19

19
The Alpha was close to the woods with his Beta who was now walking dutifully behind him, cracking jokes to lighten the latter's mood. An Alpha's job wasn't all glory behind the scenes. Many times, the Alpha stayed late into the night handling paperwork. He'd tell the Beta to go to his worried family and continue all by himself. When he was serious, he was a workaholic. 

The more stressed one is in human form, the more their wolf side would fight to come out for a run in the woods and the Alpha had abstained from shifting for heavens know how long. Before he started trying to gain some form of entertainment, even at other's expense, it meant he was losing it.
If he didn't get to run today, heads could roll the next day.

"At least, a fake laugh for all my efforts, I would appreciate that," said the Beta as he overtook his ruler and stood in his path.
"We're not here for a comedy show. Plus, you are bad at humour. I'm this close to shifting right now. A part of me is wishing to charge into another Alpha's territory..."
"Alpha..." Cayne laughed sheepishly as he got out of the Alpha's path. Next, he made a bowing gesture with an arm stretched forward, a grin plastered across his features, "After you, Your Majesty,"
The Alpha rolled his eyes at his friend's shenanigans and continued to walk forward.

Suddenly and without a heads-up, he felt his heart become involved in a wild race and he clutched it, feeling a tolerable pang of discomfort.

"What is happening?" he thought in bemusement. 
Why would an Alpha King's heart pound? 
This was bizarre because the last time his heart throbbed like this was when he was being taught for the first time how to fight like mad by his now-late father.
And he had good reason to be nervous at that time because at the end of that day's session, he received multiple injuries and his bones got reset several times during the training and he was only given a few minutes to rest before retaking another beating. 

"The enemy will not have clemency on you because you're young. Get up you, lamebrain! As long as you still have a breath in you, you can fight, you can kill and you can win. You will become king in my place someday, and the pack cannot bow to a weakling. Become so strong that even other Alphas feel dread in their hearts when your name gets mentioned in a conversation. That is power, my boy,"

He never forgot those words. 
The newly shifted kids of his pack had it easy. They fought with clothes on most times (except in wolf form) and dealt with cool weapons, but in his case, he fought without a stitch on while holding a whetted stick that couldn't even pierce his father's hardened body as a weapon.

He shook those memories from his mind and put down the hand that was clutching his chest. He carried on his way, for only a few seconds. Unexpectedly, his vision, for a moment, got engulfed in red, prompting him to freeze in place, almost leading his Beta to bump into him.
"Alpha..." 
Before Beta Cayne could say anything else, the king had already whirled around and bolted towards the pack, leaving him with a look of utter confusion.
"What made him this much worried?" he wondered as he also sprinted in the direction of the pack.

Some pack members who were miling about the pack were compelled to stop dead in their tracks as they felt a surge of wind past them, some were even knocked to the ground.
"W-what was that?" one of them, a middle-aged man asked his wife whom he was helping to stand up.
"I don't know. Is there an intruder?" the latter asked, mystified.
"The patrol guards would have tackled any intending intruder, so it's not likely." the man reasoned.

"I think it was the Alpha," a young man who had also risen from the ground said as he patted the dust off his clothes.
"Why would the Alpha run like that? I've never seen him run like this even when going for a run in the woods. Did something happen?" the middle-aged lady asked her husband.
"Well, you want to fulfil your curiosity perhaps?" he suggested.
"No way. I still want to carry my grandkids." the lady objected and the couple resumed their journey. "I hope our son isn't bullying Cleo because I'd beat the daylights out of him," 

The man wound his arm around his wife's shoulders and offered, "I'll help you break his head as well,"
"You moron!" she flicked his forehead, erupting a groan from him.
"That hurt, honey,"
"Stop acting like a child. Besides if you break our son's head, isn't that turning Cleo to a widow?" she upbraided.
"Sorry, I didn't mean I would kill him. He's our flesh and blood after all. Honey, don't be mad," he tried to coax.
"I'll forgive you... if you get me my favourite cake,"

"Of course, I'll do anything to please my darling," the man suddenly scooped her in his arms and continued walking.
"What are you doing?" she asked in a small voice.
"Fulfilling my right," he answered with a grin.
"We're old already. Put me down. People are staring,"
"No, dear. I'm showing these blooming kids how it's done," the man hailing from Omicron descent replied to his wife who was a Sigma she-wolf.
...

