The Alpha King's Slave (Book 2 Of The Regal Eclipse Pack Series)

Chapter 18

Charlotte stood and walked over to her trunk, removing her nightgown and one of the three books Aydan had gifted her. She walked over to the bed and laid down. It was so incredibly soft, she was asleep within minutes, her book laying off to the side unopened.

***

The Werewolf Summit was held every five years. For two weeks, werewolves from all over the world made the journey to the Alpha King's castle to visit with one another, make treaties and alliances, possibly find their mate, and pay tribute to the Alpha King. Some traveled for months, which was why the event was only held once every five years. Not everyone stayed the entire time, while others overstayed their welcome. The castle was usually bustling with activity for a month.

The last Summit had been shortly after Sophia's death and Caleb had been absent from it. Now, Caleb had been over this event before it even started. He had contemplated canceling it, but his Beta and Gamma had talked him out of that. Everyone looked forward to this event, and it was only once every five years, they had said. Besides, there had been a lot of people disappointed that Caleb had not been present for the last Summit.

He had reluctantly agreed, but put the two of them in charge of it all, much to their chagrin.

"You want to host this damnable event, you can plan it and take care of the details. I will show when needed, but don't expect my presence at every little thing," He'd growled. He knew he was being an ass, but he didn't care.

Much to his surprise, the two of them had done a fantastic job with the entire thing. They had brought in extra help for both inside the castle and outside with patrols from neighboring packs. They acquired enough food to feed the thousands who would pass through. Rooms had been prepared, and outbuildings built to accommodate as many as possible. Preparations had taken over a year, but Roland and Ragnar had put together the best Summit Caleb had ever attended. He was rather impressed with the two of them.

He had spent most of his time brooding in his room at the top of the large tower on the south side of the castle. The only other room located in the south tower was the empty Luna Queen's quarters. Caleb hadn't been in that room in over five years, though he knew the rooms were kept clean. He'd been tempted to have it permanently sealed off, but something had stopped him.

A large closet connected the two rooms, with a door at either end so the occupants could move between the rooms without entering the hall that led down to the main part of the castle. There was also a door in the closet that opened to a small staircase that led down to a private bath house built specifically for the Alpha King and his Luna Queen.

Caleb paced his room, feeling like a caged animal. He moved to the window and stared down over his domain. Wolves moved about the perfectly manicured lawn below and through his gardens. Gardens that should have belonged to Sofia. He resumed his pacing.

After Sofia had been killed, Caleb had stayed away for six months. He had roamed the woods, staying in wolf form and doing his best to ignore the pain from losing his mate. He had thought about never returning home. But duty called, and he had reluctantly gone back to his pack and position. Over the next year, he had fallen deeper into the darkness. He let Roland run the pack and he occasionally thought about letting his Beta take over permanently, though he knew in all reality, that wasn't an option. Only a Remington could rule.

Caleb still did what was needed as King, but his heart was no longer in it. The thought of an eternity like this was pure hell, and Caleb knew he couldn't do it.

As Alpha King, Caleb had a gift most other werewolves didn't possess. He was immortal. Only those in the Regal Eclipse pack shared that gift. As protectors of the Werewolf Community, they were afforded such a gift. But now, with the death of Sofia, it felt more like a curse.

And all he had to do was walk away and break his bond with the Regal Eclipse pack. The moment he did so, his immortality would end and his body would begin to age like normal. Eventually, he would die.

Only one thing had stopped Caleb from stepping away, and that was his lack of an heir. He had been giving this a lot of thought lately, and had come up with a plan. After the summit, he intended to find a she-wolf, pup her, then put her in a convent to keep her safe. He wanted no relationship with her. The only woman he ever wanted a relationship with was Sofia, and that was no longer possible.

Once he was assured his line would continue, he would hand the reins over to Roland, the pup over to Ragnar to rear, and walk away. He would find someone to pick a fight with, let them kill him, and be done with it all.

Of course, Caleb hadn't told Roland and Ragnar about his plans. He knew they would try to talk him out of it, and he didn't want to hear it. So while they had been planning the Summit, he had been quietly making plans of his own.

Alpha, Alpha Aydan is preparing to leave, Ragnar said through the mind link.

Caleb moved towards the door. He would have to meet with the Alpha before he and his wolves departed. It was tradition, and typically when the departing Alpha gifted him with some pointless gift. He had already attended multiple meetings with other Alphas and knew he would attend countless others since the Summit was thankfully drawing to a close.

The departure meetings were the easiest way to get an audience with the King. While Caleb had attended some treaty signings and other events, he had mostly left the running of things to Roland and Ragnar, keeping to himself in the privacy of his own room.

But when Caleb had left his room, he had covertly been studying the she-wolves, looking for one who could bear his heir. He had narrowed down his choices to two women.

The first was a red headed lass from Ireland. Her father was the Alpha of the Celtic pack. She seemed sweet and like she would produce healthy, strong offspring.

The other woman was a dark haired beauty from the Americas. She was absolutely gorgeous with her long braids and full hips. Her father was also an Alphas of a large pack that dominated most of the Americas. She was the one he was leaning towards. Caleb had become disinterested in coitus with the death of his mate, but this beauty peaked his interest a bit.

Once the chosen woman had given birth, Roland could send them home to their pack. He really didn't care what they thought, didn't care that he would be leaving his heir motherless. Caleb's heart had grown cold.