Alpha Lance

Chapter 3 - The contract

Lance’s POV

The next day Johnathan and I arrive early to the meeting, eager to learn about what my grandfather Lycan King Alexander Worthing had supposedly done on my behalf. No one else had arrived yet, but my brother Alex soon arrived along with his officers.

“Do you have any idea why we’re here?” I ask Alex, unable to keep my curiosity to myself as we take seats near each other around the great conference table.

“Actually, I do,” Alex informs me with a smug looking smile. “Grandfather made a mating alliance contract on your behalf with Princess Calliope of Rising Moon. I believe we are here for you to meet your mate.”

I couldn’t speak for nearly a minute.

“That doesn’t make any sense,” I nearly sputter in shock and confusion when I finally find my voice again. “Why would the king of Rising Moon be willing to make a mating alliance for his daughter with a simple alpha? And not with you, the kingdoms heir?”

Alex just shrugs his shoulders in reply, but I get the idea that his wolf Rain must have known more since there was a rumor that he had the gift of prophecy. I was about to demand more information out of him, but suddenly the rest of the meetings attendees began to arrive. None of whom were Princess Calliope, since they were all male wolves with the exception of our mother Amelia and the Queen Luna of Rising Moon. I felt a bit disappointed over that fact, despite having mixed feelings over the idea of taking a chosen mate, especially one chosen by a grandfather who had only acknowledged my existence once or twice that I can recall.

What if I don’t like this Princess Calliope? Maybe she’s ugly? Or a spoiled rotten brat who despises Bull Run and all my pack members? Or worse, maybe I do like her but she doesn’t want me. There is every chance that this could all end badly.

Relax, bro, Alex whispers in my head and startling me. I had forgotten that he can mind link any member of our kingdom if they are within a couple miles radius of him. You look like you’re ready to bolt from the room. But Rain was pretty sure you and the Princess liked each other, or he wouldn’t have suggested the match to Grandfather.

Wait, WHAT? My mind literally exploded with a million new questions. What do you mean YOU suggested this match thing to grandfather? And when I did I meet this princess?

Alex only raises his hand to stop my questions as dad introduces us to the Rising Moon Lycan King and Queen Luna.

Lycan King Henry Jordanne of Rising Moon is a tall and robust middle aged Lycanthrope, his nearly black hair greying slightly at the temple and the beginning of crows feet around his eyes the only sign that he is no longer in the prime of his youth. His grey eyes are sharp and calculating, taking notice of everything in the room in a single glance. He shakes hands with both Alex and I before taking a seat.

Queen Luna Allison is the complete opposite of her mate. She appears to be much younger than her mate, looking almost ethereal as an angel with her slight build, pale complexion, and her platinum blond hair and eyes the pale blue-ish green color of glaciers. I can’t help but wonder how closely this beautiful creature might resemble her daughter.

Wait… I think I do recall meeting this woman once before. A very long time ago. And a cute little girl named Callie. I remember trying to impress Callie with a silly spoon trick during a really boring state dinner. I had made her laugh. She had a sweet laugh, so I started telling her every silly joke that I knew at the time. I was unaccountably sad when her mother came and told her it was time to go back to their room for the night.

Are Callie and Princess Calliope the same person? If so, I do recall the girl with fondness. Not that it matters since I fully intend to find my fated mate and have no intention of taking a mate chosen for me.

Now that introductions are done and everyone is seated, we are all given a copy of the contract to read. I try to skim through it quickly, but in the meantime King Henry begins to read out loud the most pertinent sections of the contract.

“As you can see here in section 3, paragraph 7, my daughter Princess Calliope Marie Jordanne of Rising Moon is to take Prince Lance Johnathan Hart of the Emerald Kingdom as her chosen mate on the first full moon after her 21st birthday,” Henry intones, obviously well versed in its contents. “Before which time the Emerald Kingdom is to have already been split into two kingdoms, and all wolf packs south of the Columbia River will have been formed into the Sapphire Kingdom, and are to be thereafter qruled by Lycan King Lance and Queen Luna Calliope. Failure to establish the Sapphire Kingdom before the Princess’s 21st birthday will result in Princess Calliope Marie Jordanne being mated instead to Prince Alexander Leonard Hart within one month of him becoming Lycan King of the Emerald Kingdom, or another suitable replacement with her father’s blessing.”

“Wait a moment, I wasn’t aware of that last part of the contract!” Dad interrupts, looking over in shock at Alex and I, and then back at King Henry.

“It was worked out between your predecessor and I just hours before his unfortunate ‘accident’,” Henry claims, addressing our dad. “And all of our signatures and the date are on the original document here in my hands if you don’t believe me. Your esteemed father-in-law told me his intention was to split the kingdom between yourself and him as some sort of gesture towards reconciliation with you and his daughter, and to provide a more equal inheritance to his heirs. He must not have had a chance to tell you so before his death.”

“Oh,” dad replies, taking the offered original contract and studying it for several minutes before handing it back. “It does appear to be legitimate.”

“And meanwhile, ladies and gentlemen, my daughter’s 21st birthday is in just a few weeks,” Henry informs us, looking extremely pleased as he places the precious contract back into his briefcase. “Therefore you have 27 days until the next full moon to either split the kingdom per the conditions of this contract so that Prince Lance will be eligible to become her mate, or Lycan King Alexander must step up. In either case, we have a mating ceremony worthy of a Queen Luna to plan in a very short time frame.”

“What if we manage to find a replacement groom in time? Alex asks shrewdly. “I’m already betrothed to Princess Lana of Provo. I’d hate to break that off.”

“You obviously didn’t hear the latest news about your fiancé,” Henry laughs, shaking his head.

“This morning we were informed that Princess Lana found her fated mate last night as soon as she completed her first shift,” mom breaks into the conversation with the news. “I’m sorry, sweetheart!”

“So that is no longer an obstacle,” Henry tells us with a far too smug expression on his face. “While I suppose finding a replacement groom is a possibility as per the contract, you might also recall that I have to give my blessing to the substitute. And that is highly unlikely unless you can somehow find me another single Lycan King that also pleases my daughter. Good day, gentlemen. I’ll be speaking to you again shortly, I’m sure.”

And with that, we all shake hands with the Canadian Lycan king, and then he leaves us along with his entire retinue.

“We obviously have a lot to discuss,” dad claims as the door shuts. He suggests that we all return to our seats.

Meanwhile I send a quick text to my staff in Bull Run, telling them not to expect me home today as originally planned. Obviously this is going to take a while!