing to prove my words. I couldn't explain why Lance hadn't felt our bond, but that too put me at a huge disadvantage.

“Here you are.” Alpha King extended his hand, holding out the signed documents.

Uncle Demir took them and pulled them back into his pocket before turning to me. “Stay out of trouble, Kara.”

There were several different responses I could give him, but not in Alpha's presence, not when my dad's position could be jeopardized because of it. So, I sealed my lips, watching him turn to the doors and stride out of the audience hall.

“Now… where were we?” Alpha's voice dragged my attention back to him. “You mentioned my son. Did something happen last night?”

My breath hitched. There was a thin line between being brave and being a fool. I wanted to be brave. I wanted to tell Alpha Lucien about the rejection and what Lance's friends had done to me. But I replayed that scenario in my head a few times, imagining different responses, and the ending was always the same.

Had I failed to convince Alpha Lucien, I would have been humiliated and punished in front of the whole pack. And in case Alpha Lucien believed me, Lance had more than a dozen so-called witnesses who would have testified against me. I couldn't win no matter what I said or did…

A bitter smile curled up my lips. In my mind, I told myself that I wasn't letting them win; I was merely postponing my victory. But it didn't help me feel less like a coward.

“Kara? I thought you wanted to tell me something important, right?” Alpha urged.

Sucking in a ragged breath, I inched closer and rolled back my shoulders. “I… made a decision,” I started, struggling to keep my voice even. “I'm going to withdraw my application from Evermore War College.”

Alpha Lucien frowned. “I thought you were looking forward to studying with Lance and your cousin.”

The chuckle that escaped me was all but hysterical. “Well… um… I think I will do better in Winterbourne Academy.”

His lips pressed together, then curved downward in disgust. “Winterbourne is not a school for noble families. They're even allowing the filthy bloods to study there.”

My jaw clenched, my annoyance flaring. According to some conservative assholes, shifters apart from wolves shouldn't exist. Only a few of them had been allowed to live in our precious kingdom, as if fox, bear, or leopard shifters could somehow taint our lives with their very presence.

I forced myself to smile. “I miss my father,” I blurted. “Winterbourne is close enough for me to visit him on weekends.”

Alpha Lucien worked his jaw, his fingers nervously tapping on the armrest. Finally, he sighed. “I don't approve of your choice, but I do understand that you wish to be close to your only living parent. I gave you permission to study there.”

I corrected my smile and bowed. “I'm grateful for your kindness, Alpha King.”

His eyes narrowed. “Is there anything else you wished to tell me?”

I hesitated. My wolf wanted me to shout the truth in his face, but my instincts suggested the exact opposite. I sealed my lips before my words began to fly out and shook my head.

“Very well.” Alpha smiled tightly. “Good luck in Winterbourne then.”

“Thank you.” I bowed again, then turned around and left the audience hall.

The doors shut behind me, and I drew a deep breath. My wolf huffed in my head, refusing to accept our situation. ‘We're not escaping,’ I told her… or perhaps I was telling that to myself. ‘We need time away from this place to prepare a proper revenge.’

And I would keep repeating that every day until I believed it was possible, and until I was strong enough to make Lance and Delphina pay.