There was only silence as we stared at each other.
Alpha Axel sat across me never once breaking eye contact. His attire for today was not so complicated as every other day. It was a simple big shirt and a dark pair of pants. His brown hair was also left untouched and his hazel brown eyes sat perfectly on his face.
Staring at him like this sometimes felt like looking into a mirror. I could see all the features I inherited from him. The only difference was that he was older and I was younger. I also developed the habit of reading his emotions through his facial expressions. Which was exactly what I was doing now. As much as he tried to hide his true emotions; I could see right through him.
He was nervous. Which felt strange since my father was not someone to be nervous about. He ordered out his wishes and they got fulfilled.
“Have a drink, Xavier,” he broke the silence with his thick voice. He gestured at the glass of wine that was placed on the coffee table between us. It was red wine.
I shrugged my shoulders at him. “I'm fine, Alpha. I think you need it more than I do. Please, help yourself,” I redirected it back to him while trying to be polite.
He shifted in his chair. “You only insist on referring to me by my title when you feel I'm about to hit you hard with something,” he pointed out.
I let a small chuckle slip through my serious expression, before composing myself again. The last thing I wanted was to anger him. “You’re right father. I know you have something huge to tell. Reveal it and let’s get it over with,” I admitted.
Father shifted in his chair and finally decided to get on his feet. He walked away from me and went to stand by the large window that was opposite our chairs. The sun’s rays shimmered through them and were the main reason why the room was bright.
“Our world was never always like this, you know. There were so many people of different races in it. There were so many cultures and languages. Our differences made us unique. It made us humans,” Father began.
I sighed. If one’s ears could melt from hearing the same story over and over again; then my ears would have melted a very long time ago. He always told this story and I was beyond tired of hearing it. But I knew better than to interrupt him. No one could stop him from diving into the past.
“Eventually, all these people got greedy and they started fighting over resources. Wars broke out and they became endless; out of control, a massacre. Eventually, that world came to an end. The old world melted away and a new world was reborn from the ashes. A phoenix,” my father narrated.
He turned to look at me and I immediately pretended to be paying attention to his story. I nodded my head at him as if I was following.
“From the new world, the Kingdom of the North and the Kingdom of the South arose. Moon pack and Sun pack. A kingdom where only werewolves existed. Unfortunately, like the names they took; they could not work together. That could not be one. So they began to fight against each other. For centuries, this war has lasted until date,” He concluded the story. There was a sad expression on his face and I got the feeling that he was about to get to the real reason for this talk.
He walked back to his chair and sat. He took a glass of wine and downed the entire content. He scratched his nose and ran a finger through his hair.
My father was behaving too strangely. Normally, if he wanted something; he always just ordered me to do it but today, it was taking him forever to speak. Was it perhaps an impossible task? Was he about to send me to my death? Did he want to send more warriors to war and he probably wanted me to lead them?
“What’s wrong father?” I finally mustered the courage to ask him.
Father exhaled sharply. “I found a way to put the war to an end. I found a way to end the bloodshed. The King of the South and I decided to make an allegiance,” he explained.
I narrowed my eyes at him. “What deal did you make, Alpha?” I demanded as I felt as if it involved me.
Father smiled nervously and then cleared his throat. “Alpha Klaus has a daughter and I have a son. We agreed to unite both kingdoms by marrying our children together. A bond sealed by blood. This way, it can never be broken. Thus, putting an end to the everlasting war,” he finally splurted out.
I abruptly got to my feet in shock. “What?” was all I managed to say as his message registered itself in my head. My heart sank deeper into its ribcage. My breathing accelerated and I felt my wolf stir within me. My eyes went wide with shock as I stared at him in disbelief.
The last thing I wanted was for my marriage to be arranged by someone else. I had made that clear to my parents before yet here my father sat, telling me that he had sealed off my future.
“Father, this is my future you're talking about. This is my life you're joking with. You're trying to sacrifice me for your wishes!” I exclaimed.
How could he do this to me? I wanted to get married not because of fame or power but because of love. I wanted to find my mate and bond with her but father was ruining all my dreams. It probably sounded cheesy but this was all I always wanted. I never asked for anything. I had always been the obedient and loyal son. I had always done what my father demanded of me without any questions and all I ever wanted was to be allowed to find my mate.
But all that was ruined now!
He too got to his feet in a flash. “Watch how you address me, young man! I'm still the Alpha of the Moon pack! I'm still the King of the Kingdom of the North! Show me some respect!” Alpha Axel yelled back at me.
