III | F r e y a  R u t h

I clenched my teeth.

Is this a joke? From what universe were they informed that I had 'rejected' my God damn mate?

I was already overwhelmed by the intoxicating smell of my mate to think straight that now I had to focus on what the council said as well?

While trying not to get a big whiff of his smell.

Involuntarily, my body shuddered - I was standing in front of my mate who was also a Lycan king and was going to decide my fate.

My mate was going to decide my fate. I am doomed.

I felt multiple eyes rake over me and an involuntary shudder went up my spine again.

I had everyone's judging gazes over me and I did not like it. If only I was out of the council, I would teach everyone their forgotten manners.

For sure.

"Bring the lady a cloth." One of the Lycans called and I clenched my eyes tightly - He noticed. Soon enough, I was handed a cloth and I wrapped it immediately on my body.

I was grateful to cover my bare legs. I did not like others scrutinizing gazes over me, especially his.

"Name?" The same Lycan asked and with my gaze still cast somewhere else - I was not going to risk looking at him - I answered with gritted teeth,

"Alpha Freya Ruth." I clenched the cloth tighter around my body.

"Did you, Freya Ruth, did or did not reject your mate?" The same Lycan asked and I growled loudly, not caring if I disrespect anyone. He disrespected me first by not using my title.

I did not answer. Not until they call me by my title. No, I will not. No matter what, besides, I was too engrossed in smelling my mate.

They will definitely feel disrespected.

While I was busy trying to calm my brain, heart, and wolf down, the same Lycan asked,

"Did you or did you not reject you mate, Alpha!" Took him long enough.

"I did not! I did not even meet my mate!" I say with a jerk of my hand, my eyes and head still not rising to the Lycan's eyes.

"So you are saying that Lycan king, Darius Valentino is lying? Didn't you turn your back on your mate?" The same Lycan questioned again.

Did Darius tell them that I was his mate?

Everyone was silent and was giving me the stink eye - probably.

"I never said that. I did feel my mate but it was too late, I was already out of there. I wasn't sure if it was my mate and anyways, I do not want a -"

"Look at me when you speak!" His voice thundered in the room and I felt my knees shake.

Fuck! His voice!

My wolf was already on her knees and I clenched my eyes tightly. This cannot be happening. I cannot - will not submit.

He wanted me to say that again but this time, to his face. Gladly!

I felt the Alphas and Lunas around me cower and I slowly open my eyes.

I will show him alright.

With a stone face, I looked up, straight in his orbs with such furiosity that the Lunas around me gasped.

Oh, fuck off.

Darius returned the favor by glaring back in my blue eyes with his gold ones that started to get brighter. My chest heaved and I fought my body and wolf from giving control.

My eyes were changing colors and I knew that Darius had noticed it. He knew that I was fighting from my inner self and he was entertained.

He knew I was going to break soon.

One.

"I don't want a mate! I was going to discuss the matter with the council when I was going to find him. I am an Alpha and I have the right." I exclaimed and his eyes turned to stone.

Two.

He looked furious but he was good at controlling it. I was testing his patience too. Not that I cared actually.

"Mates are a blessing and you should welcome him with open arms." I scoffed.

Three.

"There is no way I am going to allow you to do that instead, I will give you two choices." Darius raised his eyebrow at me but continued while all the while, my body shuddered at every word he said.

Four.

"Either you give yourself to your mate or he will come and fetch you." The way he said it made me want to kneel and ask for his forgiveness but no, I was not going to show weakness.

Five.

"I will have no problems if he comes and stays in my pack with me -" He cut me off,

"You know why he can't!"

He was right, I did. He was of way higher rank than me which meant I had to go where he goes.

"You have this day to decide, come tomorrow early morning with your decision or we will not be held accountable for your mate's actions." He will not be held accountable for his actions.

Six.

"I am an Alpha with a pack to take care of." I think for a moment, "I will kill him on sight," I mumbled and was about to turn away but when I caught the angry and mysterious look in his eyes, I knew that I was a goner.

Killing a Lycan? A fucking Lycan king! That would be close to impossible. Who am I kidding? It was beyond impossible!

I was a small fucking ant in front of him.

I clenched my eyes shut for a few seconds, trying to shake his image away, and continued to walk.

No one else spoke as I exited the room and the second I was out, I collapsed on my feet and tried to calm my breathing.

What had I gotten myself into? What have I done!?

Kill him on sight? I had gone nuts!

I had to discuss this with my Beta and Gamma, no way am I going to let Darius Valentino take me from here, away from my pack. I will not be his erasthai! - even though I am and it can never be changed but I will not be his.

Not while I am an Alpha. If the circumstances would've been different in the slightest, I wouldn't be running away from him.

I pulled the remaining parts of the handcuffs off my wrist with a single jerk and pulled the cloth tighter around me and then walked home.

Definitely walking home.

It was around noon when I reached back to my pack, the second I crossed the border, my Gamma and Beta surrounded me and started asking questions.

"What the fuck happened?"

"Why did they take you?"

"They didn't fucking threaten you, did they?"

I shook my head and raised my palm to stop them from talking.

"Let's talk with some breakfast, I am hungry," I say and they both nod. A few minutes later, I still had the cloth clutched around me and we were sitting at the table.

