The Abused and Rejected Tribrid Luna Queen

The Alpha King

Slade

    "My liege, you must take a bride. Without one, you will lose what little hold you have over the packs."

    Groaning, I pinched my nose between my thumb and forefinger. I had heard this speech several times before. I had inherited my advisers from my Father when I took the crown at his passing six months ago. They didn't care that I was barely twenty-three and had no desire to settle for any she-wolf out of duty. I wanted my Luna. The wolf that the Moon Goddess had created to be my perfect match. Only she would do to rule the packs by my side.

    "There are more pressing issues to deal with, like finding the vampires that murdered my parents." I hissed.

    "Of course, sire, it's only that we worry the Alpha's may turn against you if you go too long unmated."

    "I understand your concerns, Gregory," I replied through clenched teeth. "If any of them give the slightest hint toward moving against me, I will handle it the way my Father always did. Until then, we should be focused on rooting out the vampire threat. I'm sure the Alpha's would be much more appreciative of that particular problem being solved than the issue of my bachelor status."

    "Naturally, your highness." Gregory bowed deeply, his long nose nearly brushing the top of my desk.

    "I expect you will have a new lead by week's end."

    The slim man gave me a curt nod, accepting his dismissal before leaving my office. With his absence, the room felt much larger, the emptiness oppressive. I stood from my seat to make my way to the palace gardens with a sigh. I needed to clear my head. The near lecture about finding my Queen had dredged up the feelings I had so neatly packed away six months ago.

    The air was still warm and fragrant when I stepped from the palace onto the grounds. Mother nature didn't seem to care that it was early December or that the land should be covered in snow. The roses that had been my mother's pride and joy were still in full bloom, taking advantage of the last tendrils of summer reaching beyond its season, as they lent their sweetness to the hollow ache in my chest. It didn't seem to matter where I went; my parents' memory haunted me. I should have been with them on that fateful day in June.

    I had refused to go to yet another Summer's Ball. Since my sixteenth birthday, my mate hadn't been in attendance at any of the yearly balls, Summer or Yule. I had begun to wonder if she weren't another species and attending balls to find her pointless. It wasn't common, but wolves paired by the goddess with witch or Fae did happen on occasion. Or even, goddess forbid, a vampire, though that was even rarer.

    "This could be the year, Slade." My mother pled softly. "If you skip the ball, she may not come again. What if she's from one of the more isolated packs? The ones that allow their unmated wolves to attend once before being forced into taken a chosen mate amongst their own?"

    "I'm nearly twenty-three, mother," I groaned. "If she hasn't been in attendance yet, then she is simply too young for me." Or she's not even a wolf, I thought to myself.

    "Well, what do you plan to do in our absence?"

    "There's a Fae known for locating mates." I shrugged. "I thought I'd visit her to see if she can help. Besides, if my mate is in one of the isolated packs and I've missed her, this way I will know, and I can go claim her."

    "So you plan to barge into their territory and snatch her away from her chosen mate?" My mother raised her eyebrow in feigned shock. "Not very princely of you, darling."

    "Let the boy be, darling." My Father called, stepping into the grand entrance of the palace where we stood chatting.     "A young man of his age needs to learn these things for himself. You can't protect him from everything, my dear."

    My mother had tutted and fussed, but she had loaded into the car beside my Father without me. The tradition was that the Alpha King and Luna Queen attended the balls no matter which packs hosted. My Father had said it made the Alpha's feel honored and the packs connected to the throne. It was vital to morale, or so he claimed. I had intended to head North into the Fae territory in search of the Fae seer known to all as the matchmaker for her skill at uncovering the identity of one's mate.

    I had loitered around the palace for hours after my parents' departure. It was said the matchmaker only spoke to those who brought her the proper gift, and I hadn't any idea what that might be. Being a prince, I had no experience being turned away, but the Fae cared little for royals that weren't their own. After nearly seven years of attending balls with no luck, I needed to get this right to find my mate.

