TO KILL A KING

SEVENTEEN-X

KING

Trills of song and fine instruments could be herd from outside the pack house, life bursting with a shimmer of golden light from every orifice.

The grande doors were wide open, and two men stood either side, armed to the teeth with sharpened silver and lead, usually they would've asked for an invitation before allowing us inside, but one look at North and I had them bowing their sullen heads. "Welcome Alpha. Welcome Luna."

I wanted to hiss at him that I was not his Luna, I was just as much his Alpha as the male behind me was.

Technically speaking a Luna was a female Alpha, but that wasn't the connotation that came with the title.

In this society a Luna was a kind of prize to be won or bartered for, to be shown off like a trophy and nothing more than a pretty thing, a symbol of kindness and fertility. A peacemaker.

-Everything that I was not.

Once we had passed the men I said sternly,

"The people will not call me Luna."

He scoffed, "Well then what should they call you? Not one of them knows your name and I will not allow them to call you King."

I scowled at him, "They will call me the same as you, Alpha."

"I won't allow that either." He said with hostility, "It makes it sound like you're a male, and I will not have outsiders believing that I'm..." Hesitating, he shook his head. "You know what I mean?"

If looks could kill he would be able to taste the Earth by now. "What? You don't want them to think you're gay?" I snapped, "Is your masculinity really that fragile?"

The music grew louder, the light brighter as we rounded the corner to the great ballroom.

A staircase as wide as a piano was long lead down to the mesh of people. A sea of finely woven silk and freshly ironed cravats.

"Behave." His arm snaked around mine as we began the decent to the floor below. People stopped. People stared. People whispered. People gasped.

I wondered how many of them recognised me, probably not many if any. I was being paranoid.

My gown glinted like the midnight stars amongst this foreign sun, blinding as it was beautiful, trailing behind my slightly on the steps.

I stared into the ocean of powerful people below and wondered which of them was the mysterious X.

Was it the impish man with long grey hair? 

Was it the Young looking Alpha with glowing grey eyes? 

It could've even been the strikingly beautiful woman who stared back at me, with long white hair and striking purple eyes that cling to the grey eyed male's arm.

My heart leaped into my throat as I recognised her shocking features. 

-Or at least I thought it was someone I knew.

Her unique look wasn't one I had seen before or since, so it was strange to see another female who bore almost an exact resemblance to her.

But it wasn't her. It wasn't Artemis.

North gave my hand a subtle squeeze as he lead our decent, sending a strong pulse of fire through my veins. It felt oddly comforting to feel the certainty of his solid and strong body next to mine, feeling the warmth of his skin seeping through my thin dress.

"Remember to breathe." He whispered, my body shivering as his warm breath heated my skin. I wasn't cold, yet I couldn't help the slightest tremors that unsteadied my hands. I replied with a slight nod as my lungs filled heavy with air.

I wondered if the people before us, with their eyes that cut into me like a knife, could hear every pulsing tremble of my aching heart.

My dress felt as though it fell away before their eagle eyes, and I was naked. Barren and bare. Boundless were my secrets. They could see right through me and my walls.

We merged with the crowd with surprising ease, I merely cling to North's thick arm as he conversed with ease. The handsome grey eyed man, who introduced himself as Alpha Greyson spoke with North as if they had known each other since childhood. 

By his side was his purple eyed mate. I didn't mean to stare at her, but her appearance was just so similar to that of my old friend.

"I don't know if I've ever been to a ball this full before." She laughed as she caught my eye and held out a hand, "I'm Amora."

I took it, firm and warm. I had never been very good at hand shakes. "King." I replied.

"What your name is.. King?" She scrunched her face, though not in a sad or angry way, just genuinely curious.

"Like the title?"

"It's a nickname." I smiled sweetly, gritting my teeth. How long until this was all over?

I glanced at the clock, holding in a groan. 

It had barely just begun.

"Oh," Artemis beamed as another female approached alongside her. "King meet Arden. Arden meet King!"

"King?" The meeker female questioned and I felt my heart still in my chest. I knew Arden. I had met her years ago at another ball, only then her belly was swollen with pups and my mate was alive.

"It's a nickname." Amora didn't hesitate to fill in her  fawning friend with her new found information.

I could see the disbelieving query in Arden's eye, though she didn't press it further. Her lightly lined frown lingered on mine for a moment too long, confirming that she knew. 

Though I was grateful she didn't mention it.

Female upon female joined us, each and everyone introduced until my brain could no longer handle the names and my hand had slipped from North's as he had wondered alongside the other Alphas deeper into the silk sea. 

I had zoned out as they all conversed animatedly, occasionally reawakening to smile or return a compliment. I hated all this circle jerking, it made me want to vomit the same forest green colour as Arden's hideous dress.

I felt a hand grab mine, and I was all of a sudden being dragged away from the niche of women and away into a far corner of the ball room.

A flash of white blonde hair. A slither of a crimson dress.

She finally stopped, and I was shoved into the corner. Just far away that no one would hear us.

"What the f**k Artemis!" I blanched as her usually passive face looked like a storm about to explode with lightning. 

"Seriously!" She gave me another shove by the shoulders. "Where the f**k have you been for the past few years!"

