Who are you?

Max’s POV

My office door swung open with a bang against the stone wall. 

“ALPHA!” Vivi yelled while tears rolled down her cheeks. 

“Don’t ever barge into my office Vivi we’ve had this talk” I roared at her.

I’ve never seen Vivi shed actual tears before. These looked to be genuine. Vivi is a theatric. She can play any role and blend like a chameleon in most situations. She makes for a fine official but her lack of boundaries is a big annoyance to me. 

“Out with it Vivi I’m very busy and my wolf is already severely frustrated today,” I stated blandly.

“It’s about the girl… Kya… so this won’t be as easy as I thought in the beginning. She is strong but has absolutely no knowledge of it and right now is closer to death than I imagined. But I fear something much worse. From the treatment described she’s been tortured her whole life.”

Vivi bowed her head. I could feel a sad aura coming from her usual bright annoyingly happy self. Whatever happened to Kya must be worse than we could’ve thought.

“Kill them” Artemis whispered.

“Kill them all” he spoke louder.

My eyes blared red and suddenly Vivi was against the stone wall with her trachea beating in my palm. “Al-alpha” she gasped. I dropped her immediately.

She scrambled to her feet reaching into her pocket she produced three yellow vials of liquid and handed them to me bowing. I quickly ingested one and pocketed the other two.

“Tame me all you want but she will be our queen” Artemis growled before he drifted off to gently snoring in my mind, leaving behind a massive migraine. What is wrong with me?

“It’s getting harder to control?” Vivi spoke looking up at me questioningly. As if wondering if I was in my right mind again. 

“It’s okay he’s backed off for now but yes since the girl's arrival he’s been acting like a maniac, he listens to nothing and is becoming obsessed with her.” I scratched my head wondering why my crazy wolf had this sudden irrational attachment to a mere omega. 

“Have you any proof of the possibility of her being the one of the prophecy?” I need to stay focused. 

“No. But it will take time. I won’t know for sure until I see her wolf but I already feel the need to take the place of her guardian. I will act in place until I know for sure.” Vivi stated proudly. 

“Tell me why you fear she’s been tortured. How bad is it?” I asked blankly. 

“Alpha… I don’t think she’s ever had a meal before. She didn’t even know how to use utensils! She told me she begged for scraps her whole life. Did you see how skinny she is? I think they starved her for long periods….” Vivi let out sadly.

Vivi’s eyes welled up again as if she could feel the pain poor Kya explained. She seemed unlike herself today angry and sad. Vivi has killed many people in war but her bubbly smile has never faded until now.

“She referred to herself as their slave…” she held her hand over her heart clenching it as if in deep despair. 

My bones began to crack and break. My clothes shredded around me as my claws and teeth elongated. Artemis was free and he had heard enough. Without thinking we jumped out of the big open window in the corner of my office.

I hit the forest fast and hard pushing the dirt brutally against the earth as I flew through the trees. I stopped and let out a long broken howl. The entire pack went quiet for a moment and howls returned tenfold.

When the alpha wolf of a pack is in pain the entire pack can feel it. They can help strengthen their alpha by supporting me in times of darkness. The energy in the night shifted aggressively.

Alex’s voice rang in my mind “Alpha what do you need? Where are you? I can assemble men immediately just tell me what you need” he sounded panicked.

I fought Artemis to reply “Alex let everyone know everything is fine. Artemis is having a fit, I can’t seem to get him under control!!!” I said quickly. I’m starting to fear the amount of control Artemis keeps claiming over me.

Other alphas have full control over their wolves. They are in sync as one. Artemis and I have always lived in sync until recently. He’s losing it. 

“Done and done alpha. I’ll tell Vivi to make something stronger!” The link went quiet.

I found my way to a nearby lake I frequented when needing moments of clarity. Artemis paced in circles until our paws were raw. Growling lowly while our body heat radiated. 

“Talk to me old friend what is happening” I asked him calmly in our head.

