Royal Academy: The Red Wolf Clan

Chapter 12

Salazar's POV

I push the doors to the room that I never thought I'd step foot in again. The scent of rose water and honey fills my nostrils. I stand still and look around the room as memories of days when the most damning thing to think about was what color shirt I was putting on.

Candles run across the aisle of the walkway leading up to the dark, cold fireplace ahead. i approach the king sized bed, still covered in thin purple silk, just the way she adored it.

"My dear Elianna. So much time has passed, yet this room still makes me come alive with thoughts of what could have been"

I make my way towards the fireplace and the dim light overhead shines down on the large portrait. Thin streams of cobwebs line the frame and I feel the soft rumble in my chest.

"How hard is it to keep one room!?!" I shout and the sound of scampering feet can be heard behind me. I turn to see two young women bowing deep, their bodies shaking with fear.

"Apologies alpha. Luna asked us to prioritize the young master's rooms" one girl said while lifting her head slightly to look at me. When she sees the rage there, she ducks her head down quickly.

"The room will be ready for tomorrow Salazar. Stop hassling the staff over something so trivial" Savannah walks into the room and notions for the two girls to leave. They scurry off without a backward glance and I turn back to the portrait, my breath rushing out my nostrils as I try to calm my rage.

"Savannah...."

"Do not think to tell me off for your stupid memorial. It will be done. Say nothing of it"

She walks ahead of me to stand just below the large portrait, her back straight as a needle. She turns to me, eyes glowing as she holds her wolf at bay. I take a step towards her, my right hand outstretched to cup her face. She shoves me hand away and growls loudly.

"This room shouldn't even still be here! That portrait should have burned with her body!" Savannah turns and grabs a fire poker from the ground and slashes madly at the base of the portrait.

"Savannah Stop!!" I walk over and grab the fire poker from her hands. Her eyes are now narrowed slits as she breaths heavily. She rips her clothes from her body as her bones snap and contort.

"Don't you dare..." my words trail off as Savannah's large brown wolf comes barreling towards me. I step out of her range and face her again.

"Change back Savannah! I don't want to hurt you!" Her eyes lock in on me and I could see a flicker of hurt there.

You would subdue me?!? I am your mate, you undignified bastard!

She rushes at me again but this time I don't move. I stand in my position as she lunges forward, canines protruding out her mouth. Her body hits a invisible shield infront of me and she crumbles to the ground. She struggles to her feet and shakes her head before looking at me again.

You still wear it?! You told me you destroyed it!

I reach into my shirt and pull out the gold medallion. I run my thumb over it gently before replacing it beneath my shirt.

"I would be a fool to get rid of something so powerful, so useful. Shift back before you hurt yourself Savannah. We're done here"

"Don't dismiss me! I am this pack's Luna!"

"Then act like one. I already told you, all of this is necessary for a greater purpose! Shift back, now!" I use my alpha voice and she whimpers before walking over to the side silently. A resounding pop could be heard before she steps out clutching her clothing to her naked body.

" I will never forgive you for using that tone with me. You can sleep in here with your precious w***e!"

She brushes past me and the sound of loud gasps in the hallway followed by her shouting commands for the help to get her fresh clothing echoes through the house. I sigh deeply and pinch the bridge of my nose before looking up at the portrait once more.

My eyes land on the brilliant diamond encased within the moon and star pendant lying low on her chest. I narrow my eyes and step closer to the painting. The pendant seems different from the one I remember her wearing. This one was encased in a yellow gold inlay, while the one I recall her wearing was pure white gold. I pull out my phone to look through the photos I have and zoom in on one with Elianna and Orion at a banquet we held when he was just three years old. Indeed, the pendant was encased in white gold as it hung from her neck. I looked up at the portrait again, trying to remember when it was put up there.

The sound of a soft knock behind me has me turning to see my beta standing there. He bows deep before holding forward an envelope. I walk towards him and take it, turning it over in my hand. The Rostover crest is embellished onto a red wax seal behind it. I break the seal and open the letter held inside.

Alpha Salazar,

My family will be at your residence for the memorial tomorrow as per our agreed custom. We look forward to another successful ceremony, without deter.

Regards

Stefano Rostover

I close the letter and replace it in the envelope before exiting the room, closing the door behind me. Time to put on my game face. The pack's future rested on this memorial going smoothly tomorrow. Nothing will go wrong this year, nothing.

Rosalie's POV

"Mom..." I walk up to Orion's side and shoot my mother a look but she doesn't let up.

