From Stand-In to Queen

The phone rang, forcing the carefully cultivated silence to disappear.  I sighed staring at the phone with disdain.  I knew who was calling and had been dreading this moment all day.  I had rehashed our previous conversation in my mind and still found no solution.  I took a moment to collect myself before picking up the phone. 

 "They've agreed to let two people inside" I spoke directly.  I knew he would want to get straight to the point.  Formalities weren't needed unless there were witnesses.  

"Two! Just two," an angry voice rang out from the other side "they are lucky we are giving them a choice. We should just send the army, I don't trust them."

"They agreed to support the crown," I said slowly. "We don't want to start a war, no matter how small. Others could join for a shot to overthrow you." 

A huff and pause, "if you catch the smallest scent of treason..."

"I know, I know," I rolled my eyes "take over the pack."

"Cyrus..." the voice chided "if things go well, it'll be a mark on your ability to lead."  Then with a dramatic pause, "I'd be more likely to consider retirement." I rolled my eyes at the statement.  Hell would freeze over before that would happen.  The King held onto his power tightly, he would never willingly give it up.  It was the same conversation every time.  He was just manipulating me to get me to agree. "as next in line I need to know you can handle the packs."

"I've been doing that for years now" I reminded him firmly.  

"All that time in other packs and still no mate." This King spoke, expertly flipping the conversation  "How are you supposed to rule without creating an heir?" I rolled my eyes. My uncle never seemed to forget that I was mateless, reminding me at every opportunity.  At this point, I almost didn't want a mate just to spite him.  I did want a mate though, more than anything in the world.  How was it that a well-travelled, 28-year-old, male werewolf had not managed to find, their mate? 

"You didn't produce an heir" I lashed out at him for touching a nerve.

"All the more reason, you need a mate," he spoke sternly "You don't any other family to create an heir.  It's solely on you," He was right, my parents had passed away before they could have another child.  My mother died in childbirth, causing the baby to be stillborn. My father, the King's brother, passed shortly after due to the pain of losing his mate and a child  The king had taken on the task to raise me, as his mate was infertile.  A cruel curse of the moon goddess he would say. The king hated to be reminded he couldn't sire children and had to rely on his nephew to rule the kingdom when he was done.  One of the reasons why he would never retire.   The King continued to speak. "when you get back, we will organise a competition."  

"I don't want she-wolves competing over me," I said, the whole idea left me feeling dirty.  I hated the idea of being forced to take a random stranger as a mate over my goddess chosen mate.  The goddess made mates perfect for us in every way, so why should I settle.  The King saw it differently.  Since learning his mate couldn't have children he'd grown hard and resentful.  Why the King of all people should have an infertile mate was a secret the goddess held onto tightly. 

"Nonsense," he exclaimed. "You've had 7 years to find your goddess-chosen mate.  Besides this way, we'll find someone who's proven worthy to rule the wolves. Someone who the doctors say is fertile"

"Uncle..." I said slowly, trying to express my discomfort in his statement.  

"I don't want to hear it." He with finality. "Go check out the Crescent Moon pack and get back here so we can get you mated up." With that, he hung up the phone.  I slammed my phone onto my desk a little too hard nearly breaking it in two.  

"Everything alright" sang Dante, my beta, through the mind-link.  While the mind-link was useful for getting in touch with pack members quickly, it left for little time for my thoughts or privacy.  I could block out my pack when I wanted, but being an Alpha I need to be informed of emergencies at any time.  While I trusted Dante with my life and deepest secrets, he had a back habit of poking the bear.  He enjoyed pushing my buttons.  I always pictured him as my brother, as I never had one growing up.  I always imagined that brothers would try to annoy each other, but ultimately still want the best for each other. 

"You don't need to know everything, just because you're second in command," I shot back through the link.  His head popped through my office door and he gave a dramatic frown before coming to sit in front of my desk, leg slung over the arm of the chair. 

"But I'm so much cheaper than therapy," Dante teased "Come and tell me, what ails my troubled Alpha today." 

"He wants to move forward with the competition," I said with a sigh.

"There is something weirdly animalistic about making she-wolves fight to be your mate, even by werewolf standards." He commented, offering no real solution.  

"We'll have to come up with a way to stop it" I sighed, adding "while we visit the Crescent Moon pack." 

"Why are WE going?" Dante asked whining.  Typically I passed pack audits down to other important pack members, only visiting packs that raised red flags.  Dante being my number two and good fighter would naturally come with me. 

"They will only allow two wolves in and the king has taken personal offence." I rolled my eyes "He wants the works.  The king has been itching for a battle to prove his power for a while."

"Will it come to that?" Dante asked, sitting up properly and looking concerned.  The Kingdom had not known battle for a long time, other than a few rouge fights here and there.  The rouges refused to be under anyone's rule and were largely disorganised, making for short and easy battles.  The official werewolf packs had all fallen into line under the King decades ago.  Getting to a battle with a proper pack meant war.  Everyone would pick a side, many wolves would die for no reason. 

"I don't know" I admitted "The King becomes more..." I tried to find the right word "uneasy as he ages.  He swears the Cresent Moon pack isolated to avoid his rule.  They cut off contact from the world for the last three years, ever since the new Alpha took over. Rumours says there was a bloody internal coup before they closed their borders."

"So a power-hungry Alpha, who led a coup" Dante spoke sarcastically "joy"

"If he wanted power, why'd he isolate the pack from the rest of the world for so long.  You'd think they would try to expand, taking over other packs." I speculated.

"I guess we'll have to go ask them," Dante said cheerily winking. I laughed at Dante's comment.  Alpha's typically didn't like talking to us when we visited.  At the best of times, it was like prying teeth.

"Alpha Fin seems like quite to open book," I responded jokingly to Dante. "Why else would he close his pack down."