Chapter 50 - My Omega Queen

POV: Grace

After I sent Jason walking, I spent no less than one hour pacing around the room and trying to hatch up a foolproof, ingenious plan of breaking out my mate from a dungeon. There were some issues regarding the unknowns; how many guards would be there, how much did my Father tell them about their prisoner, would they be expecting me, and most importantly, what should I do after I break him out.

As always, being the sole heir to the throne has its perks; being able to command a few guards to close an eye while I walk around the dungeon and release a prisoner would be one of them. Of course, that’s only IF they weren’t already under the direct command of a superior - my Father - which would override my own power. Then… I’d rather die fighting than live with the constant reminder that whatever I do inflicts a huge amount of pain on my fated mate.

Raksha and I were almost on the same page regarding this plan. Zain might be a rogue, but he definitely did not deserve the torture that my Father had planned for him. There’s no way that someone with such a perfectly sculpted body and chiseled jaw could be the evil villain, cruel murderer that my parents make him out to be. Zain’s encampment was screaming with utter poverty; children running around barefoot, playing with whatever toy nature offered them, their visible ribcages speaking more than a thousand words, and the rags that hung over their slim bodies. A dangerous, lethal Rogue King would have strong, capable warriors by his side, not malnourished children and flimsy tents. When I thought harder about it, even as a prisoner, all they did was tie me up with some feeble rope and assign two novice werewolves to guard me. There’s no way that a group like theirs could cause so much trouble to the Midnight Pack.

What did they do? Throw rocks and nuts at our patrols?

There must be a mistake.

And I am not waiting around for my Father to figure it out. They have been looking for the leader of rogues for such a long time, that my Father will not pass by an opportunity to find a scapegoat. I know my Father in both of his forms, and he would never put this up for debate.

Raksha excitedly wagged her tail and licked her lips at the thought of eloping with our fated mate. Her emotions flowed into me through our shared consciousness, igniting a warmth in my chest like a spark. However, I swiftly dampened the fire, taking a moment to savor my wolf's happiest state.

I wasn't sure if I'd witness her like this again after I carry out my plan. Perhaps I'd never see her again at all.

“This is the correct choice,” I repeated in my mind, glad that Raksha was too busy drowning in her own fantasies instead of paying attention to my own feelings.

After going over the plan once more in my mind, trying to cover all the possible scenarios that could potentially happen (yes, I even thought of the possibility that my own father was guarding Zain), I quickly gathered some necessities and toiletries in a backpack and opened the window.

A swift sniff provided all the information I needed, and my lips curved into a faint smile as I deftly seized onto vines growing along the building's side, descending as silently as a whisper.

A deep sigh echoed from behind me, “It took you long enough” Chloe said with a bored tone.

“Hello to you too”, my eyes narrowed on my best friend with a glint of uncertainty, “Are you here to stop me?” I said as I felt my eyebrows knit together in a V.

“Stop you?” Chloe let out a puff, “You are finally doing something fun and dangerous”, she said the last word with excitement in her voice, “and you think I would stop you?”

She had not answered, so I maintained my questioning expression. Chloe’s shoulders slumped with disappointment and she continued, “Of course I’m not here to stop you. You have the King’s blood running in your veins, there’s no stopping you once you make up your mind about something. I’m solely here to make sure you’re safe, regardless of what that means.” She paused, “If you are safer by your mate’s side, then so be it.”

I released a breath I hadn't realized I'd been holding, feeling relief wash over me. It was crucial to confirm that she wasn't stationed here by my Father to guard my room. If she had been, I wasn't sure how I would've handled the situation. I'd never engaged in a fight with Chloe, and I had no desire to start now.

Regardless, I carefully assessed her from head to toe, searching for any signs of injuries or bruises, but there were none. As expected, the earlier scuffle with Zain's group of novice werewolves had proven no challenge for my Beta. A surge of pride lifted my chin.

Chloe wasted no time and inquired, "So, what's the plan?"

