I looked at Lucian in utmost shock and disbelief but soon those feelings turned to guilt.
Kristoff was his still father and I bet anyone would want to watch their parent die and do nothing about it. It hurts even more that the person doing the killing is your own mate.
I shifted my gaze away from him and forced myself to gain interest in the grass beneath my paws.
Not a few moments later, I felt someone nuzzling his snout in my neck and I had no doubt in my mind on who it was as warmth spread throughout my body.
I couldn't react though and kept my gaze turned away until I felt him nudge the side of my face.
Looking up, I got taken aback as my eyes met Kristoff.
There was a small, golden wolf standing over his body, licking his wounds and nudging him with its head to get up from his lying position.
I looked in confusion at Lucian.
"Freya." He informed me through the mind link, answering the question that I had in mind and as soon as the word hit me, I instantly felt so stupid.
Embarrassment was eating me away and I just wanted to go dig a hole and die there.
I was so consumed by my anger earlier that I didn't notice Freya running towards her father as I charged at him. Lucian must've seen her and thankfully pushed me out of the way before I accidently hurt her.
Lucian muzzled his face in my neck again in reassurance. He then turned to Freya and his father.
Freya took a protective stance over her father's body, who was now sitting straight with a smug look on his face.
Being the coward that he was, he hid behind his daughter.
Since I was standing next to Lucian, I couldn't see his eyes, but Freya's were easy to look at as they glazed over, indicating that she was mind-linking Lucian.
She growled lowly at him and he responded with an authoritative, warning one.
They were both caught up in their argument that they didn't realise Kristoff trying to escape.
I growled loudly at him, making him stop in his tracks and making everyone else look at me.
"Sorry." He mumbled as he glanced back at Freya before shifting into his grey wolf and sprinting to the woods.
With another loud growl, I attempted to run after him when I was stopped with a blonde wolf growling at me as she blocked my way.
I narrowed my eyes at her, but she wouldn't have any of it as she continued on with her growling.
It didn't take her long before she turned around and started running after her father.
To be honest, I didn't want to go after them, for Freya's sake.
She was still a little girl, only a teenager with her life ahead of her. Killing her father wouldn't do her good and I don't think I'd be able to live with it if something happened to her because of it, or because of me for that matter.
Suddenly, a loud growl followed by a painful howl sounded through the air.
Our heads immediately snapped to where Freya and Kristoff headed and in a matter of seconds, both Lucian and I were sprinting towards the sound.
I could hear a couple more footsteps running after us, but I didn't have the time or the patience to care and look behind.
Reaching the scene, both Lucian and I growled angrily, mixing in with Kristoff's growls towards a wounded Freya.
Her right hind leg had a long gash that was bleeding heavily. She was letting out small whimpers as Kristoff continued growling at her.
Lucian and I stood on both sides of her, but she soon barred her teeth at us to step away before whimpering again at her father.
Kristoff didn't seem fazed by his daughter and let out one last growl before running again to no man's land.
Freya attempted to run after him again but this time, Lucian successfully stopped her as he pinned her down to the ground.
Freya's anger was very obvious as she tried her hardest to be set free from her brother. She didn't stop growling and snapping her canines at him, but she couldn't compare to Lucian's big and strong form, all her attempts wasted.
I decided it was best to keep my distance since Freya's hate for me was very clear from the hateful looks she was sending me along with her growls.
I felt Hugh, Gabrielle and Travis approaching me, all back in their human form.
The boys each had a pair of basketball shorts while Gabrielle had an oversized shirt on.
She handed me one too and I gratefully took it on my mouth before hiding behind a tree and shifting.
Coming out, Lucian was already calmed Freya down.
I took careful steps towards them with a shirt and shorts in hand for them to wear after shifting.
I stopped dead in my tracks when Freya growled angrily at me as our eyes made contact.
"I'll just place them here." I whispered as I put the clothes on the ground in front of them and with one last heartbroken look at Lucian, I was dragged away.
-----
3 months later "You don't have to do that anymore April. You're the alpha now." I heard Hugh say upon entering the kitchen.
