Kadence
I sigh in frustration at the mess of papers on my desk. We've been dealing with rouges attacking the packs around the US for months now. We've captured a few but they never gave a reason for continuing their attack efforts, and I was growing increasingly frustrated. I sat in my desk chair and ran my fingers through my hair in an attempt to calm my racing thoughts and heart. As the King it's my job to protect my kingdom. And I felt I was failing. Pure fury ran through my veins as I threw my desk across the room, effectively shattering a huge hole in the wall.
"Alpha!" My guards yelled as they ran in, their eyes searching for any sign of danger, but only finding me.
My breathing was quick as the anger began to win out. "Kadence, calm down. You'll hurt someone if you don't." My wolf, Wesley, stated.
I sighed "I'm trying. But those bastards are destroying packs left and right! And we haven't found a single hideout or a single clue as to why the fuck they're doing this!" I yelled internally.
My wolf growled in response to my yelling. He was pissed too, but I needed to regain my control.
"Fuck!" I yelled as I ran from my office and down the hall to the stairs. I need to run, I needed to clear my head. My heart was racing and my veins burned as the anger flowed through them.
I walked quickly down the hall to the front door, behind me I could hear my Beta calling for me. I ignored him and a deafening growl erupted from me as I shifted and ran into the woods.
My wolf was large and he was all black. I was larger that most alphas, sometimes standing a foot taller in wolf form. My wolf's eyes were a blood red. And I could feel him pushing with me.
He wanted control as we ran through the trees, sticks and leaves crunching under our paws. I gave him full control. Watching as the trees raced by us and relishing in the feeling of the wind in our fur. He ran until we reached a cliff, signifying we had reached our Northern Border.
"We will figure this out Kadence, we always do." Wesley said to me.
He always had a way of calming me. " I know. I just can't help but feel like I'm failing them. I don't understand what's happening." I stated.
I sighed and laid down watching the sun set over the hills and trees. Peace began to enter me then it hit me. The smell of rotting meat and dirt. ROUGES
"There are rouges near the Northern Border! Get the warriors here NOW!" I yelled through mind link.
"We're coming Alpha, we will be there in 2 minutes!" My Beta Christian says through the link. He's my most trusted advisor and maybe my only friend.
I stood facing back to the woods behind me and smelled the air. The scent hit me again, only it was becoming stronger. There were 4 of them stalking their way towards me. I could smell each of them individually. Their stench burning my nose. I realized I was in the weakest spot. On the edge of a cliff.
"There's at least 4 of them. Coming straight towards me. At the cliff." I linked.
"Kadence. Get awa-" Christian began to link when my head snapped to my right as I heard a twig snap. I jumped into the trees towards the sound. I heard a snarl and growl as I turned and felt teeth hit my shoulder, slamming me to the ground.
I rolled and saw him snarling at me. We paced a few steps before he launched at me again, slamming us both to the ground.
I kicked the rouge off of me and before he could attack again, my teeth found his neck and I heard a snap. He laid limp in my jaw.
I could here growls and loud thuds to my right as my warriors and Beta fought the other rouges. "Wait. Don't kill them just yet!" I say as I head their way. I could hear the growling as I walked to the group of wolves just to my right.
They stood in a clearing with the three other rouges. I growled as I approached and two of the warriors moved out of my way as I carried their friend to the middle of the clearing and dropped him. They looked at him then began to howl, growling even louder.
I lowered my head and snarled ready to take them all on if I needed to. But I wanted answers first.
I shifted back to my human form, catching them off guard. "Please Shift back so we can talk." I commanded, my voice deep and full of rage I released the aura of my alpha power.
The three wolves bowed their heads but were fighting my command. "NOW!" I yelled pressing my aura out even more. My pack growling lowly around us, on edge. They want blood, and I understood.
One of the rouges shifted back while the other two laid down whining in pain. They couldn't shift back, their human side was dead. Which happens to almost all rouges because they refuse to shift back to their human form. After some time their human dies. Leaving their empty wolf form.
"Okay. I shifted Alpha Boy. What the fuck do you want?" He sneered, I growled loudly at his disrespect. How dare he? He's on my land!
"Why the fuck are you here?!" I yell. His head dips slightly but he then smirks, I can tell he is desperately fighting against his own wolf.
"You mean you don't know?" He asked, still smirking and glint of something in his eyes.
"What the fuck are you talking about?" I growl ,"Tell me why you're here! Tell me why you're attacking the packs!" I command from him, my aura nearly on full blast as I step closer to him. I wanted him to fear me, to feel my power and submit.
He chuckled, "Well Alpha" he sneered "We heard you've been looking for your mate. So we decided to rule them out for you." He said staring me in the eyes. I could see his wolf pushing forward, attempting to shut him up to no avail.
We've been dealing with these rouges for 4 months. Attacks every week, sometimes multiple a week...and we finally had an answer as to why. Wait. Did he say they were trying to find and kill MY mate?
It was my turn to laugh, " You think I care about a mate? I don't have a mate you deranged dog. And I certainly haven't been looking for anyone so I don't know where you got your information from. But they're dead wrong." I sneer, smiling at the shock that enters his eyes.
A growl rumbling from his chest, angry that I had called him a dog. "Now, you're dead." I say as I lunge forward removing his head from his shoulders.
I looked at the other two rouges and pushed my aura to them. Commanding them to run back to their leader and tell him that I'll find him, and kill him myself. With a yell they ran off.
And my mind began to wander. Who the hell thought I was looking for my mate? I don't have one anyways so why would I look? I don't....do I? No. I'm too bad of a wolf to ever deserve a mate. They're killing innocents for a non existent she-wolf.
I turned to the warriors and Christian, "I want patrols to be upped. Don't inform anyone of what was said here." I state. I can't have anyone think they've found a weakness.
They nod their heads and begin running back to the castle. Christian pauses and looks at me.
"You coming Kadence?" He linked me. I just shook my head. I needed some space. I needed to think.
He nodded and started back to the castle with the others. I sigh looking at the bloody bodies in front of me. They deserved this. They chose their fate. But part of me still felt bad.
Contrary to popular belief I do have a heart. And I know that not all rouges are bad. Some were kicked from their packs over stupid rules. While other lost their packs to the rouges themselves.
Most rouges though, are pure evil. I shake my head and walk away. Saying a silent prayer to the Moon Goddess for their souls, as I did every time I took a life.
I do what I need to for others to respect me. To fear me. Most of the time that means being a cold hearted bastard. But it gets the job done. My pack is one of the most important things to me in this vast world. And as king i have over 40 other packs that I have to care for as well.
Now we have this rouge issue. I can't wrap my head around what he said. They're after my MATE? I'm 21 and I don't have one. The Moon Goddess would never forgive me for the blood on my hands. I doubt she'd ever sentence someone to be miserable by my side for the rest of my life.
But maybe...no. I don't have a mate.
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A/N
Whoa! The ruthless King might have a mate?
If you think he has a mate give this chapter a vote! I sure hope he does.