Chapter 10: The Dream

ALEXANDER

I listened to Christina’s suggestion and followed her outside. She led me to the former queen’s garden and began introducing me to the flowers planted there. What truly caught my attention, however, were the statues scattered around the garden.

I heard Christina say, “This is the first queen’s statue in the palace. She was the reason the Luna’s office was respected. The Alpha at that time was weak and a drunkard. He nearly caused the extermination of the pack, but she bravely led the warriors and defended everyone while the Alpha hid in his chambers out of fear…”

Christina shook her head, and I could see the disdain in her eyes. But I did not know what to say. I had never heard of or met the man before, so I had no wish to criticize him. When she noticed that I was not particularly interested in the topic, she led me away.

She then took me to the fruit garden, where she peeled some oranges for me. I sat down and ate them happily. The sweet, tangy taste burst across my tongue, and I could not get enough. Even after eating ten, I still wanted more.

“My Lady, you seem to like food a lot,” Christina said, looking at me.

I did not deny it. “Yes, I do,” I replied.

Christina paused for a moment, as if she wanted to say something, but in the end, she remained silent. She continued showing me around the palace, but nothing truly caught my interest. However, the moment she mentioned lunch, my eyes lit up instantly.

“Then let’s hurry back,” I said.

I noticed the corner of Christina’s mouth twitch, and I lowered my head before quickening my pace.

While I was eating, I overheard them discussing matters from the council. There were rebels within the pack, and Lucky was leading them.

None of it mattered to me. Even when Christina asked for my opinion, I simply stared at her innocently.

I was just about to take my afternoon nap when Christina came to my room to tell me that my father wanted to see me.

I got out of bed and went to him. His face was lined with anxiety, and the worry in his eyes was unmistakable. I froze, wondering if the invaders had burned down his properties.

But what he asked me left me stunned.

“How have you been? Have you felt any pain? When last did you visit the doctor? Do you feel even the slightest bit unwell?”

His voice was filled with concern, and I was rendered speechless. I blinked several times, wondering if I was seeing a ghost or truly my father. Was he really worried about me?

I shook my head in disbelief.

“Don’t eat anything offered by anyone except the head maid. Be very careful, and make sure the palace physician attends to you every day,” my father said anxiously.

Although I did not ask why he was acting that way, deep down I knew his concern must have been triggered by my stepmother, Jezebel.

I shuddered at the thought of whatever threat had made my father so restless, possibly one that could have gotten me killed. He looked at me with disappointment, then turned and stormed off angrily.

After he left, Christina came into my room and said, “Your father is in alliance with your husband. He is the only elder supporting him. I think you should find a way to make peace with your father. He may not be a good person, but he is the only one capable of protecting you.”

I almost scoffed at Christina’s words. The man who had watched me coldly and indifferently while his so-called wife tortured me for years would now bother to protect me?

I shook my head because it seemed impossible. But I knew Christina was right. My father had no choice but to protect me now, since I was the only asset he had left. If anything happened to me, he would never be able to achieve his dream of controlling the Elders’ Council.

“Thank you, Christina,” I said.

She nodded and quietly left my room.

After that day, I didn’t see Alpha Damon for several days. I kept hearing the maids whisper that he had been preparing for war. He had even stripped the sole administrators of his colonies of their titles and dragged them away in chains. What surprised me most was learning that he had fallen out with some of the elders on the council.

But what truly chilled my heart was hearing that he was inviting allies into the pack—the very men he had once promised me he would send to their graves. Anxiety gnawed at me, and I couldn’t shake the growing sense of dread.

That night, after eating until I was full, I lay in bed with my eyes wide open. My body felt too heavy to move, and when I turned slightly, I saw his back. Alpha Damon was in my room again after so many days.

The silence in the room, and the slump of his shoulders, told me that a great burden weighed on him.

“Alex, it isn’t easy being the alpha of this pack. I always dreamed of being crowned one day. I looked forward to becoming the Alpha King who would rule for years and bring prosperity to the pack. But now… I wish I had made the same choice as my uncle Chris. He walked away and abandoned the leadership of the pack without hesitation. I thought he was foolish for that choice, but now I feel I am the foolish one. It’s so lonely being at the—”

He was still speaking when my eyelids grew heavier and heavier until my vision went black. I could no longer hear his words, because I was already slipping into a dream.

In the dream, I stood before a massive white wolf beneath the full moon. Thick smoke curled around me like fog, and I heard the wolf’s deep voice echo through the night.

“You are not weak, Alexander. You were born to rule. You were born—”

Then a piercing scream shattered the moment. It was my stepmother, Jezebel.

“Liar! She is nothing but a worthless glutton! Don’t be fooled, Alexander! She is lying to you!”