I was currently placing my tenth patch of chocolate chip cookies into the oven.
After the fight that happened in the castle one month ago, I went back to the pack house and challenged Uncle Adam for the alpha position.
I know that I'm not my parents' biological child, but I was still their daughter and had the right to take after them. Much to my surprise, many of my pack members were on my side seeing as Uncle Adam wasn't really doing very well with the pack matters.
Our fight didn't take along and soon enough, I was standing over Uncle Adam's defeated body.
He refused living in the pack with us and upon a secret request from me; alpha Rosewood offered him a place in his pack to which he accepted. Anything better than turning rogue.
Alpha Rosewood and I formed and ally and had a very smooth flowing friendship. He even wanted to attend the fight for the alpha position, and I could see him enjoying himself very much every time I flipped Uncle Adam or used a martial art move on him. He was more of a father figure now than friends, and more even after I told him my whole story.
"I know. It just keeps my mind off things." I replied, busying myself with placing the already baked cookies on a plate.
I hissed in pain when my hand touched the still hot tray.
Hugh rushed to my side and quickly placed my hand under the cold tap water.
"I'm fine Hugh." I spoke softly.
"No April you're not and everyone in the pack can see that." Hugh replied with a controlled angry expression.
I looked up, which made him sigh deeply.
"You miss him April. You should go talk t-"
"No!" I cut Hugh's words short almost too quickly. "No." I repeated again softly. "I can't Hugh. It's too hard, after all what happened."
"You were only saving yourself and all of us along. Plus, do you really think he had something to do with-"
Once again, I cut Hugh's sentence midway.
"I don't wanna know."
Hugh sighed once again as he turned the tap off.
"You should go. Gabrielle might be waiting for you." I said in a low tone as I looked at my healing hand like it's the most interesting thing in the world. I didn't feel like facing or talking to anyone right now.
"What about you?" Hugh asked.
"I'll go work in my office." I replied.
Hugh said nothing else and only nodded his head in understanding before leaving the kitchen.
I took in a deep breath to calm my raging feelings and trying to swallow the lump in my throat.
It's already been three month and I feel like I'm dying with each day passing by. I missed him so much, but I doubted he wanted me anymore. After all, I was going to kill his father and hurt his sister in the process—that is, if she wasn't already emotionally hurt.
And things won't be any better if Lucian did actually play a big role in my parents' death.
I finished baking the cookies and then placed them on the kitchen counter for when any of the pack members wanted some before heading to my office which used to be uncle Adam's and my father's before.
Just as I sat down on my chair, the phone rang.
With a sigh, I picked it up to be met with my aunt Janeen's sweet voice.
"I didn't expect you to forget me so fast once you gained some fame." She joked making me chuckle for the first time in about three days.
"I can never forget you Janeen." I replied back.
"Aren't you planning on visiting me soon then?" She asked and I can imagine the sly grin that made its way to her face.
"I'm very busy right now, Janee—" Now it was my turn to be cut short.
"Yes, yes, always so busy." Janeen said almost too dramatically, and I could imagine her roll her eyes...
"I promise Janeen, I'll come visit once I'm done with all this." I spoke sincerely even though it wasn't the whole truth. I'd visit when I'm more emotionally stable, but of course I wouldn't tell her that.
I know how hard she's been trying to help cheer me up, along with Hugh and Gabrielle. Even Travis called several times before to see how I was doing with my new alpha position and how I am after what happened. Turns out, serpents aren't so bad after all.
I appreciate all what they're doing, really, and most of the time they succeed in cheering me up but at the end of the day it's only me, my pillow and my tears in the dark night.
Janeen sighed deeply, knowing that she wouldn't be able to tuck me out of it once I made up my mind. "Okay, sweetie, but let me know if you need anything."
"Of course." I replied with a small smile before cutting the line after saying a goodbye.
I had decided to go back to my paperwork when I was cut off yet again with someone knocking on the door.
"Come in." I spoke as I looked at some of the finance files to be checked.