The Alpha reached the garden, only to see a wounded Tina on the ground, crying miserably while a grey wolf fixed a fierce and vengeful glower at the breeder and her maid.
"What's going on here?" Killian questioned with a scowl.
Bellatrix, on seeing the Alpha, dropped to her knees and started weeping. "Alpha, please save me."
"Katelyn," he walked to the raging grey wolf, petted her head and caressed her fur, "Baby, calm down, okay," he whispered.
But the wolf still didn't want to calm down. Left with no choice, Killian used his Alpha tone, "Shift!"

The wolf began acting unwillingly but the snapping and cracking of bones already started. Though Tina's hand was injured, she still ran over to her mistress who was unhappily shifting back to human form.
The Alpha threw his shirt at Tina and the latter caught it like it was a platter of diamonds. After the Luna fully returned to human form, she took the shirt from Tina and quickly threw it on. Looking at the squashed fruits, the ruined fabric and jewellery scattered all around the pavilion, she shot Bellatrix a death gaze.

"Somebody, tell me, what happened?" the king demanded.
Evelyn raised her hand, "Alpha, I don't care what happens to me, but please, don't blame my family."
The Alpha nodded, "Speak,"
"Alpha, don't listen to her!" the Luna yelled as she rose to her feet.
The Alpha shunned her and turned to face the maid, "Say the truth,"
"The truth is, the Luna punished me,"

"What did you do?" the Alpha interrogated.
"I... I failed to feed the fertility pill she gave me to my mistress,"
"Fertility pill?" Killian raised a brow and turned to look at his Luna.
"You damn maid, how dare you slander me! Tina, get your hands off me!" Katelyn yelled while Tina tried her best to hold back her raging mistress.

The Alpha then turned to Bellatrix, "Is this true?"
With teary eyes, she responded, "Alpha... f-for the... past months, your wife has been... targeting me. She did everything possible in order to make my womb useless. Victoria, my former maid... she can confirm it."
"You..." the Luna tried to speak but Bellatrix butted in.
"Luna Katelyn, I've long endured everything you've been doing but not today. Not anymore! People think I live a carefree life as the breeder, but I know how I've been living. In fear of being poisoned. Of being killed because of your jealousy. You are very beautiful, I'm not even one-tenth of your prettiness. And yet, you still go to this length. You stoop this low," Bellatrix began to weep even more, clutching her chest, "Please, Alpha, render justice for me. I did her no wrong, I swear to the goddess,"

The Beta had arrived at the scene.
"Beta Cayne," the Alpha called.
"Yes, Alpha?" Cayne walked over to his ruler.
"Have someone fetch me the maid, Victoria," the latter instructed.
"Yes, Your Majesty," the beta left, confounded as he came.

A fleyed Victoria was soon brought by two guards. 
At first, she tried to act innocent but after a merciless kick from the Beta in her gut, she confessed.
"It... it was the Luna. She was to give me two million as long as I fulfilled all her orders,"

The enraged Alpha ordered the two guards present to drag Victoria and Tina to the cell. They would not be given the opportunity to smell rancid food or see a drop of water. Their punishment was death by public flogging in two days at the pack square. 
Evelyn was sentenced to kneel at the same location without food for three days. If she slacked off or nodded off, she would die. She would also get to witness those two maids' cruel deaths as well.

Evelyn gulped in fear at the sentence, but she thanked the Alpha for his mercy and quickly headed to the stated location. Then she dropped to her knees, ignoring the curious gazes thrown at her.
"Hey, isn't that the Breeder's maid?" a rotund brunette asked another girl who seemed to be her friend.
"Yeah," the latter replied, "That's Evelyn. Why is she kneeling there?"
The brunette shrugged and walked off with her red-haired friend.

"Katelyn... why?" the Alpha turned to his Luna, with a disappointed look. "Why would you do that?"
"I'm sorry," the Luna was now on her knees, desperately holding her husband's thigh, "Please, forgive me. Jealousy got the best of me. I shouldn't have done all those things. I'm really sorry, Your Majesty. I promise this will never happen again,"
He looked away from her, "Don't say sorry to me. Apologise to my mate,"
King Killian shed her off him and left with his Beta. His destination was the same as before—The woods. 
He really needed to get in there and vent his fury on things of nature or heads would really roll today!

