"Alpha!" A distant voice calls Epiales out of his slumber.
"Alpha!" The voice calls again and Epiales groans, swinging his legs over the side of the bed and trudging to the door.
"Alph-" The voice starts again but is interrupted by Epiales, "What!"
"Miss Winfrey is downstairs, she claims she was sent by the King." The voice Epiales now recognised as William called from behind the door.
Epiales swung open the door so fast that William stumbled back, feeling startled.
"She is not meant to be here for another 2 days!" He shouted, his fists clenched.
"I am sorry Alpha, I was just sent to deliver the message," William spoke, his voice wavering.
"Well William, you have been taking over the Beta duties these last few days...I am appointing you as temporary Beta, would you please prepare a room for Cassandra and I will speak with Amora," Epiales groaned, running a hand through his hair.
Epiales turned around, expecting to see Amora still asleep on his bed but to his surprise it was empty.
"Amora?" He called.
"In my room," her soft voice called back, and Epiales immediately walked over to her door.
"Come in," she mumbled.
"I thought you'd still be asleep, how long have you been awake?" Epiales asked, glancing at the clock with showed it was barely 6:30am.
"I could not sleep after I last woke," she replied, referring to her nightmare.
Epiales nodded, "did you hear what Williams said?"
She shook her head, placing her book down on the bed and turning to face him.
"Cassandra is downstairs, the King sent her."
Amora bolted upright, "what? She is here?"
Epiales nodded again, "what do you propose we do?"
"Well, she is clearly delusional and believes she will be Luna, so I will deal with her and you should send a letter to the King about this...situation," Amora muttered, distaste laced in her voice.
"Alright, I will go make you breakfast."
"Hello Alpha," a bubbly voice called from behind Epiales.
"God, it is too early for this," he groaned, continuing to cook for Amora.
"Oh! Breakfast, perfect I am starving!" Cassandra spoke, reaching out to grab a plate.
Epiales hand shot out, stopping her, "this is for my mate, the Luna of this pack, if you are hungry the chef will make you breakfast."
Epiales placed all the food neatly on a plate and carried it upstairs, ignoring Cassandra's scoff.
Nudging open the ajar door with his foot, Epiales walked in and stopped in his tracks, watching Amora slide a sleek dress over her head and smoothing it out with her hands.
With a cough, Epiales placed the plate on the nearby table before quickly excusing himself.
He rushed to his office, before sitting down to write his letter to Richard.
After an hour of contemplating his words carefully, Epiales had conjured up a somewhat respectful letter of complaint to be sent to the King.
"William!" He shouted.
"Yes Alpha?" William replied immediately, opening up the door.
"I need this letter to be sent to the King by this afternoon, do you think you could make it to the castle by noon?"
William nodded eagerly, excited to have the opportunity to see the castle.
"You may go, you are relieved of your duties for the day," Epiales ordered, motioning for him to leave before continuing with his work.
___________________________________
"Hello Amora," Cassandra's voice called from the large couch.
Amora looked up from where she was standing to see Cassandra sprawled across the couch with a book in her hand.
"It's Luna, actually," she replied sharply.
"Right, my apologies," Cassandra called back, drawing her attention back to her book.
Amora sighed, walking over to the seat across from her and sat down, crossing her legs over, "why did the King send you here Cassandra?"
"Well, if we are getting technical the Royal Court sent me, I was initially chosen to be Luna and it is customary I meet Epiales formally, even if he has since found his mate," she said, closing her book over and placing it beside her.
The cover caught Amora's eye, it was King Lear by Shakespeare.
"You like Shakespeare?" She asked, an uneasy feeling settling within her.
"Oh no, not very much at all, but I hear Epiales is fond of it," she grins.
"And where did you hear that?"
"From the King."
Amora rolled her eyes and got up, nodding her head at Cassandra, "I will speak with you later, do not leave the packhouse."
"Cannot wait."
___________________________________
Soon noon came by and Epiales took a break from work, calling Amora into his office.
"Yes?" She asked.
"Has Cassandra done anything? She hasn't been disturbing the pack has she?" Epiales questioned, his voice rough and agitated.
"No, she has not moved from the couch since this morning, I don't know what she is up to."
"I don't trust her, the Royal Court did not have to send her here, the King is trying to undermine my role as Alpha, I'm sure of it."
Amora shook her head, she didn't believe the King would care about Epiales.
"I will keep an eye on her," Amora assured him, walking out of his office.
"Thank you." She heard him reply softly.
A small graced her face as she walked down the stairs.
"Amo-Luna, are you back to 'talk' to me?" Cassandra mocked.
Amora bit her tongue, trying to hold back what she really wanted to say.
"I was wondering...if you would like a tour of the packhouse today, seeing as you will be leaving soon."
"Oh, I am not leaving soon, the King has sent me here for the week, and if I ask perhaps the month."
Amora shivered in disgust, there is no way she was letting Cassandra stay within such close proximity to her for a week.
"Just follow me," Amora snapped.
She led Cassandra up the first flight of stairs, guiding her around all the rooms of the pack-house.
"I'm sorry, but this is boring, it's just closets and bedrooms, what is upstairs?" Cassandra whined.
Amora glared at her, "upstairs are some offices."