"Alpha." A male voice spoke as he entered the office.
I looked up to see one of our patrol men standing at the doorway, his breath ragged and sweat covering his forehead. Looks like he was running from a far distance which made me assess him in confusion.
"A-at the pa...." he tried talking as he struggled for breath.
I grabbed the still yet to be opened water bottle that I had on my desk and tossed it to him.
He caught it swiftly and muttered a small thank you before gulping the whole thing down.
I waited as he wiped his mouth and start talking properly again.
"His highness. His highness, King Lucian is here."
As soon as Lucian's name was mentioned, I was instantly on my feet.
"Where?" I asked too breathless by the news to be able to utter more words.
"West border. Beta Hugh is already with him."
I didn't wait for him to say anything else before sprinting out the room, downstairs and out of the pack house.
Arriving at the west border, I saw Hugh and two of the patrol men standing with Lucian.
I couldn't believe it when the guard told me that he was here and even when I can see his presence with my own eyes, I still can't believe it.
"Lucian." I didn't mean for his name to leave my mouth, but it still came out in a whisper.
Lucian turned his gaze from Hugh to me, a small, warm smile adorning his face.
I was still a couple feet away, afraid that all this would be a fragment of my imagination and that it would disappear if I got too close.
Lucian started approaching me slowly, his lips still drawn into a small smile despite the sadness and guilt that his eyes held.
"Are you still holding onto your vow?" He asked in a pained voice that was barely above a whisper once he was close enough to touch.
My eyes widened slightly and I held in a breath.
"It's not true." I murmured more to myself but hoping that Lucian would prove my suspicions wrong.
"I was suspicious. Your father was lurking around the castle, asking questions and looking around secretly for something. One day, I saw him going upstairs to my father's floor, so I followed him silently. He went into my father's office and from what I saw; he took a couple folders from my father's desk drawer. I decided against confronting him and told my father instead. I didn't know it would lead to the assassination of your parents, but it did, and because of that, I was involved, if not the sole reason."
My heart was beating frantically as I heard him speak.
"No." I breathed out when he went on both his knees, holding my swords that I've lost during the fight three months ago in his hands as he reached them towards me.
"It's only fair that you avenge them from me too."
"No. Please, don't do this." I begged, feeling my eyes glaze over as tears threatened to spill.
Suddenly, I was held from behind very tightly and before I ask what was happening, I watched as Alpha Rosewood came out of nowhere and punched Lucian straight in the face making him fall to the ground on his back.
"No!" I screamed as Rosewood continued beating him up along with Hugh and the two patrol guards that were present from the beginning.
Every punch, every kick, every cracking sound of Lucian's bones and every drop of blood spilled broke my heart piece by piece and my chest to ache more every time.
I tried to free myself from the guard's hold but surprisingly I wasn't able to no matter how hard I try Lucian didn't make a sound as he openly accepted his beating and the day sky was filled with nothing but my screams and cries for them to stop as tears fell freely down my face.
After what felt like forever, they finally stopped, and I too became too weak to struggle. The only sounds I was letting out were my low sobs and whimpers for my hurting mate.
Rosewood went up to me and held my chin, pulling my head up so that I would look into his eyes.
"There you go, we've avenged your parents for you from him. No need to kill him now." He said with a small smile.
His words had my thoughts jumbling up and confused about everything.
I saw him signal for the guard who was holding me to let me go before looking back at me and smiling warmly.
"Go get him kiddo." He said as he ruffled my hair.
I didn't wait for him to speak again before I was rushing to Lucian's lying form, holding him like my life depended on it, which in fact did actually.
"I hate your friends." He said as he let out a weak chuckle.
I couldn't help but let a teary chuckle of my own as I tightened my hold on him.
Lucian then lifted his head that was resting on my neck to look at me.
"No hard feelings?" He asked with a sly smirk as he wiped the tears wetting my cheeks.
"When was there ever?" I questioned back.
Lucian grinned widely at me before crashing his lips to mine in a passionate kiss.