Chapter 9 Run

Chapter 9 Run
He stood above everyone, his eyes sweeping over the crowd, he began to speak. "I welcome you all today, and I am pleased that you have come to celebrate with me once more. Today will not just be the celebration of my life—today, I shall present the she-wolf who will become my queen and your Luna."

There was something about the way he spoke—his authority, his presence—that made it impossible for me to look away. He was immaculately beautiful, the most handsome man I had ever seen, even surpassing Evan, who I had always considered striking.

Oh Lord, his build… it was like a giant’s, powerful and commanding, every movement radiating strength. His masculinity was divine. Now I understood why the women had been so eager to push forward, desperate for a glimpse of him.

The moment he mentioned introducing his future queen and their Luna, a wave of shock swept over the women in the crowd. Faces turned pale, and Tori chuckled quietly beside me, clearly amused by their reaction.

Then, a tall, slender woman entered, and my eyes immediately widened. Why was everyone here so stunning? My heart sank a little with envy. Her hair fell in waves down her back, her dress was exquisite, the most elegant among all, and her eyes carried a dangerous, magnetic allure. She was breathtaking—the very definition of beauty—and I dared to think she might be the most beautiful woman I had ever laid eyes on.

The Alpha King’s voice rang out again. "Ina here, shall be your…" Then he stopped abruptly, leaving the sentence unfinished. I couldn’t help but wonder why he had hesitated.

He took a step forward, and suddenly his figure was partially obscured, impossible to see clearly. Frustrated, I stopped straining my neck. Then I heard him speak again, his voice calm but firm: "Something is odd."

A soft, high-pitched voice responded—the woman he had just introduced as his future queen. "Oh, nothing. You were simply telling your people who you would make their queen and their Luna," she said, though it was obvious he had been doing exactly that.

He remained silent after that. My feet were aching from standing, so I lowered my voice and whispered to Tori, "This place is suffocating." He nodded in agreement and began leading me away from the crowd. Once we were clear of the throng, I let out a relieved sigh. What a madhouse.

Oh from this distance, I think I could finally see his form more clearly, even if his face would be out of view. Excited, I turned back to watch him—and immediately regretted it.

He was staring directly at me. I couldn’t see him clearly, but there was no mistaking it—his gaze was fixed on me alone. And as if drawn by some invisible force, everyone around us also turned to look. I stood frozen, utterly aware of their attention.

What the hell was happening? There was no way they could be staring at Tori, right?

The room fell silent, confusion etched on everyone’s faces, yet the King’s eyes never left mine. "Um, Tori, what the hell is happening?" I whispered, hating every second of being the center of attention.

"The King is looking at you," he said simply.

"And you think I don’t know that?" I murmured under my breath. When would he stop staring and continue his speech?

Then, slowly, he descended from the throne, the crowd instinctively parting to let him pass. My instincts screamed that something was wrong. "Tori, I don’t know why the King is approaching me, but something tells me I need to run."

Before Tori could respond, my feet moved on their own—I bolted.

"Wait!" Tori called after me, but I didn’t stop. I didn’t know why I was running; it wasn’t fear, at least not exactly—but my body refused to wait. He caught up to me, still holding back, and yelled, "Do you want to die? The King is coming, and you’re running!" But I didn’t stop. Only when he finally dragged me into a corner did I pause, gasping for breath.

Oh my God… he was really coming toward me. But why?

"Do you know why he would do that?" I asked, gripping Tori by the collar. He looked at me silently, lips pressed tight.

"It better not be what I think it is," he finally said.

"And what do you think?" I asked, bewildered.

He lowered his gaze to mine. "I think… he smelt you. I think you’re his…"

Before he could finish, a deep, commanding voice cut through the air, echoing across where we stood: "MATE."

I slowly turned—and there he was. Standing there, towering and impossibly imposing, his eyes flicking between me and Tori. My heart stopped.

But then his eyes settled on me, and I felt my throat tighten as I swallowed hard. Tori, realizing who stood before us, immediately straightened up and bowed with full respect. I, on the other hand, looked away from the king entirely. That stare of his… it was doing strange things to my body, sensations I didn’t understand and definitely hadn’t prepared for.

“A human?” he asked, his voice deep and steady.

Tori, ever composed even under pressure, quickly answered, “A late bloomer, Your Majesty.”

From behind us, I could hear the soft rise of whispers and the gentle shuffle of approaching footsteps. Curious, I glanced toward the noise, wondering if the entire hall was coming to watch whatever this moment had become.

“Then why were you running away from me?” he asked next—this time directing the question at me.

I lifted my head to look at him. Why was I running? The truth wasn’t exactly noble. “Well… because I wanted to,” I said, and I could practically hear Tori’s soul leave his body.

He snapped his head toward me so fast I thought he’d get whiplash, giving me a look that clearly screamed be respectful.

But for some strange, unexplainable reason, I felt like I could speak to their king however I wanted… and he wouldn’t lash out or punish me for it. I didn’t know why—where that confidence came from, why my tongue suddenly turned reckless—but something deep inside told me he wouldn’t harm me.

Maybe it was naïveté.
Maybe it was stupidity.
Or maybe it was that same invisible pull I kept feeling since the moment his eyes found mine.

Whatever it was, it made me stand there, facing the Alpha King as if I belonged in front of him.

But now that I really looked at him closely, this man was even more breathtaking than I thought. His eyes—golden in color—were something I had never seen in my entire life. His face looked sculpted by the very gods of beauty, with that perfectly pointed nose, lips so red they looked painted, and skin paler than anyone I’d ever met.
And his hair—oh Lord—his long, flowing white hair. How dare a man’s hair be longer than mine?

“Verona.”
My name pulled me back, and when I tore my gaze away from him, I found Evan standing there, staring at me as if he had seen a ghost. His eyes flicked to the king, and he immediately bowed low.

“Forgive my granddaughter if she has offended you,” he said urgently.

But honestly… were they blind? The Alpha king didn’t look offended at all.

Just then several others rushed forward, and the beautiful woman, his future queen he had introduced, came too, her eyes on him, she didn’t even spare me a glance. She simply walked straight to him, a smile fixed on her face. “My king, we should head back,” she said, moving closer as if to touch him.

But before she could, something invisible shoved her backward, like a force or something. Her eyes widened and so did mine—and I looked back at the Alpha King, whose gaze was still locked on me.

“Late bloomer, huh?” he said, and for the first time, he pulled his eyes away from me and looked past his soon-to-be queen..

I followed his gaze, my eyes landing on Evan just as the king spoke again. “Who would have thought that the child your mate brought to me a few years ago was destined to be mine?”

My brow shot up. Destined to be his? Cause I know damn well he ain't talking about me.