"I-I.." My throat ached with all the words my lips couldn't speak. The truth was I had no excuse.

"I thought you were dead!" She cried, her eyes glassing slightly with the threat of tears.

"Don't cry you'll ruin your makeup." 

"That's it?" She turned cold. "That's all you have to say to me?"

"Artemis.." I started, but soon realised I didn't really have anything worth saying. I could tell her I was sorry, but she knew me too well. She would know I didn't mean it.

She knew I was selfish. She knew that nothing she could've done would've stopped me. I always left in the end.

Either you cut people out before they get close enough to hurt you, or the cycle of bloodshed and agony starts all over again.

It happened to Farrah. It happened to Artemis. And it happened to my first Mate.

Everything always ended in blood.

"I don't believe this." She shook her head, a hand clutching at her curled hair. "I searched for you.. cried for you even. And all this time, you were here playing Alpha."

"I wanted to come back for you." It was the truth, I really had. But she would never believe me now. Why would she?

As far as she was concerned I had run off into the sunset one night and never looked back.

"You're so full of shit."

"Listen, it's great to see you and all but can we do this some time when there's not so many people about?" Biting my lip I pushed off of the wall.

"What?" She laughed humourlessly. "Are you afraid of people finding out who you really are? That you're a murderer? That your real name's A-"

"Don't you dare say that name." I cut her off and she fell silent, her lilac eyes flickering between mine. Desperately scanning for something. Anything.

Hoping and praying against all odds that the slightest semblance of humanity remained.

Artemis opened her mouth as if to speak but I was already pushing past her, vanishing into the crowd. I knew that she wouldn't follow me anyways.

I found my way to the bar, and ordered a double shot of the strongest liquor they had. 

And another. And another. And another.

Until soon the ball was a lot more bearable.

Golden fairly lights twinkled and swirled within the domed glass ceiling like a thousand fireflies against the backdrop of the midnight sky.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" An unfamiliar voice posed, as they rested against the bar besides me.

"Could've done with more flowers." I deadpanned, turning my gaze to the stranger. A handsome man with thick black hair, only a little darker than North's.

He laughed, genuinely laughed at what I had said. "You're not impressed by it all?"

"Hard to be impressed by your own ball."

He smiled slightly, a glint winked in the corner of his dark eyes. "I know who you are."

"Lucky you." I shrugged, ready to abandon him alongside my empty shot glasses.

"Who do you think sent you that dress?"

I hesitated, scanning him for any sense of insincerity. "That was you?"

He smirked, holding out a hand as he said sarcastically, "I'm Xavier, nice to meet you too."

"I don't care who you are." Signalling to the bartender for another glass I began to chew my cheek out of boredom. "What do you want?"

"Well, aren't you just a ray of sunshine." His grin only grew. "You look beautiful by the way."

"Seriously.." I began to push away from him, downing the remains of my glass. "Just tell Mrs what you want."

"I want an alliance."

I didn't even look at him, instead my eyes honed in upon North. He was laughing alongside the other alphas. I had never seen him like this before, so carefree. He looked so much younger now then when he frowned.

He was just a boy, and I was just a girl. "No."

But yet we weren't. We were nothing. But at the same time, we were so much more. People depended on us, looked up to us even.

"I advise you consider it."

North threw his head pack in a hole hearted laugh that I could hear faintly even from here. A wholesome, yet booming sound.

"Nope."

Bemused though not put off in the slightest he dragged his fingers through his dark hair. "You're just as cold as they said you were." Xavier but his lip. "I like it."

"So what?" I said c*****g my head, "Are you some sort of stalker? Should I be worried?"

"Stalker, no." He said, "But you should be worried, just not about me." His gaze panned out to the males that bantered with one another in the corner of the room, and for a brief moment I caught North's dark glare. He wasn't laughing anymore.

He didn't look happy in the slightest.

"Uh oh." Xavier chuckled. "Looks like you're in trouble.."

North began to cut through the crowd towards me barging last Alphas and Lunas smile, and I turned back to Xavier, only to see that he had disappeared into the thick mesh of bodies, a small square of paper remaining by the bar where he had been.

I snatched it up, folding and shoving it into my bra before North could see. I would read it later.

"Who was that?" He said, and though he tried to hide it I didn't miss the underlying annoyance in his even tone. I didn't see why he was bothered, if anything I would've been less surprised if he tried to pass me off to one of these Alphas.

"Why?" I teased as I scrunched my face, straightening his dark tie and staring up at him through half hooded eyes. "Are you jealous?"

He grabbed my hand it grazed his throat. "Don't."

"Don't what?"

"You know exactly what you're doing." And I did. My body hummed as I felt the vibrations resonating from his throat at his words. Such power. Such conviction. He inches closer, until my back met with the bar and there was nowhere left to run. Our bodies pressing against one another in the most sinful way.

"So unless you want me to do something we'll both regret I suggest you stop."

I sucked on my lower lip for a brief second before letting it loose. "But where's the fun in that?"

***

QOTD-Who wants a mature scene? Who doesn't as I know they're not for everyone.

+If anyone can tell me what game this song is from I'll be your best friend forever

Anyone who has read any of my other books will recognise a a few characters from this chapter ;)

Any thoughts? Theories?

Don't forget to vote and comment!

-TFOA