One year later…
“Commander, you can’t just go to the front lines. The rogues are not easy to deal with especially they have made such a great number. We can’t lose a commander!”
“I can’t lose my troops either. End of discussion.” I continued removing my uniform right in front of my colleagues and some soldiers inside the tent as I dressed up in my combat suit. “You know well that I don’t just sit around.” I glared at Commander Walter, giving him a meaningful stare.
He sighed and nodded. “Pardon us, Commander Rachelle.” He turned at the newly appointed 20th commander, Morris Highgate who just spoke out of nowhere. “Don’t stop her. She’ll come back in flesh. No need to oppose her, Commander Morris.”
But Morris just snorted and shook his head but he already stayed silent. I continued attaching the daggers I need with wolfsbane and inserted them into my holster. “Just wait for me to come back here, Commander Morris and you will see that I am more capable than sitting here,” I said as I couldn’t help but be boastful at him. I turned at General Jose who was silently watching us making arguments. “I won’t be making any permissions, General.”
Fleet Admiral Jose nodded. “I believe in your talent. You have my regards.”
“But General-”
“You won’t win, Morris,” I emphasized to him. This guy wanted to do anything to ruin my plans. He just ascended to be one of us and yet here he was acting like he had more power than me. I want to remind him that I am the 11th commander and he was just below the rank.
He shot me a glare then remained silent.
Good. I smirked mentally as I continued packing up.
I dashed out the moment I thought that I already had everything. I went to the front lines. Enraged, I fished out my sword bathed from wolfsbane, and started slashing out all the rogues who had come to charge at me.
Some of them were dressed in their human form. Some were in their wolf form. While I was on my way to head, I hissed silently upon seeing some of our pack soldiers had died from the battle.
The bloodshed that rained all over the Suika village, one of the states of Auritaurie province which rogues had created their cavern. The rogues had kindled a war six months ago. We had dispatched some soldiers to keep an eye on them and to know the ruler of the rogues.
Intelligence reports said that the ruler was quite distant and hasn’t made an appearance before them. The ruler has been keeping a distance and only made an appearance to someone very important.
My heart sank as I was run across by one of my soldiers stabbed in the stomach. “Siege!” Gasping, I approached him. “Siege, I-I’ll bring you back to the infirmary…” I tried so hard not to panic as I could feel his open wounds gushing out some blood.
I knew that this wasn’t the first time I had seen some soldiers who got hurt, got killed, and got themselves sacrificed for the kingdom but I couldn’t help feeling remorse and grieving for their deaths and their situations. It was so painful to see it.
Siege shook his head and clasped my hand. “C-Commander… S-Save yourself. My life… My life is n-nothing…” I shook my head, refusing to believe him that what he was feeling is he was just a pawn and ready to be thrown out.
“Tell me. Tell me where their ruler is hiding. On what location-the exact location of Magnius Lothim?”
“He already fled…” Then he coughed blood which made me gasp. I bit my lower lip and tried to cover his open wounds. “I-I’m sorry, Commander…”
I closed my eyes so tight the moment his body became frail. Tears rolled down my cheeks as his lifeless body settled on my arms. I raised my head, anger-fueled me. A bunch of rogues came to run in my direction. More soldiers stepped up to protect me but some managed to pass by and went straight in my direction.
I slowly stood up after I prayed for Siege’s death. My heart was breaking silently and all I could do was to avenge my comrades. I slaughtered all of the rogues who dared to come straight at me.
I slashed them on their necks, gouged out their hearts and eyes, stabbed them in their torsos, cut their arms and legs, and beheaded them. With what I did, some of them were backing away and some came to charge at me. To no avail, I managed to slaughter them with a sinister smile plastered on my lips. The blood splattering on my face was serving me as fuel to keep on slaughtering all of them.
I watched them back out and started to hide in the forest. I didn’t dare to follow them but I know in the looks of them, they had seen what I had done to their fellows. I may not be at the very best of my wolf strength, I can defeat them with my fighting skills.
