The Alpha King's Wrath

60 Archaic

Chris

'I think your brother broke your mate?' Ryker links out of the blue.

The banister underhand groans in protest from the added pressure of my grip as I grit my teeth.

'What!?' I clip back. Jace gives me a sideways look but takes the hint and deflects any incoming people in our direction. 'Is she okay?'

'She's crying... but so is he,' Ryker pauses. I can't help but scrunch up my face because of this twist of events.

Of all the time for whatever the fuck is going on, why now?!

Just as I turn to storm outside, Jess links me.

'Chris?' she whispers, like she's afraid to bother me.

'Yeah baby?' I link back, frozen in place.

'Can you link Mack, I'm a lil' haywire and I think she's got Ryker on permanent block.' She sounds okay, just drained.

'Of course, what's wrong?' I instantly reply.

'Just had a heart-to-heart with your drunk brother... I'm tired, but he needs a babysitter, and you're busy. Can you ask her to come out back?' Jess replies.

I cringe at the thought of their heart to heart, imagining what it might have entailed. After Jess was taken by Dimitri, Derek took off with his best Guardians to try and find a way to pull her out. He was gone for days, sending reports back with Guardians as they swapped out, but he refused to leave...

I'm not sure what happened but he came back a bear and refused to speak about it.

Derek and I had one of his heart-to-hearts when Jess was recovering in the hospital. He felt guilty for not being able to get her out of there sooner. He never told me what he saw but by the way he'd tense up and the troubled look in his eyes, it wasn't good.

If that was what he talked to Jess about, then that's the last thing she needs right now.

'Stay put, I'm coming-'

'Chris I promise I'm okay. In a way it was good to clear the air. His timing like usual sucked,' she says with a laugh. 'Really, I just want to be well rested for tonight, and being around him like this, unfiltered, has given me a headache. I'm going straight upstairs and to bed.'

'The moment anything changes-'

'I will link you,' she finishes for me. 'Just send Mack, cause I left him with Ryker and we don't need those two beat to shit.'

'Good point, sleep well baby.'

I close the link and send Mack out there before turning back to the chaos around us. Jace looks at me to ask if everything's okay and I simply nod before walking back downstairs to join him.

"I don't suppose there's some form of eloping for coronations," he teases, mischief sparkling in his grey eyes.

"Fuck, I wish" I groan.

The day includes constant updates of who is coming into the territory, where they're going, who they brought with them, etc. Garrick, Aiden, and Mitch all make a good show of force, hopefully persuading trouble makers that this isn't the event to choose.

Finally, I get the heads up about the party I'm most concerned about. Caimen has crossed the border, but only his mate and Guardian Sadie join him on their way in. Their broad smiles are in stark contrast to the weary side eye that the palace wolves and even some of the visiting packs are casting. Eric promptly walks over and greets them, having formed a strong alliance with the man when he allowed several rogues into his pack.