7: We Will Meet Our Mate!

∆ALPHA KING ADRIC’S POV∆

"Everyone, get out."

I slumped back on my throne, rubbing my eyes as I watched the line of men and women standing in front of me. They were all young, pretty, and came from wealthy noble families. My court had spent weeks picking them out just for me, but looking at their nervous faces only made my head hurt even worse.

"Yes, Your Majesty," they whispered in unison.

They practically scrambled out of the hall, bowing as fast as they could. You could see the panic in their eyes. They weren't afraid because I shouted or threatened them. They were afraid because everyone in Silvercrest knew what happened to those who tested my patience.

The moment the massive doors slammed shut, leaving the hall completely silent, a guard hurried into the room and dropped to one knee.

“Your Majesty.”

I looked at him, my fingers still tapping slowly against the armrest. “Speak.”

“Lord Cassian has refused to pay the royal levy again.”

My fingers stopped.

“Again?”

“Yes, Your Majesty. He claims the recent harvest was poor and has requested another month to make the payment.”

I studied the guard for a moment before asking, “How many months has he already been given?”

“Three, Your Majesty.”

“And how many warnings?”

“Two.”

I leaned back against my throne, studying the guard with a calmness that made him visibly nervous.

“Seize his estate.”

The guard's head snapped up before he immediately lowered it again. “Your Majesty… Lord Cassian's family has served the crown for generations. Perhaps you could grant him another…”

“Then his family should have taught him that generations of service do not place him above the law.”

The guard swallowed nervously. “But his children and wife—”

“They will not be harmed,” I interrupted, my voice cold enough to silence him. “I am punishing a traitor, not slaughtering his family.”

“Confiscate the estate, empty his private treasury, seize his livestock, and take every shipment of grain stored on his land. Send the grain to the northern villages before it spoils. His family may keep whatever possessions they can carry on their backs.”

The guard's face paled. “Yes, Your Majesty.”

“And bring Lord Cassian before me.”

He hesitated before asking carefully, “Alive, Your Majesty?”

A faint smile touched my lips.

“For now.”

The guard bowed so quickly that his forehead nearly struck the floor before he hurried from the room.

I watched the doors close behind him, feeling nothing but quiet satisfaction. A king who forgave disobedience only taught his subjects that his laws were negotiable, and I had spent too many years spilling blood to build a kingdom that could be torn apart by men who mistook my restraint for weakness.

Mercy had its place, but I had learned long ago that fear was far more reliable.

Once the footsteps disappeared down the corridor, I finally allowed myself to sink deeper into my throne and spoke to the restless spirit inside my head.

'You just made me sit through thirty people, Jax. Not one of them was good enough?'

A loud, furious growl bounced off the inside of my skull, making my teeth ache.

'Their wolves are weak!' Jax yelled in my head, his voice dripping with anger. 'And they smell like fake perfume! None of them deserve to sit next to us on that throne!'

I let out a long, heavy sigh, resting my forehead in my palm before yelling toward the hallway. "Send in the next group!"

'Adric, stop this!' Jax snapped, his tone full of irritation. 'I don't want a fake match picked out by old advisors! I want our real fated mate! The one the Moon Goddess picked for us!'

'The witch said we might find our mate when I turned thirty, but that was a guess, Jax.'  I reminded him quietly, keeping my thoughts cold and grounded. 

‘You spend all day inside this castle and never set foot outside. How on earth are we supposed to magically bump into our fated mate? Jax argued. ’Let's leave! Go look at the kingdom for once instead of sitting in this giant, empty room!’

'Just calm down,' I told him, trying to keep my patience. 'A mate is a matter of fate. A Queen is a matter of choice. I would rather choose the woman who stands beside my throne than leave my kingdom's future in the hands of the Moon Goddess. Like that woman with the blue eyes from earlier today. Her family is strong, her bloodline is clean, and she knows how to act like a leader. She would make a great Queen and give us a proper heir.'

'Screw that!' Jax roared without missing a beat. 'I don't give a damn about her family or her clean bloodline! I want our mate! Our mate is out there, and we ARE going to find our mate!'

'And what if we never meet our mate?' I asked back, letting the cold reality sink in. "What if the mate doesn't exist?'

'I don’t care! Just don’t jinx it.' Jax's voice turned wild and dangerous. 'We. Will. Meet. Our mate!'

