The Alpha's Last Witness

Chapter 1 - The Summon

Chapter One

The Summons

The summons arrived on a Monday morning, just when I had convinced myself that nothing interesting ever happened to me.

I was sitting alone in the western section of the Moon Archives, surrounded by books older than most of the families who ruled our territory.

Dust floated through the pale sunlight coming through the tall windows.

I liked it that way.

Quiet.

Predictable.

Safe.

Then the doors opened.

I looked up.

A royal messenger stood at the entrance in a black uniform marked with the silver crest of the Alpha Court.

My stomach tightened.

People like me did not receive visits from the Alpha Court.

Not unless we had done something wrong.

"Miss Mara Vale?"

I slowly stood.

"Yes?"

The messenger walked toward me and held out a sealed envelope.

"The Alpha Court."

I stared at it.

The seal was unmistakable.

A silver wolf beneath a crescent moon.

I didn't take it immediately.

"What is this about?"

"I was instructed to deliver it directly to you."

That wasn't an answer.

I took the envelope.

My fingers felt strangely cold.

"Thank you."

The messenger nodded and left.

I waited until the doors closed before breaking the seal.

My eyes moved over the first line.

By order of the Alpha Court, Mara Vale is hereby summoned to appear before the newly appointed Alpha of Rowe Territory...

I stopped reading.

Rowe.

My heart gave one uncomfortable beat.

Everyone knew the Rowes.

They were the most powerful Alpha family in the seven territories.

Their name was spoken with respect in some places and fear in others.

And now their new Alpha wanted me.

I continued reading.

Then I reached the sentence that made my hands go still.

You have been selected to serve as Witness for Alpha Cassian Rowe's succession.

I read it twice.

Then a third time.

"No."

The word slipped from my mouth before I could stop it.

I looked around the empty archive as though someone might explain.

A Witness?

Me?

I was an archivist.

I spent most of my days cataloguing old records, repairing damaged manuscripts and arguing with people who returned books to the wrong shelves.

I had never attended an Alpha gathering.

I had never wanted political influence.

And I had certainly never met Cassian Rowe.

So why had he chosen me?

I looked down at the letter again.

There was one final line.

Your attendance is mandatory.

Of course it was.

Apparently, even saying no to an Alpha had to be done politely.

By sunset, I was standing outside the Alpha Court.

I had never seen the place this close.

It was enormous.

Black stone walls rose above me, carved with the symbols of the seven territories. Silver lanterns burned along the entrance, illuminating the guards stationed on either side of the massive doors.

I suddenly felt very small.

I tightened my fingers around the summons.

"Miss Vale?"

I turned.

A woman in a dark gown approached me.

"Follow me."

I didn't move.

"Where?"

"The Alpha is waiting."

Of course he was.

I followed her through the entrance.

The inside of the Court was even more intimidating.

Everything seemed designed to remind visitors who held power here.

Tall pillars.

Ancient portraits.

Silver banners.

And wolves.

Everywhere.

Members of the Alpha Court stood in small groups, speaking quietly.

Some looked at me.

Some whispered.

I resisted the urge to turn around and leave.

The woman led me through another set of doors.

Then she stopped.

"The Alpha is inside."

She opened the door.

I stepped through.

The room was quieter than I expected.

A man stood beside the enormous windows overlooking the city.

He was facing away from me.

Tall.

Broad-shouldered.

Dressed in a black shirt with the sleeves rolled slightly above his wrists.

For several seconds, he didn't move.

Then he turned.

And I forgot what I had planned to say.

Cassian Rowe wasn't handsome in the gentle, easy way some men were.

There was something sharper about him.

Something that made him difficult to look away from.

Dark hair.

A strong jaw.

Cold gray eyes.

And an expression that suggested he had already decided he didn't like me.

Wonderful.

He looked me over once.

"You are Mara Vale."

It wasn't a question.

I straightened.

"And you are Cassian Rowe."

One eyebrow lifted.

"You're not very impressed."

"I wasn't aware I was supposed to be."

Silence.

His mouth almost curved.

Almost.

Then the expression disappeared.

"I requested you as my Witness."

"I know."

"Then you know why you're here."

"No."

That seemed to surprise him.

I held up the summons.

"This tells me what I'm supposed to do. It doesn't tell me why you chose me."

His eyes narrowed.

"You're an archivist."

"That's what I've been told."

"You're also the daughter of Elias Vale."

My heart stopped.

For one brief second, I couldn't breathe.

My father's name hadn't been spoken by anyone in this room before.

I lowered the letter.

"How do you know my father?"

Cassian didn't answer immediately.

Instead, he walked toward the table in the center of the room.

I followed him with my eyes.

"Your father was a historian."

"Archivist."

"Historian."

"Archivist."

His gaze returned to mine.

"You correct people often."

"Only when they're wrong."

This time, I definitely saw the faintest hint of amusement.

It disappeared almost immediately.

"My father respected Elias."

I didn't know what to say.

My father had been dead for eight years.

And Cassian's father had died only weeks ago.

I swallowed.

"If your father respected mine, why didn't he ever contact me?"

Cassian's expression changed.

Only slightly.

But I noticed.

"I don't know."

"Then why am I here?"

"Because I need someone who understands the history behind the succession."

"There are hundreds of historians in the territories." I stated.

"None of them are you."

The words landed strangely.

I stared at him.

He seemed to realize how they sounded because he looked away.

"Your work in the Moon Archives is impressive."

"You're familiar with my work?"

"Some of it."

That unsettled me more than it should have.

"You've been reading my records?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

He looked at me again.

"Because my father was."

My pulse quickened.

There was something he wasn't telling me.

I could feel it.

"You said this was about my qualifications."

"It is."

"But you knew my father."

"Yes."

"And your father knew my work."

"Yes."

"And yet you still haven't told me why you personally requested me."

His jaw tightened.

"You ask too many questions."

"I work in an archive. It's literally my job."

He stepped closer.

Not enough to touch me.

But close enough that I became suddenly aware of the distance between us.

His eyes held mine.

For a moment, neither of us spoke.

There was something unsettling about being this close to him.

I should have stepped back.

I didn't.

His gaze dropped briefly to my lips before returning to my eyes.

My breath caught.

He noticed.

Of course he noticed.

His expression became unreadable.

I hated that.

I hated that my heart had suddenly decided this was the appropriate time to beat faster.

So I did the only thing I could think of.

I stepped back.

"I don't think this is going to work."

His eyebrows lifted.

"The Witness position?"

"You."

A beat of silence passed.

Then, unexpectedly, Cassian smiled.

It was brief.

But it changed his entire face.

And somehow made him even more dangerous.

"You've known me for less than ten minutes."

"And I'm already tired."

His smile disappeared.

"Then perhaps you should leave."

I turned toward the door.

Gladly.

My hand had barely reached the handle when his voice stopped me.

"Mara."

I froze.

Something in his voice had changed.

No arrogance.

No irritation.

Just something quiet.

Almost troubled.

I turned slowly.

Cassian stood exactly where I'd left him.

His face was unreadable again.

But his eyes weren't.

There was something there.

Something I couldn't understand.

He spoke softly.

"My father knew your name."

My fingers tightened around the door handle.

"What?"

Cassian's gaze held mine.

"He knew your name, Mara."

A cold feeling settled in my chest.

"Before you were born."

And suddenly, the room didn't feel so safe anymore.