"We're going to break him out.”

"Ah, a dungeon escape. How exhilarating," mischief lit up her eyes.

She didn’t seem to mind that she had just fought to catch him and now she had to fight to release him. I was pretty sure that she would have reacted the same exact way regardless if I wanted to save or kill Zain. Hell, at this point, I was 99% sure that Chloe would help me kill even the King if I said the word.

Funny how werewolf bloodlines worked. I wonder if Michael and Amanda act the same way with my parents.

In any case, I lay out for her most of the plan for the breakout on the way. I intentionally leave out what we shall do after the breakout, and thankfully, Chloe doesn’t ask. The truth is, I wouldn’t know what to tell her yet.

My heart was split in two.

At this time during the night, the pack village was quiet except for some private parties here and there thanks to the Yearly Mating Season, but we managed to avoid them easily. Luckily, our ranks meant that we knew the dungeon’s specific location. Normally, dungeons are built in caves or underground systems which are hard to detect if you don’t know what you’re looking for. However, due to my inevitable and impending ascension to the throne, this kind of information was fed to me in primary school. For once I was grateful to my younger self for paying attention in class.

Neither I nor Chloe shift to avoid catching someone’s attention. We move swiftly through the darkest alleys and most secluded pathways until we reach a patch of forest that leads to the mountains. The Silver Fangs Pack’s dungeon is located in a cave system in the rocky mountains bordering the pack.

As we move through the forest, my shoulders brush the lower branches of some pine trees. My nose instinctively takes in a deep breath, as if trying to remember his smell. I feel my hair standing up on my arms and a shiver goes down my spine.

“We’re not there yet, Raksha.” I speak to my wolf in an attempt to calm her down, “It’s just the smell of the trees around us.”

However, the smell intensifies and Raksha does the opposite of calming down.

“We’ll be there soon.” I try again, “Please, Raksha, I can’t concentrate like th-“

“Grace, stop” Chloe’s alert voice interrupts my monologue with Raksha and my body comes to a full halt, against my wolf’s wishes.

I follow Chloe's gaze and discern four figures standing in the distance, their faces obscured by moonlit shadows, but the drumming of my heart was a good enough telltale of their identities. At least one of them.

My neck bobbed as I swallowed a huge lump stuck in my throat. One of the figures begins walking toward us with confident strides, followed by the others.

“Are they…?” Chloe began as she took a step in front of me defensively.

I couldn’t believe my nose. Nor eyes. Nor the tingling sensation on my skin. I must admit; of all the f*cking possible scenarios that passed through my mind, him breaking out of the dungeon on his own was not one of them.

I reply, “Yeah, they are.” My words filled with bewilderment.

I hold my head high and wait until Zain’s features emerge from the shadows. As he draws nearer and nearer, the air seems to grow warmer, or at least that's the explanation behind the drops of sweat trickling down my forehead and the unsettling wave of nausea that envelops me.

He stops a few feet away from us, but he might as well be right in front of me. His simple presence overtakes the whole area. His lips curve into a slight, knowing smile before he speaks, “What is a Princess doing out so late at night?”

A trap. I put on my calm and collected face before I replied, “Oh, we were simply taking a stroll through the forest.”

Zain cocked his head and faked incredulity, “At this hour during the night? I cannot imagine the King’s only daughter would be allowed that.”

The other three figures soon join Zain, stopping behind him. My gaze quickly sweeps over them and my eyes glint with recognition at all of them. Despite Zain’s relaxed stature, the other three looked tense and as confused as us. My fists tighten over my backpack’s straps. I could feel Chloe tensing up as well, so I continued the conversation in an attempt to diffuse the invisible bomb,

“What about you?” I ask with implication, “I cannot imagine the King’s valued prisoner being allowed to wander freely around the pack.”

Zain's laughter resonates through the air, an incredibly poignant sound that washes over me.

I allowed Raksha to revel in the sound of Zain’s laughter, while all I could think of was, “Now what?”