Alex’s pov:
My worry became my fuel as I fought off the guards with barely contained anger. I couldn’t allow myself to be consumed with fury, as I feared I would lose control, which would prove lethal.
My wolf could tell that the danger was real, and recognized the witch and her daughter as people who needed our protection, in addition to Jade and Lucille Jade’s mother naturally.
There was no doubt in my mind that there would be consequences to today’s chaos, but chances were that the Alpha King would not condemn his mother. The queen had naturally retreated along with her servants, and I was left to fend off the attackers.
The guards were strong, almost as strong as Trevor, and they knew how to fight in a group, their movements in sync… But I was an Alpha, one of the strongest of the country, and this was my family they were threatening to harm.
Even though the territory was foreign, I got the upper hand before long, and they laid wounded and passed out on the soil of the forest. I didn’t let my guard down, and didn’t bother shifting back or even checking on Jade, as I waited for their back-up to come.
There was no telling if I would survive, but I had given Cole strict commands. He had already helped my precious Jade into the Jeep, along with Lucille and the mother-daughter witch duo.
The Jeep didn’t get to leave, however, as a powerful sports car came to a halt in front of it. Cole was about to manoeuvre his way out, but I told him via mind-link to stop right there, even as I cursed mentally.
I recognized the man who stepped out of the sports car as the beta of the pack.
“What kind of mess is this?” He thundered, anger obvious in his tone of voice, his eyes locked on me, even as guards began to approach me from different angles.
“The Luna was in danger,” Cole let out in a proud tone of voice, seeing as I was still in wolf form and thus couldn’t communicate yet.
“I refuse to believe that,” Beta Marc scoffed in utter and complete disbelief. “Everyone retreat,” he then ordered the guards approaching me, as he no doubt realized the story was bound to be complicated.
I shifted into my wolf, and was ready to start telling him our side of the story before the wicked queen got to tell her twisted one but the witch objected at once, “Well, you weren’t present, were you?”
“I see you have grown some backbone, Paulina,” he told her in what appeared to be mild awe, his lips twitching, no doubt as he fought a smirk or a smile.
“I am just telling the truth,” she insisted, her tone of voice proud, her head held high in defiance.
The beta then grabbed a change of clothes from the trunk of his car and threw it at me from afar. I gave him a curt nod, and hurried to get dressed.
“Jade called me earlier, worried beyond her mind that something would happen to her, and they would hurt her and the baby,” I told him without delay.
“That’s nonsense,” Beta Marc shook his head negatively. “We have been nothing if not courteous to her.”
“Explain then why these guards were trying to get to my mate,” I shot back with a wave of my hand to the passed out guards. “My mate is passed out, her mother is wounded, and Paulina looks drained… How did that come to be?”
Another sports car soon stopped behind the first one, and it was the Alpha King himself that exited it.
“I will get to the bottom of this,” Beta Marc assured me. Eyes hard, he soon added, “Should you be lying, Alpha Alexander, you will be facing trial and treason charges.”
“What about the person behind the attack on my mate?” I countered readily, eyes challenging. “What will they be facing?”
“We’ll cross that bridge when we get to it,” the Alpha King drawled, seemingly not pleased with the turn of events in the least.
“I request that my mate at least gets to go home,” I then said in a humble tone of voice. “I accept to be locked in the dungeons, but I refuse to allow harm to befall her and my unborn baby.”
“Isn’t she unconscious though?” Beta Marc objected after a beat. “Let her rest first and foremost, as we investigate this matter.”
“I would rather she be unconscious but somewhere safe than conscious and in danger,” I told him without beating around the bush.
“Are you saying we failed you, Alpha Alexander?” The Alpha King let out a dry chuckle, his eyes darkening, as his anger began to surface.
“I am saying I would prefer to know that my mate is safe,” I retorted, unwilling to relent.
“How about you give your side of the story, Paulina?” The Alpha King asked without delay, even as he completely ignored my request.
I was partly wounded that he would seek her side of the story, but I knew that he was still more than lenient, considering I had yet to be thrown into the dungeons despite the unconscious guards.
“Long story short: The Queen had the guards attack us, and even threatened to have us all thrown into the dungeon,” Paulina let out in an unwavering tone of voice.
“Me too,” Anna let out in a hushed tone of voice, seemingly on the verge of tears.
“Yes,” Paulina patted her daughter’s head affectionately, “When I say all of us, I meant Anna included.”
“But Anna is a child,” Beta Marc let out in utter and complete disbelief.
“I put down the first barrier that kept us from harm,” Paulina went on, totally dismissing the beta’s objection, “and as it was about to crumble down, Jade put down the second one, which lasted long enough for back-up to arrive… The back-up being her mate, whom she had called the moment it was revealed to us that she was carrying a supreme Alpha.”
“I have a recording of my call with Jade,” I let out, refusing to give up, knowing that it was a matter of life or death.
“No need,” the Alpha King soon retorted, with what appeared to be exasperation in his eyes. “The guards will explain this mess.”
“I only rendered them unconscious. They should be waking up soon,” I heaved a sigh.
It had been fairly tough to fight them without meaning them true harm, whereas they weren’t as lenient, going for the kill each time they thought they had an opening. I could thank my lucky stars, my skills, and unending training for having the upper hand today.
“Should we be thanking you?” Beta Marc bit out, and I had to refrain from rolling my eyes at the man.
We weren’t at fault here. The Alpha King had made it impossible for us to refuse the training he offered to Jade. Jade had come despite her fears and her insecurities, and had even started enjoying herself as the training unraveled many things to her… Only for this to happen.
“While I know that your highness meant no harm to my mate and my unborn pup, I also know that the palace has become a dangerous spot for her to be in.”
I was unwilling to relent on this.
“8 pm,” he soon declared. “By 8 pm, we will have this issue sorted out.”
I just nodded curtly at him, understanding that this was as good as it would be, and that there was no need to try to bargain anymore.