Discovering the Hidden Alpha

Chapter 4

The next few days went back to an almost surreal level of mediocre. Wake, work, sleep, repeat. Every day felt like it did before she had met the Prince. In the back of her mind, the ever-toiling anxiety kept her from being able to do much. Wading in this strange pool of purgatory, waiting to see what would happen next.

She had contemplated running again. It wouldn’t be difficult to pack up her essentials and go find another small town, or perhaps she could go to Europe for real. Try to get as much space in between her and any Were that could possibly recognize her.

However, the thought of her sister gave her pause. She had already left her once. Even though she found her Mate, Astra deserved more from her. Dani had already decided that she needed to try to see her again.

There was also this nagging voice in the back of her mind telling her that she needed to be there to take responsibility for her consequences. This fall out was the result of a decision she had made years ago and it was finally time to pay the piper.

The fact that Kaya had been lingering more also gave her a reason to stay. After years of silence, the contact from other Weres had her stirring. She was too afraid to take off her ring just yet. Her emotions were fluctuating too much to handle the flood of wolf instinct and sensitivity that would come back to her. She needed a better head space before she’d be able to experience that again.

After the fourth day of nail biting anxiety, she received a text from a strange number.

‘Sorry it took so long. We have a lot to talk about. May I come over? Or would you feel more comfortable somewhere public?’

Her throat tightened uncomfortably and her mouth went dry. The Prince wanted to come to her place to talk. The thought made her stomach sink. He had given her an option. But there was no way she wanted to answer questions about him should anyone see them together. Even in a town full of tourists, the Prince stood out. He stood taller than most human men and had a presence about him that begged for attention. There wasn’t any place she could think of to take him that wouldn’t risk running into people she knew. Dammit.

The past few days, she couldn’t foresee any scenario where she’d get to keep her life as it was. Thinking of her Astra made her heart pound. Being selfish is what led to her baby sister being forced to do Goddess knows what before being saved. In the back of her mind, she always worried about what happened in the aftermath of her leaving. Now she knew it had been as bad as she feared and then some. It was time to make it right, even if it meant possibly offering her life.

Feeling like she wanted to throw up, Dani quickly typed back a reply and hit send before she could back out.

‘My place is fine. How about tonight?’

She spun her ring anxiously. Surely, he hadn’t expected anything so soon. It would probably be a few days before their schedules would work out.

‘I’ll be there at 7.’

Shit. Now Feran was coming to her home and she wasn’t prepared for that. Looking around at her depression mess everywhere, neither was her home. She still had a few hours, so at least there was time to clean and shower first. She wanted to try to show the most respect she could. Even though their meeting was by accident, it had definitely been the best case scenario so far. Honestly, it was one of the things she was most thankful for. Leaving her throne like she had forfeited her rights to any leniency.

All of the rites to be performed to pass on the title were done for a reason. When an Alpha received their mantle, they also received a blessing from the Moon Goddess. It made them stronger, faster, and heal more quickly. All the traits that would make for a better leader, however, there was a price. Having been given much longer lifespans than mortals, Alphas paid for their blessing with their life force. The longer the position was held, the shorter their lives. When the title was passed on, the previous Alpha passed on their blessing. Such a blessing could be passed voluntarily or won in an official challenge.

When she had left, Trevyn had 3 years left in his training before joining the pack council. She had left her father to shoulder that burden until Trevyn could take the title. But Feran had told her that he had shown up at the Palace shortly after saying she was dead. Had he been able to take the title early? Or was her father just too distraught to act in place as Alpha at that moment?

Regardless, she had abandoned her title, family, and pack. Through some sequence of events, Astra had even been thrown into a slave auction. That never would’ve happened if she had been there. She had broken their laws and there had been some terrible consequences because of it. The fact that she wasn’t in a cell right now was a small miracle. The least she could do was try to make a little bit of an effort to make the Prince comfortable in her home.

~Feran POV~

Driving through the mountains had always been a relaxing experience for Feran. Today was vastly different though. Instead, his mind was trying to organize all the chaos floating around inside it.

He was going to alter someone’s life today. The prospect was a bit nerve-wracking, but he was hopeful it would all work out in everyone’s best interest. Though there had initially been some debate on if there should be punishment for Danika abandoning her throne. His brother, the King, was trying to make sure he remained as unbiased as he could in the situation. Leaving a throne and pack like that was a big deal and there were proceedings that were supposed to happen to ensure a smooth transition. It became complicated when Alpha Trevyn claimed that she had died. If he had reported her as a runaway, it would’ve been different. Now, it had put them somewhere in limbo, judicially speaking.

The King didn’t trust Alpha Trevyn or his possible motivations for getting rid of all his siblings. It felt very calculated and planned, much like something their mother would do. Dani and Trevyn’s mother, Petra, had been one of the strongest generals on the continent. She was a brilliant strategist, a strong leader, and a vicious enemy. Unfortunately, greed had begun to taint her skills with pride and arrogance. She had stepped down when Feran's brother began his rule. It had been no secret that she was no fan of the King.

His brother had brought a new system of order amongst the packs. One in which fair trials and equal counsel were a staple. Wolves could now work themselves through the ranks instead of being born into their caste class. It had upset and caused a large disruption among a number of the older elite. He had removed Alphas in some packs and had let others remain. Danika had been a perfect prospect for Alpha of her pack, then the Moon Goddess changed her path. If Petra was part of some coup with the displaced Alphas, countless lives could be at risk. Wars were never victimless.

