The Alpha King's Wrath

27 Why?

The moment Mack closes the Guardian courtyard doors behind her, I feel like an elephant gets off of my temples. As if our feet are on autopilot, we make our way to the palace's medical wing and get a shot to stop my budding migraine in its tracks.

"So are you like my shadow now?" I ask Mack as we head out back to check on the rank challenge.

"Sort of," she laughs, her green eyes twinkling with mischief. "I basically already was, this just makes it official. In the grand scheme of things nothing will change for you, I'll just be looking out for ya."

"I have to say I far prefer you over Ryker." I sigh.

A hand on my arm stops me dead in my tracks as Mack gives me a hard look. "Are you ever going to tell me what happened that day?" Her lips purse, pull down in a frown, and she locks her steely eyes on mine.

"There's nothing to tell Mack," I dismiss, not wanting to hash the shopping fiasco out again. "Are you seriously going to heal Ethan and leave yourself with broken ribs or whatever?"

Mack isn't prepared for my redirect and can't hide her shock as she rubs the back of her neck at a loss for words. I raise a brow, not letting her off the hook so easily.

"I look out for you, not the other way around," she huffs, rolling her eyes.

"That was weak, even from you," I chide. "You of all people ought to know me by now."

"I do," she laughs. "That's why I picked you over the prestigious King. Besides, Derek would have become insufferable after I beat him and I just couldn't stand the idea of listening to his non-stop belly aching."

The mental picture makes me laugh. I've already seen grumpy and sulking Derek and much like his Guardian duties, he throws his whole being into whatever he does. Having watched those two spar, they face off rarely and often break off or call the match before the pin.

"Fine Mom, I'll leave you to keep Jace from catching himself on fire and head back to check in with Mira," she concedes.

"Mack?" I call, stopping the Guardian mid-turn. "Does anyone watch out for the rest of us?"

"Hmm?" she asks, furrowing her brows.

"Something feels off here... I worry about everyone, but I worry about Mira the most," I admit. "She won't admit it, but she's struggling, and no one's giving her any credit here..."

Mira has always maintained that wolves and witches don't mix, but to see her blend and be embraced by our pack, and watching her sister Sasha be so welcomed by Crimson Dawns' pack, I thought she was over selling her opinion. The Royal pack, however, has been an eye opener.

No matter what she does they look at her like she's a walking, talking bomb waiting to go off. Even after saving the dining commons from the dark witch, they acted like SHE was the dark witch.

What's worse is I have no idea how to help or fix it.

"They're just stuck in the past," she grumbles with a knowing look. "But to ease your mind, yes, she is well respected by the Guardians and we watch out for her."

"Thanks," I say, offering a small smile, feeling another weight lifted. "Go get patched up, I promise to stay out of trouble."

Mack scoffs but walks away, back towards the Guardian wing, leaving me in the kitchen near the back door. After the excitement of the morning, the idea of watching Jace in his grilling glory brings a smile to my lips as I step out the back door.

"Highness," Ryker drawls, making the smile drop from my face in record time.

A look over my left shoulder shows him leaning up against the wall as though he's waiting for me. He's wearing his black and blue palace guard uniform the same as always, short cropped brown hair, brown eyes, tall and lean like Dex but oozing boredom and irritation.