Virago

6. Cailan Aresis

Rarely Cortel fucked up. But this time, he fucked up big time. Even if she had not been my potential mate, I would still want her. She had been the Alpha's daughter. The MoonDust pack's princess. That was right. Hesper was the precious princess of two packs. A kind of royal treatment that even I, as the prince, did not get.

True, the pack respected me and the ones I conquered, feared me. But no one held me as a royal in their heart. Not like MoonLight and MoonDust did with Hesper.

A powerful ally she would have been. More powerful than Cortel, but that fucker messed this entire thing. I needed him, he was powerful enough to scare a few wolves who thought they had it all, but that did not mean he got to mess things up. He should know better.

He knew better. That was why without an argument, he went ahead and took his punishment.

"Cailan!" Trish snapped me out of my reverie. "Dad's calling you."

I looked at my sister who stood there with a nonchalant face next to her twin. If there was any resemblance I had with my siblings it would be with Trish. We both shared our father's steel grey eyes and his sharp jaws. Her twin, Tylan shared more features with Ryker.

After Cortel had gone to take his punishment, I reviewed how the battle had gone and the casualties with Aster and Ryker before my twin siblings decided to grace me with their presence. I had another sister, my youngest sibling, but I rarely saw her. She grew up in my mother's lap and my mother had coddled her so much that was she squeamish at the sight of blood.

"What's it now?" I asked.

"Dad found that Archer's mate got away," Trish said, the torches in my camp casting an eerie glow on her features.

Her short hair was in a rugged mess while her clothes were stained with blood of various scents. I knew where she would rather be. In the dungeons. Playing with her new prey. And this battle brought her many. For her and her twin.

"Archer's mate got away?" I echoed. This was a huge mess. I would not be surprised if my father was raging enough to kill his second in command.

As much as he was an ass, I did not want Pax to die because someone who should have been caught was not caught.

"And," Tylan drawled. "Intel says that his mate escaped with their son. The-"

"-heir of MoonLight pack," I nearly snarled.

I looked at the others. "You mean to tell me that the current Luna of MoonLight and their heir is out there? Free?"

Aster looked down on her pretty nails. But who cared about her pretty nails? She had been one of the people who made sure that everyone was caught. And if they were not, she sent my pack after them.

"Aster?" I called. "Care to explain?"

She blinked and there was a sliver of fear in her blue eyes. "Prince, I did send wolves."

"And?" Trish taunted. "Where are they now?"

Aster stiffened. "Perpahs... perhaps Cortel let them go too? He did slip up big time tonight-"

"Don't blame your incompetence on Cortel, Aster," I snapped. "He fucked up, yes. But you fucked up too. I know that you want to be my second in command for a long time," I narrowed my gaze on her as she stood up immediately and bared her neck to me. A clear sign of submission. "But you still have a long way to go if you want to surpass Cortel."

Having Aster by my side was a two-edged sword. She was fiery and could not control her temper. She would die for me, but at the same time, she would be the one to mess things up.