MYSTERY OF THE RED WOLF (the unwanted princess)

THE WEIGHT OF THE CROWN

CHAPTER TWO

(ALPHA KING RYDER'S POV)

He said it like it was a sin, and it was. I knew it but I couldn't stop. I didn't know when it started, I wish I knew maybe I could go back to that very moment and change everything.

I ignored his question. "She asked to marry him, she went to war, helped take down vampires, had a peace talk with the vampire king and when I asked what she wanted as a reward, she said she wanted to marry him."

The more I thought about it, the angrier I became. I really hoped I could hurt Ryan, but I couldn't, not when his death would break her.

"Marry him, Echo," I spat the words that tasted bitter on my tongue. "Give herself to him."

I threw the now empty bottle across the room and the sound of it shattering filled the room. Echo didn't even flinch.

"You love her." Echo repeated his question, still trying to process it.

He stared at me, his eyes searching for confirmation. When I nodded, his face twisted in shock, and he slapped himself.

"Are you crazy, Ryder? Since when?" he asked, his voice a mix of disbelief and concern.

"I don't know," I said, my voice barely above a whisper. "Maybe it was the day she walked in during my training, her face covered in dirt and wounds, but she stood bravely in front of my arrow." I chuckled. "Or it was when she insisted on training, despite the campaign across the Kingdom forbidding women from fighting. Or it was during her first shift, when she shifted into a gorgeous, rare red wolf. Or the way she moves on the battlefield... maybe it's the way she eats."

I smiled at the memory. "You know her dimples show when she is eating? Or maybe it's her beautiful green eyes, the way they close slightly when she laughs," I said, my voice softening. "No, it's the freckles on her skin. Have you seen the way they shine in the light?"

"Stop it, Ryder," an angry voice shattered my fantasy. "You can't love her, she is your sister." His voice rang throughout the room.

"She isn't my sister by blood, Echo," I snapped, even though I knew the reality. "She is a ward. She is under my care."

Echo sighed, leaning against his chair in defeat. "The world sees a brother, Ryder. You have raised her. To the rest of the pack, any other form of love you feel for her is a disgrace."

I let out a long sigh. He was right. To the public, it would look like grooming. I sank into my chair, my head against the wood. "I know. I have tried to kill the feeling, but I can't. That's why she will marry who she chooses.

“Rahoul died because I was selfish. I forced him to be my Beta, and it cost him everything. I can't be selfish with Lyka."

The name Rahoul hung in the air between us, bringing a familiar darkness to both our faces.

We had grown up together, children of the strongest packs were always brought to Kingston Pack, so the next King would pick his four Betas from childhood friends and also form alliances with the next Alphas. During that time, Rahoul, Echo and I became close friends, we fought side to side and always stood up for each other. When we were fourteen, we made a brotherhood pact and at eighteen, they were named my Betas, standing alongside the silent but steady Riverstax.

But Rahoul was different. He hadn't come from a noble lineage, my father had chosen him because he had sensed the strength of his wolf and the deep bond we shared. That choice made him a target. But Rahoul was better than them all, maybe better than even me.

One day Rahoul declared he was going home. I couldn't understand why he was abandoning me and ignored his pleas. "Find someone else, Ryder," he had pleaded. But I was young and stubborn, I refused to imagine a throne without him by my side.

My father was more extreme. He demanded we complete the Beta Binding Ritual immediately, a blood-oath that tied every beta wolf's soul to that of their King. After the ritual, Rahoul could leave the pack without my permission. Father then locked me in my room to ensure I wouldn't release him. By the time I broke free it was too late. He had left me one request, to protect his family. I went to find them but all I found was blood and dead bodies.

I returned to the palace, in deep grief and kept searching everywhere for answers, wondering why Rahoul's family was hunted and why they were being killed.

Everything remained a mystery but I kept searching. One year later, a girl showed up during one of my hurts. She stood right in front of my massive wolf with no fear and called me brother. She had white hair. At first, I thought she was one of my father's bastards, but in her hands was a pendant I had only ever given to Rahoul.

I brought her back and the moon birthmark on her wrist, which was identical to Rahoul's, confirmed her identity. Ten years later, she has become the most important part of me.

"Rahoul doesn't blame you, Ryder," Echo said, his voice softening. "He died to protect you. He could never hate you."

"I hope so," I whispered, reaching for a bottle of amber liquid. "That’s why I give Lyka everything. Even when it breaks me," I explained.

“Rahoul would never have wanted his sister to grow up a spoiled brat, learn to say no to her sometimes,” He said jokingly.

“Don't worry about that, she will be a married woman soon,” I replied, the words tasted like ash.

Echo’s face twisted in fury. "Are you really going through with it? Are you letting the wedding happen?"

"Yes, it is what she wants," I said, finishing my fifth bottle.

He looked at me in pity as we both drowned our bottles.

"He is returning tomorrow to claim a victory he didn't win, he is always lying, he needs to be stopped. He is not fit to lead, and he sure as hell doesn't love her," He said, his voice filled with anger and hate.

I didn't answer. I just stood up and walked out of the room.