The Kings Kitten

8 - Return To The Coven

Demetrius' POV

After our argument I didn't see her again that night, too stubborn to admit to her own faults and I wasn't going to ignore her own insolence.

The only thing that I could appreciate werecats for were the fact they were a matriarchal community, until Darren Falkov of course. That's when the issues began to rise again.

Madeline was right in only one aspect, Werecat women were some of the most impressive warriors I had ever heard of, their agility and discreetness on the field made them unpredictable opponents, their much smaller frame compared to Werecat men made them harder targets, they were the reason the species had survived for so long.

But when Darren stepped up to the plate and attempted to turn it into a patriarchal clan, that was when the last glimmer of respect I had left for those people left my mind.

The feline warriors had been stealing resources from other species for years now, sent out by Alpha Falkov to retrieve metals, fruits and herbs without the consent of their rightful owners, under the table trades were being made and more than a few times had I caught She-cats at my boarder, bargaining with my people. They were punished of course and it was clear to me that Darren only cared about the treaty when it didn't benefit him, but I had the one thing I could hope for to put an end to this reckless endeavour of his, I had his daughter.

Darren's role as king was proving to be a dangerous one, the strong warriors of his were abusing their power to retrieve these resources, going as far as to kidnap the people it belonged to. His prejudice against my people only made us a target and I wasn't having any of that, it was my job to protect my people and out of respect to my late father I refused to disrupt the treaty, as long as it still stood I knew I could prevent a war, but I also knew Darren was looking for a loophole, he always had been.

It was clear to me that Madeline knew none of this, the way she gloated about her people and how amazing they were irked me the wrong way. Werewolves were demonised by society as being the ones who stole and ruled with an iron fist because Darren blamed us when others got suspicious, we may have been that way centuries ago but I had changed that. I wanted to be respected, not feared, but if it meant keeping my people safe I would do anything possible, even if it meant my own image would be tarnished.

Madeline was like a beacon in the dark, the one rose in a bush of thorns, the only Werecat that I could find tolerable. Her innocence was dangerous, in more ways than one, and I had the bond to blame for it.

I was just pulling a fresh jumper over my shoulders when I heard the sound that made my blood run cold, I froze. Madeline's scream emitted through the house and I glanced at my clock on the nightstand, it was six thirty in the morning why is she awake?

I ran out of my room and down the corridor to the staircase, my mind racing over the few possibilities that could have caused her outburst. Was it a mouse? A spider? Then I remembered I had ordered my Commander to drop off some clothes.

I caught sight of her on the floor, my commander stood above her with his grip wrapped around her wrist, her arm lifted towards him in his grasp as if she had fallen to the floor as he grabbed hold of her, a threatening snarl left his lips.

"Commander!" I snarled, the danger to my mate angering me, was if she was hurt? I approached them both in the foyer and I watched as he released her arm and it fell back towards her body, she scurried backwards on her ass to create more distance. When I reached the both of them I stood between the altercation and pushed my commander harshly, he stumbled back and bowed his head in respect.

"Alpha, I didn't recognise the scent behind the door, i thought it was an intruder, I didn't expect her to be the one behind it." He admitted.

"That's because she's was supposed to be." I bit back through my clenched jaw, turning to face my mate who still sat on the floor, tears running down her face. I didn't blame my commander for his actions, despite the fury that spread through me as I took in Madeline's appearance, she looked beyond frightened and it upset me.