Vindicator

Chapter 68

"Protect mate. Go!" Alessia ordered.

"He's not the one who needs us right now, he's got the King and Queen of the damn werewolves at his side!" Karma argued, ignoring the remaining four wolves to head towards the screaming. Passing through a new doorway, she found an army of wolves had broken through into the Royal pack grounds somehow.

"Get back to mate" Alessia growled.

"Chill, A! He's fine, but there are a lot of civilians who aren't. We need to help where we can!" Karma said, resisting her wolf's attempts to take control. Despite the distraction, she pressed forward to see where she could help. Doorway after doorway opened as she stopped casualties from piling up by redirecting lunging wolves away from the pack members, and sending those same pack members through other doors to safety.

"We've never used our powers like this before. Not so frequently in such rapid succession. I don't think we can keep it up" Alessia warned; but Karma was already feeling the strain.

"Yeah, yeah, get back to mate. I know what you really want" she quipped back, trying to make light of the situation.

"Ideally, yes; but, it'd be better if we still had the energy to protect him once we get back to him" Alessia shot back.

Karma rolled her eyes, ushering a heavily pregnant she-wolf and her young pup through a door to the only place she knew she could send them, and it'd be safe - the Forsaken pack. She had already mindlinked the pack to notify them of what was happening, and encouraged them to welcome the new arrivals and be as hospitable as possible. Still, she was feeling torn, wanting to return to her pack to ensure things were going well, while also wanting to stay and protect those who remained at the Royal pack. Of course, she wanted to return to Chance as well.

"We have done enough" Alessia complained as Karma barely got the latest doorway open to avoid an attack on herself.

"I disagree, but I don't think we can stand to do much more" Karma said, inadvertently agreeing with her wolf.

"Whatever. Go to mate, and we can bring him to the pack!" The wolf commanded.

"Yes, ma'am" Karma replied sarcastically, but did as Alessia instructed. Stepping through a doorway to Chance, she found herself in the Queen's parlour.

"Karma!" She heard Chance shout, and turned to find he was running to her.

"I have been worried sick about you!" He chided, surprising Karma when he pulled her into a tight embrace. Within moments, though, he pulled her back to inspect her. "You're not injured are you?!"

"Never mind that" the Queen said, rising from her chair to approach Karma as well. "I need to join my mate to fight for our pack, and our future" she told Karma.

Karma nodded in understanding. "Of course, I will do whatever I can to help" she vowed, despite the exhaustion she was feeling.

The Queen offered her a rueful smile. "I have not always been the kindest or most understanding towards you, my dear...And for that, I owe you a sincere apology. For what you have already done for my people, I can only offer you my heartfelt thanks...Unfortunately, war is now upon us, so I must ask you for more, and for that I am sorry" she said, pausing to sigh and to pull Karma away from her son's arms so the two she-wolves were eye-to-eye.

Karma opened her mouth to speak, to assure the Queen that it was fine, but the monarch shook her head no; she was not done. "I must ask you to protect my son. Whether my mate and I fall today, or tomorrow, or a hundred years from now...He is my future, and I will die protecting him—"

"Mother!" Chance interjected, wanting her to stop such talk.

Ignoring her son, the Queen pressed on. "But I must ask you, if we fall, to take on our task of protecting him. He is not just the crowned Prince of werewolves...He is my son. I want him to live...Whether you admit it, I have seen you two together...You care for him, and so I charge you with his protection...Will you grant me obedience this once?" She asked, eyes glistening a little.

"Of course" Karma said, bowing her head to the Queen.

Aless reached out to press her fingers against Karma's chin, tilting her head up. "Thank you, Karma" she said sincerely, smiling. "I only wish that you were truly his mate..."

Karma's eyes widened, shocked by the Queen's admission. In that moment, she felt a heavy guilt for having never admitted the truth to anyone but her mother. It seemed too late now, though, so she just stared at the Queen in stunned silence.

Not expecting any more, the Queen hugged Karma tightly and whispered "thank you" in her ear. After releasing Karma, she went to Chance to embrace him.

"Be good, and live well my dear son. Your father and I will be fighting tooth and claw to come back to you, so stay safe for us" she said, planting a kiss on his cheek.

Chance was trembling in silence, a swirl of emotions eating away at him from within. Happiness that Karma was okay, fear for his parents and his people, anger and hatred towards those who launched the attack, and loathing towards himself for being too weak to do anything but get in the way. He mutely accepted his mother's hug, and tried to hold her there where they were safe. Eventually, though, Aless pried herself out of his arms and headed for the door.

"Stay safe! Let me know if you need help, I'll do whatever I can" Karma called after her.

The Queen stopped to look back at Karma. "If your Forsaken pack has an army, now would be a good time to meet them" she said with a small smile. "Send your Alpha our regards, either way. I know he has accepted our people into your pack lands...We appreciate it" the Queen said with a graceful bow of her head to emphasize her thanks. And then she was gone, running out the door to join the battle.

Karma turned to Chance, who was staring after his mother forlornly. She walked over and took his hand in hers, offering his a squeeze. "Let's get going...The people at the Forsaken pack will be happy to see their Prince" she said.

Chance jerked his hand away from Karma's, turning to face her as he nearly shouted "no!"

Karma was surprised by his outburst over her suggestion. "Why not?" She asked gently.

"They will not be happy at all to see me. I am the reason for this war, after all, and I cannot even fight in it" he said bitterly. "They will see nothing but a coward of a Prince hiding amongst them. No, it would do more harm than good for them to know I am there" he explained.

"He's right. Besides, it's safer if nobody knows he's there" Alessia reasoned.

Karma nodded, once more reaching out and taking his hand. "This war is not your fault, nor are you a coward...But I do agree with the potential for the rest of what you say to be true. That's fine, we still need to get you there" she said, tugging him towards the doorway home she'd opened.

With a reluctant nod and a sigh, Chance allowed himself to be pulled through the doorway. Within moments, he found himself in Karma's room with her, back at the Forsaken pack. Although he didn't have his wolf, he still had a keen sense of smell and having her scent so heavily surround him was like a drug; it calmed most of his anxiety and rage.

Karma let out a sigh as she stretched, wanting nothing more than to go to bed. There was still much to be done, though, so with a groan she let her arms drop to her sides.

Chance was watching Karma's stretch, and found it entrancing. The combination of being in her room, surrounded by her scent was doing strange things to him. Seeing her stretch the way she did, and watching the fabric of her dress strain against her body in certain places from the movement...He couldn't deny the urge he had to mate her right then and there.

Karma, unaware of what was going through Chance's mind, walked over to her bed and sat on the edge of it. "Alright, there's a lot going on, but I don't want to leave you in case someone finds out where you are. So I'm going to be a bit distracted, I have to talk to some people to make sure things are going alright. Okay?" She asked.

Chance suddenly soured at that, recalling that they were in her pack, with her Alpha, who was likely her mate. No doubt, her Alpha was one of the people she had to speak to. A surge of jealousy pulsed through him, and he wanted to hold her there with him and not let her go. Unfortunately, since she wasn't physically leaving, he had no recourse to stop her.

Noticing the sudden shift in his mood, Karma frowned. "Chance? Is everything alright?"

Deciding he had to know, Chance looked directly into Karma's eyes and demanded "is your Alpha your mate?"