Alpha Queen: First of Her Name

Chapter Five

King Richard's mouth audibly falls open in shock, Dad leans back in his seat with his arms crossed over his chest, clearly assessing this new information. I glance toward King Maxims to see him smirking. Even the heirs look bewildered by this revelation, all except me. I blink and remain placid on the outside. My scent gives nothing away, though internally I'm screaming. This woman is the new Queen?

"Your King sent you in his stead?" I almost facepalm at King Richard's words. The poor man is so gullible it's a wonder how he ever remained King of Evergreen for so long. Dad looks like he could strangle the man, but keeps up his rigid noble appearance.

Queen Mac flashes a sharp grin, while the man beside her shakes with barely held laughter. "No, King Richard. I am the sole ruler of the North." We all remain quiet and wait for her to continue. "I rose to power over the last year after my predecessor fell."

"After you killed him." My Dad says with a raised brow.

Queen Mac looks him directly in the eye, "Yes after I killed him and his mate."

I inhale sharply. The killing of one's mate is worthy of death, it's treason against the Moon Goddess who created mates for wolves.

"Then you're a rogue." My Dad steeples his hands together.

The man with the face tattoo in a pattern of complicated runes growls. Queen Mac raises her hand and he silences. "King Alpha Michael of Summerland, I called this meeting to form a treaty. Not to discuss past discrepancies."

"If I may," my voice wavers slightly in the tense room. All eyes fall on me. Beside me, my Dad stiffens as if he had forgotten I was there. "Queen Mac, only Alphas may rule. Are you an Alpha?"

"Yes." Her eyes gleam like pools of liquid fire. "Nothing in the Court journals states that a woman can not rule, it only states that the ruler must be an Alpha."

I gaze across the stone table into her eyes. "Of course, I've read them." She smirks at my haughty response. "Although you are not of royal blood, if King Edward of the Northern Pack Solstice was killed in battle, his slayer would become next in line by default."

"Correct."

"Did you kill him in battle?" I tilt my head to the side. "Or did you unlawfully murder a King Alpha and his mate?"

King Maxims barks out a low laugh, "Princess Hope, there's no need for the aggressive questioning."

"With all due respect, King Maxims, don't try to tell my daughter what she may or may not do." My Dad turns his cold eyes onto the Western King, "Queen Mac, your answer."

"I will admit to a coup d'etat." She glares at the wolves who growl at the blatant dismissal, "Only because the Dark King would have brought the North into ruin if no one interfered."

We all know that this is true. The North hasn't been in contact with any of the three kingdoms in almost a hundred years, not even the human kingdom could talk to them. Without knowing the state of control of the North, we all believed that most of the kingdom was either enslaved or worse.

My Dad glances at me in askance. "You killed King Alpha Edward for the good of the North?"

"Yes, and I would do it again." Queen Mac compels my eyes to remain locked with hers. We fight for dominance in this discussion, which I find myself slowly crumbling. Every time I look at Mac, my resolve cracks and I want to let everything go. There's no reason for this except that she treated me with kindness. I only want to repay her with the same kindness, but it's against the final ruling.

"Do you have proof that life in the North is as bad as you say?" My Dad asks while placing his hand on mine. It's then that I notice my fists are clenched. I blink and glance around, but it's too late. Everyone knows she's gotten to me.