Rejection to the Alpha King's Daughter [amazon edition]

Chapter 19 - Pack Astraea

Chapter 19 – Pack Astraea

We reach finally reach what will be my new pack house, a three story Victorian styled building with a large, updated kitchen, offices and a large library on the second floor, and bedrooms for guests on the third. I stare in awe at the magnificent building, the white brick covered in ivy but all the chimneys seem to be clear as smoke puffs from them. This will be my home for another year. Then I will have to pass the title on to someone else once I take back the Royal Pack.
“You made it!” A voice calls out as I exit the vehicle and see Geminie rushing towards me, giving me a hug.
“Yeah. We had a bit of a situation before reaching the boundary.” I answer, Alice scurrying over to me with a smile on her face.
“Hi Gemmy!”
“Hi Ally-cat!” I chuckle as Alice launches herself into the future Moon Goddess’ arms. These two grew close as Geminie figured out Alice can see aura during our first visit to Silver Crystal Crecent, my niece taking my pup under her wing to train her powers.
“Is Destiny here?” She asks, looking around just in time to see Destiny toddling out of the house with Amberle’s twins chasing her.
“I think that answered your question. Why don’t you go play.” I laugh, seeing Alice nod and bolt towards her friends, a smile on her face as if what happened earlier never happened at all.
“So rogues?” Dominic asks, walking towards me with Albot and Ariven.
“Soulless actually. It seems Coro is trying to keep tabs on her.” Albot answers instead. I sigh, walking into his open arms and taking in Albots scent, letting my body relax in his touch.
“Finally! Took you long enough to get here Crysta!” An all to familiar voice calls out, making me pull away from Albot to see a grinning Matrix leaning against a tree not to fare away. It looks like he has just gotten back from a run. Without a second thought, I bolt towards him, taking a running start to jump into his open arms and wrapping my legs around his waist. A phone call every once in a while for the past two years could never replace feeling my best friend’s hug. I smile, burying my face into the crook of his neck and taking in his scent, tears filling my eyes. I missed him, missed the man that trained me and guarded me my whole life. Missed my best friend who knew all my secrets.
“Welcome home Crystalline.” He whispers, holding me tight to the amusement of our on lockers. But something felt off. There is something that has changed about Matrix that I can’t pin point. A change in his scent.
“Get your hands off my mate you whore!” A shrill voice calls out. Looking around, I notice a she-wolf stalking towards Matrix and I, anger and hatred on her face as she storms towards us. Albot is already by my side, blocking this wolf’s attempt to rip me away from Matrix, ruining our reunion. Climbing off of Matrix, I stand in front of my friend protectively, eyeing this wolf before me who is fuming, her eyes glaring daggers at me.
“Maya, this is my friend I told you about. The Alpha we will be following.” Matrix explains impatiently, a look of exasperation on his face.
“Even if she is Crystalline, that doesn’t mean she can hang off of you when you have a mate you have yet to mark!” Maya screams back, anger clearly filling each word.
[Explain.] I order my friend through our link, our close proximity making it possible to link each other once more.
[Don't trust her Crystalline. We met a few months ago while I was training and this mate bond snapped into place. But the thing is this bond seems off. Like its not supposed to be there.] Matrix explains. My guard rises as I stare at this she-wolf, relaying the information to the rest of the wolves. We all eye her suspiciously as she turns to face me, I can already see she wants to tear me apart and I refuse to allow this disrespect any further.
“Listen you little Bitch.” I growl out, allowing the power of a Royal wolf to pulsate in my blood and target this weak wolf. I watch as she freezes, her body unable to resist the power of an Alpha Queen.
“I will be your Alpha starting today. I will not take your disrespect nor your unwanted anger, do I make myself clear?” I ask. She does her best to resist, letting out a feral growl towards me. With a growl of my own, the force shaking the trees behind her, I walk over and grab Maya by the throat, slowly choking her. She fights me, her face slowly turning blue as I increase the pressure.