I went quiet immediately. My wolf was in conflict but I fought to put it at bay. The last thing I wanted was for it to be unleashed for it would only get me in trouble.
“Aren't you tired of the bloodshed every day? Aren't you tired of fighting? This war has existed for too long! It is time to put it to an end. You are the next Alpha to be. As my son and heir to the throne, you must protect the people. Even if it means sacrificing yourself for them!” Father vented out his anger.
His words struck a chord within me and I immediately knew that he had a point. I was not born an ordinary wolf. I had royalty running through my veins. And royalty came with a price.
This was the price I had to pay. Even if I was not happy with it, I had to go ahead anyway. I had to sacrifice my happiness for the greater good.
“Besides, Alpha Klaus’ daughter is a sweet girl. I have heard about her beauty. It is sung like a song in her kingdom. I see no reason why you won't be happy with her. In the end, it is about finding someone you can trust. Someone who can take care of you when you're sick and I believe she can do all that. What more do you want, Xavier?” Father had a lot to say and I could see that he was not going to stop unless I stopped him.
And of course, as the loyal son that I was, I decided to do my father's bidding.
“Fine, you win. I will marry her,” I answered him in a defeated and low voice.
Father's anger immediately cooled off from his face and his eyes twinkled with happiness. He approached me and wrapped me in a tight hug. He patted my back and then released me. His hands lingered on my shoulders.
“Thank you, son. You have no idea how much this means to me. To know that the war will finally end and my son supports me by being the one to end it,” he told me softly.
I could swear that I saw tears fill up his eyes before he blinked them away. It truly meant a lot to him and I knew it because he had been trying to find a way for as long as I could remember.
“Now, you have to journey to the Kingdom of the South and accept the alliance in person. You also have to meet your betrothed and get to know each other,” he explained.
I clenched my fist in anger. Of course, I had to go see my bride-to-be and accept my doom.
“When do I leave?” I asked. I prayed and hoped that he would send me in a month or even a week but even as I prayed; I knew it was impossible. With my father’s excitement, he was capable of sending me over right away.
“You leave immediately! The sooner you meet, the earlier both of you can get married and the sooner the war can be over. Don’t waste any time. I have asked your siblings to prepare your things for the journey,” he instructed.
I thought as much.
I ran my fingers through my hair in irritation. My life was officially ruined and I knew I was going to spend the rest of my life in sadness.
“As you wish father. I will go to her immediately. Is there anything else you need?” I asked but the question was only laced with sarcasm. He could as well tell me to hang myself to death if he wished.
“No, my son, you’re already doing the one thing I’ve truly wished for my entire life. . .”
I stared at both my parents in disbelief. I looked at my father who stood there with an expression as strong as liquor. With eyes as blue as the sky and hair as blond as his skin. To my mother who had skin as brown as creamed coffee and eyes as gray as dark clouds. They seemed to be in their right senses or at least my mother seemed alright with her well-matched clothes which had been pressed to perfection. No crazy person would look that posh. “Did they threaten you? Are they blackmailing you?” I demanded. “Ariel, I made an alliance with the King of the North and I have to keep it,” my father responded. This conversation wasn't supposed to have dragged out this long but disbelief held me by my hair. My frown must have deepened in a way my mother said made me look like a withered prune. “At my own expense?” I demanded and I felt my voice breaking. “I cannot marry a total stranger. I cannot marry a man I do not love. I cannot even see myself doing it,” I protested. Pitifully mi
I gritted my teeth in anger as I stared at my reflection in the mirror. The princess had struck again. Wasn't it enough that her parents were the ones to inherit the throne? Wasn't it enough that she got to live the luxury that I was supposed to live? Now she had gotten herself another luxury. She was to marry the Prince of the North! I violently pushed every beauty products and jewelry that were on my table with my right hand and they all went crashing into the ground. My anger did not subside. It only intensified. My body vibrated with every intake of breath. My eyes had switched from blue to orange. I felt a strong emotion burning in my throat and it took every ounce of power from me to stop myself from waltzing into Ariel's room and bashing her to death myself! "What a crybaby she is! She would have ended up with her useless and lowlife warrior boyfriend. He is a peasant for all I care and I was happy about that. At least, she did not get to have a perfect lover but no! Everyt
