CHAPTER 3 - The 11th Alpha

Zainah unknowingly closed her eyes as she savored the scent that was filling her nostrils. When her eyes opened, the naughty smile that lingered on Alpha Zay’s eyes caught her off guard.

"Ahmm, you are welcome to compete, Alpha Zay," she said, her voice regaining its composure. "But I must ask, where do you really hail from? Where is the Bloodbath Pack?"

Alpha Zay paused, his gaze unwavering. "My origins are not important, Princess. What matters is what I can offer you."

"And what is that?" Zainah challenged him, intrigued by his mysterious reply.

"I offer you truth," he said, his voice resonating with sincerity. "I offer you freedom. I offer you a chance to be yourself, without the weight of your Primordial Blood."

Zainah’s heart skipped a beat. His words struck a chord within her, a longing she had kept hidden for so long. Could this be the Alpha who saw beyond her Gizli Princess status, who could recognize the woman she really is?

"Those are bold claims, Alpha Zay," she said, her eyes searching his masked face. "How do you intend to prove them?"

"I intend to show you, Princess," he replied, a hint of a smile in his voice. "I intend to show you what it means to be truly free." He slightly bowed after he spoke.

Thereafter, Alpha Zay turned and disappeared into the crowd, leaving Zainah standing alone, her mind racing with possibilities. The courtship competition had just taken a turn she hadn’t expected, and for the first time in a long time, she felt a flicker of hope. Maybe, just maybe, she could find more than just a groom. Maybe she could find someone who truly understood her, someone who could set her free and love her as she is.

The spectators dispersed when the Master of the Ceremony announced the candidate Alphas' presentation. Princess Zainah headed back to her room, with her mind still focused on the eleventh Alpha contending to claim her hand in marriage.

She walked toward her full-length mirror and asked her wolf to show itself on it. Zanai abides, and its white feathery, big wolf frame reflected on the mirror in an instant.

“Tell me Zanai, is Alpha Zay our mate? I could feel something, and his scent is familiar,” she whispered as if not daring anyone to hear what she said.

Zanai smiled mysteriously. “I know something, but I won’t tell you right now. I spoke with Alpha Zay’s wolf while you were there, closing your eyes, inhaling his scent,” playfully, Zanai answered.

Princess Zainah frowned. “Zanai, I am ordering you to tell me the truth right now!” she commanded her wolf, but the latter just batted its eyes, and its reflection on the mirror suddenly disappeared.

Pissed, Zainah jumped onto her bed and sprawled her legs recklessly, as if by doing so, she could release her outburst of emotion against her wolf.

…

Meanwhile, in the Alpha King Palace, the eleven Alphas are brought to each of their rooms. Their rooms are on the fifth floor, or the top floor, adjacent to the rooftop’s drinking hall. It is where the palace’s officials do their routine social drinking and bonding.

Alpha Zay chose the first room near the staircase. The room was strategically located for easy access to the other floors of the palace.

As the night came, the Alphas decided to gather on the rooftop bar. They had beers while they started to play cards for fun.

“We are only ten Alphas here, who is missing?” suddenly, one of the Alphas noticed.

Each of the Alphas looked at each other, wondering who was missing.

“The masked Alpha is not here,” Alpha Senon said, chuckling.

A few of the Alphas chuckled too and shook their heads.

Alpha Darius spoke with an air of irritation. “That masked Alpha seems to want to steal the show always. Did you hear from what pack he came from?”

“Bloodbath Pack. I only hear about that pack now,” another Alpha interjected. His tone was with doubt.

“Neither have I heard about that pack,” the simultaneous replies of the other Alphas. They all seemed to grow curious or maybe doubtful of the identity of the eleventh Alpha who suddenly joined them in the Courtship Competition.

“Can we demand that he remove his mask for transparency reasons?” Alpha Caeruz of Moonshine Pack suggested. In his aura reflected a cunning plan.

“Yes, yes. What if he has a distorted face? It would be unfair for the Gizli Princess if, in the end, he were to win and be chosen as her groom. Remember, the main purpose of having this Courtship Competition is to find the most suitable groom for the Gizli Princess, someone who could sire her with children from the best breed to create and continue the Primordial Wolf generation.” It was Alpha Darius who had spoken.

“Then let us convince the Alpha King tomorrow to uncover the face of that 11th Alpha,” the majority of the Alphas seconded.