Chapter 2: The Alpha King's Office
1700 Words
Chapter 2: The Alpha King's Office
(Elara's POV)
I stared at the ceiling, my body restless and my mind buzzing. Sleep wasn’t coming, not that I expected it to. My old room should have been comforting, should have reminded me of safety, yet everything felt... wrong. Lumi, my wolf, stirred within me, her energy unsettled.
It was as if Crescent Moon was trying to reject me. Or maybe it was the other way around.
The familiar space—the soft bed, the photos from years ago, even the books on the shelves untouched—only heightened the feeling that I didn’t belong here anymore. I rolled out of bed for what felt like the hundredth time, pacing the worn wooden floor. My wolf prowled with me, her disquiet mirroring mine.
Through our family bond, I felt Elian’s presence flare briefly as it always did when he was nearby. Then it shifted. He was leaving. Probably off to some important pack duty. Always the future Alpha. Always responsible.
A faint buzz broke the silence. My phone lit up on the small bedside table. It was a message from Elian, short and efficient.
"Breakfast is ready. Your favorites."
I stared at the words, my chest tightening. He shouldn’t have remembered. After five years, Elian shouldn’t still know what I liked, what I loved. But he did, and it was suffocating.
When I finally made my way downstairs, I found Eleanor and Caleb already seated at the dining table. My wolf stiffened at the sight of them, their postures calm but guarded.
“Elara,” Eleanor greeted me with a soft, warm smile. “Good morning, dear. Did you sleep well?”
I nodded stiffly, though the lie was obvious. She didn’t push it.
The breakfast spread was overwhelming. Plates of golden-brown pancakes, bowls of fresh berries, crispy bacon, and little slices of toast slathered with honey—everything I’d loved as a child.
“Elian insisted we prepare everything just the way you like it," Eleanor said, her tone gentle but loaded with meaning.
I swallowed hard, my appetite nonexistent. Lumi shifted anxiously, picking up on my discomfort.
“I’m not hungry,” I said quickly, reaching for a single piece of toast. “Thank you, but I need to leave. Iris is waiting.”
Eleanor’s face faltered, though she quickly covered it with a serene expression. “But, Elara, you just got back...”
I could feel Caleb’s wolf observing me, quiet but intense. Their expectations hung heavy in the air, pressing down until I could barely breathe.
“I’ll be at Frost Hospital,” I managed curtly, breaking the awkward silence. I couldn’t sit here and pretend everything was normal.
Without waiting for their response, I grabbed my bag and left the suffocating room.
---
Iris was a storm when I arrived—angry, volatile, her wolf clawing for control. The air in the hospital room was charged, thick with frustration so palpable it prickled at my heightened senses.
She was gripping her phone so tightly her fingers turned white. Her jaw was clenched, her teeth gritting audibly.
“Iris,” I said, rushing to her side. “What’s wrong?”
She snapped her head toward me, her eyes wild with fury. Her wolf was there, barely contained, flickering beneath her pale skin.
“That bastard!” Her voice cracked, raw with anger.
“You need to calm down,” I urged gently, stepping closer. I reached out, wrapping my hand around hers to stop the trembling. “You’re going to hurt yourself.”
“I don’t care,” she spat, tears of frustration pooling in her eyes. “How could he do this to me? To us?”
I set down the meal I’d prepared—a special nutrient-rich mix designed for wolves with blood disorders. My hand hovered over hers reassuringly, though Lumi growled softly, sensing Iris’s heightened emotions.
“Talk to me,” I said firmly, yet softly. “What’s happened?”
She inhaled sharply through her nose, her chest heaving with the effort to speak.
“Derek,” she hissed, his name like venom on her tongue. “He didn’t just take the money. He stole the research, Elara. Our work…the treatment progress. All of it.”
I froze, my breath catching. “What?”
Her next words spilled out like a torrent, her voice trembling with barely contained rage. “He’s taken it to the Shadow Pack. They’re using it to negotiate hunting rights with the Alpha King’s territory. You know what that means.”
I did.
The hunting grounds in question weren’t just ordinary lands. They were critical. The rare plants that grew there were used in treatments vital for wolves like Iris. For her condition.
“He can’t get away with this,” she continued, shaking visibly. “He just can’t.”
“We won’t let him,” I said instinctively, though her panic was starting to spread to me. Derek’s betrayal ran deeper than we’d initially thought.
