Kept Secret

chapter 21

Lia~

"So you're telling me that my beta and mate have been missing for 4 days without scent nor trail and you, the greatest and most skilled werewolves in the entire kingdom, have NOTHING?!" I growl out the words and my palms slap against the wood making the table, as well as everyone sitting around it, jump. The current king and queen beta, current and future king and queen delta, Clarissa, my mother, and my council are all seated around the table, some staring at me in fear while some look at me with judgment in their eyes, the latter being my mother and some council members.

I run my fingers through my hair and look over the map again. Their scent vanished into thin air south of the border, less than a mile out. They were all headed this way for some reason, I just can't figure out what. I turn to face the window overlooking the forest, the sight always calming me down but it doesn't seem to be working today. Out of the corner of my eye, I see two council members talking in hushed tones. I can vaguely make out what they're saying but pay no attention to it until I hear one word "unfit". I spin on my heels and slam my hands back against the table making them jump. " Councilman's John and Richard, care to share with the rest of us what could be so important it had to be discussed in hush tones at a meeting with your alpha queen?!"

John has the common sense to shrink into himself and bow his head, but Richard, well Richard clearly isn't that smart. He squares his shoulders and raises his head high.

Oh boy...

"In fact, I was just about to say that some of us-" he looks around the table for support. No one looks his way. "-some of us feel that you're wasting your time searching for them. If your beta were strong enough she wouldn't have been kidnapped and let's not get started on your mate, the future king of werewolves is a human for goddess' sake! Imagine if this got out to the other species, we'd be under attack by nightfall." Some of the council members start nodding their heads in agreement and he takes this as a cue to continue, only this time he makes the mistake of going too far, "And with all due respect, Lia, you're just not the right one for the job. When your mother was pregnant we had all hoped for a boy, a strong future king to rule, but got a girl instead and frankly, we were disappointed. Now with your mate gone, we think it would be best if someone else took the throne, someone who could actually rule a kingdom." That was the last straw.

I let out a roar so loud it shatters the glass windows behind me but I don't care. This man disrespected me and I would put him in his place. "Councilman Richard, firstly you will address me by my proper title, Queen Amelia Knight, I treat everyone equally but you will know your place. Secondly, I would like to remind you that I am the crown princess, heir to the throne, and the only daughter of the late King Matheus Knight which means that I, alone can take his place and if you want more proof then I will gladly tell you how I defeated Queen Evangeline Knight in an alpha challenge, one of the most sacred rituals of wolf kind. I have trained for years to become the next queen so tell me, Richard, who do you think belongs on that throne more than I do because I will defeat them, in the same way, I defeated my mother and if you decide to make yourself an obstacle, the same thing will happen to you." By now I am directly in front of him, staring him down and watching with a satisfied smirk as the bravado fades from his eyes. "Do I make myself clear?"

He swallows hard before answering with wide eyes, "Christal clear, Queen Amelia Knight." I nod my head in approval, moving back towards the head of the table. I've never been one for confrontations, especially with my council, but they will know their place, council or not.

There's a knock on the door and we all turn towards it. Gretchen enters with her head bowed low and a slight shiver in her step. Poor thing must be terrified by all the high-ranking wolves in the room. "What are you doing here you lowly omega? You know better than to disturb us!" Gretchen sinks into herself at my mother's words.