PROWESS. (COMPLETED)

Chapter 73

(Please read my note at the bottom guys!)

Brody stands guard by the window, contemplating the fight he and Jones had been in earlier. As of right now, Brody waited in the study to which he'd been shown by a palace official, only compliant in the knowledge that Kellen was in the next room. 

He'd known Kellen since they were kids, they'd grown up together, but he'd never seen him act the way he'd been for the last few days. Kellen had been pushing the boundaries of Brody's patience and understanding more than ever.

Brody frequently had to remind himself that Kellen was not himself. In fact, he was behaving like he used to in his bachelor days when he had a new maid in his bed every other night, and Kellen's behaviour had very nearly ended their friendship then.

Brody knew himself to be in out of his depth and felt relieved that he once again had Jones nearby to advise. If Jones hadn't been protecting Anastasia at the training ground, Brody knew he wouldn't have been able to handle Kellen on his own. Brody didn't like feeling like he was in over his head, it made him question his job and ability to succeed at it, which until now he'd barely managed to keep a lid on.

Don't be so hard on yourself inputs Jones. Jones had been shadowing the back of Brody's thoughts, keeping tabs on the situation at the palace. Brody had tried to reverse the connection to gain access to Jones' mind and by extension see what Anastasia had been doing since running from the fight with Kellen. However, Jones wouldn't allow him access.  Stay focused on your own charge, says Jones replying to the question in Brody mind.

I want to know exactly what is going on. Kellen doesn't know and neither do any of the other royals. Anastasia might know...? Asks Brody hopefully. The question falls flat between the two minds, Jones doesn't respond.

It suddenly occurred to Brody that Jones had been a lot more reticent than usual during his placement as Miss Wolfe's bodyguard. Brody doesn't hide the thought, hoping it might prompt a reply. It doesn't.

Sighing, Brody turns away from the window as the two Kings enter the room. "Your Majesties" bows Brody respectfully. Brody catches himself and resisted asking where Kellen had been taken to.

Following Anastasia's abrupt departure from the training grounds after the fight, it had taken Brody, Jones and King Alf's united efforts to keep Kellen from chasing her, even longer for him to stop fighting them long enough for King Alf to issue an order of submission that his wolf would listen to. It had taken a painfully long time, but the moment King Alf had Kellen's wolf restrained and submissive, a doctor sedated Kellen and he was taken into the palace. Brody had been shown into the current room to await an audience with the King.

Brody had been struggling to understand why King Alf couldn't have issued the order for submission and avoided the fighting all together. Jones had explained after via mind link that a wolf's override for the safety of their mate relies on instinct alone. A werewolf overriding their human will fight to the death, regardless of the Alpha hierarchy. Without input from the human conscience to balance the instinctual, animalistic traits of the wolf, and without the human ability to rationalise the sensory information, no orders will hold. Hence the need for Kellen to be in a position of restraint wherein King Alf could assert his dominance as Kellen's Alpha and demand his submission.