“I’m going to the Alpha King myself,” she declared, her voice sharp and determined. She threw her blanket off and tried to sit up, struggling against her own weakening wolf.
“No, you’re not,” I said quickly, stepping in front of her. “Iris, look at yourself. You can’t make a trip like this. Your wolf isn’t strong enough right now.”
“I have to,” she insisted, her voice breaking. The desperation in her gaze was almost unbearable. “Elara, this isn’t just about me anymore. If Derek succeeds, it’ll hurt everyone. We can’t lose those hunting grounds.”
“And we won’t,” I said, my voice steady as I grabbed her shoulders gently but firmly. “But you need to trust me. You’re in no condition to face Rhys right now. I'll go.”
Her eyes widened in alarm. “What? No. You don’t know him—”
“I’ll figure it out,” I interrupted. “You need to rest. Focus on the treatment, Iris. Let me handle this.”
For a moment, her resolve faltered. She looked at me, her face pale and streaked with worry. Finally, she nodded.
“Be careful,” she murmured, her voice softer now. “Rhys isn’t… easy.”
I offered her a faint smile, though my stomach was twisting into knots. “Don’t worry. I’ve got this.”
---
The Alpha King’s territory loomed ahead, a sharp contrast to Crescent Moon. Sleek, modern buildings towered above, their glassy surfaces gleaming in the sunlight. Everything about it screamed power and authority.
Lillian, my assistant, fidgeted nervously as we approached the main office building. She was usually calm, even lighthearted, but now her nerves were obvious.
“Are you sure about this?” she asked quietly, glancing at the imposing guards stationed outside the entrance. “I mean…it’s him.”
I ignored the doubt creeping into her voice and pressed forward. I couldn’t afford hesitation, not now.
The guards barely looked at me as we approached. Their expressions were cold, dismissive, as if our presence was a minor inconvenience.
“Alpha Rhys isn’t available for unscheduled meetings,” one of them said flatly, his tone leaving no room for argument.
“This is important,” I replied, keeping my voice firm.
But before I could say anything else, a voice I hadn’t heard in years sent ice down my spine.
“Well, if it isn’t Elara.”
Derek stepped out from the shadows, his smirk like a blade slicing through the tension. He was exactly as I’d remembered—arrogant, sharp-edged, and radiating a cruel confidence.
“Derek,” I said coldly, my wolf bristling beneath my skin.
His smirk widened as he sauntered closer, hands in his pockets, his stance screaming superiority. “Still playing the hero, I see. Coming to rescue Iris again?”
“She doesn’t need rescuing,” I bit out. “Unlike some people, she actually has dignity.”
His expression darkened for a fraction of a second before returning to his usual smug façade. “Dignity?” he repeated, barking out a laugh. “Tell me, how dignified is she now? Lying in a hospital bed, fighting to keep her wolf alive?”
I clenched my fists, forcing Lumi back as she snarled at his words. “You’re a coward,” I said evenly, meeting his gaze without flinching. “A traitor. You betrayed her and this entire pack.”
“Tsk, tsk,” he mocked, shaking his head. “Still so self-righteous. But let me give you some advice, Elara—this world doesn’t reward people like you. It rewards power. And I’m aligned with the most powerful wolf alive. You’re wasting your time here.”
I took a step closer, my voice like steel. “We'll see.”
Ignoring his smirk, I turned back to the guards. “Tell Alpha Rhys that a daughter of the Shadowlands Pack requests an audience.”
Derek’s scoff was immediate. “The Shadowlands? Please. Do you really think trading on your father’s name will get you anywhere?”
“It’s worth a try,” I said lightly, keeping my expression calm, though my heart thundered in my chest.
Lillian tugged at my arm, whispering cautiously. “You actually know him?”
“Of course,” I replied smoothly, not missing a beat. “We’ve known each other for years.”
Derek barked out a harsh, mocking laugh. “You? Friends with the Alpha King? That’s the funniest thing I’ve heard all year. Do you even know who you’re dealing with?”
Before he could continue his smug rant, one of the guards stiffened. His expression shifted to shock as he received a message through the pack link.
“Alpha Rhys will see you now,” the guard announced, his voice etched with disbelief.
I didn’t hesitate. I strode past Derek, my heart pounding harder with each step. As I passed him, I threw him a cold glance, allowing myself a faint, knowing smile.
“Rhys,” I said clearly, my voice steady, as if it wasn’t the most powerful wolf in the world I was about to face.
- Writer
