"...when a man is denied to live the life he believes in, he has no choice but to become an outlaw." - Nelson Mandela
Werewolf Kingdom
Romanov Estate/Castle
The King's Chamber
Fyrrah's POV
"Not guilty, your highness." I scowled at him, standing in front of his desk with my hands on my waist.
He sighed, exasperated, "You destroyed one-eight of the property of the Moonlight Pack. I can't let you go that easily."
"You listen to me Alpha King Alessio Samael Romanov because I am going to say this only once." My temper flared, "I can't access fire! Why do you think I'm an outcast, travelling alone?! So your idea of me being a damn arsonist is ridiculous!"
He breathed deeply, eyeing me with an unknown emotion flashing in his eyes. It borders between pain and pity. Well, I don't need one. He brought me in his office right after we arrived to discuss my situation. Now he is accusing me of burning one-eight of Alpha Luces' property. He remained silent, contemplating the situation.
"Look, if I really can I would've made you 'fried Alessio' by now. I'm only relying on my bow and arrows for protection so it's impossible for me to start the fire." I stated calmly.
"But that doesn't mean I would let you go that fast. Remember Fyrrah, it's because of you that they are there. You didn't start the fire yes, but you started a riot. In our kingdom." If it wasn't for my anger stopping me, I would have kissed him senseless hearing him say my name like that. Like a lover's caress under the moonlight. I ignored his emphasis on 'our' because I damn well know this is their kingdom.
"How do you know they're waiting for me there? What if they're protecting something? Hiding something?" I taunted, which is not a good idea seeing his jaws tightly clenched and eyes darkening.
"My men are loyal to their king." He growled, rejecting the idea that someone in his pack or kingdom would dare protect outsiders without telling him.
I chuckled darkly, despising the word 'loyalty'. "Funny how I thought the same thing before. Look where that got me, almost dying and fighting for survival everyday. Don't reason loyalty with me because I know what shit that word can bring." I spat, all I can see was red. Reliving the memories does that to me, my already red eyes darkened and consumed even the whites of my eyes. Before anything can happen further I released a sharp breath, enough to lighten my eyes and the uneven bulges on the surface of my skin to disappear.
He was in front of me in an instant, gently cupping my face with his hands and rubbing his thumb across my cheeks. He kept murmuring 'I'm sorry' while his face was burried in my hair, calming my overly active nerves. His woodsy scent with a mix of pine and fresh rain, minus the perfume which smells manly, made me forget why I was angry in the first place. The door suddenly opened, hitting the wall with a loud bang and a very gorgeous woman with a very angry expression entered the room. She looks ready to kill and another two wolves appeared, trying to stop the raging mother hen. Alessio lifted his head, growling a warning when he saw the woman striding across the room towards us. I think I already have an idea what's happening. Judging at how gorgeous this man beside me looks, with the power and strength to conquer an entire kingdom alone I can picture thousands of women falling on their knees for him. Typical.
I tried to step away from Alessio but he held me tight looking at the girl murderously while holding me protectively. He kissed my temple with a purr making me roll my eyes. His hands travelled down to my waist to keep me still. Freakin' caveman.
"What is this, Alessio?!" The woman screeched, making me wince. This is one of the times I curse having enhanced supernatural hearing.
Alessio, sensing my distress, snarled with dominance leaking out of every pore in his skin. "That's Alpha King to you."
I saw the woman gulped, but hiding her fear nevertheless with burning determination. "Who is she? What is she doing here?"
One of the wolves who entered after her rolled his eyes, "That's none of your business, Samantha. I suggest you get out before he does something I'm sure you wouldn't like." He radiates power, something lesser than Alessio's but still full of authority. He's a beta, for sure. His dominance is far greater than Alpha Luces's, as well as the man beside him with his arms crossed.
"I have the right to know! I'm going to be your future Luna so I need to know whose this girl whoring around and seducing my fiancé." She said proudly, making me shiver in disgust at her dark aura. And me whoring around? Yeah, and pigs fly.
"You want her out, little elf?" Alessio asked, barely containing his rage. I nodded, warily looking at the dark aura which was starting to spread throughout the room. This aura is almost as dark as Leo's when I began to understand the real world. They are always coated with a thin layer of silver before a black gas leaks out when you start to notice their real color. "Leave, Samantha. You will never be my Luna so get the hell out of here. If I ever see you in my quarters again I will not hesitate to kill you." He said menacingly, staring at the frightened girl.
"You're choosing that whore over m---?!" Before she can finish she was up against the wall with Alessio cutting off her supply of air using his bare hands. She was struggling to breathe and prying off his hands on her throat. I stood there, stunned.
"She's mine! MINE ALONE!" He growled furiously, I appeared beside him instantly after I recovered from the shock. He relaxed when I held his other hand and threw her across the room, near the wooden double doors. "Anthony, escort her out." He said coldly.
The guy crossing his arms drag her out, closing the door with a simple 'I'll be back' and I was left with Alessio and the other man who smiled warmly at me.
"What was that?" I asked. "Is she one of your conquests, Alpha Pervy?" I wiggled my eyebrows as he chuckled.
"I don't have conquests, little elf."
The other man grinned, "Yeah, he's a grumpy hermit."
I feigned shock, "And here I thought he's a caveman!"
Alessio growled playfully at me while the doofus laughed his arse out. "Little elf, that idiot over there is my beta, Tristan Carter. And the other man earlier is my gamma, Anthony James. He will be guarding you starting today."
