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

Chapter 29 - Realization

Chapter 29 - Realization

Sitting by the river where I first shifted, I think about the note, about the Soulless whose life was taken because of the cruel message my brother wanted to send to me. No wolf deserves to be nothing more than an instrument of war, a war that is beginning in just a few short weeks.
"Crystalline?" A voice calls out, the owner coming into view from the thick forest behind me. His eyes scan the area until landing on me, the wolf coming to the river bank and taking a seat beside my curled up frame.
"I needed a moment alone." I mumble, resting my head on my knees. Narin sighs, bringing me to his side for a hug as we watch the water tumble over the rocks below.
"Albot called Matrix. To think you created a pack and left that hyper wolf in charge to take over this place," He chuckles, a bubble of laughter escaping my lips.
"I always planned to take the Royal Pack. Astraea was just something I knew the wolf world needed. Matrix was trained under me as the Head Hunter, but I slipped in some Alpha training." I explain, thinking about the pack I left behind—a place for those rejected and cast away to find a home and family who accepts them.
"Trix and Marcie will make an amazing Alpha pair. They just need a little time to adjust to it."
"I bet they will. Matrix always had leadership skills. I knew he would be perfect as your head guard, but now I guess he will be too busy leading his own pack." Narin agrees, the two of us falling into silence for a moment. The wind brushes the leaves of the trees, bringing the scent of pine and oak, of fresh Canadian maple ready to be harvested for their sap.
"I found Hanna and her pack. I plan to go find her before Coro comes, to wake her from her coma and bring her home." Shocked by his confession, I pull away from Narin to see the stoic look in his eyes. He is serious and I hate to break the news to him.
"The moonflowers bloom in two weeks." I whisper, looking towards the sky and holding back tears.
"What?"
"In two weeks the moonflowers in the meadow will bloom. That's when Coro will attack. You won't have time to get your Hanna and come back, Narin. I'm sorry." Tears spill from my eyes as I think about the night of the new moon in two weeks, the night all moonflowers bloom in the royal pack.
"I spent many years in that field to know when they bloom, not counting the hundreds of years spent in a stasis as an infant." I continue, wiping tears from my face as I break the news to my friend. There is a chance he may never meet his mate if we are not prepared. If Coro wins and takes the throne, then those loyal to me will be killed. Wolfkind as we know it will change.
"Then after we kill Coro, I will leave to find Hanna. But I am not leaving you until your brother is dead." His fingers pinch my chin gently, forcing me to look into those green eyes of his, full of gentleness. Something that I still find myself needing to get used to after years of his cold looks filled with annoyance or hatred.
"You will defeat him, Crystalline. Albot and I both believe in you." He continues, gently wiping the tears from my face.
"If training and putting procedures in place for the next two weeks before war and calling in our Allies is what I need to do, then I will do it." With that, he stands and gives me a smile.
"Can you also make sure that the two she-wolves carrying Alexander's pups are safe. We can't let Coro corrupt them." I plead, wanting to protect the innocent pups from the corruption of their ancestor.
"Of course. I can ask Ira to come pick them up and take them to the Temple until the war is over." I nod, happy with this idea as I let out a deep sigh. So much will happen but one thing's for sure, I do not want the pups Alexander managed to sire to be involved in this mess.
"You take some time to relax. I'll go call more of our Allies and have them here within the week." With that, Narin disappears the same way he came, his scent lingering for a moment before the wind carries it away. I smile sadly, returning to staring at the river as I think of the up coming battle. We have two weeks to prepare, two weeks to train everyone together and gather our forces. I already fought for the throne once and won, now I will have to defend it from my cruel brother. I think about what I am fighting for, for whom I am fighting. I fought for myself, fought for the few wolves I call my family and for the pups I adopted before fighting for my birthright. But now what do I fight for.
Suddenly the calm of the forest with the scent of pine and maple brings in the realization that this is what I needed to fight for. The calm and peace. The wolves living their daily lives in a pack or surviving as rogues searching for a place to call home.
The feeling of strong arms around me and the laughter of my pups sound just upstream and I smile. They are the ones I am fighting for. For pups like Blake and Alice who lost their childhood in a corrupt pack, for wolves like Albot sold to Hunters and forced to fight for their life in a rink every night.
That's when I feel it, slow tingles that start at the small of my back that rests against Albot's chest, the feel of a steady heartbeat synchronizing with mine and a scent that I know would send me to my knees. A deep breath and a low possessive growl fills my ears as I feel myself being pressed tighter against Albot, a blush creeping up my face. The sparks are different from the ones I felt on my eighteenth birthday. Where those were a flicker of light, the ones I feel pressed against Albot are a burning passion mixed with a wave of calm reassurance. I finally found him, the true mate everyone kept referring to when Narin spoke the truth. It is Albot, the man I have been praying to be mine every day since confessing our feelings to one another.
"Are you okay, darling? Narin said you were hiding here." His voice, rough with hidden passion, is whispered in my ear so low that only I can hear it.
"I was overwhelmed by earlier, but I am ready." I answer back, leaning into his touch and shivering when his lips kiss the sensitive spot on my neck.
"And what are you ready for, darling?" He whispers, his nose grazing my jawline forcing me to suppress a moan.
"To fight for our future."