True Alphas

Son Of Sun

My heart beat quickens as the car pulls through large golden gates among black stone pillars. The houses here are well put together, nothing like what we had been told. The night had aged during our drive, lights began to flick on as the people here woke up for their work. I gazed over to Mees, twiddling her thumbs nervously.  Mees wears white as my follower, she looks so radiant and my heart hurts again for what the white dress means and how the community will be fooled. She can not bear children, nor can she transform into her second body as that is linked to the primal entity of that organ. 

She is touched.

“Soraya…you are talking out your thoughts.” I grab her hand and squeeze. We are both outcast, but at least we are together.

“I’m sorry Mees, I tend to do that when the demon is in the front of my mind. Instead of having one straight thought I have two voices in my head, mine and hers, I like to think of her as the devil on my shoulder.” We meet eyes for a moment. We learned a lot about each other on the ride here. I didn’t ask about her tho, just her likes and interests. I didn’t want to know the goriest details of her life. 

“So you are the only one that has two?” She asked. I nod as the car comes suddenly to a stop. We take a deep breath as the driver comes to my door and opens it. My legs go limp as I force them to do their jobs.

 I could die right now, WE could die right now. I wait for Mees to exit the car before making the climb up white marble steps. We both underwent a small hardcore lesson on how to walk in heels, hand in hand we climbed, together.  I gawk slightly at the beauty around us. The mansion is the same color and make of the pillars in front with gold accents. Large plants of varying climates are planted in the flower beds and pots lining the building. We reach the summit and come to a large wooden door which is then promptly opened for my passing. Mees gazes at a painting on the wall and I stop to return to it.

“what do you make of that?” I ask. She wraps her arms around herself. It is a picture of a naked man, King Castian, on top of a mound of dead bodies. Two wolves at his feet shred the remains of a screaming and bloody man, My great grandfather, as my Grandmother and her Brothers look on behind the protection of my Grandfather. “It definitely puts us in our place…” Mees shivers before she moves on. We continue down the immaculate hallway to another set of doors which open to a ballroom. People stand there, waiting…now looking at me. They eyes of a man catch me and my demon goes crazy.

Look at him! I want him! Go to him!

I clutch my head in agony as she bounces around. Mees rushes to my side and steadies me, while the people in the room come forward more slowly.

“Oh, dear! Poor thing needs aid!” A beautiful woman lays her hand on my back lightly. Her touch is soothing, it delivers an almost instant relief. I blink away the tears as she beams at me. “There, she should leave you be for now.” I stare at her fearfully as she takes her place back at the side of an older man, Her long blonde hair envelopes them both in a cape of gold, her white dress comes to her knees but her hair doesn’t, it folds neatly around her small ankles. The man nods at her and then to me, eyes unreadable.

“Queen Calanthie of Brighid, I am King Castian the fourth of sun, there is no need to address us as such. We will rank the same eventually.” I blink at him, dumb founded. The queen smiles gently before approaching me again. My demon is afraid, her movements are my movements, she does not have a voice. I can not hear her.

“We may  now make a truce with your people.” I shake my head and her smile wavers. Mees steps forward and curtsies like I had shown her. But this is the wrong time for her, doesn’t she see that there is something wrong?

“Your majesty, Our people do not want to be in truce with you. They seek to destroy you. Please grant us safety and we will be tribute to your aid.” She stammers and kneels as Calanthie throws a hand to her chest. The queen is shocked.

 I freeze in terror, this may be the end. Her blue eyes search my face with sadness before she steps lightly back to her husband. The man I saw first comes from his spot along the back wall to stand next to the queen. She touches his shoulder before turning back to us, they all look sad, and pained. My first instinct is to protect my stupid follower. Mees gets the message that we have messed up already. She stands and moves behind me, I give her a dirty look before she copies my stance.

“Did you think we would hurt you?” He asks, his voice is like butter, my insides melt with each word. I feel my demon stir but she remains silent. He comes forward slowly, carefully. We are wild animals, cautious and calculating. I am prepared for an attack even if I am not confident in my abilities to defend myself. My demon vibrates with a primal growl, low and guttural. It came out my mouth. He stops for a moment and so does she. This is how it feels to have one conscious! My demon Snarls in warning. The king and queen watch with wary expressions as we stand off. “My name is Owen of Fire.” He gets lower to the ground, my body fallowing him until we are both crouched. He seems amused by my reaction to him, yet his jaw is strained as if he is having a hard time being near me as well.

“Soraya of Rain.” I watch him carefully, positioned to protect Mees. He moves a little closer. I allow this and switch my position, admiring how my dress looks laid on the floor. I now know why the shoes were picked. My ankles had changed without my knowledge and now they were keeping me balanced. He moves to give me his hand, I look at it and back to him. “Excuse us for coming with the most untrusting nature, but I want to continue living. I know about you.”

“You aren’t the only person here from that terrible place. People have been escaping from there for years.” I growl lowly in my chest while he speaks. “you think I am lying.” He sounds hurt but his voice has taken a wicked tone.

Owen of Fire. The future king. The tyrant. Two years older Than me, Beautiful, and evil. I was born to be his bride. I was born to put out the fire.

“If anyone left willingly, they were hunted down and killed. Or killed by your people.” I growled. He drilled me with his eyes. The king and queen were physically disturbed at this point, as was Mees, and anyone else in the room. They shrunk in submission…yet I was unaffected. Owen smirked and the heavy air was released. He offered his hand to me again, this time I took it and he pulled me to my feet.

“Soraya of Rain, we have many impressions of each other to discuss.” He whispered. He looked to Mees then, zeroing in on her. “She is sterile.” Irritation flicked in his eyes. I pulled my hand free to hold hers. Mees’ fear was palpable.

“You will not hurt her.” I growled. Owen raised an eyebrow. It was at this time that the queen chose to intervene.

“No, he won’t. No one here will harm either of you. The deal was made by Marie of Silence, her first granddaughter would marry a son of Sun. We had no idea until you were born of your gift…”She smiled. I never took my eyes of Owen. At this point these people…these strangers knew more about me than they should. My grandmother must have been busy.

“It is not a gift, it’s a curse. Frowned upon by my family.  A weakness that they intended to breed into your line. I was not given to you as a truce, I was thrown at you as a plan to weaken you.” Owen purred, making my insides squirm. His green eyes danced with mischief and malice.

“But you didn’t run thinking that we would kill you. You have a reason to be here.” He smiled wickedly. The air got heavy around me once again, however this time I began to revel in his danger. I raised my chin, a visible change in his body language was very noticeable. I liked that I made him squirm almost as much as he made me. Could he tell? Could he tell that I could tell?

“If we choose the winning side, then there is no danger for us. We came here for a new start and nothing more, I want everyone in that community to rot. I don’t want a truce. I want to give a second chance to whoever wants it, and kill the rest.” Mees squeezed my hand, cowering behind me as Owen and Calanthie exchanged looks. The queen nodded to herself.

“We can fix Mees, and help you understand that it is not a curse you have. In Laymens terms…You are a true Alpha.” I stared at her.

 “And what does that mean?” I asked. Owen reached for my hand. He lifted it to his lips and kissed it softly. Eyes burning into mine, melting all fear and distrust immediately.

“It means will you marry me, Soraya of Rain.”