"Great, let's go there, it can't be any more boring than this."
Amora stormed up the next flight of stairs with Cassandra smirking behind her.
"This is Robert Hans' office, our warrior trainer." Amora motioned to the large office.
They walked further down the hall, with Amora pointing out each person's office before reaching the end.
"Okay, now if you would follow me please," she muttered, rushing away from the last office.
"Wait, who's office is that?" Cassandra asked, tapping her foot impatiently.
"It is vacant, if you would please follow me to the training grounds," Amora repeated sharply.
Cassandra rolled her eyes and opened up the office door and stepped inside.
Amora rushed after her, but was halted in her tracks when Cassandra uttered the word "mate".
"Oh no, no, no," Amora whispered in panic.
"Who does this office belong to?" Cassandra asked, her eyes glaring daggers at Amora.
"As I said, it is vacant."
"It is not! This is my mate's office, now where is he!?" She screeched.
Amora rushed up the stairs, bolting for Epiales' office with Cassandra rushing to catch up with her.
"Epiales! We have a problem!" She whisper-shouted, bursting through the door.
"What is wrong?" He muttered.
"Cassandra found her mate, she can smell his scent from his office."
"Well that is good, isn't it? Now she can leave us alone." Epiales rolled his eyes.
"NO! You don't understand it was Henry's office!"
Epiales stood up in horror, "no..."
"Yes! What do we do?!"
"I will deal with it, sit down."
Harsh footsteps could be heard outside the door and soon Cassandra barged into the office, her eyes black with fury.
"Cassandra, take a seat."
"No, I want to know who my mate is now!"
"That was an order, not a suggestion!" Epiales roared, sending Cassandra flying to her seat in fear.
"The office of which you caught the scent of your mate belonged to Beta Henry Richards, but I am sorry to inform you that he is deceased, you were obviously not aware as you had never met him or even briefly crossed paths."
A shriek left Cassandra's mouth as she crumbled to the floor, screaming out in agony.
"How? How did he die?" She sobbed, clutching her chest.
Epiales took a sharp intake of breath, "I killed him."
The room fell into complete silence, the only sound to be heard was Cassandra's heaving.
"You...murdered my mate, your own Beta?"
"Yes, it had to be done, he proved a threat to my mate."
"You!" She shot around to face Amora, "you are the reason my mate is dead!"
"He was going to kill me," Amora retaliated.
"I don't care! I don't care! I don't care!" She screamed, running at Amora.
Epiales rushed towards her, pulling her away from Amora who stood up, readying to fight.
Cassandra thrashed around, continually screaming in anger.
"Cassandra Winfrey, I hereby banish you from this pack, I am sending you to the Lunar Lands in order to help you recover from the loss of your mate."
Amora gasped, almost no one went to the Lunar Lands, it is rumored to be brutal, run by high members of the Royal Court who believe that painful treatments can cure a wolf of the depression of losing a mate. Almost no one recovered, but those sent to the Lunar Lands were never heard of again, it is believed they spend the rest of their life there trying to recover.
Cassandra went limp in Epiales arms, allowing nearby warriors to come in and drag her away.
"You know the Lunar Lands are brutal! Why did you not just send her back to the King?" Amora asked in shock.
"You saw how she reacted, and she had not even met Henry, she will only get worse with time and the Lunar Lands are effective, I am doing her a favour," Epiales growled.
"If I died would you wish to be sent to the Lunar Lands?"
"You will not die, not until it is your time, which is not for a long time."
Amora shifted her gaze to the window behind Epiales, watching a small bird fly by before shuffling off to her room.
___________________________________
"Luna Cain, Alpha Romes wishes to see you in his office." A young man smiled kindly at her.
"Thank you," Amora replies, setting down her cup and walking up the stairs to Epiales' office.
"Epiales? You sent for me, is something wrong?" Amora asked, stepping into the room and gasping as she looked up, standing in front of Epiales was a member of the Royal Court, dressed in the traditional golden colours.
"Amora, the King has sent a member of his court to interrogate me," he scowled.
"Interrogate you? But you have done nothing wrong!"
"Alpha, Luna, I can assure you this is not an interrogation, merely a...warning from the King," the old man spoke lowly, keeping his gaze on Epiales.
"And what would that warning be?" Epiales growled, sending the man cowering into his seat.
"T-that the King is now questioning your role as Alpha, no Alpha should ever undermine his King and sending Miss Cassandra Winfrey out of your pack lands, against the King's orders, ultimately undermines him."
"Your King has undermined me! I did not authorize Cassandra to come onto my land yet he sent her anyway without so much as a heads up!" Epiales shouted, slamming his hands on his desk.
"Alpha Romes, I would think very carefully about what you do from now on, you are being watched by the Court who will not hesitate to strip you of your title."
"Get out," Amora growled, shocking them both.
"Excuse me?" The man gasped.
"Do I need to repeat myself?" She shouted, making him jump up in fright and shake his head before running out the door.
"I have had enough of that pitiful excuse of a King!" Epiales growled.
"Epiales there is nothing you can do, as much as I know you'll hate it, you need to stay out of the King's way, you cannot give him a reason to take away your role as Alpha, this pack needs you," Amora tried to reassure him.
"Do not worry, I have a plan," Epiales replied sharply.