A Lover and A Liar

A Mad Obsession

Julian worked through the papers and the information his Beta, his Gamma and his trackers had gathered from the other packs. Apparently, the rogues had became more of an army, more organized than they had ever been in all history of the Kingdom of the Werewolves. Rogues were known to work alone; hell, they were called rogues for that very own reason. Because they had been exiled from packs or towns after the crimes they had committed. This is how it usually was.

Now, though, they were united, with the purpose of taking over as many small packs as they could, enslaving the Alphas, taking their rank and position that was given by birth, harming their families and their packs.

Why? It was never said out loud from any of the rogues, but wasn't it clear?

Hunger for power. Leadership. Gold. Ranks. The whole Kingdom if King Julian had to go to such extremes.

How long until they took over the Royal Blood Moon Pack too? Over his Court? Over his loved ones?

No, this had lasted long for it to be just a mere coincidence. The King of the Rogues was the one ordering the attacks, there was no doubt on his mind about this. The very same person who had once tried to assassinate Estelle, Julian's sister, now Queen of Elfland.

And he hadn't dared to try it once more. Julian was sure it had a lot to do with her powerful husband and how he would tear down their whole Kingdom, sparing absolutely nothing if any harm came to her.

Something Julian was more than aware, he would never do for his mate. Because he simply didn't feel as deeply for Katherine as he should have. No, deep was not even the real word. He was sure, if the mating bond wouldn't have been there, he would have felt absolutely nothing about her.

He chuckled at himself, and it was a sound filled with irony and bitterness. Their lovemaking had never been passionate, nor fulfilling, but he couldn't even make love to her anymore. He couldn't even touch her anymore.

He couldn't stand the idea of it.

All Julian had thought about as he had kissed his mate was another woman.

All he had imagined were how Alina's lips had felt so soft against his the very same day, so warm, so welcoming. How she had clung to him, kissed him back with every just as desperately as he had kissed her.

For the life of him, Julian couldn't get that out of his mind. It kept torturing him every single time he closed his eyes, and kissing Katherine, he hadn't felt half of the need and want he had felt with Alina.

But he couldn't take his mate thinking of another woman. Things were enough wrong as they were now. And giving into the fantasies of what he really desired to do with Alina, was scary. Forbidden.

No, he shouldn't want her. His bloody body couldn't want her as much as it did. For the sake of keeping his own sanity, he had to stop himself before the things went too far.

That had of course led to another fight with Katherine, as she claimed over and over again he didn't love her as much as she loved him, but was that even new? They had been into it for years now, and it wasn't like she wasn't completely right, because she was.

He didn't want Katherine. Not the way he should have.

"Come in," Julian said when he heard the knock on the door, coming out of his torturous thoughts.

Arthmael entered, with a weary look on his face after what had happened to his house. "Good morning, Julian," he said. "I see you're working early today."

Julian groaned in frustration. "The situation is getting out of control, Arthmael! The Alphas have started doubting my reign, doubting if I can protect my own people. And there is no sight of that bloody self-called King. It's like he has vanished into thin air, yet like he's everywhere at the same time."

"You sound frustrated," Arthmael pointed out, as bluntly as always.

"Oh, do I, brother?" Irony rolled out of his mouth. He knew Arthmael wasn't the right person to let this all out to, yet in the same time, he couldn't stop.

"It's not only about the rogues, is it?" his brother asked. "It's about Alina."

Julian's eyes widened in shock. "I have absolutely no idea what you're talking about." He tried hiding his surprise with a cold look of his face. Which did not work perfectly, he was aware of it. Julian had never been the stoic type of man. He hadn't been afraid to feel. At least until now.

"You have, of course you have," he insisted. "What went down at my house, you don't have any explanation to give to that?"

Narrowing his eyes at him, Julian made a few steps forward. "I don't have to give any explanation to you," he hissed, not really liking his brother right now, nor where he was getting at.

Arthmael looked him right in the eye as he spoke, "Evelyn thinks there's something going on between you and Alina."

"Then you wife is bloody wrong!" he growled in his Alpha tone, which didn't seem to really work at Arthmael.

His eyes darkened even more than they already were. "Watch your words when it comes to her, little brother," he warned.

Julian could regret later, but now he was too mad to do so. Just the fact that he had been so goddamn obvious scratched something inside of him. "You watch your words, Arthmael. Hear what you're suggesting. I have a f*****g mate, so what's your talking is pure madness. But it seems everyone has gotten really comfortable that they have forgotten they're speaking to their King."

As soon as the words left his mouth, he realized how wrong they sounded. Like he was showing his power over his big brother, when his entire life he had claimed to be different. Different from their father.

It seemed like realization sank in Arthmael eyes instantly, and it was almost like recognition... And Julian had never felt his father's son more than now.

"Forgive me, my King." His brother bowed down to him, and walked away without saying anything more.

"Damn it," Julian cursed under his breath. He took the closest thing he found on the table, that happened to be a candlestick, and smashed it against the wall in frustration.

This was all because of that mad obsession he felt over Alina. It had started to slowly consume him, and everything right he stood by.