CHAPTER 73

CHAPTER 73
 ALPHA KING ARLO

Beta Orion stood before me, his proud shoulders slightly bowed. This was the second time in a week he'd come to speak about his daughter. The irony wasn't lost on me— the fearsome Beta of the Eastern Pack reduced to a diplomat between his daughter and her husband.

"Alpha King," Orion began, his voice carefully measured. "I've spoken with Calantha at length. She understands the gravity of her actions now."

I leaned back in my chair, studying him. "Does she? When I spoke with her yesterday, she seemed anything but remorseful."

Orion winced slightly. "My daughter has always been stubborn. But I assure you, she recognizes her error."

"Recognition and remorse are different things, Beta Orion."

"She was raised to speak her mind," he countered, then quickly added, "but not to undermine authority. Never that. I've made it clear what's at stake here."

I rose from my seat and moved to the window, watching the training grounds below where young wolves sparred under the watchful eye of my warriors. "What exactly do you want from me, Orion?"

"Mercy," he said simply. "Restore her position. The conjunction approaches, and we need to present a united front."

I turned to face him. "A united front? Is that what you call her behavior in the council meeting?"

"A momentary lapse in judgment," Orion insisted. "One she won't repeat."

"Can you guarantee that?"

He hesitated, just long enough for me to notice. "She is my daughter, but she is your mate. Only you can truly command her obedience."

I nearly laughed at the absurdity of his statement. My mate? The way he pretended not to know the truth. I didn't argue about it. I just intentionally played blind to it.

"I'll consider it," I said finally. "That's all I can promise for now."

Relieve washed over Orion's features. "Thank you, Alpha King. That's more than fair." He bowed deeply. 

After Orion departed, I poured myself a glass of whiskey and returned to the window. The liquid burned pleasantly down my throat as I contemplated the mess my marriage had become.

Years of arguments, cold silences, and begrudging cooperation. Our political marriage had accomplished its purpose— strengthening ties between our packs and producing an heir. But at what personal cost?

I never expected love when I married Calantha. Respect, certainly. But somewhere along the way, even those had been buried under layers of resentment and power struggles.

I drained my glass, remembering the fire in her eyes yesterday when she'd confronted me. Even furious, she was magnificent— all fierce pride and unyielding strength. In another life, under different circumstances, perhaps I could have...

I shook my head, dismissing the thought. What was the point of such speculation? We were trapped in this arrangement, bound by duty and tradition and the needs of our people.

"Never thought I'd look at Calantha with love," I muttered to myself, refilling my glass. The very idea seemed absurd. We were too different, too stubborn, too damaged by our own expectations.

A knock interrupted my brooding.

"Enter," I called, not turning from the window.

"Father?" Ajax's small voice pierced through my thoughts like an arrow.

I turned immediately, surprised to find my four-year-old son standing in the doorway, his hand clutched in Elena's.

"Forgive the interruption, Alpha King," Elena said quickly. "Prince Ajax was quite insistent on seeing you."

I set down my glass and crouched to my son's level. "What is it, little warrior?"

Ajax glanced up at Elena, who nodded encouragingly before stepping back outside and closing the door.

"It's dinner time," he announced, his small face serious. "Mama says you need to come eat with us."

I sighed. "Ajax, I have work to finish here. I'll eat later."

His brow furrowed in a perfect mimicry of his mother's. "But it's venison. Your favorite."

Despite everything, I smiled. "Did your mother send you to convince me?"

Ajax shook his head. "No. She didn't know I was coming. I asked Elena to bring me."

I studied my son's face. He had Calantha's determination in the set of his jaw, but my eyes looked back at me, searching and concerned.

"Father," he said suddenly, his voice dropping to a near whisper, "are you and Mommy fighting?"

The innocent question caught me off guard. "Why would you think that?"

"Because you don't eat together all the time. And it's getting worse recentl. And..." he hesitated, looking down at his shoes. "Mommy was crying today."

A pang of something guilt? regret? Shot through me. "Your mother was crying?"

Ajax nodded solemnly. "In her room. I heard her when I was playing. Did you beat her up?"

"What?" I drew back, shocked. "No, Ajax. I would never— who told you that?"

"Nobody," he replied with a child's directness. "But Ren's daddy beats his mommy when they fight. He told me at training."

I felt ice spreading through my veins. "That's... that's not what happens between your mother and me. Adults sometimes disagree, but they don't hurt each other."

"Then why is Mommy sad?"

I ran a hand through my hair, searching for words a four-year-old could understand. "Sometimes grown-ups have... disagreements about important things. But that doesn't mean we don't care about each other."

Ajax considered this, his young face remarkably thoughtful. "But you'll fix it, right? You're the Alpha King. You can fix anything."

If only it were that simple. I placed my hands on his small shoulders. "I'll try, Ajax. Now, about dinner—"

"You'll come?" Hope brightened his features.

Looking into my son's earnest face, I couldn't refuse. "Yes, I'll come."

Ajax's smile was like sunshine breaking through clouds. He grabbed my hand, tugging me toward the door with surprising strength for one so small.

As we walked down the corridor, his small hand warm in mine, I pondered the impossible situation. A loveless marriage. A kingdom to rule. Ancient enemies gathering at our borders.

And a four-year-old boy who believed his father could fix anything.

The dining hall doors loomed ahead, and I knew Calantha would be waiting inside, as proud and unyielding as ever. This dinner would be tense, filled with forced politeness for our son's sake.

But perhaps Orion was right. The conjunction approached, and we needed to present a united front, if only in appearance.

"Father?" Ajax tugged at my hand as we paused outside the dining hall.

"Yes, son?"

"Will you sit next to me tonight? And can you tell the story about the wolf who found the moon?"

I squeezed his hand gently. "Of course."

As the guards opened the doors, I steeled myself for the evening ahead. This wasn't just about Calantha and me anymore. It never had been.

For Ajax, I would try. For the Eastern Territories, I would endure.

And for myself— for the man I once hoped to be— I would face my... my queen across the table and attempt, once more, to bridge the chasm between us.