“Do. I. Make. Myself. Clear?” I ask again, slowly pronouncing each word. Finally, she nods and I release her, watching the annoying she-wolf crumble to the ground as she gasps for much needed air. The strange thing is Matrix did not plead for forgiveness for her. He did not beg for me to release her. I could feel my friend tense when I held Maya by the throat, but that was it. With a final look of distain to the wolf, I turn and walk away from Maya and towards my friends, Albot hot on my heels after remining Matrix to take care of Maya.
“Now that’s an Alpha!” Amberle exclaims, handing her pup Brent to Dominic before rushing forward and wrapping me in a hug.
“Thanks, I learned from the best two she-wolves I know.” With a chuckle, I hug the she-wolf back as Geminie walks towards me with a woman who’s hair is as red as blood and eyes as blue as the sky. Something inside me tells me I know this woman, that I have met her before. But I could not pinpoint where.
“Is…is this her?” She asks Geminie, her eyes filled with unshed tears.
“This is Crystalline, Cassandra.” Geminie confirms. The woman walks towards me and I can feel the magic pulsate off of her - a Witch and a strong one at that. She stopes just before me, her eyes scanning my body from head to toe, landing on the moonstone necklace hanging from my neck.
“You look like Luna. And you have the moonstone still.” She croaks out, tears falling from her eyes.
“You knew my mother?” I ask in disbelief.
“Little pup, I helped her birth you.” Cassandra chuckles out, her hands pulling me into her arms in a hug. Shocked, I stay still, unable to comprehend what is happening. This Witch was my mother’s hand maiden, she helped to birth me and my sister.
“I spent days chanting protection spells onto you and Selene. Days praying to Morai to protect you from Coro. Now here you are, grown up into a beautiful young lady.” She continues. Her warmth brings tears to my eyes as a distant lullaby plays in my mind. Without thinking, I wrap my arms around her, closing my eyes and smelling sage and ash on the Witch, a scent that comforted me in my dreams.
“Thank you. You are the reason Coro couldn’t kill me as a pup.” I whisper out. I allow the Witch to hold me, feeling a motherly comfort wrapped in her embrace and realize the words she says is true. The hug ends too soon as she holds me at arms length to take in my appearance once more, her eyes always ending on the moonstone around my neck.
“It seems my magic has not dimmed.” She chuckles out.
“Did you create this?” I asked, shocked as I instinctively reach for the stone.
“With the help of Elves, yes. Although those Elves have disappeared, their magic lingers, just like it does in the necklace Geminie holds.” Shocked at the mention of Elves, I wonder if the Library in the Temple of the Moon Goddess will have any record of them. It would be nice to see if I can find them and learn from them after taking back the throne.
“Why are you here and why haven’t we met till now?” I ask Cassandra, wondering where she has been all my life.
“Geminie and Amberle told me they had a theory about your four years ago. About you being the Lost Princess. I wanted to make sure before I met you. Then you moved to Toronto before I could meet you and I decided letting you find who you are on your own was important.” She begins to explain, her fingers gently running through my hair as she continues to stare at me.
“When Ira told me you were going to create a pack, I knew that today is the right time for us to meet. It became even better when she told me you would need a barrier in place and I took the chance to build the best barrier possible and made sure the lands became yours the moment you claimed them.” The care this Witch has for me causes my tears to spill over, and I am once again pulled into her embrace. First Uncle Atti, and now Witch Cassandra. Who else does Ira know that was around when my parents were alive.
“Cassandra, I think its time for Crystalline claim this as a new pack. You have years to catch up with the young wolf.” Ira cuts in, waiting just behind Cassandra and me. I notice a delicate dagger in her hands, the blade I realise being a sharpened moonstone.
“Since you are claiming land that used to belong to a different pack, you will have to slit your palm open and place it on the doors to the pack house, infusing the blood with the magic of this land.” Ira explains as Cassandra pulls away from me and nudges me towards the she-wolf.