My jolly mood earlier turned dark, Tristan must've sensed it because he stopped then stared at me clenching my fist tightly. I moved away from Alessio glaring daggers at the both of them who seemed uncomfortable under my scrutinizing gaze. "What's my punishment for burning one-eight of the Moonlight Territory, Alpha?" I asked expectantly emphasizing 'punishment' and 'burning'.
"I'm thinking about it." His tone was of dismissal, gesturing the seat beside his desk but I refused to move.
"Coming with you willingly is one thing, others will have to fight me to death before I give in. But having me under your watch with guards is another thing! It's not like I'm going to kill everyone in this castle!" Tristan was about to butt in but I growled, stopping him. "You will not assign guards to watch over me." I stated icily.
Alessio's eyes darkened, "I will." He taunted.
"Will not."
"Will to."
"Then I'm leaving! I have more important things to do than sit here and chat with you." I opened the door but a hand stopped me from escaping, forcing the door close again.
"You will not leave me." He ordered making my anger rise up more.
"Yes, I will." I taunted.
Tristan smiled teasingly at us, "You're bickering like an old married couple." I glared at him.
"Sit down, Fyrrah. You aren't leaving." He pulled me down to his lap when we reached his swivel chair, trapping me with his muscular arms around me. One thing I know is that when he calls me Fyrrah instead of Little Elf, he's completely serious or pissed.
"I need to save my sister, Alessio. I know Alpha Luces told you that." I reasoned with him.
He nodded, "I know, that's why half of my best trackers were already out there tracing back your attackers' scents." Half of his best trackers? Why would he do that? I made myself comfortable, leaning my head on his chest. His lips graced my forehead with a light kiss and he turned to Tristan. "What do you want to tell me earlier?"
The beta sighed and sat down with a grave expression, "There has been an attack last night, Alpha. Two casualties, the rogues targetted the teenage campers in the western borders. I've sent five men to assess the situation after the reported attack and to take care of the affected families."
Alessio breathed deeply, momentarily inhaling my scent before turning his darkened eyes back to Tristan, "And?"
"The scent...disappeared." A low growl was heard from the Alpha King's chest. Not being able to know who killed two of your subjects and not knowing who were the ones your kingdom needs proctecting from must've been agonizing. Especially without evidences to help find them. "They're using something to mask their scent. Without scent we can't track them. They seemed pretty good in erasing their tracks."
While the two of them discussed, I began putting pieces of the puzzles together. Yesterday, I learned that one of my attackers was a rogue wolf. It seemed pretty unusual that a rogue would team up with elves to kill me, I've never hurt any wolf before nor killed one. The attack last night must've happened after the ambush because I know Alessio wouldn't leave his castle that fast once knowing there has been a rogue attack. The masking of scent... only witches can do that and sometimes elves with the power to weild magic and a proper training. What if Leo's really working with rogue wolves now? I remember a potion being used by his men. Someone must've planned these consecutive attacks, where two people would benefit. One, Leo. The other? Who else would want Alessio fail? The rogues must be. They can't attack with Alessio in his castle because he would run straight to the battlefield and they can't risk being seen... killed, rather. So why not devise a plan to lead him away for a short while and do the deed? The distraction must've been me, making me feel guilty. Leo purposely kidnapped my sister for his plan of overthrowing two kings. She's a pawn, as well as I. He lost two of his people dealing with someone unimportant. With Alessio being known as a ticking time bomb and the ruthless, cold-hearted alpha king alive Leo must be celebrating right now, expecting me to be already buried six feet under the ground. Well, too bad because I was stuck with the ruthless and cold-hearted Alpha well and alive, who clings to me like a koala bear claiming a damn tree as his territory.
Sometimes, I really hate thinking. Especially when you think too much and didn't notice others staring expectantly at you and when you snap out of it all you can do is raise an eyebrow and ask, "What?"
Tristan chuckled, amused. "You're spacing out, kitten. Alessio's been asking you if you want to come."
I noticed Anthony's already inside, playing with his golden dagger. "Where?" I asked again.
"Western Border. I want to check the area myself." Alessio answered.
I beamed excitedly, "YES!" I was already out before they could react. My bow and arrows in place and waiting impatiently at the castle doors. The guards were taken aback at how I magically appeared in front of them. After five minutes of waiting the three of them started walking down the majestic staircase as if they're gods of olympus descending down on earth. I groaned impatiently, making Anthony and Tristan chuckle while Alessio remained looking annoyed while staring at me intently. He held me tight when he reached me, head placed in the crook of my neck.
"Don't do that again, little elf." He murmured while I furrowed my eyebrows in confusion. "Don't run away like that again without me. Damn, who knows what's waiting down here, what if---"
I started walking away with my hands covering my pointy ears, "I'm sorry! I can't hear you!" I giggled at his angry expression, "What was that again??"
He grumbled under his breath before smacking Anthony in the back of his head who was laughing at him. Tristan shook his head in amusement before getting inside the car. We followed him and he drove all the way to the small clearing overlooking the sea. There were destroyed tents and the place was littered with things, both broken and undamaged. The dead bodies were nowhere to be seen, probably having been cleaned by the men sent by Tristan but the air was thick with agony and death. Seeing the tensed wolves beside me it's pretty clear that they can smell it. The stale of death may go unnoticed as the years passed but it's still there, lingering, tapping your shoulders. I looked around the clearing, you can't erase a track without leaving one. There has to be something, waiting to be found. There's no crime without evidence, the universe always makes sure of that. As I walked in circles, I found none on the forest floor but when I looked up I smirked, found it.