The Luna got to her feet and glared at the Omega before her. "You..."
"Is that how to apologize, Luna Katelyn?" Bellatrix no more looked pitiful.
"You bitch!" Katelyn seethed, hands balled up into fists.
"I can easily injure myself and pin it on you. What do you think would happen? Who will he choose to believe? The Luna he's disappointed in, or... his fated mate?"
"You..." Katelyn was left without words.
"You wanted to pretend you didn't hear what he said? Apologise to me—His fated mate!"
"My ears aren't for decoration, okay!" Katelyn yelled, eyes filled with rage.
Of course, she had heard the Alpha's words. He had revealed it.

This filthy breeder right here, she was his mate!
That was why he brought her here as a breeder in the first place. 
Even though she wasn't gorgeous. 
Even though she looked like a hungry ghost's incarnation.

She—Katelyn—had a right to him as his chosen Luna but she-Bellatrix had the right to him as his mate. The goddess had chosen her for the Alpha.
Why?
Why was it like this?

"If you're not apologizing, I might as well leave. I don't have all day to look at your ugly face,"
"How dare you call me hideous?" the Luna raged.
"I didn't say hideous. I said you look very ugly right now. It could affect my mood for dinner if I keep gazing at it. I could even puke out my lunch, on your face... if you don't mind," the breeder flouted.
"You... just because you're his mate... it doesn't mean..."

Bellatrix cut in, "It means you could one day be my maid or worse still, a prisoner. Your status as Luna isn't stable anymore. You understand what I mean, right?"
"Despicable!" Katelyn spoke through clenched teeth and the breeder simply turned to leave.

Realizing the intensity of the situation... if she didn't properly apologise to the Alpha's mate, and he found out, she—Katelyn—could only have one option.
Death!

With that in mind, she made a concession. She overtook the breeder and promptly dropped to her knees, palms joined together and a pitiful expression embellishing her face.
"What now?" the Omega frowned.
Katelyn sniffled, "B-Bellatrix..."
"Address me properly," Bellatrix said with arms folded, looking imperious.
"R-Royal breeder,"
"You think that's what I'll amount to... as his mate?" she emphasised the latter part of the question.

"Then what should I call you?" 
'Hold back. You can't harm or you'll die,' Katelyn reminded herself.
For the Alpha's sake, she wouldn't try to tear this snooty Omega to bits.
"Figure it out yourself," Bellatrix wanted to leave, only for Katelyn to grab her leg.
"P-please, don't go. I beg you,"
"I'm tired. Is it a sin to rest because I'm an Omega?"
The breeder extricated herself from the latter's hold.
But the latter wasn't one to give up. She clung to the Omega once more, tears rolling down her cheeks, "Your Highness, please."
"Ah, you figured it out so quickly. I give you one star for using your brain properly for once," the breeder mocked.
Katelyn was seething inside. But... for the Alpha's sake...

"Your Highness, please forgive me. I swear not to try such evil ever again. I beg you, please show mercy and forgive me,"
"If I don't?" Bellatrix questioned.
"Then..."
"You'll kill me?" Bellatrix posed the unexpected question, a brow lifted in askance.
The stunned Katelyn gasped and loosened her hold on the breeder. Then she quickly came to her senses.
"N-no. I'll keep trying. I'll keep trying hard until you forgive me,"

"I see." the omega sagely nodded, "If you want forgiveness, be my maid until the day I get pregnant,"
"Over my dead body," Katelyn shot up in rage and tried to choke the omega.
"You've gone too far! Just a little luck your way and you've gotten too big for your boots. You know what? It's fine, I'll kill you right here. If I can't have the Alpha, neither can you,"
"I don't fear death," Bellatrix managed to say.
"Same here. Go to hell for me, I'll join you soon," the Luna grinned wickedly.

Suddenly the air became charged with danger.
Her heart seemed to have forgotten how to do its job properly. She felt like invisible hands were choking her and began to gasp for air, forcing her to let go of her enemy.
"H-Help..."
Bellatrix gave her a scornful look before turning to leave as a howl erupted in the far distance.
A frightening howl that instilled dread into the hearts of every creature in the pack.
Many wondered what or which unlucky entity had raised the Alpha's hackles this greatly.
Some sighed as they thought about the poor trees that were bearing the brunt of their king's wrath at the moment.

And they were right.
The Beta was perched on a tree stump, captivated by the spectacle of his Alpha felling tree after tree in his partially transformed state.
By the time a second howl was heard, he was in wolf form and done venting his anger.
Subsequently, the Beta transformed into his wolf form and started sprinting with the Alpha wolf.