The Kings Queen

Chapter 12

I settle into the couch in Eric and Valeries home admiring all the family portraits that litter the walls creating a homey feel in this wooden cabin. Valerie smiles at me. "So your mate?" She questions looking rather inquisitive, and so I tell them all that has happened since they lost saw me, from getting captured, to almost being executed, to then being saved by my King mate. 

"How sweet" Valerie swoons when I finish my retelling of events. 

"He seems to care for you" Eric jumps in, "I mean he did save you from execution." I scoff at the mention of my scheduled execution, and I can feel Ostanda whining deep inside me while we speak of my mate, its annoying. 

"He saved me from execution because the moon goddess decided he is to love me, if it wasn't for a fated connection he would've left me for dead with the other two rogues!" I growl to Eric and Valerie, urging for them to understand my dilemma. "Not only that but his policy is directly responsible for the death of Alpha R, how could I ever love a man who would've wanted me dead had I not been his mate?" I question, they seem to catch on and nod their heads in response, obviously troubled by the situation the moon goddess has put me in. 

"Do you feel the connection though, I know the minute I saw Eric I loved him." Valerie states looking at Eric with a loving gaze. If only my mate was anyone else then maybe I could have felt what they feel now. I feel Ostanda growl from within and I ignore it, I understand why she's hurt she's waited years for her mate and now I'm blocking her from ever feeling that love with him. 

"I felt it, yes, but I have to ignore it. My place is here with you guys, not in a castle tucked far away, being the mate to an evil king." I explain further to them, this situation isn't ideal. Initially I had always hoped to find a lower ranking mate who would accept the life I've built for myself here, or I would meet another mateless wolf and grow to love them like some wolves do, I could've never imaged this. I sigh looking up at my two worried friends who clearly didn't want this for me either. 

"Mama!" Lola runs into the room with her baby wolf toy in tow, she jumps into her moms lap and whispers something in her ear, which is quickly followed by a giggle from Valerie. 

"Orabelle, Lola here would like to know if you would join us for dinner tonight?" Valerie questions with a smile on her face, and Lola tucked into her shoulder clearly feeling nervous. 

"What were you too nervous to ask me yourself miss Lola?" I tease looking at the tiny six year old hiding in her moms lap, when I mention her name she seems to shuffle further into, as if I won't be able to see her. "Well I would love to! I haven't eaten in forever and I do remember your dad offering me something to eat earlier..." I trail off looking to Eric for confirmation. He smiles back at me nodding his head. 

"Well I'll get started on dinner with Lola here, if you guys want to talk not a pack business" Valerie states getting up from her seat across from me with her daughter still clinging onto her like a monkey. Eric and I stand too but head the opposite way toward his office where we can discuss what I've missed since my capture. 

We walk through a big pine wood door into his office, its small but it does the job. The space is covered in drawings by Lola, along with a few photographs here and there. It warms my heart to see them so happy, it is a beautiful thing to have a loving family like theirs. 

"So what have I missed, any big news?" I question looking at all the paperwork on Erics desk. 

"Nothing too major, but our Alpha is the new Alpha Kings mate." Eric chuckles, I slap his arm and look closer at the paperwork on his desk. 

"Whats this?" I question looking at an envelope enclosed by my old packs seal. 

"I'm not sure" Eric states, "I didn't want to open it without you honestly, it would've felt wrong." 

I undo the packaging and open the note, and what's revealed is a land claim. Land claims are approved by the Alpha King and allow for packs to claim more territory that they feel is rightfully theirs. Up until now the not a pack has resided on free lands, where no pack has a claim. I stagger back slightly handing the note to Eric. We both know what this means for the not a pack, relocation or war with my old pack, and Alpha Barret. 

"They can't do this, the land here has been free since the beginning of time what claim could Alpha Barret possibly have!" Eric exclaims, I just sit down at his desk chair trying to choose the right words when I feel like I can't. I open my mouth to speak when I hear a member mind link both Eric and I. 

Alpha you have to come quick to the training grounds, its the Alpha King and his men and they don't look happy!

Eric and I quickly make eye contact before we run out of his cabin to the open ground where we train most new rogues, and old ones too. We make it to the field in less than a minute and I lay eyes on him once more. My mate.