The Alpha's Silent Mate

25

How?

That is the one question that is on every wolf's mind.
How did he come back? How is he alive? How strong is he?

All the color leaves my face and my throat dries up, leaving a heavy feeling in my stomach.

The tension in the air is thick enough to cut. Kaceline and Kenneth look unaffected by it.
Kenneth's icy blue eyes meet my own of the same color. Mine show resentment and anger, while his show triumph and arrogance.

"You've grown so much, Chloe."

I growl at the bastard -excuse my French- but I don't attack yet. Kaceline is a powerful witch and Kenneth still possesses his bulky physique. Though I am 5 feet tall, he still towers over me.

"I have a proposition for you. You hand us the throne, or we take it?"

Forget it.
I jump at him and aim my paw at his throat. But he intercepts my move, dodges it and catches my hind legs before I reach the ground. He swings me around and tosses me a few feet away from him. I land with a painful thud. He gives me a sly smirk while Kaceline cackles.

I yelp in pain, causing the warriors to charge at Kenneth. Lorenzo stealthily runs towards an oblivious-looking Kaceline.

I swiftly get up on my feet and have another unsuccessful go at Kenneth.
This time, he gives me a shallow, humorless laugh. "You didn't think this was our plan, right?"

I look behind him and see Lorenzo and all my warriors frozen in place. The wolves are still in mid-run and Lorenzo stands motionless with his soundless growl and bared teeth.

Kaceline is nowhere to be found. Lorenzo's eyes are fixed at the spot she stood at, but there is nothing there.

I'm pretty sure the shock and confusion is evident in my face because Kenneth laughs again.
"My mate is in your, or should I say my, castle now. She's going to get that little scepter for me."

I shift back so I could speak.
"Where is Darcy?" I say through gritted teeth.

"Who again? Oh, the witch princess. She's alive."

"I repeat, Kenneth, where is princess Darcy?" I am seething with rage at this point. My eyes narrow and a low growl makes it's way out of my mouth.

"You'll find her somewhere over there," his eyes flicker to the west borderlands.
Without thinking, I shift and run to where he directed.
I'll deal with him later, I need to find Darcy. The entire witch kingdom is counting on me to find their future queen right now.

My ears perk up and listen for a human heartbeat, cry, sniffle or anything that may lead to Darcy. My nose picks up every possible scent, searching for the one that belongs to my best friend.

I run around the lands for the sixth time, tracking down any sign of her.
I softly whimper when I don't find her.

My sadness turns into pure rage and I sprint back to where I left Kenneth.

I can't believe that mutt lied to me. Well, I can believe it, but I'm still pissed about it.

Why did I trust him?

A faint grunt breaks me out of my run.
I slow down to a stop and turn my head to where the sound came from.

I slowly trod over to a small thornbush and I immediately whimper. Tears prick my eyes at the heart-shattering sight in front of me.

Inside the thornbush, a bloody, broken girl is squished inside. Her dirty hair sticks to her sweaty forehead. Her skin is covered in burn marks, scratches, bruises and fresh blood that seems to be her own; big ugly blotches lay here and there and her skin is paler than milk if that's possible. Her green eyes that are supposed to be bright are so void of life. Her face is almost unrecognizable.
I've never seen a living person looking so dead.