CHAPTER 66

CHAPTER 66
ALPHA KING ARLO

The door closed behind Orion with a soft click that echoed through my office. I remained standing, my hands flat against the oak desk, watching the space where my father-in-law had just been. His apology still hung in the air, formal and stiff, but genuine in its way.

"Alpha King Arlo," he had said, his head bowed slightly. "I apologise for my daughter's behaviour. Her actions reflect poorly on our family and our teachings."

"Calantha has always been..." Orion had hesitated, searching for the right word. "Spirited. But there is no excuse for disrespecting you or the council."

"No," I'd agreed, my voice measured despite the anger still simmering beneath the surface. "There isn't."

I ran a hand over my face, feeling the tension in my jaw. Calantha's outburst at the council meeting had caught me off guard. I'd seen her angry before. I'd seen her passionate, even, but never so openly defiant. Not in front of the elders, not in front of our allies.

Orion's parting words replayed in my mind: "If there is any further disrespect from my daughter, call on me and I will handle it. I will not have centuries of alliance damaged by one woman's pride."

One woman's pride. As if that was all this was about.

I had threatened to send her back to Orion if she continued that way. I reminded him of the way she sounded in the room. Without Aby remorse for her foolish actions, and he kept begging for mercy.

The knock at my door pulled me from my thoughts. "Enter," I called, not turning from the window.

"Alpha King," Elena, my head maid, stood in the doorway, her hands folded neatly at her waist. "You summoned me?"

I nodded and finally turned to face her. Elena had served my family since before I was born. Her loyalty was as unwavering as her posture.

"Until further notice, you will oversee all kitchen affairs and household duties," I said. "Lady Calantha has been relieved of her responsibilities."

If Elena was surprised, she didn't show it. She simply nodded. "Of course, Alpha King. Is there anything specific you require?"

"Ensure that preparations for the celestial conjunction continue as planned," I instructed. "All invited guests are to be accommodated according to protocol."

"Including the Northern Territories?" Elena asked carefully.

I narrowed my eyes. "News travels fast."

"The walls have ears, Alpha King," she replied simply.

"Yes," I confirmed. "All invited guests. Without exception."

Elena bowed her head. "It will be done." She turned to leave but paused at the door. "And Lady Calantha? Should I send someone to attend to her?"

I considered this for a moment. "No. She wishes to be treated as any other pack member for now. Let her experience exactly that."

After Elena left, I moved to my desk and sank into the chair, the weight of the day settling on my shoulders. The scrolls demanding my attention remained untouched as my mind drifted back to the look on Calantha's face when I had relieved her of her duties. Hurt, betrayal, rage. All flashing across her features in an instant before hardening into cold defiance.

The silence of the room pressed in around me. Normally, Calantha would be in and out, going about the household and kitchen duties. But she decided to deprive herself of that.

With a sudden decision, I stood and grabbed my cloak from the hook by the door. I couldn't focus on work. Not now. Not with the ghost of our argument haunting every corner of this place.

I moved through the corridors of the pack house with purposeful strides, nodding briefly to those who bowed as I passed. The guards at the main entrance straightened as I approached.

"I'm going out," I announced. "Alone."

"Alpha King," the senior guard began, concern evident in his voice, "is it not.."

"It's not whatever you plan to say," I cut him off, my tone leaving no room for argument.

The guard hesitated but stepped aside. "Yes, Alpha King."

The night air greeted me like an old friend as I stepped outside. I pulled my cloak tighter and set off toward the village that sprawled beneath the pack house.

The Howling Moon was busy when I arrived, the tavern filled with pack members unwinding after a day's work. The chatter died down as I entered, heads turning and bodies bowing in respect. I nodded in acknowledgement but moved directly to the bar, where a bartender stood.

"Alpha King," he stammered, clearly surprised by my presence. "It's an honour. What can I get for you?"

"Whatever's strongest," I replied, taking a seat at the end of the bar. "And some privacy would be appreciated."

He nodded quickly and set a glass in front of me, filling it with amber liquid from a bottle kept on the highest shelf. He placed the bottle next to the glass and moved away, gesturing subtly to the other patrons to give me space.

The first sip burned its way down my throat, a welcome distraction from the turmoil in my mind. By the third glass, the edges of my thoughts had begun to blur. The sounds of the tavern faded into a comfortable background hum.

I took bottle after bottle, until I felt very weak to take in any more. My head had begun to ache.

"One more bottle?" The bartender asked me.

"No," I replied calmly, waving my hands. "I think I've had enough for tonight already."

I paid him for the drinks. I did not stand up or leave immediately; I stayed back in my chair, waiting for my heartbeat to finally slow down before I left the bar.

The walk back to the pack house was longer than I remembered, or perhaps it was just the burden of my thoughts that slowed my steps. The moon hung full and bright in the sky, a reminder of the celestial conjunction that approached—and the storm that would come with it.