Brows furrowed, he thought about the numerous hours they had discussed and debated. Making these kinds of decisions about lives was one of the reasons he was thankful he was not on the throne. He could see how much it plagued his brother’s thoughts, always trying to be just and fair to his people. It meant always having to see the bigger picture and try to anticipate where all the pieces would fall. A righteous nightmare, in his opinion.

Being the second born had afforded Feran more of a time luxury than his brother. He had been able to travel a bit more leisurely and also had been able to get away more often. Because of this, he had fallen in love with the mountains on their territory when he was a late teen.

He would routinely sneak away to disappear into nature. Once he was out in the middle of nowhere, he would shift and run as hard and fast as he could until he was out of breath. It was a sense of release he couldn’t get through training or anywhere near the manor. He loved that there were no expectations out in the woods. All he had to do was exist and that was enough. Eventually, he had even been able to put together a little single room cabin to get away to. In fact, he had gone to that house the other day to look at purchasing it as his personal home. He wanted to have a place stashed away in one of his favorite places. The house was on the border of their territory, but he loved the architect and the location was exactly what he was looking for. There was no way he could’ve ever predicted that it would bring him face to face with a long ‘dead’ acquaintance.

He thought back to how he almost had a heart attack when he caught sight of her. At first he had thought he was mistaken. They hadn’t seen each other in a year, even before news of her death. But the unmistakable patch of silver hair above her ear, hidden amongst the rich brunette was the ringer. That particular birthmark had stood out among the courts. It was like seeing a ghost. Even now, he was still slightly astounded by himself for keeping his composure through the wildness of it all. Tonight’s conversation shouldn’t be as intense, but there was a sense of haste. A lot of pieces were falling into place. The problem was, they weren’t sure what the plan was.

~Dani’s POV~

Headlights were visible sweeping across the drawn curtains, signaling the arrival of the Prince. Luckily, there had been enough time to tidy up the place, shower, and even make some coffee cake. Cooking when anxious was one of the least destructive habits she had. An advantageous side effect was that her home smelled great.

Dani was pretty sure she could see her heart thumping from outside her chest. She hadn’t been this nervous or on edge since she had left home. So far everything had worked out ok. Surely that had to give at some point though. There were bound to be repercussions for her actions. All of their laws had consequences and she broke more than one.

The sound of the car door made the heart thumping intensify. She was fairly sure it was audible now. That or the pulse in her ears was just drowning it all out. Faintly she once again felt Kaya beginning to stir, which brought a wave of nervous sweats. Fun.

Opening the front door, she greeted the Prince and took his coat for him. She motioned to the seat opposite her at the quaint kitchen table in the middle of her dining room.

“Would you like some coffee?”

“That would be nice, thank you.” He returned with a smile.

She could tell that he was trying to be polite. It made her dread whatever was coming from this conversation. The nerves were present in her trembling hands as she poured the coffee into the two mugs she had prepared. Unexpectedly, Feran placed his large hands over hers to steady them. Once again, her ring warmed and she heard Kaya growing louder.

“I’m not here to deliver a judgment.” He let out a sigh and looked her in the eyes. “I’m here just to talk some more.”

Dani sat back in her seat and looked at him thoughtfully. She noticed his appearance was much more casual this time. Instead of the suit, he wore a relaxed pair of gray slacks and a navy sweater. She couldn’t help but note that the blue looked nice with his golden hair, which was brushed back, styling the nape-length waves neatly. He had faint lines around his golden eyes that showed he laughed often and his skin was more sun-kissed than it had been when he was a teen. Had he always looked this… grown?

It had been so long since she had seen anyone from her old life. Trying to remember what people looked like had just been painful. Slowly, the memories had become fuzzier until only the faces of those she was closest to remained clear. She and Feran had only interacted through court obligations and events, so it wasn’t a shock to her that he was a bit unrecognizable eleven years later.

Realizing that they couldn’t just sit in awkward silence all night, Dani finally spoke.

“Not going to lie, it’s been a very long time since I’ve had to deal with any of this.” She picked up the steaming coffee mug to warm her hands. “What is it that I can answer for you?”

The determination in her eyes was clear. He’d get the truth from her if she had the information.

“Alright. Let’s jump in then. When you left, was there any indication that there were any disgruntled feelings towards the Royal Family?”

“Not that I was aware of. If anything, my father was always upset that we lived so far from the Winter Court. He wished we could’ve been more involved.”

“Did your brother ever make any threats or allude to wanting to run the pack?”

Thinking back to the days when she and her brother would train together, Dani shook her head. One thing she hadn’t considered was a coup staged by anyone in her family. No one would have known about her condition beforehand.

“He wanted to be more involved. But he still had three years of school to finish. The hope was he would want to run the finances of the pack. The kid had a gift for numbers. When I left, I had figured that our parents would remain in charge until he had graduated with his degree.”

Having to entertain the possibility of devious intentions from her sibling made her heart ache. Looking at Feran, it was obvious that she wasn’t clearing anything up.

“It was the day after you were supposed to take the pack that he showed up. We sent an envoy out there to investigate along with a small pack of warriors to check the perimeters for Hunter breaches. They didn’t find anything out of the ordinary. In fact, the report said they were gracious hosts.”

A chill crept over Dani and her heart stuck in her throat. How was this happening? How had she missed the plans being made under her nose?