“Max she’s our queen. You do not understand now but you will. They soiled our hierarchy. They hurt our queen! We allowed our beautiful queen to grow in pain” he howled again in agony.

“Queen, Artemis if she’s not our mate, how can we have a queen?!” He was losing me with this mumbo jumbo.

“You will see.” I slowly started shifting back as he fell silent in the depths of my mind. I pulled out a cell phone “Alex send my driver to the lake. Things are okay now.” I stated.

“Yes sir!” He replied, I cut the call and glanced out over the water. The moon was high in the air gleaming off the water. The woods were quiet and serene with only birds and small creatures paws padding the gentle leaves.

I pulled some clothing out of a hidden trunk we have out in the forest marked by certain types of trees. The air was cold on my muscles calming my body as I slipped on the black sweats. 

I took a deep breath as a black car screeched to a halt in front of me. The driver quickly exited and opened the back door with a small bow “alpha”.

I entered the vehicle already missing the peacefulness of the wood. My phone blared again. I shuffled around and the screen read Vivi’s name.

“Speak”

“Alpha I truly did not mean to upset you. We still have much to discuss. Please let me know when you are ready.” She said in an odd voice. 

Vivi always surprised me with the level of composure she could keep around my wolf. There was another time when Artemis was a bit out of control and Vivi almost gave her life for it.

I’ll never forget that night.

“Meet me in my office in 15. Artemis is too exhausted at the moment for more stunts” I cut the call and focused on the moonlight spreading the tree line. I couldn’t help but question in my mind over and over...

Queen… could she be our queen? Why would Artemis call her that? Oaf things just aren’t adding up since this girl's arrival. 

Later in my office, I found Vivi pacing around like a maniac. “Vivi speak calmly, Artemis has not been in his right mind since Kya's arrival.” I reminded her as I entered and sat behind my desk.

Glancing over all the files and paperwork I realize I have to get my head straight sooner than later. Work never waits. I cannot let any distraction keep me from ruling my pack properly.

“Alpha we will have to take this extremely slow. I highly recommend we capture the escapees and question them thoroughly about Kya's past.” Vivi slowly started.

“I do not think she should know if we find them either as the way the previous alpha son talked to her I think it would be bad for her mental state. She truly thought he was her savior” Vivi was lost gazing out the window as she spoke.

“This is going to be a lot harder than we thought also she cannot know,” she murmured.

Sighing I could feel something deeply disturbing. “Vivi just tell me how to help her, those bastards! I wish I would’ve killed them a bit slower. When I get my hands on that delta and alpha baby I will rip their beating hearts out.” 

As my heart rate started to increase I could feel Artemis stirring in the back of my mind. “Vivi we will discuss more later, Artemis needs rest.” 

As Vivi turned to leave I caught a glimpse of her expression and it was fierce. I truly could not tell if she was in deep sorrow or about to burn the place down but even I couldn’t help but feel her immense aura. She slammed the door whilst muttering on her way out.

Vivi has been one of my strongest allies for years and for that, I made her one of my officials. Beyond my beta Alex, my gamma Ben and my theta Scott Vivi holds a rank one below my own. 

At first other alphas scoffed and laughed I had a woman in my official party, and then we went to war. She swiftly took hundreds of lives beside me in battle without breaking a sweat. I couldn’t help but give her the rank in my pack she deserved.

Vivi would make a fine mate for any wolf but our relationship never progressed in that manner. She stays close to me like family and her goofy personality drives me past annoyance sometimes. 

She came here long ago claiming to be sent by prophecy holders. She said her loyalty was now to my pack and she would stay until her destiny came forth. We never delved into it too much but the prophecy she holds seemed worth the risk of accepting her into the pack at the time.

Sitting behind my desk my thoughts came floating back to Kya. How could they not feed their own? Why would they let such a beautiful girl suffer so much? How did she survive the destruction of a mate bond being only an omega? 

How did this treasure fall so easily into my hands? I thought grinning slyly and dived into the stack of files before me.