The Royal Alpha, & Loyal Luna

44. The Royal Slayer .

We'd managed to slip past a still sleeping Grey and his guard dogs. Though I had to admit, I lingered a moment to be able to watch him sleep once more, as close to peace as he'd ever seemed to be. I wondered if that's how he saw me when I slept, as finding someway to escape to peace. It was as close to it as we could ever find with lives like ours.

And leaving him and Auguste was the best peace of mind I could give myself when it came to dealing with Minette. I would be rash, irresponsible, and unmerciful when it came to the two of them. It was better for all of us to be apart in this moment. And if my journey to slay a royal led us being apart forever, I would find peace in knowing I did what I could to keep them safe. Alive.

"Gio." I needed a distraction.

He caught up to me in a few strides. "My Goddess."

I shook my head at him. "If you're going to insist with this whole Goddess nonsense, then come up with something more practical. I'm not about to Beam Me Up, Scotty to the moon."

He chuckled. "Well, there is technically a name we give walking goddesses. A term that was once the name of one of the most powerful she-wolves known to man."

This certainly caught my interest. "Oh? I've never heard about her." But then I thought of the forbidden love story Gabe had told me. Could it have been her?

"There's a lot you still have to learn about our history. Many great wolves whose names will carry on through the packs for as long as we roam the woods. Evil ones too."

"Like my mother." I scoffed. "Should I expect to find her going down in the werewolf history books?"

"I pray to you that won't happen." He smiled, shaking his head. "Enju. That's a name from a very old wolf tribe that is said the Aureate Moon wolves descended from a long, long time ago."

"Enju, huh? Sounds old, who was she? What did she do?"

"Oh, first." He seemed thoroughly surprised as he told me her story. "She went and did the damned unthinkable. She fell in love with someone she shouldn't have."

I looked down, distaste with the thought of Minette coming to mind. "Sounds like my mother." I scrunched my face at the comparison. "Falling for my dad."

"Far from her, actually." He sighed. "Wasn't a wolf, or a human."

This time I looked up at the back of Gabe's head and I noticed even he slowed a bit to engage in the story. I'm sure it had his interest piqued now too, even if he tried to show otherwise.

"A vampire.." I answered quietly. "Enju fell in love with a vampire? But.." Now I was more thanccertain it was the same she-wolf Gabe had told me about.

"Who are we to judge who someone loves? I found myself in love with a mutt."

I eyed him.

"Grey fell in love with you." He went on.

Gabe turned his head, keeping it facing forward, though I knew he was still listening.

Gio chuckled softly like he knew something I didn't. "Enju was betrothed to him. But she surely didn't expect to fall for him, and yet she did."

"How does that make her a goddess?"

"She was born with the spirit, not passed it. The girl was a spirit-wolf. Someone who didn't transform in full like we do, but could manipulate her human form to that of wolf qualities. Didn't make her any less stronger though."

I couldn't help but to smile. "She was strong, huh.."

"Man, the stories of this woman would blow your damn mind. You wanna know her nickname?"

I nodded my head, a smile still on my face. "The Royal Slayer."

And that, that made me laugh. "I think she was me in another life then, not Minette."

"Before she found her lover, she was an assassin. Secret missions, under a guise no one knew she wore when night fell over the world. She was a force. And then she became an even greater one when she met her match."

My smile started to slowly fade then. "You.. you think I should've brought Grey.."

"I think you know the answer to that question, Enju."

"Well its a good thing we didn't get far," Gabe stopped in his tracks as he said it, "We can say we were just deciding to head back for him."

Gio narrowed his eyes. "What are you talking about, vamp boy?"

"How about a joke? What's tall, dark, and royally pissed off?"

"Aw, shit." I met with Grey's hard, cold eyes even with the distance still between us. I closed my eyes, sighing. "Stay here, he'll lop of your heads as mad as he is."

"Mad?" He didn't even yell, but his voice was more venomous than if he had as I approached him. Just when I thought he was going to make me walk the rest of the way, he all but flew to me in a blur of speed, eyes reflecting.

"Grey, I-"

He slapped me. And I waited for the wulphed to take over with anger, but.. it didn't. It was quiet, submissive, almost obedient to him. Even the Goddess was quiet, though I felt the both of them there.

"When this is over.." His voice was icy, his eyes filled with something that scared me above all else. "You and I, we're-"

"That's enough, Greyden." Kale grabbed his shoulder from behind and Grey shook out of it. "Before you say or do something you'll regret."

"Mind yourself. You're still on suspension, the only reason you're here is because of your Luna." I winced as he spat the word. "If she didn't need all of us, as she so arrogantly thinks she doesn't, believe me.. you would still be on house arrest."

"Be angry at me, hate me. But don't take it out on them." I couldn't look at his eyes when I spoke. I was too afraid to be sure of what I'd seen. And what I'd seen in that moment was nothing short of hatred.

"Gamma and Chief of CU already have the pack moving out." He turned away from me. "Get your ass moving." Grabbing my arm as I started off, "And Nova.. don't ever disrespect me like that again. I've allowed for a lot, but no more. If what you do is to get a rile out of me, I can assure you, I'm itching to kill. Do we understand each other?"

I nodded once. I knew if I antagonized him in any way right now, our pack would be sorry, we would lose, Minette would win, I would lose him forever, and we probably would all die. As much as I wanted to protect him, he was right. Leaving him behind was wrong, selfish even. I wouldn't say I was sorry, I would show it. Hopefully, someday, I would have the chance to. And hopefully when that day came, he would still want me to.

"Let's go." Grey said to the small entourage of wolves still close by to us. Even Kale lingered a bit before walking behind Grey like a pup with his tail between his legs after a good ol' scolding. Hell, so did I.

"Enju.." Gio touched my arm. "He's just afraid."

"I know." I could relate. Him afraid I would run to my death, and me.. afraid he'll die at the hands of my own mother. Even more scared because I knew it would be my fault, as all of this was. "Me too."

Gabe quietly came to my other side, touching my right shoulder. And they walked at my sides like that, awaiting to greet our probable death at the heels. My loyal flanks. My loyal friends. And my royally pissed off Alpha.