Waiting patiently with Sora in what I suppose is the royal tea room. I look around and nothing has changed since the first time I came here, many years ago.

Paintings, pointless art pieces, the same dull red curtains I want to set on fire, along with everything in this room.

I was just about to glance at my watch, pissed off when the doors open, I stand making my mate join me and then we see her, we watch as The Queen enters.

"Her royal highness Lila Grinmorte of The Vale." Is announced and then our eyes connect.

She looks the same. Pale blonde hair, dull purple eyes, pale skin.

Her very being makes me want to reach over and squeeze the life from her as I watch her choke to death on her own blood.

"My my, I apologize as I am a little late." She says as she looks me dead in the eye than to my mate and I grow tense.

I hold my mate's hand and we sit when Lila sits.

"You're an hour late. But who's counting." I say sarcastically.

She laughs as she claps her hands excitable, the sound making Sora flinch. "Oh how I have missed you Kane!" She says with a devilish grin. "And this beautiful creature must be her." She asks me.

Before I could open my mouth, Sora speaks.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, your highness." My mate says sweetly.

To which Lila smiles amusingly looking in my direction. "My! A human!" She looks over to Sora quizzingly. "Tell me Human Sora, how did you meet Kane?" She asks my mate curiously.

Sora shifts in her seat uncomfortable. "Through a friend."

Lila hums. "How amusing! Let's have tea shall we?" She says as he looks between us with curiosity.

I sigh trying not to glare at her for constantly staring at my mate.

Servants enter the room as soon as she rings a bell with a horrible sound. The room is quiet and I can only hear the sound of my mate's heartbeat. Calming the beast and my wolf listening to the steady rhythm.

"Tell me, how long has it been since your last visit Alpha."

I mask my hatred with a smile as I clench my fists. "Not long enough."

Sora tenses beside me. "Did you know he declined all my invitations Luna? Very rude this Alpha." She says amusingly as she sips her tea, her pinky finger raised.

She sighs dramatically. "But now I do love seeing you in a suit." She says towards me with a wink.

I growl as a warning.

She smirks and shrugs. "Let's get to the point shall we?" She says seriously as she looks at me coldly.

There she is. "I was wondering how long you would keep up this charade."

Giggling she puts a piece of paper on the gold table in front of me and sits back.

I open it and sit back, watching her amusingly as she watches my emotion with interest.

"It's a treaty." She says.

I crumple the piece of paper and throw it in the pot of tea. Standing up I stand in front of Lila, my height intimidating her. "Tell me what you really brought us here for." I demand in my Alpha tone.

She shrinks behind my tone and is taken aback. No other can deny the command of the true king, she knows this as does everyone else who is following her in The Vale.

"NOW!" I spat out as she flinched.

Guards enter the room with silver spears and I glance down at their pathetic excuse for a queen.

"You are no queen." I whisper with hatred.

"I wanted to play nice with you Kane, to avoid bloodshed." She says with no emotion and dead eyes as she stands up and stands in front of her guards. "But it seems you do not care for such luxury." She says quietly.

"Such a pity really." She sighs. "Escort them to their carriage." She says towards the guards.

I growl as they step towards my mate. "Touch her and I will rip your worthless head from your body." I snarl as the men nod and stand aside.

I take my mate's hand as I leave the room. I lean in to whisper in Lila's ear. "Thanks for the tea, Queen." I say deadly silent as I leave, leaving behind a red-faced Lila whose men just ignored a command. Not even her guards respect her.

That confirms my suspicion. She is not behind this tea invitation someone else behind the scenes wanted me to make a move.

My spies were right. Information has been coming in from the Vale that the palace has been quiet recently. This is more of a mess than I thought.

Lila is a pawn.

💥💥💥💥💥

It has been a week since the invitation and things have gotten quiet again in the Vale. My men bring no information and no one has seen Lila, my spies inside the castle black reported that after my departure, Lila had simply vanished.

I have increased security around the border and inside the pack until I hear something indicating I can let my guard down.

But I know I cant.

There is a high chance Lila is dead or has gone into hiding and whoever is really in charge is planning something a lot more interesting than a tea party.

I did see this coming.

The Grinmorte family is cunning and vicious. Not afraid to kill their own to keep a grip on the power they have gained.

I sigh and turn off my car engine as I tiredly walk into my house. My mate is watching TV on low volume with Amanda and pup Troy, Lucas's son.

"Hey, babe." I say as she looks at me grinning. Beautiful mate.

"Shh, he just went to sleep." She scolds me and I smile. I watch my mate as she cradles Troy and I can't wait for the day my mate holds our pups with so much love and gentleness.

The more I see her around children the more the dominant side of me wants to take her upstairs and fuck her until she's carrying our own pups.

I want nothing more than to have that with her.

I go into the kitchen for some coffee. My wolf has been bugging me for a run since we made it home last week from The Vale, constantly on edge has made me and my wolf craving for some free time, but both too stubborn to leave Sora alone.

I lean against the counter with a mug in my hand as Sora comes in and kisses me. "Mm taste like coffee." She says as she licks her lips, making my dick twitch.

"Hi." She finally says shyly. "How was your day? She asks.

I click my neck as I let out a tired sigh. "Boring, I missed my mate." I say as I grab her by the waist and bring her into my chest.

