chapter three
1150 Words
Alex recovered from his shock first and leaned one shoulder on the wall.
"Fate has brought us together again it seems." He smirked.
"You're in trouble again I see. The Alpha has held you hostage? If not what are you doing in his chambers."
He lifted one perfect eyebrow.
"Are you his mistress?"
She did nothing to indicate she even heard him.
"No no, you can't be the Alpha's mistress or anyone else's for that matter. You'd scare them away. Not me though, for I am stronger than steel itself."
He beat on his chest in exaggerated bravado as he said the last part.
As she took two steps closer to him her expression was like that of a tired angry woman who just entered motherhood with quadruplets. And all four children are crying at the same time.
"Leave."
And with that message passed she turned to go away.
But he held her hand.
No sooner than his skin had made contact with hers did he see twelve of her soldiers surround him each with his weapon aimed at his throat waiting for an order from their Alpha to execute.
But she was transfixed as she stared into the eyes of the person who had effectively managed to turn himself into a pest in the short amount of time she knew him. But this time it was wonder in her eyes as she gazed into the blue bottomless depths of his eyes.
She finally snapped out of her trance and motioned the guards to step away from him.
She looked down to her left arm where his hand was still firmly attached to hers and to the odd-looking ring he had slipped onto her index finger and looked back at him.
She said one word.
"Go."
Although thankfully he let go of her hand and left the room without uttering a word, she couldn't make out what had happened to her when he touched her, but the one thing she did know was that it mustn't happen again.
"Angus."
Her most trusted warrior whom she had upon the ascending of the throne made Beta come forward at the mention of his name which was more like a whisper.
"My King."
He said dutifully as she had ordered all her subjects to, and bowed before her.
"Rise."
She tried removing the ring off her index finger but it wasn't coming off.
"This is…..?"
She raised her left hand. And showed it to him.
His eyes widened slightly before answering.
"It's a ring porto, the last of its kind."
He watched as she continued to try to remove it.
"Don't bother your majesty." He said and she stilled in her movements.
"A Porto is a sign of bond. A man who has it gives it to his cára. You can't take it off."
"What?"
"It seems you have found your-"
"Silence."
He stopped mid-sentence as he heard her calm voice knowing her enough to know another word could get him demoted or worse.
She motioned to two more men, and they advanced towards her.
Her eyes were void of any emotion when she said
"Kill him."
She heard someone rhythmically tap twice at her door.
"Come."
The door was opened by the footman who announced that the gamma requested an audience with her.
The second time the door opened and slowly closed she heard him limping in on one good leg and a wooden one. She didn't see the need to turn to face him, she already knew all she wanted to know about him.
"My Queen. I must first apologize for the unwelcome atmosphere you were faced with when you arrived. You see, never in the history of our kind has a-"
"A what?"
She cut him off daring him to complete his sentence.
"A…. a unique person like yourself rules a pack, and Antarti pack, the giants of packs as we are usually referred to as, is just ah…. Uncertain as to how to help you in order not to wear you out."
"You think me incapable."
"No...no uh…yes."
"I will rule my people as I deem fit I don't need your advice. Do you have any other thing you think my attention should be brought to?"
"Yes, my Queen. Even during times of war and disputes when a footman is given a message to be taken to the other party the life of the messenger is-"
"Are you reprimanding me…gamma?"
She added his title at the end of her sentence to remind him he was beneath her and she could change his status at any time.
"N-no Alpha. Never. All I just wish to say is that he hasn't done anything that warrants death.
She moved away from the window where she had been all through the conversation in precise steps opened the door to the balcony and moved there.
"Do not question my decision."
"I served your father and his father before him."
No wonder he's falling apart. She thought.
"Another word that isn't to my liking and you'll find that you will not be serving any more Alphas. And if I find out that you have a hand in the fact that my soldiers are yet to come back, you will be sorry."
"Forgive me Alpha, all I wished to say was-"
"And all I wish to hear is the sound of the door closing when you leave this room."
He bowed as best as he could on a wooden leg and made to leave.
"One more thing. A queen gets her title by marrying. A queen is second to a king. I did not get here because of a man and I answer to no one. Is that clear?"
"Yes…my King."
"Dismissed."
She hated talking when it was completely unnecessary.
She looked at her palms elegant long fingers placed on the terrace, the fingers that weren't meant to know how to wield a weapon and she quickly straightened up and clasped them behind her back.
She felt the ring on her finger. Just as she had every minute ever since it had adorned her finger.
It had been a day since she sent soldiers after him and she hadn't heard anything from them, nothing to inform whether the job was done or yet to be done.
She concluded it was the latter since she hadn't heard a word.
Looking at the ring on her finger and thought to herself while twirling the ring around her finger.
"How hard is it to kill a mere footman."
Then she realised what she was doing; twirling the ring. Perhaps It was finally ready to come off then. She gave it a firm tug. Stuck. Another one still stuck she groaned in frustration and marched off to the fireplace where a blazing fire had been started to warm the room.
She would melt the thing off if she had to.
- Writer