"Your royal fae blood is one of the purest that lived the earth. The Rostover family has survived many fae kings and queens. Your maternal lineage is left with you to continue and you...you chose to roam about with a rogue pack?" my mother looks at Orion without so much as a glimmer of shame by what she was doing and I couldn't let her continue. I move to step between my parents and Orion but a hand grabs my arm to push me back to my original place.

I look up to see Orion's face, an unchanging mask just like my mother's. A growl has us looking to my father who was glaring at Orion's hand on mine. Orion let's my arm go and clears his throat.

"With all due respect Luna, you may know my bloodline, but you do not know me. You don't get to judge me or the choices I've made. My mother, was the only family I ever had and she raised me to be the man I am now. So believe me when I say, disappointed, is a far cry from what her thoughts about my current state would be" Orion doesn't show even a speck of fear as both my parents look at him.

"Dude's got some major balls" I hear Liam say behind us followed by Gigi humming her agreement.

"That being said, I still think you should at least attend her memorial" my mother says and this time she gets a reaction from Orion. His face contorts into confusion as he suddenly reaches up to clutch at the pendant at his chest.

"M-memorial? What memorial?!" Orion questions and my mother lifts an envelope towards him. Orion reaches up a shaky hand and looks at it for a while before opening it and removing the paper inside. His hand crumples the paper as his body begins to shake and vibrate.

"Orion?" I call out to him.

Suddenly and bright flash envelopes him and a yellow stream of light surrounds his body. The floor beneath us begins to shake and the bed and furniture in the room start shifting and shaking.

"Rosa move away from him!" I hear my father call out but at the same time Orion turns to me, eyes glowing. He takes a step towards me, when a vase comes flying towards his head. It shatters on impact with the yellow shield and I turn to look at the source. Caleb and Liam both point at Gigi who rolls her eyes and takes a step forward.

"Gigi, don't!" I say but a loud deafening roar escapes Orion sending Gigi slamming into the twins behind her. He turns back towards me and my parents who both step up beside me.

"This kid gonna go all kamakaze on us?" my dad asks and mother shoots him a sideways glance that has him becoming serious once more. My mother reaches into her jacket to take out a small vial with a clear blue liquid.

"Mom, what's that?" I ask but she doesn't answer me. Orion is looking at the vial now and it seems to piss him off even more. He raises an arm over his head and them points it towards us. Streams of light shoot at us like lightening bolts making us scatter out the door and behind the walls of the room.

The door splinters into pieces while large gaping holes appear in the walls. I look over to see both my parents are unharmed. My father however is now properly pissed as his eyes glow and he shakes his head as Gareth pushes to come forward.

"No Reed. We cannot harm him" my mother calms down my father and then moves to enter the room again. My father grabs her hand and they exchange a look before she heads back in the room. I follow closely behind, looking on as Orion is now facing Gigi and the twins in their wolf forms.

"Jax , Rio, stand down!" my mother shouts and Gigi looks over to me. I nod and walk up infront my parents who both reach out to grab a shoulder each.

"Rosa..."

"Rosie..." they say at once and I turn to take the vial from my mother's hand. I turn back just as Gigi slides a blade over to me. Orion follows that movement and locks eyes with me once more. I bend down to grasp the blade, keeping my eyes on him.

"I'm not going to hurt you. This will just....uhhh...mom? What is this going to do?" I ask and my mother groans behind me.

" It would suppress his power temporarily. Next time don't just take over on a whim"

I could feel her staring a hole in my head but I nod and look back to Orion who was looking at the blade I now pointed at him. I follow his gaze and sheath the blade at my waist before holding up my hands for him to see that I'm unarmed. I dangle the vial between my fingers before taking a deep breath.

"I'm sorry, but you need to dowse that flame" I throw the vial at him and everyone stands stick still as he catches it just before it hit the ground at his feet.

"Jesus Christ Rosalie" my father groans as the vial suddenly explodes in Orion's hand. Thick blue smoke spreads and engulfs him as he cries out. I move to go towards him but a hand on my shoulder stops me. I turn to see my mother who shakes her head before nodding to my father.

"Oh my god he's naked!" Gigi gasps and my father rushes forward while removing his t-shirt. My mother turns me completely to her while I hear the twins shift back and scuffle to block Gigi's line of vision.

When my mother's hold on me loosens, I turn to see Orion propped on my father's shoulder, slumped over and unconscious. He was going to have one hell of a headache when he wakes up.