She laughs and strokes my face, causing me to close my eyes. The warmth of her hand relaxes me so fucking much it's unreal, it's like her touch is magic.

"When was the last time you shifted?" She asks and I blink my eyes open.

I give her a look and she frowns.

"Honestly, are all wolfmen as stubborn as you?" She says poking my chest.

"Nope, I'm worse." I say grinning lazily.

I have an idea, not sure if she will accept though.

Amanda's voice interrupts me before I can open my mouth.

"Hey Kane, Sora! Lucas is here so I'm heading home now. Troy here wanted to say bye-bye to Auntie Sora and Uncle Kane... didn't you sweetie." She says amusingly as Sora gushes over the pup.

"Of course be safe, bye." She says as I watch her hug Amanda and kiss the pup on the forehead with interest and I have a burning desire to see her with my pups.

When I hear the door close I get my mate's attention. "Want to come with me?" I ask.

"Where?" She asks with that smile I love.

"For a run."

She laughs as she just stares at me gaping. "Kane.. in case you haven't noticed..  I can barely keep up with you walking, never mind you as a wolf." She says.

I shrug. "You could ride me."

Her eyes widen as she thinks about it. Before she can choose I decide for her. My wolf and I would kill two birds with one stone- as humans like to say, solve a problem with a solution.

I begin to strip as my mate watches me hungrily and I hide my grin as I flex my sore muscles ready to shift. I turn to my mate. "Hold onto me tight, ok?" I demand. And she nods nervously as she steps back.

I feel my bones start to break and my body start to take shape. Seeing my mate's face scrunch up at the sound but not hide as she watches my shift. She has changed a lot since the first time. Making my wolf and me proud of how brave she is becoming.

I trot my way towards my mate, fully transformed as I lean on my front legs bending down so she can get onto our back, she struggles to jump on until my head goes in between her legs to lift her up and she squeals with an 'eek'. Causing my wolf to snicker at her.

She holds onto my fur-like reigns and I begin to run at a slow pace, worried my mate might fall off and not wanting to hurt her. We are large and if she fell off... I would never forgive myself for being so reckless. But I need her close to me. Especially when I'm so wound up that only my mate can help with it, I'm clingy with Sora and I think she's noticed.

She begins giggling as I pick up the pace and jump over tree logs and big rocks in the forest. I run and unleash every built-up tension from running a pack to making plans. Listening to every sound around me, to the wind to the birds and insects on the forest bed.. to my mate's hands on me. I soak it all in to forget my day.

I run with my mate until I decide to stop at a small stream in the forest. I lay on my stomach so my mate can get down from my large body safely.

She starts giggling. "That was so fun!" She begins to say now laughing. "I feel a little dizzy." She says as she holds onto me as she steadied herself, still laughing. And I watch her with worry and amusement as I nudge her as I hint towards sitting down on the floor.

She looks at me confused. "You want me to sit?" She asks and my large wolf head nods. She does as I suggest and she lets out a sigh and looks at me lovingly, making me and my wolf happy.

"I wonder what it would feel like to be a wolf." She says dreamily. "I would be out here every day." She says with a soft laugh.

I sit beside her and listen to her as she begins to stroke my chest. "So soft." She whispers and my wolf is purring, loving her hands all over us.

She was about to say something but a noise caught my attention from a distance away.

CLICK

CRUNCH

Someone is out here with us. I stand on high alert as I hide my mate with my body, standing over her as she sits, my fur is hiding her from danger.

I growl out loudly then snarl as a warning with dominance as I command whoever is there to show themselves as I mind-link Lex my location.

He replies instantly that he and the men are on their way.

I hear the sound of dead leaves being stood on getting closer and I crouch down with my back up in fight position as I try to conceal Sora as much as I can to protect her with my large body and black fur hiding her.

"It seems we meet again, Alpha."

I stare off into the distance as I see who it is then I snarl, my teeth vicious and threatening.

Lila Grinmorte.

"I come in peace." She says holding her shaking hands up in the air as the people around her stand beside her scared of me also with their hands up. 

Lila swallows hard. "I  have nowhere else to go, please.." She whispers as tears fall on her face and I growl as she steps closer, my mate no longer under me.

"I do not wish to harm you or your pack, please hear me then you shall do what you wish with me after you give me a chance to explain." She pleads with me and my men show up and are now circling around her, snarling and snapping their teeth, causing those with Lila to cower and lower their heads submissively.

Lex mind-links me as he stands beside me glaring at Lila and her people who are now on their knees begging for an audience with me. "What should we do with her?" Lex asks.

I move back to my mate as I lean down to nudge her to get back on me. She gets on me shaking with nerves and I can sense how scared she is from how deadly my wolf looks right now, making me and my wolf want to kiss her sadness away for causing her fear, yet again.

"Blindfold them and take them to the cells, I want the bars laced with magic until I decide what to do with them." I command as I don't look back at them as I begin to head back to the house, with Sora's arms wrapping around me as she holds on ready for me to run.

It's all coming together. 

It sooner than I thought but predictable nonetheless. Whoever is orchestrating this is surely going to be pissed when he finds out his main piece has fled from The Vale to Deepwater and into my hands.

This is getting interesting. I need to move Sora faster than I thought to someplace safe. I have to keep her safe... everything I guessed has so far unraveled and played out.

Lila being here means one thing and one thing only.

War is coming.