The King's Gamma (#Wattys2024)

Nine

Nathanial Connor

I had returned home yet again mateless and older. Tired of waiting I had started courting Alpha Hayes' daughter. They were our closest allies and one of the stronger packs in the world. At thirty five it was expected for me to be mated already, but it seemed to be out of the norm for me. The Alpha's daughter was thirty, her mate had died on the battlefield under the attack of rogues. Unfortunate for her but that at the least gave me a chance. It was most probable that my mate had either died young, was a rogue or she was not a wolf at all. The latter two were not optional. Not that interspecies mates bothered me, I was just not into it myself. And Goddess knows how unruly a rogue would be.

With her mate dead and my mate being a no-show, her father practically pushed her into my lap.

With Lisa Hayes sitting next to me, her hand on my knee, I felt myself warring with the emotions of guilt towards my mate and disgust towards myself for allowing this. But after a year of being around her and allowing her touch, I had steeled myself against these emotions. I turned my head to her, giving her my practiced false smile and a little wink she blushed.

We stepped out of the car, greeted by the sight of one of the Gamma heirs and a few of the guards. This was a less than warm welcome.

"Damien." I said the name of the only heir present. "Did something happen?"

He shook his head. "Nah. The King went hunting with my dad, brothers and the Princes."

I frowned. "They all went out? Isn't that dangerous?"

He shrugged. "With the new alliance Macey formed with the Elves, Vampires as well as the rogue camps around, as well as the year round visits of Dragon Generals, we haven't had any massive attacks as of late."

"You make her sound like some kind of Goddess."

I felt Lisa stiffen against my side.

"Well, as we speak she's smoothing over the Draconian-Elven alliance. Everything she does practically benefits the whole Kingdom."

"And she's a damned catch if I ever saw one." I heard the voice of Felix, the mage that hung around our Kingdom. "A shame how the girl is convinced that she needs to wait for a mate."

"You'd think after she tied you up like that on her first day here you'd be putt off by her."

"I like a challenge. And that hybrid is a real fucking challenge."

"Hybrid?!" Lisa seemed appalled.

As I've said, I had nothing against interspecies mating, so hybrids weren't exactly a bother.

"Yeah. Who'd have thought a dragon and a werewolf could make such an enticing creature."

Lisa's entire family was anti-hybrid and severely anti-dragon. So the thought of a hybridised werewolf-dragon, had Lisa hyperventilating by now.

Seeing my irritated expression at Lisa's overreaction, Damien and Felix shared a look of amusement.

"Please tell me that thing won't come near me." She said, panicked eyes on me. Her fingers clawed at my bicep. "You'll protect me from that scaley bitch, right?"

"I'd appreciate it if you didn't speak of my personal advisor in that manner, Miss Hayes."

We turned to see the King and Queen with all those who had gone on a hunt returning, venison being hauled over by some of the males, some blood from the hunt to be seen crusting over where they'd failed to wash away in the stream on the hunting grounds.

"Advisor?" the news had me lifting a brow. I had spoken to her over the phone a few times, but none of them ever divulged that the latest Gamma heir had been booted up to the level of advisor in four short years. A Royal Advisor was pretty much at the level of a Royal Beta.