As they were slowly fading out of my sight, my knees, which had been wobbled, faded and I dropped down. The rain started to pour down as tears kept falling.
I shouted. I shouted in grief. The fall of my comrades… I will make sure they will not die in vain. I would make sure I will avenge them…
“I will kill you, Magnius Lothim! Mark my word!” From shouting to screaming, my voice couldn’t be heard. My eyes were starting to blurry… I closed my eyes and waited for my body to drop down on the ground.
I woke up when I was inside the palace infirmary. My upper body was covered with a gauge. I smiled wryly as I felt my body in pain right now.
Sighing, I slowly turned at the worried respectable former king, Grand Alpha King Claudian Alexander III who was holding my hand. He gestured his hand and called an attendant to give me a glass of water.
“Why did you push yourself?” His voice slightly raised like a father who wanted to scold his daughter.
I plastered a small grin. “As a General candidate, I have to prove myself,” I said jokingly. But I know that this wasn’t the right time to make fun of my promotion to be the General.
The Grand Alpha King sighed. “You had me worried, Rachelle. You know that you were like a daughter to me.”
I placed my hand on top of his. “Thank you, Your Majesty. But I am a soldier that needs to serve the kingdom. It is my job to protect our kingdom from the threats.” I would like to ease his feelings right now. I knew how worried he was. Those wrinkled skin on his temples, his almost white hair as well as his beard due to old age, his worried expression right now were making me want to call him a father if any case.
His Majesty nodded and didn’t say a word. The attendant came to bring me some food in my bed after a moment the former king and I talked.
“I’m also not worried. But my son came to visit here as well to check up on you.”
I looked at him, surprised, slightly gasping. “W-What? The Alpha King came here unannounced?” Did he show himself after turning his back to appear in the public?
He chuckled. “Unannounced as always. Don’t worry, along with your advancement ceremony, he will have his first appearance in the public.”
I remained speechless. That was surprising. Why had he been so secretive to come here? Didn’t he ditch the arrival ceremony last year? “What does he look like exactly?” I couldn’t help but ask. My curiosity got the better of me again.
No one knew what he looked like except the higher-ups. Rumors said that he was roaming around in disguise. He was checking his jurisdiction in incognito.
“I shall go now.” Instead of answering me, His Majesty stood up with a smile. “I need you to take a rest. Do not push yourself like that again, Rachelle.” I just nodded, agreeing with him to get over with. His butler and his attendants that were staying outside came and followed him as he bid goodbye to me.
I instantly looked behind the curtains when I saw someone peeking through but the person already left and made their way to the door after His Former King left. I caught a glimpse of his body built and he was wearing an attendant uniform here in the infirmary. It was a man’s building. Not bulky. It was just an exact body built for a man who underwent training.
“Who is that?” I couldn’t help but wonder. I sniffed his scent. The smell of morning dew is what I am smelling.
I could feel his presence from earlier along with the other attendant who gave me water and food but he never did anything but just to silently watch. I just shrugged and ignored it.
I laid on the bed again and positioned it on my side, wondering how lonely I am again. It has been a year since I cut off the bond ours.
It has also been a year since my wolf didn’t contact me anymore. Slowly, I am becoming wolfless… I rejected our mate and this is one of the consequences I should need to face.
“At least, I get to find a small detail from who I was…” I murmured.
Storm sent me a letter and they found that there was a monk from the Southeast coast of the Waevalon Kingdom who knew about the little blue-eyed she-wolf who could release some specks of gold dust through the end strands of the fur. That made my heart stop for a moment when I got to know it.
But that monk was incognito after the temple was destroyed by the rogues and their ruler was named Magnius Lothim.
I clenched my hand. If only I wasn’t busy here, I would have gone to the Southeast coat…
This information was sent a year ago. At that time where Claude had to set off after I just broke our bond. In exchange for the pain, I received good news…
‘I hope that will truly make you happy.’
I gasped when I heard the voice of my wolf. “Hey…” But she cut me off and didn’t respond again.