I stared blankly at my disheveled reflection in the mirror. As hard as I tried to smile, I just couldn't bring myself to. I only ended up stretching my lips until it felt like they would fall apart. From the mirror, I could see Asher staring at me expressionlessly. I wondered what he was thinking. "Say something, will you?" I snapped. I could not help the anger I felt; at the world, at my parents, at myself. I was projecting my anger and fear on him and that made me feel even worse. "So you're getting married." He blurted out in a hoarse voice. No shit, Sherlock. I forced down the sarcasm and focused my eyes on his face. The look of disbelief was evident there. I felt that way too. Between me and Asher, there hadn't been any pretense– we loved each other and we knew we wanted to get married. We had not in any way bargained for this plot twist. I stepped towards him and took his clenched fists in mine. His fingers had gone cold and I could feel a slight tremble in his hands. "
My smile was sharp enough to cut down a tree but inside, my wolf simmered in anger. I knew that if I wanted to keep Xavier for myself, I needed to act fast and smart. It was a good thing Ariel was not interested in him but honestly, her input didn't matter, he was going to be mine and her parents had decided and it would be so. If she was being honest with herself, this was a losing battle, thank the heavens that she was delusional as well. My face scrunched with temporary disgust as my sights washed over her, how could a crown princess have the hots for a rat... A mere warrior. I'm glad she was tasteless, at least I could be the one with the better taste out of both of us. That was a weight I could bear. “Ariel dear, I feel so bad for you and Asher. I mean, I always thought you looked good together.” My stomach rumbled with the delicious lie, of course, they looked good together. They needed to... She sighed. “What can I do to make him hate me?” she asked. Sometimes, she wa
The knock sounded on my door a second time and I fought to contain the smile that stretched my lips thin. When my father instructed me to make the journey to the South, taking a liking to my too-be-bride was the last thing I envisaged for. I had seen enough arranged marriages in my life to understand that choosing one's partner was important. I was the next king of the northern kingdom and the next alpha of the moon pack– both came with tremendous responsibilities of which I was very well aware– but I had made it a point of duty to always remind my parents that an arranged marriage was the last thing I would engage in. They seemed to agree with me and all was good until this fateful morning when my father hit me with the bizarre news of my betrothal. Now, it did not seem so bizarre anymore. It was only a few hours since I met Princess Ariel and I had a good feeling about this already. In the morning, I would formally meet her parents and when my family arrived in the evening, we
Bile rose behind my throat, I thought I might vomit. The maid stared innocently at me. The idiot did not know what she had just done. I felt the overwhelming urge to slap her across the face but Xavier was here right now and convincing him was the most important thing. “You can go. Tell her I will be there shortly.” I whispered furiously to the maid. Thankfully, she took the hint and hurried away. I turned to Xavier. His face held serious confusion. I realized at that moment that no amount of explanation would make him understand me. “My prince, I can explain.” I breathed out for the second time. A million thoughts ran through my head. I did not expect him to forgive me that easily but what if he decided to take action against me for my deception? Did he hate me now? I could not allow that. “What was that about? Why did she call you Roseline and why did she ask you to meet with Princess Ariel when you are she? My father never mentioned that the princess had a twin sister.” He sai
I pulled Roseline in for a hug. Roseline was the last person you could expect to find worried or afraid. Between the two of us, she was the daring one– always ready to fight for what she believed to be right. It was one of the many qualities that endeared her to me. Seeing her looking so anguished now broke my heart. The least I could do was comfort her and let her know I was not about to take offense to her. "It's fine. I know you only did it to protect me." I said and behind me, I heard her sniff back tears. I wondered what exactly Prince Xavier had told her to bring her close to tears. "Thanks, girl. I thought I would get in trouble for this. I was so scared." She said after I released her and touched her hand to her chest in a show of relief. "I got you, girl. Just don't do this next time, or at least confirm it with me before you do." I said, returning my gaze to my open closet. From my peripheral vision, I could see her nodding vigorously. "So what did you mean when you sa
I clenched and unclenched my fist for the umpteenth time. I stared at Roseline's face. It held a mixture of guilt and concern. I wondered where all this left her. Was she torn between the princess and me? I should not care about her but I found myself wondering how she was doing. "I'm sorry for her behavior. She might come off as rude but–" I held out my hand to stop her. I did not care to hear excuses for the princess' unbecoming attitude. If I thought about it, did I have high hopes for a princess who could bully her cousin into pretending to be her? "I'll take my leave now," I said. Her mouth dropped open at my coldness but I ignored her and walked away. By the time I found my way to the gigantic dining hall, the table was already packed full of platters and platters of food, drinks, and meat. The princess' parents arrived just when I did and cast quizzical looks at me for being alone. I had to restrain myself from asking why they were so surprised when they knew how bratty the