I didn't want them to worry about me - isn't that what Alphas do? They keep their problems to themselves.

But they deserved to know.

"Nice smell, a new scent?" I asked noticing the cinnamon smell but the two men in front of me only shrugged.

The pack had eaten long ago and now it was only the three of us.

My senses were still going haywire, I needed something to calm down.

My eyes go to the teacup filled with steaming tea in front of me and I greedily pick it up, not noticing the fact that I was unable to smell its scent.

I sip my tea only to cough it out because of the horrid taste.

Something like wolfsbane.

"What the fuck is in that?" I put the cup back on the table as both the men around me look alarmed.

My coughing started again and I thumped my chest, trying to stop it.

My Gamma runs to grab me water while my Beta sniffs the teacup.

"It smells weird, to be honest, I cannot smell it at all." I take the water bottle from my Gamma and sit back. I finish the water bottle in a few gulps.

I have to vomit the tea out or I don't know what it will be doing to my system.

"And I thought only I was unable to smell except this cinnamon smell in the room." I sighed as I picked a piece of bread to sniff.

"Did we hire a new cook?" I asked and my Beta shook his head.

Throwing this event away, I started.

I knew I shouldn't worry them, but I had to tell someone - in case something happens.

That's why I told them everything that was said, what I didn't tell them was who was my mate. They had a hunch that it was an Alpha but who.

"Oh." My Gamma whispered and then nodded. I sighed in return and my Beta said, "Who told them anyway? Who is your mate even?"

Okay, I did not want to tell them right now but then I sighed, they had a right to know.

"Lycan King, Darius Valentino." The moment I said that my Gamma growled and my Beta had his eyes out of his sockets.

"What the fuck!" My Gamma cussed. He curses a lot. He at least curses twice in every conversation.

I nod again.

"And you said that you will kill him on sight! He will fucking stomp us under his feet!" My Beta growled and started to massage his temples.

"It was only a figure of speech - I think. Just drop it, I will figure something out. I promise but just so you know, I am not going anywhere anytime soon."

They should not worry about me. I am not there headache.

"Yeah, tell that to the King that will be throwing you on his shoulder tomorrow." And with that, my Gamma left the table and soon enough my Beta followed.

I had such dramatic second and third in command. But they were right.

God, what was I supposed to do! My ego was too much to give in just yet! I will not and can not just surrender to a man. I am an independent woman and I deserve to live my life my way.

And the fact that I was extremely short tempered - I took anything and everything to the heart and would always use anger to retaliate. Which brings me here -

No man can ever dictate me except my father who is no longer in the world.

Also, I would rather die than submit myself to a man who does not know the word neutral. Never will I ever do such a thing. Over my dead body.

With that thought in my mind, I walked to my room, freshened up, and changed into some modest clothes. I folded the cloth that I was provided with at the council and placed it in my cupboard and then, I went down to my office.

Back to Alpha work.

I increased my security around the boundary and gave them strict orders to not let anyone in. My Beta was like, "You think that is going to stop him? Freya, think! He is a King, a Lycan King!"

He was just making fun of me.

I didn't want to listen to him anymore and went out to the borders to checks m self.

My pack was named AshenWoods. Why? Because my pack was burnt to the ground and I raised it from the ashes. The trees, plants and houses were burnt, I pulled it up back together with the remaining pack members.

For my pack, Woods - Trees - were a benefit. Since they were burned, we planted more trees in a defensive position so it was not easy to find out pack. It was a great tactic I came up with.

"I'll kill him on sight." I had to stand up to that, no?

"Divide in groups of three and climb up the trees, if there is any rogues, capture them and if there is . . . Something else, kill it." I say while pointing to my warriors and then to the trees.

"Yes Alpha." I sigh.

Was I doing everything right?

My heart ached, pounded angrily and a weird feeling accumulated in my body that I once felt on hearing the death of my parents.

Was I scared? I can't be.

"I'll be running the perimeter, you all keep your eyes open." And I take off.

I run like a wild horse from the previous border to the one on the back of the pack.

Darius' chances coming from there were low since behind our pack were more werewolf packs - Lycan pack would be far away from a werewolf pack so this border will not be most of my worries.

Completing my perimeter, I finally return to my office.

And since then, I worked till night, only came out for food, and went back in. I signed some papers and passed a few new rules in my pack. I had increased the training sessions and work hours even more.

Even I thought that I was going nuts.

"What do you mean unmated females are being kidnapped?" I ask my Gamma who give me more details about the case.

"I need a few wolves keeping an eye on the females for a few days."

From multiple packs, females were being kidnapped. Unmated females. Even though no kidnappings happened in my pack, I was not going to wait for them to happen.

The usual cases were like - the females were drugged with wolfsbane and would disappear.

I was given tea laced with wolfsbane.

My second and third in command were worried about me. Even though I was an unmated female I was still an Alpha - I can take care of myself.

By the time it was midnight, I was tired as hell and somehow, slept in my office.

My dream wasn't the best one.

You can give it the title of a wet dream. I am officially ruined.

...
Do you want to know what she dreamed about? Use your imagination and tell me. *Laughs*

P R O Q U E E N