Scarlet Rogue (Book One)

Chapter Thirteen: Distance Makes the Heart Grow Fonder

Kaelynn

"Queen, are you awake?" I hear a voice at the door.

That's when it all comes flooding back to me. Ayden ordered Mark to drop me off to the Ethereal Midnight Pack last night. I don't know why everyone has been so nice to me here since I arrived. Why don't they hate me? I am the reason the Kingdom is in chaos.

"Come in," I say realising I have been silent too long.

A young girl walks in and says, "I have bought you some clean clothes." She places them on the dresser before continuing, "the Alpha requests your presence downstairs when you are ready."

As she leaves, I get dressed and wonder how Ayden is doing. It has only been one night and I feel restless without him. The night was filled with me tossing and turning; without his scent nearby, it was impossible to sleep.

It's time to face Edon and see what his pack has in store for me. Leaving my room, I start walking but soon realise I have no idea where I'm going. I keep walking hoping my memories from a decade ago help me out but it's no use. I am well and truly lost.

"Queen?"

I turn around to see a wide-eyed, blonde man staring at me then say, "I'm looking for the Alpha."

"Let me take you to him."

I nod and follow him, knowing I'll never find him myself. We arrive to the dining hall where the pack is eating breakfast. As we walk up to Edon, the wide-eyed man pulls out a chair for me to sit, before sitting next to us.

"I see you've met the future Beta, Russell," Edon says munching away.

Looking at the food, my stomach is crying out for it. I skipped dinner last night being too nervous about the interrogation. I scoff up everything on the plate and take seconds.

"Jesus, did they not feed you at the other pack?" Caleb says sneaking up behind me.

I ignore his comment and continue eating. When I raise my gaze for a moment, I notice people around the room staring at our table. Are they looking at me?

Edon senses my apprehension and says, "now that you are here, I want you to train Caleb and the warriors. The war is getting closer and training with the Alpha Queen will make the pack stronger."

I wanted to argue that I should be locked up away from harming everyone but I know Edon and Caleb well enough to know they won't listen to reason. After defeating Ayden's Beta, I know I haven't lost my Alpha strength and since the potential war is pretty much my fault, training the wolves is the least I can do.

"Fine, but I have a condition." I respond.

"Oh yeah, what's that?" Edon says with a half-smile.

"I want everyone to stop calling me Queen! I was never the Queen and I never will be."

Edon goes silent for a while then says, "done."

I'm surprised at his lack of retaliation but as they say don't look a gifts horse in the mouth. Once I finish eating, Caleb leads me out to the training grounds. I take a seat to assess the level of the warriors. Watching them for a while, their fighting skills could definitely do with a boost.

"Listen up everyone," I say standing up to address the warriors. "I suggest you all take a break today because from tomorrow I will be training you until you break."

I can't put my finger on whether the crowd are showing fear or respect. Either way, Edon asked me to train them and that I will do. Leaving the crowd, I go to the library to prepare a plan for the training.