    "I remember when you first shifted, sire." My manservant Luke smiled as I paced past him for the hundredth time. "You were much as anxious than as you are now. A boy freshly turned sixteen, ready for the moon to rise so he could discover his other self."

    "It seems I'm in the same predicament now." I smiled wryly.

    Luke was as old as my Father. He wasn't meant to be my manservant, but he had never had a son to take the position, so he had never retired after my childhood. I had stopped pacing to study his face, lined with age, his closely cropped hair going white just near his jawline. He pursed his lips, brows knitted together, a sure sign he was deep in thought.

    "I may know of a proper gift for the Fae seer." He spoke finally. "I heard once, long ago, that she held quite the interest in historical documents. She has a particular interest in the history of the various species. I do believe we have one such ancient text hidden away in the library."

    "How on earth do you know this?"

    "Well, Sire, I can answer your question, or we can go find the document and have you on your way. Either is likely to take the rest of the day." He laughed, a deep belly laugh that boomed through the empty halls.

    It was nearly nightfall when we had finally found our prize hidden among the old tomes. Disappointment at the need to delay my travel to the Fae lands flooded me. It seemed that after seven years, another night would end me. Luke did his best to reassure me that had I left before finding the old, leather-bound book, I would have been turned away and my wait much longer than a day. It did little to ease my impatience, though logically, I knew he was correct. Stifling my retorts, I bade him goodnight and turned to make my way to my rooms.

    "Your highness!" A panicked voice called out from behind me as I strode through the halls.

    Turning to see one of the royal guards nearly out of breath, running toward me, I stopped. "What?" I barked.

    "I'm sorry, Sire, it's - something has happened." He huffed between pants.

    "Well, spit it out already." My irritation was growing with each passing second.

    "You're needed in the King's quarters, sir."

    Panic ripped through me. Nobody entered my Father's quarters save the omegas that did the cleaning when my parents weren't in the castle. Being summoned there now could only mean that I was needed to act in his absence or something was terribly wrong. Swallowing back the bile that rose in my throat at the thought of having to dish out punishment to a wayward omega, I followed the man to my Father's rooms.

    There was an air of solemnity as my eyes scanned around the sitting room, finding only my Father's advisers present. Their somber faces and lack of omegas in attendance confused me. I counted the assembled advisers once over in my mind, determining that all were present. Though several of them were well past the average lifespan of our kind, none of them had dropped dead, requiring my presence in my Father's rooms. That could only leave one thing. An omega must have committed a crime so severe within the palace walls as to require placement in the dungeon cells.

    "Which law was broken and who?" I asked, wanting to get it over with.

    "Your highness," Spoke the oldest of my Father's advisers. "There has been an attack."

    "Where? Which pack has called for aide, and I will sign off for a portion of the army to answer the call."

    "No, sire. It's His Majesty and the Queen."

    I frowned in confusion. My parents had been escorted to one of the far southern packs earlier in the day. They should be enjoying the festivities of the Summer ball at this very moment.

    "Vampires ambushed them en route." The man continued. "We believe they may have had help from one of the other species as a solitary guard was compelled to run back to the palace with the news without stopping until he arrived. As you know, your highness, we take precautions against vampiric compulsion. It shouldn't have been possible."

    The days after were a blur; my mind shrouded in grief as I was quickly put through my coronation. The kingdom needed a leader, the death of the previous monarch at the hands of vampires would only lead to chaos without one. The packs had initially granted me the same respect they had shown my Father. As time dragged on without any to answer for the assassination of my parents, though, their respect began to fade. I was starting to lose control of the kingdom only six months into my rule—any desire I had to find my true mate had vanished along the way as well. The kingdom had to come first, which meant regaining control by proving that I could protect my people. I had to find the vampires that had murdered my parents, not just for myself but also for my kingdom.

    Bending down to pluck one of my mother's beloved roses from the garden path, I renewed the silent vow I had given her the day of my coronation.

    Whatever it takes, Mother, I will find the ones who did this, and they will suffer.