Alpha's Atonement

The Royal dinner

Natalie’s POV

The suite was the most exquisite place I had ever seen, a perfect balance of vintage elegance and royal grandeur. But as I lay on the silk sheets, my mind was a chaotic loop of Nicholas. Those sapphire eyes,the dark hair, the sharp line of his jaw, and that tiny beauty spot just below his lip.

“Not just a subject, huh”I wondered what he meant.

I must have drifted off, because I woke to the dimming mountain light. A soft knock announced Sophie, my lady-in-waiting. She was in her thirties, her jet-black hair pulled into a bun so tight it looked painful. Unlike the coldness I expected, she was efficient and patient, helping me choose a dress and patiently teaching me how to curtsy. I found myself wishing Marcus were there to see it—I was actually learning.

When Sophie finally led me to the intimate family dining room, my nerves reached a fever pitch. When the Queen entered; she chuckled at my awkward curtsy and pulled me into a warm hug.

"You are a vision, Natalie," she whispered. Her eyes were the kindest I’d ever seen.

I was then greeted by Kaya, the Princess. She was a stunning blonde with a bright energy that made the room feel less like a fortress. "I'll show you around tomorrow," she promised. "We'll get that suite of yours properly set up."

Then, Nicholas entered. His gait was fast and sharp, his expression focused, as if he were trying to rush through the evening. But the moment the King arrived, the room fell into a deafening silence. Nicholas sat directly across from me, his gaze so intent I felt like I was being searched. Marcus sat to my left, a steadying presence in the storm.

"Welcome home, Natalie. How are you doing?" the King asked.

"I am doing well, Your Grace," I replied, dipping my head.

The courses began—massive portions of food that made me wonder if the palace refrigerators were the size of my old apartment. He adjusted his napkin and fork and then King leaned forward, his eyes narrowing.

"So, Natalie, a question has been haunting me. You were six when your family fled, yes?"

"Yes," I managed, my throat dry.

"How did your father know then that you would never get your wolf? Usually, we only know for certain at sixteen, or eighteen for a late bloomer."

The fork nearly slipped from my hand. I had never thought of that. How did they know? The realization hit me like cold water—my parents had been hiding something much deeper than just my lack of a wolf.

"I'm afraid your question eludes me, Your Grace," I answered politely.

"Father, we can look into the matter later," Nicholas intervened, his voice a low warning.

"I would simply love to meet my dear old friend Samuel," the King said, though his smile didn't reach his eyes. I could only manage a nod in response.

The rest of the dinner was a blur of talk about sports and politics, but I couldn't focus. I was too conscious of Nicholas. He gawked at me the entire time, his eyes burning with a million unsaid words, waiting for the moment we were finally alone.

Nicholas’s POV

She looked radiant in that dress, though her nervous energy was so palpable it was almost amusing. There was a feast laid out in front of us, but I had no appetite for the food; I only wanted to devour her. Half my brain was occupied with the illicit urge to reach under the table and touch her thigh, while the other half was fascinated by how little humans actually eat.

I was trying to rush through the courses, my mind split between Natalie and the reports waiting on my desk.

“You look like you want to feed her with your hands,” Marcus’s voice rang in my head through the mind-link. “Tone it down. You have a constipated look.”

I shut him out instantly.

After the final course, I stood and announced that I would walk Natalie to her room. We walked through the quiet, torch-lit corridors in silence until the weight of her thoughts became too loud to ignore.

“What are you thinking?” I asked softly.

She finally looked at me, then quickly averted her eyes to the stone floor. “Just... the past two days have been a lot to take in. I finally have a moment to actually think about it all.”

“This too shall pass,” I replied, keeping my voice steady. “I know it’s a lot. You’ve been incredibly brave, Natalie. Keep being exactly who you are, and everything will slowly fall into place.”

She finally offered me a real smile, and for a split second, my heart skipped a beat—a sensation I hadn't felt in a century.

“You really love your country, don’t you?” she asked.

“What gave it away?” I smiled back.

“The way you treat everyone around you,” she said softly. “And I noticed how you looked at the mountains and your people.”

She is observing me intently too. I’m glad.

“I hope you sleep well,” I told her, forced to leave her at her door. Novartis was practically begging me to follow her inside, to sleep next to her and claim the space as ours, but I had more pressing matters.

I reached my office to find Marcus and my best warriors already waiting. Marcus pulled the satellite images onto the digital board, and the humor of the dinner vanished.

The trail taken by the rogues was suspicious. They were heading toward the dense forests of the southern border—a place where the fog is so thick people get lost and die of dehydration within days. The kind of place where you keep running around in circles with no way out.

“The trail ends here,” Marcus noted, pointing to the edge of the Dead Wood.

“Increase the number of drones in the southern and eastern sectors,” I ordered, my voice turning to steel. “Even the smallest activity must be reported. Set up land mines and traps in the clearing. If they think the fog will hide them, they’re mistaken.”

"Pull out all the data regarding rogues that we have from the last few years. Also, any rogue activity from thirteen years ago," I ordered, my voice cutting through the room like a blade.

Natalie was six when they fled. I needed to know if something specific had happened back then to trigger her father's flight.

Marcus tilted his head, his voice echoing in my mind through the link. “Oddly specific timeline, Alpha. You think old rogues are starting some s**t again?”

I stared at the map, at the dark, impenetrable fog of the Southern Dead Wood where my drones were currently going blind.

"I don't know what they are after," I barked, my sapphire eyes fixed on the border. "But they sure as hell are not entering my kingdom."

I gripped the edge of the mahogany table, the wood splintering under my strength. If the past was coming for my mate, it would have to go through me first.