He bared his teeth inside my mind, his aura rising up. 'Unless you plan on locking us in this room for the rest of our lives. Because if you keep ignoring me, I swear I will force my way out and take this body myself!'

The second he said it, a painful, blinding headache struck me instantly, making me close my eyes tightly.

I squeezed my fists until my knuckles turned white. I knew he wasn't making empty threats. Royal blood was both our greatest strength and our most dangerous curse. When our emotions hit a breaking point, our wolf consciousness could easily push our human mind into the dark and take total control of our body. If Jax took over, he would tear down the palace gates and run wild through the kingdom until he got what he wanted.

"Your Majesty?" A soft, familiar voice called out, breaking through the storm inside my head. "Is it still a no?"

I opened my eyes to see Bess standing a few steps away, holding a hot cup of tea. She was the old maid who had raised me ever since I was a little boy, and she was the only person in this entire castle who didn't look at me with fear.

I gave her a weary nod. "Jax is rejecting every single person who walks through that door."

Bess set the cup down on a small table near my seat, letting out a soft, sad sigh. "I wasn't asking about Jax, Adric. I was asking about you."

I looked up at her, putting my cold, distant king face back on. "If you're asking me, the blue-eyed woman was fine. She is smart, calm, and has a good record. She would handle court duties well and wouldn't cause trouble."

Bess looked straight into my eyes, her face full of gentle pity. "You're picking a wife like you're planning a war, my child. You still think the Moon Goddess is punishing you for what happened during the throne fight, don't you? That's why you keep everyone at arm's length."

My chest tightened, and my mind drifted back to those dark, bloody years.

I hated thinking about the war for the crown. I was the youngest, most useless prince in my father's eyes. When my five older brothers started fighting for power, the whole capital turned into a slaughterhouse. Brothers murdered brothers, families were destroyed, and blood literally pooled in the streets. I had to play dumb, act weak, and hide in the shadows just to keep from being poisoned in my sleep. Then, when my brothers had weakened each other enough, I stepped out of the shadows and claimed the throne for myself.

I won the throne, but the price was terrible.

People starved. Crops failed. Neighboring packs smelled our weakness and came to our borders.

I answered every threat the only way I knew how.

With blood.

I crushed rebellions before they could spread. I executed traitors before they could betray me twice. I took enemy territories when diplomacy failed and made examples of those who thought my mercy could be tested.

I did what I had to do to keep Silvercrest alive.

And when the kingdom finally became stable again, my people gave me a name I had never asked for.

The Tyrant King.

They feared me.

Good.

Fear kept my kingdom obedient when loyalty failed.

I never considered myself cruel. Cruelty was killing for pleasure. I killed for order, for survival, and for Silvercrest. There was a difference. At least, that was what I had always told myself.

Deep down, everyone believed the Moon Goddess had cursed me to be alone forever because of all the blood on my hands.

"The witch's prophecy already proved the Moon Goddess hasn't cursed you," Bess said softly, bringing me back to the present. "Your mate is out there, Adric. But you won't find him if you lock yourself in this gloomy room every single day. You need to get out."

She smiled gently and added, "The Frost Pack sent an invitation a few days ago for a big banquet. I already sent word back saying you would go."

I frowned, my chest tightening with annoyance. "Bess, you shouldn't have done that."

"You need fresh air," she insisted firmly. "You spend every second of your life stressing over taxes, laws, and borders. You're turning into a block of ice, Adric. Just go to the party. Eat good food, drink their famous wine, and relax for once."

'Did she say wine?!' Jax's voice suddenly popped up, his mood flipping in a split second. 'Adric! Did you hear that?! They have good wine! We have to go! And you better wear something nice so our mate takes one look at us and falls in love!'

I shut my eyes, refusing to give him the satisfaction of a reply.

Seeing that I was ignoring him, Jax threw a fit inside my mind. 'If you show up looking like a grumpy old wall, I will transform right in the middle of the party and jump straight into their lake! I won't come out until you promise to smile!'

I rubbed my throbbing temples. 'You are a royal wolf, not a toddler throwing a tantrum.'

'I don't care!' Jax huffed loudly, bouncing around inside my skull. 'We are going to that party, and we are going to find our mate! What if our mate is right there waiting for us?'