Chapter 47 - My Omega Queen

POV: Grace

“He’s my mate!” I managed to shout before my voice cracked. A warm trail of blood began oozing from the middle of my palm before I realized how tight I clenched my fists. My body stood rigid and frozen, and my gaze remained fixed on the ground beneath me.

In truth, I didn't even need to glance ahead to understand the situation. My ears still caught my mother's subdued gasp and the subtle movements of the wolves behind me. Yet, only one reaction mattered to me. Even if there were countless barriers between us, I could still sense my father's intense stare upon me. It made me wish I could dig a hole beneath my feet and vanish from existence.

Now that I spouted these words, Arthur could no longer kill Zain unless my own father wished to inflict great pain upon me. The stronger the wolf, the more intense he would feel his mate’s pain. This meant that Zain’s death could send Raksha into sickness, madness, or worse, even kill her.

Hence, in an instant, the fear of losing Zain had completely been replaced by the greatest shame I have ever felt. It never occurred to me that a special event like finding my fated mate would be more shameful than not having a mate at all.

The next thing I heard was the sound of paws hitting the ground around me and the familiar tune of hundreds of bones rearranging themselves in seconds.

For some reason, I could not bring myself to look up.

Then, my father’s voice boomed through the forest, “Cuff him.” As he said so, the wind began howling, sending old leaves to the ground. My conviction that the wind mirrored my father's emotions was reaffirmed once more.

Regardless of the shame I was feeling, my head instantly jerked upward in response to my father’s command. Raksha had sent forth a wave of anger, which I tried to control.

"Father," I began, a plea in my voice, as my eyes locked onto Zain. Apparently, he had also shifted back to his human form and was now willingly holding his hands at his back awaiting the silver cuffs. However, what surprised me wasn’t his willingness to surrender, but his expression.

Despite blood trailing down his right leg and purple bruises covering his upper half, Zain was smiling. And it was not his usual arrogant, smug smile that I wanted to wipe off his face. It was a slight, serene curve of his lips.

I must have stared at him, because my father quickly stepped in between the two of us, obstructing my view.

“Take him back to the Silver Fangs pack.” My father ordered one of the pack warriors who was holding Zain.

Once they departed, my father pivoted toward me, and a frigid chill surged through my veins. “Fath-“ I began again.

"Quiet," my father's voice sliced through, a finger raised slightly in my direction. My mouth clamped shut involuntarily, yielding to his Alpha command. Waves of fury radiated from my father's aura, quelling any inclination of defiance. He then pinched the bridge of his nose, appearing thoughtful for a moment, before releasing a profound sigh and addressing us, "For now, we shall return to the Silver Fangs pack until we can figure this out."

“What’s there to figure out?” Raksha's words emerged through my mouth, against my will. I swiftly covered my mouth with my hand, chastising her internally. But she was agitated, pacing and emitting anxious whines within my mind.

My father's brows knitted, his gaze narrowing dangerously upon us. Instinctively, I recoiled, taking a step back.

F*cking wolves and their pride. I couldn’t help but think, “One is never too old to get a beating from their parent, I guess.”

"What’s there to figure out?" My father echoed, his voice dripping with mockery as he shook his head. Then, his tone dropped to a low register, laden with a weight of authority, "Raksha, you can't possibly mate with a rogue."

Raksha's insistence surged through me, overpowering my control as she openly defied our father, "Why not?!"

"Because I said so," his response was unwavering.

"You might be my father, but you're not my Goddess. You have no right to dictate who my fated mate should be!" Raksha's fervent words burst forth.

In an instant, Arthur's deep, menacing timbre emerged from my father's mouth, a chilling embodiment of power, "I am your KING! You will do whatever I command!"

The forest seemed to vibrate with a hum, and the ground itself trembled as everyone simultaneously knelt before their King.

Raksha battled against the compulsion to kneel, her struggle evident in the tremble of my legs as she stood tall and held her head high. This situation surpassed mere frustration and reprimand. Never before had Raksha contested our father's authority, not even during her tumultuous teenage years. I had already steeled myself mentally for the fight that awaited me when a blob of pure white suddenly materialized between us.

Accalia, in her snow-white fluffy form, emitted a fierce, menacing growl directed at my father. It was not an aggressive gesture, but enough to make Arthur take a step back. My parents' relationship had always appeared as if plucked from a fairytale, a tale of eternal love and harmony. Yet, when it concerned me, my mother had a soft spot. At times, the thought that I could betray our entire family and she would still stand by my side crossed my mind. Her loyalty was an unwavering constant in my life.

Arthur then took a step back and allowed my father to speak again, “Grace, you are grounded until further notice. I will see you two at the Silver Fangs pack. Arthur needs a run.“

With that, he swiftly departed into the depths of the forest.

Accalia then turned toward me and nudged me with her muzzle. She circled me once as I ran my fingers through her soft fur and cradled her neck. She jerked her head up and threw me on her back.

There were few times that I’ve ridden Accalia. It wasn't that she wouldn’t let me, but rather, it had always been something I shared with Arthur.

I clung to her back until we reached the Silver Fangs pack Alpha’s house. The ride was silent, as neither of us dared talk about the events. Then, I was kindly “escorted” to a huge, spacious room on the first floor. I have never seen such elegant and big guest rooms, so it surprised me when I had a Queen-sized bed and a walk-in bathroom all to myself. One could say it almost resembled a Luna suite.

I have to admit that it surprised me when the doors to my room closed behind me with a click. I made a few attempts to turn the doorknob, but it was evident that the door had been locked from the outside. I assumed that my father had relayed the terms of my grounding.

Allowing myself a brief respite, I let my back glide along the wooden doors until I settled fully onto the floor. A profound sigh escaped my lips—so deep that I feared it might rob me of breath.

However, my chance to catch my breath was short-lived, as Raksha's voice reverberated in my mind,

“Let’s go break our mate free.”