Chapter 18: Trouble

**Coal**

"Your Majesty," Alpha Zander bowed deeply as he entered my office. Liam gave him a once over as he shut the door behind him and resumed his position by the door.

"Alpha Zander, take a seat," I gestured to the chair across from my desk.

"To what do I owe the honor of your summons, your Majesty?" He asked with a smile as he sat, hardly glancing at Raegan at all. "Have you reconsidered my proposition?"

My wolf let a growl out at that, and I glared at him, "*no.* And I never will. I've summoned you to discuss Alpha Kai."

He frowned deeply, and shifted in his seat, looking at Raegan now entirely. His eyes flicked up and down her body in a way that had me seething. I inhaled sharply. "Do you know where the former Prince has settled?" I asked him, diverting his attention back to me.

"Have you chosen Miss Martin as your Queen and Luna, your Majesty?" He tilted his head to the side, scrutinizing my mate with every ounce of himself.

I clenched my jaw, "I'm aware that you have alliances with packs that still have contact and support the former Prince. Have they spoken to you of anything?"

"Was my daughter not beautiful?" He looked at me. "You danced with her, even lifted her to carry her on your feet when she stumbled along the steps. Were you not affectionate towards her?"

I pinched the bridge of my nose, "please just answer my question, Alpha Zander. I do not have the patience to deal with your lust for power today."

He crossed his legs and took in a deep breath, "perhaps I may answer your question if you reconsider my proposal. It seems you are willing to take a chosen, and I believe my Alpha Born Daughter who is pure in virtue is a better suited partner for such a devout man--"

"Alpha Zander, respectfully, he isn't taking a chosen. He's just relieving stress," Raegan cut in.

I blushed and shot her a warning glare. She rolled her eyes and glared at the Alpha across from us. "And either way, I highly doubt a man of high status wants an inexperienced woman for a mate. Just because she's a virgin doesn't mean she'll satisfy him," she added with a slight lift of her lip to reveal her canine.

"No, but she can bare him pups who he won't have to question the parentage of."

She laughed coldly, and took my hand into her's, "I can assure you, the King will not be reconsidering your offer to sell your daughter to him in exchange for power and allyship. He can find his answers elsewhere."

Alpha Zander's eyes went to me, and he narrowed them, "you let your whore speak for you?"

I slowly rose from my seat, and let go of Raegan's hand as I rounded the desk slowly.

"Say that again?" I asked quietly, and leaned towards him slightly.

"I said, do you let your *whore* speak for you?" He glared at me.

I looked back at Raegan, who had a look on her face that I couldn't quite read. Then I looked back at Alpha Zander, and kicked him square in the chest. He gasped as his chair fell back and he hit his head on the floor as a loud *thud* sounded from his impact.

I leaned over him, "speak to or of Miss Martin that way *ever* again, and I assure you, you'll be wishing you'd never opened your mouth." I held my hand out to Liam, who quickly supplied me with hand sanitizer and a handful of tissues. I opened the bottle of hand sanitizer and dumped it over the tissues before opening the Alpha's mouth while kneeling on his chest and shoving the tissues into his mouth before forcing his jaw closed so he couldn't spit them out.

After a minute of him writhing and his eyes watering, I slapped his cheek gently and got off of him.

Liam hauled him to his feet and dragged him to the door as he sputtered out the tissues.

"Enjoy the conference, Alpha Zander," I smiled at him as Liam tossed him outside of the office before coming back in and shutting the door behind himself.

I turned around to look at Raegan. Her eyes were wide, and jaw slack as she looked at the alcohol soaked tissues on the ground.

"Annalise wasn't kidding," she whispered.

Liam whined a little, and moved towards her, but I growled at him to stop him in his tracks.

"*Mine,*" I snarled and rounded the desk to get to her.

I crouched in front of her, between her knees as I cupped her face in my hands.

She cringed as she took in a breath, and pushed my hands from her face, "are you... are you like that a lot?" Her eyes briefly flicked to mine but then trained on the tissues again.

I looked over my shoulder to the tissues. I was. I was angry a lot. And I punished people like that a lot. More than I'd like to admit. I furrowed my eyebrows and nodded, not looking back until I heard her sharp intake of breath.

"Do you *like* doing things like that?" She whispered.

My eyes went wide, and I shook my head quickly, "no. Absolutely not. I take no joy in hurting other people or humiliating them. Unfortunately, it's the only way I've found I can gain respect from these wolves. Through fear." I didn't want to tell her I regretted it, because I didn't. I didn't like it, but I didn't regret the lengths I'd gone to to get the respect I had now.

"Carl is on his way," Liam announced.

I sighed, and rose to my feet before taking my seat again.

"Would you ever... treat me like that?" She asked me so quietly I nearly didn't hear her. I leaned towards her, making eye contact so that she saw the sincerity there.

"*Never.*"

She looked between my eyes, and then nodded, taking in a deep breath, and then there was a knock on the door.

I waved to Liam who opened the door and let in Carl. My Head of House. He managed everyhing under this roof that had to do with the maintaince of the palace. He cordinated every servant and guest and cleaning schedule and room. Nothing happened without his knowledge.

"Your Majesty," he bowed at the waist.

"Rise," I cleared my throat.

He did as asked.

"I need the footage for the guest floor from the past four hours. And I need to know why you didn't know Miss Martin's room was ransacked," I barely got the words out without growling, but I managed.

His mouth dropped open, and his eyes went wide as his hand flew to his chest, "I will have the footage put on a drive and sent to you immediately, as for her room being ransacked, I was unaware. I had been otherwise occupied in the servants quarters with a fight between two of our wait staff."

Raegan looked between Carl and me and shook her head, "a distraction," she mumbled, "the wolves who fought should be question too," she said to me. I nodded my agreement.

"Send the wolves who were involved in the altercation to the throne room, immediately. And I want that footage as soon as possible, Carl."

He nodded.

"That's all," I waved my hand and he bowed once more before taking his leave.

Raegan turned towards me entirely, "I don't trust Alpha Zander to not go telling people."

"I don't either," I said. I wasn't expecting his response. Truly, I was expecting his anger, but not his insult and his lack of respect.

"But he doesn't suspect we're true mates, so he'll only tell people that we're lovers. That's better than him believing that we're true mates." She said with a sigh of relief.

I bit my lip. I still didn't like the idea that we weren't telling people, but it might be safer for her that way. The less people that knew the less the demand for her to be returned to Alpha Kai would rear its ugly head.

"Your Majesty," Liam stepped forward, his hands clasped behind his back, "if you have a moment I would like to share some information with you."

Raegan stiffened beside me, and glared at Liam. I looked at him with narrowed eyes, "speak."

He looked at Raegan apologetically, and then let out a breath, "would--" He started to speak, but Raegan growled and got to her feet.

She briskly walked past him and to the door.

"Where are you going?" I asked her.

"I don't want to be here for this part," she explained, and opened the door, "I'll be waiting right outside the door, I won't go anywhere, but I don't want to be in the room when he tells you what he's about to tell you."

I narrowed my eyes, and she shut the door behind herself while stepping into the hall.

Liam took in a sharp breath and spoke.