[Whose pack was it?] asked curiously in the private link as I take the dagger and follow Ira up the front steps.
[The one Atticus reported to us two years ago. Amberle and Geminie took in the wolves and then we renovated this place with the intentions of you taking over.] My eyes widen as I look back to Blake and Alice, their demeanor not showing any signs of distress.
[Their old pack?] I ask. Ira nods, confirming my suspicions and I sigh, not knowing if this will bring more harm to the two pups than good.
[Trust me when I say nothing is the same as they remember. And if I am not mistake, they never saw the pack house nor most areas in the pack. The buildings are all new with the old ones destroyed because of the attack on Nightmare Moon. You can trust me when I say Cassandra cleansed the lands for them and for you.] Taking in Ira’s words, I turn the dagger in my hands as I debate weather or not to become Alpha of these lands. It would have been easier had it been absorbed by other packs, but it seems Blake and Alice truly have no bad memories from where we currently stand.
“Blake, Alice… Is this where you want to call home?” I turn, asking the pups. What ever they say will be the answer I accept.
“I don’t know why, but I feel at peace here. Is something wrong?” Blake states and I shake my head, happy to know he is fine while we stand here.
“Can I have a big room!” I chuckle at Alice’s outburst, realizing that I have nothing to worry about. This will be our home.
“I am pretty sure Albot and Crystalline will give you a big room” Marcie states, giving me a wink. With their approval, I turn back to the door and hold the sharp blade to my hand, slicing it and quickly placing my bleeding palm on the wooden doors.
“I Princess Crystalline Evangeline Rose Thorn declare this land and those who come seeking for a family as my own. As Alpha, I will protect and serve my pack to my fullest as well as uphold the law of wolf. This pack will forever be known as Astraea, Greek for stary night." A shimmer spreads from my bloody hand before enveloping the mansion, the magic and power of royal blood coursing out from inside me. I watch as the shimmering silver light flows down the mansion, enveloping the land. I can see the forest I now own; the large lake I promised Alice we can swim in and the mountains that boarder the west. The claim to the land ends at the barrier, merging with the magic Cassandra left seamlessly. Finally, the shimmer ends and the power of Alpha courses through me. But I lost the connection to my rogue pack. With a smile, I stand before my friends, scanning each and every one of them until landing on Albot.
“Albot Everrette, please step forward and accept the role as Beta to Astraea.” I call out. I see my friend smiling at me, making quick strides till he towers above me, taking my bleeding palm in his hand gently and swiping his tongue across the bloody cut. I feel our bond snap into place once more, this time stronger as my chosen Beta looks down at me. From there, I called each wolf to me, accepting Marcie as my head tracker, the ex-mercenary having the perfect training to train our future trackers. Matrix, as requested, became my Head Hunter, the pride in his eyes evident as he ruffles my hair like he always did when we were pups and causing me to growl in annoyance at him.
“Blake, Alice. I never officially adopted you, but will you come and accept me as your mother?” I ask the pups, leaving their initiation for last. Blake looks at me in surprise before rushing into my arms, the sixteen year old already my height and still growing.
“We already consider you our mama.” He sniffles, holding back the tears. I smile, wrapping my left arm around him while motioning for Alice to come join the hug. She quickly joins us, my right arm wrapped around her as I hug my pups. I can feel the bond snap into place, my blood recognizing them as my own. Albot joins us, wrapping his arms around me from behind and I realize in that moment that when the mate bond with Narin breaks, I want Albot to be my mate and father to these two. With a smile, I invite everyone inside allowing everyone to enter the pack house first.
“Mama.” Alice calls out, her hand grasping my shirt.
“What is it?” Concerned, I pull her into my arms and smooth her golden hair away from her face.
“I don’t like Maya… something is wrong with her aura.” She explains. I sigh, placing a kiss on her forehead before taking her hand in mine.
“I know. I don’t trust her either.”