MYSTERY OF THE RED WOLF (the unwanted princess)

CHAPTER ONE (ALPHA KING RYDER'S POV) "Are you sure, green eyes?" I said as I looked into her eyes, silently pleading. "I can promise you anything in the world. Why this?" My voice was desperate. "Yes I am very sure, that's all I want." She replied eagerly and my blood in anger, but I forced a professional smile onto my face, masking my feelings as always. "Then your wish is granted," I said, my voice firm but cold. "I will declare your marriage." She smiled happily, unaware of the storm brewing inside me. "Thank you, Your Highness," she said, jumping up and down happily. I dismissed her and turned to leave, I needed to escape, to find a place where I could hide and maybe cry. But she was next to me in a flash, her fingers brushing against my shoulder lightly, I clenched my fist, trying to contain the feelings her touch aroused in me. ‘Keep it together Gefahr, she doesn't love you,’ I warned my wolf as I turned to face her. She stood there, looking up at me, her lips pouted innocently. ‘May be we can kiss her, she won't push us away’ ‘Shut up Gefahr’ I hissed at my wolf in my head. Lyka tightened her grip on my hand, "Can you do me another favor?" she asked with caution, her voice soft and sweet. I raised an eyebrow, "Another one?" I asked in shock. "Please, I beg you," she continued, her voice pleading. "I simply wish to hide my identity a bit longer." My shocked expression must have betrayed me, because she began to beg. "Please, please... I am begging you. Handsome, please." I sighed and I quickly withdrew my hand from her grasp. "Why? This is the perfect opportunity to reveal yourself, Lyka. Everyone is praising the Red Wolf and the girl in the mask. I am sure they wouldn't mind that you are a girl. And even if they did, I will kill them before they hurt you." Lyka stamped her foot, and looked at me like I was a fool. "You don't understand," she said stubbornly. "I don't want to use my influence to trap Ryan. I know he loves me, but I want to be in a happy relationship with him. This would break his ego, you know how he is." She held onto me begging. Of course I know exactly how Ryan was. That bastard would never accept being outshined by a woman, not even the one he claimed to love. I sighed inwardly, my anger just below the surface. "As you wish," I said dismissively, wanting to escape before I did or said something I would later regret. Lyka's face lit up, and she jumped up and down in excitement. "Thank you, Uncle Ryder!" I grated my teeth at the title. "Uncle" it sounded like an insult considering the thoughts that ran through my mind at her sight. I banged the door shut as I left to find something to keep me sane. “If you don't like Ryan, why did you agree to their marriage?” I turned to face Echo, my jaw clenched in frustration. His wise brown eyes seemed to bore into me, I knew he could sense my feelings and anger. Echo was more than just my Beta, he was my childhood friend, the one person who knew me better than anyone. In the Kingston pack, I had four Betas, each assigned an area to rule. The areas were called circles, Beta Carter's Circle, Beta Kale's Circle, Beta Riverstax's Circle and finally The King's Circle. Each Circle was designed like a pack and each Beta oversaw the small issues, but the big issues were brought to the King's Circle. Echo Gray Millers was my Beta in the King's Circle and also the one who oversaw all issues with me in the entire kingdom. We had grown up together, but even he did not know my secret. I hated their relationship because I loved her. “She loves him,” I answered as I picked up the glass of amber liquid from the table. I swilled the liquid, admiring it before I tossed it in my mouth, feeling it burn down my throat, and laughed. "She fuckin loves him," I repeated, the words feeling like acid in my mouth. "He is not even her mate, but she can burn the world for him. What is so special about him?" I slammed the glass down, grabbing the bottle instead. Echo tried to intervene, but I shoved him away. "His wolf was weak, but he wanted to be a general," I spat, the words filled with venom. "She searched the dark forest to get him the cure. He lied about his sick mother, and without even confirming it, she left the pack to find a witch to heal her." I banged the bottle on the table, the sound echoing through the room. "He wanted to be a Beta, she took the lightning strikes for him, she endured fifty-five strokes of lightning just so he would pass the test." My voice cracked, the pain raw. Gefahr was clawing at my mind with rage. ‘Kill him, and he will be gone,’ he whispered. I bit my jaw, trying to resist the urge. ‘She will hate us.’ I warned my stupid wolf. ‘She will forgive us,’ he growled. ‘She is just blind, and thinks she owes him for saving her back then. Let me kill him,’ he begged, his anger burning through me, I felt my body temperature rise. The liquid in the bottle began to boil, the glass threatening to shatter. I clenched my fists and held onto the chair. The smell of burning wood filled the air as the chair handle turned to ash under my grip. Echo gasped beside me, the sound snapping me back to reality, but he wasn't shocked by my reactions, but rather by my words. "You know?" he asked, his voice filled with a mix of shock and accusation. "Then why did you make him Beta? Ryan Kales isn't fit to be a leader. I always wanted to tell you…” he drifted off. I knew what he wanted to say. I looked at him, a bittersweet smile spreading across my face. Of course, I knew I was there. I tended to her wounds later. She was sick for days after enduring the lightning trials for him. And that bastard, Ryan, didn't even bother to show up. I think he thought she would die. But she survived, I tended to her day and night. When he finally showed his face, all she asked of me was to make him Beta. "I have always known Echo. I am the king," I said, my voice weak from defeat. His eyes narrowed. "Then why, why did you make him Beta? He cheated throughout the test." He said in disbelief. "For her," I said, my voice barely above a whisper. "I did it just to make her happy." I tossed back what had remained of the boiling liquid, the burn a welcome distraction. Echo didn't stop me as I reached for another bottle. Instead, he picked up a bottle for himself. His mind was racing, I could see it in his eyes, he looked like he had just solved a complex puzzle. He turned to me. "You love her."