For Her Love - Sequel to An Alpha To Claim and Love

Twenty

It had all happened so fast, Valerie didn't even have time to take it all in. After they left the mall to head home and were on the road, someone had crashed into their vehicle on Sebastian's side, flipping their car over multiple times over. All she could hear were metal and windows shattering before blacking out from her head hitting against the window. When she came to, she was being dragged out and carried away from the car. She could distinctly hear the sound of Sebastian's roaring voice before falling back into unconsciousness. When she awoke again, she was met with a splitting headache. Slowly pushing herself up, she holds onto her throbbing side. Her whole body was screaming and writhing in pain.

Valerie looked around the unfamiliar room. Pulling her legs off to the side of the bed, she felt something around her ankle. Picking up the blanket, she stares at the shackles dumbfounded. She reached down, twisting it back and forth and pulling at it to make sure what she was seeing was actually real. Valerie took the chains and pulled it, tracing it to the furthest wall off to the right. "What the shit," she whispers, tugging at the chains now.

The door opens to have a gentleman enter with six others trailing behind him like an entourage. She stares at the main man as he examines what she had been up to before staring back at her. He gives her a smile. "You're quite active for someone who has been asleep for four days."

Valerie doesn't say anything.

The man waves his men away as they shut the door after the last one leaves the room. The longer they stared at each other, the harder it was for Valerie to comprehend what was really going on. She had never seen him before and as he keeps smiling at her, a chill runs down her spine. "You must have a lot of questions for me so let me begin by introducing myself. My name is Juniper Constantine Vetrone, son of Alpha King Alec Vetrone and Alpha Queen Irene and crown prince to the Aster empire."

"...Aster empire?" Valerie repeats confused.

"It's a bit complicated, so I won't explain it in detail for you. Should you wish for it, I will find a better time to do it. So to put it shortly, I am the one who is responsible for what has been happening to you. Or, to your room specifically. I sincerely apologize but know that it needed to be done."

"How so?" She slowly growls out with a means to choke him out.

"I needed your father's attention."

"Congratulations, then."

He smirks. "Thank you." Valerie clenches her jaw. Juniper continues to explain. "The wolves in your realm have become restless. Are you aware that the number of wolves is decreasing even as we speak? How about the number of pack-less wolves that's been roaming? No? I wouldn't doubt it. Your father's father and his forefathers before him wanted to keep on a low-profile but this has gone far enough. The wolves in your realm are nearly dying and are seeking shelter elsewhere and, in this case, the majority of them are here, in the Aster empire. More and more wolves are coming here and leaving the rule of your father. Though I do not blame him as I'm sure he, too, is unaware of this and unaware of the deeds of his ancestors, your kidnapping was a necessary action that needed to be taken to draw his attention and...obviously, it's working."

"If you needed his time, you could have just set an appointment with him."

"We tried but he kept declining."

"Impossible."

"Very possible," he answers quickly afterwards. "Or you wouldn't be here."

"And you didn't think to try to get in contact with any of his kids?" Valerie argues with a more furious glare now.

"This is a more....political demand than anything. Do try to understand that when an Alpha King wants to meet with another and gets declined, multiple times, that the Alpha King who has been trying to request for an audience will indeed find a greater reason to seek an audience with any means possible. You and your family were warned. But don't worry, father has sent another letter to your family. Hopefully this time, they get the urgency of this situation and find a time to finally meet up and discuss how to solve the issues of his failing leadership."