My alpha mate’s regret

Episode4

ASTRID~~~

I walked into the castle, tons of werewolf guards guarding the path behind and that ahead. Everything looked different, like an angel of death waved passed the skies of Blackwater, casting darkness upon its lands.

Every step I took was filled with memories. Some painful, some bittersweet. It felt like the shadow from my past was walking beside me, jabbing those memories at me. I was led to where my father's room used to be. I froze at the door, scanning the room.

“We are sorry that it’s in this state, the servants will clean it up immediately,” an elder said. I stole a glance at him, and he happened to be the same wolf elder who sought my head before I escaped. He was the forefighter for my death.

So what changed? Why was he apologizing? I’d expected some type of questioning or punishment. I made a nod, slowly making my way into the room. The guards marched out, followed by the elders, leaving just me and the silence.

I made my way to the window and opened it. The air was thick and rusty, blowing the webs that tangled some edges of the window across my face. The funeral was being rounded up. I stood and watched in horror as five pyres were set ablaze.

Tears trickled down my eyes as memories of my father and my brother flushed in. I wasn’t so close to Rowan, but he always protected me. He made sure nobody threatened me and always showed up when I was being bullied.

My father, the only man whose love for me never ceased despite being the family’s weakest link, the cursed wolf, the weak Copper. I was and maybe, still am, an embarrassment to my family.

The door to my father's room opened, and heavy footsteps marched in. I wiped my tears instantly and turned to see who it was. He was a bit familiar. His face and stature particularly.

“Astrid,” he called with a voice lower than a whisper. His long strides reduced until he came to a halt halfway into the room. His eyes said so much about his thoughts. He was surprised…or maybe happy. “It’s you,” he added, taking an additional step forward.

“Urm…” I blurted with a heavy swallow. I guess that snapped him out of his thoughts. He stood upright, adjusted his clothes, and cleared his throat.

“It’s me, Jax Griffin,” he introduced, leaving a small smile on his face.

Griffin? Maybe the first name didn’t sound so familiar, but the last did. My father had a best friend whom he always spoke about. He addressed him with the name, Griffin. I once met his son, when I was still a teenager.

I pictured the figure standing before me without his dark chiseled beards and got a striking image of his son when he was still a teenager as well.

“Jax,” I called, a small smile crawling up my face. I didn’t know if I was supposed to be excited that I’d seen someone I somehow knew or not. It just felt kind of relieving. He nodded, his smile growing as he opened his arms for a hug.

“We all thought we’d never see a Copper again,” he mentioned, sending my thoughts back to the funeral. I gently pulled away from the hug and turned to the window.

“What happened to my family?” I asked, making my way back to the window. Jax followed behind but kept a respectable distance. He took his time before giving a response.

“A rogue pack attacked two days ago, killing everyone in the castle,”

“Including Rowan?”

“Yes,” he answered. My heart sank, knowing that the two people who could protect me were gone. How was I supposed to face the elders without support from Rowan? They would devour me and send me to the slaughterhouse before I defend myself.

Jax lingered by my side for a while before he broke the growing silence. “Come with me Astrid,” he said quietly. “You need to rest. My rooms’ are at your disposal while the servants arrange yours,” he said. I nodded numbly and followed him.

We walked through the dimly lit hallways, memories tugging at me with every step. We arrived at his room in a few seconds and he unlocked the door. It wasn’t as spacious as mine or my father's. I recognized it to be one of my younger siblings' rooms. The youngest.

“You can sleep here,” he gestured to the bed. “I’ll find somewhere to lay my head,” he added.

“Thank you, Jax,”

“Welcome home, Astrid,” Jax said and left. I took off my jacket and sank into a bed, staring at the white ceiling. It was near, unlike other areas of the house. Tears streamed down my eyes, wetting my ears.

Karl’s name kept ringing in my head, causing me to squeeze the pillow against my face. I screamed into it, breaking down into uncontrollable tears. Forgetting him wasn’t going to be that easy. Neither was unloving him. But I hoped distance would do the trick for me.

A better home, where I am acknowledged and noticed, than being somewhere where the man I’ve loved unconditionally has refused to acknowledge that. I settled into the bed, and though sleep came fitfully, the heaviness of my grief faded with time.

*****

The creaking of the door roused me from my sleep, the rays of the sun blinding my eyes as I opened them.

“Good morning Astrid,” Jax greeted warmly. Ladies dressed in blue followed him behind, carrying boxes and clothes. “These are the servants. They’ll get you ready for the meeting”.

The ladies curtsied in unison. I slipped out of bed, rubbing off the remnant of sleep from my eyes.

“Meeting?” I yawned, asking.

“Yes, the elders have requested a meeting with the returned heir,” Jax said. My heart skipped a beat after he made his statement. The elders?

Anything about them didn’t sound good to my ears.

There was nothing I could do. No way I would refuse to meet the elders who served my father when he ruled as alpha. The servants bathed me and dressed me, and in an hour, I was set.

Once ready, Jax returned to the room. His eyes were glued to me for a minute before he reached for my hand. “Come with me”.

He led me into the council hall, where the elders were already sitting, waiting for me. The looks on their faces were unreadable. This looked so much like the part where they would ask me to kneel and once again, accuse me of killing my family.

I mean, look at the turn of events. A rogue pack kills my family and wipes every one of them out. Two days later, I returned to the pack. Of course, they would blame me.

The elders stood and bowed, and the first wave of shock slapped me hard on the cheek. Jax pulled out a chair beside my father's large seat and gestured for me to sit. I glanced around in curiosity, taking in the silence just like they were all doing.

One of the elders stood up, bowed, and cleared his throat. “There’s something you should know, Astrid Copper,” he started. He stole glances at the rest who gave him a nod to go ahead. “The one responsible for your father's death was found by your brother, Rowan,” he said.

My heart took a deep dive into my stomach. My breath hitched, a wave of relief mingling with my grief as I sat up. For so long, I carried the weight of the accusation of killing my father. Now Rowan did as he promised—He found his murderer.

“The Alpha position cannot be left empty. Not while a Copper still walks the earth,” said the elder. My eyes drifted to the crown sitting at the center of the table in an iced box. Shiny, polished, and glinting as the sunlight kissed it.

“You will be Alpha of Blackwater, Astrid Copper. Until the time of the prophecy,” Jax chirped in. He took out the crown from the box and walked to where I was sitting.

Doubt crept in immediately. How would I wear the crown? How would I rule them without having a wolf and being this weak?

My heart raced, my breath coming out ragged and forcefully. I could feel the weight of the crown above my head already. I closed my eyes, hoping I wasn’t sentencing myself to a life similar to that I just walked away from.

With my eyes shut, anticipating the crown on my head, I heard the slashing of a knife against someone’s flesh, followed by muffled grunts and what tasted like blood touching my lips.

*******