Ties broken, ties created

Logan

The period of mourning for the losses in the war was over, now I could deal with what I was most looking forward to, Aiden's execution. Of course, I didn't give him a minute's peace while he was in my prison. He received daily visits from my soldiers, who gave him exactly what he deserved. That morning, he was brought before me in the throne room that he so desperately wanted and was foolish enough to have started a war against me. The wolf who had once dared to provoke me was now lying face down on the floor, wounded and too weak to speak.

"Look, the bastard who swore to take the throne from me, abandoned and defeated before my eyes," I said laughing and Aiden moved, turning his face to look at me. "Where's that arrogance and arrogance from before?"

"I haven't been defeated yet, very soon they will come to rescue me," Aiden said, his voice weak and full of false assurance.

"If that was his will, they would have done it by now. You've been left to die while the others run away and hide," I replied, getting up and walking towards him.

Aiden stood up on his knees, looking down at me with a lunatic countenance. "They're just regrouping, planning the best way to come and rescue me. You'll see, you'll all see!"

I hated Aiden every time he spoke. He was an idiot blinded by his greed and that led to his terrible betrayal. I didn't care about that wolf at all. His existence was pointless as long as wise and strong wolves were dead. To me, everything around him was a waste, from the air he breathed to the ground he walked on. I just wanted him to disappear as soon as possible. I was about to fulfill my greatest wish, but Charlotte interrupted me when she entered the throne room. She smiled sweetly at me and came closer. Then she noticed Aiden, who smiled back at her. I was angry, but before I could react, Charlotte stood in front of me.

"They left you alone, Aiden. No one cares if you survive or die, no one cares about your burial place, and your name will be forgotten in a few years. No one will care about a reckless wolf who dared to challenge the Alpha King," said Charlotte softly as Aiden's eyes lost their sparkle and his smile faded.

The biggest fear of all wolves was being forgotten, not having their names in the stories passed down to the young. Aiden would disappear from history as if he never existed which was worse than death - oblivion.

"This is your last chance to honor your wife and daughter, whom you abandoned," Charlotte said, taking another step forward. "Tell me everything you know, where the hiding places are that we haven't found yet. End it all here and now."

"Or what?" Aiden challenged. "It's no use helping you or not, I don't care."

Charlotte signaled to a nearby soldier, drew her sword, and advanced towards Aiden. The sword was only used for security inside the castle when everyone was in human form. Charlotte rested the sword on Aiden's shoulder and looked at him carefully.

I'd seen it before, but now Charlotte's transformation was even more evident. The young she-wolf had been brought to the castle by her stepfather and sold, who was full of fear and hesitation about everything and everyone. She ran away for fear of being left behind again. This she-wolf crossed borders, fought formidable enemies, and escaped death several times on her way north. After returning, she was once again kidnapped and had her son taken away by his mother.

Charlotte went through many difficult times, fighting to stay alive and getting her hands dirty with the blood of her brothers. She had to face countless lies and betrayals that tore her apart. But these harsh experiences made her the person she needed to be to finally receive the justice she deserved.

"You're nothing, you're nobody and, even if you die like a wolf, you'll never be with your peers. You don't deserve to be with them, not next to the Goddess and not next to the family you abandoned for your ambition." Charlotte raised her sword, Aiden was pale, his eyes empty of any emotion. "Disappear forever."

The sword easily cut through Aiden's neck. Charlotte wasn't shaken and her face remained expressionless. Aiden's body fell forward and blood splattered the floor. The head rolled close to the door and a soldier picked it up, carried it away, and placed it next to Aiden's body. Charlotte's clothes were covered in the killer's blood and the floor was stained with blood. But, Charlotte's face showed no fear or horror. I couldn't resist feeling proud of her when I touched her hand and she dropped the sword, remaining focused on Aiden's body.

"Let's go back," I said, leaning forward and speaking into her ear. Charlotte nodded and looked at me.

Her eyes were bright and alive again, I wiped some of the blood that was on her face and she tilted her head towards my hand. I expressed no emotion and Charlotte seemed to understand my stance. I released her and stepped forward, kicking Aiden's body out of our way.

"Take the garbage out, scatter the remains so that no one can find it," I ordered. I touched Charlotte's back and she walked towards the door, I stood right behind her.

I had never paid attention to Charlotte's back until that moment. Although she didn't show any vulnerability in public, I could still detect subtle physical indications. Her calm, confident walk was a sign of her life experiences. Her shoulders trembled, her hands tightly clutched the front of her dress and her eyes seemed preoccupied with various thoughts. I scanned the surroundings for possible noises. When I confirmed that we were alone, I hugged her from behind and rested my chin on her shoulder.

"You did very well, but you don't have to do these things. That's what I'm here for." I said softly into her ear and her shoulders began to shake even more.

Her low cry, muffled by my dense fur as she turned and sank her face into my chest, was full of pain and relief. The martyrdom was over, she would finally have the peace she so deserved, with our son by her side, and I would fight to catch the others guilty of the suffering Charlotte had been forced to endure.

When she had calmed down, I wiped her face and led the way to her room, where Lia was waiting for us with Fenrir in her arms. Charlotte went to take a shower and change her clothes. Lia went with her and I was left with the puppy in the bedroom. I looked at the little creature, so fragile and helpless, unable to defend itself against anything that size. It looked at me with curiosity, just as I looked at it. I had never seen a puppy before, as I saw them as an obstacle in the focus of an Alpha and didn't understand the euphoria of the others in becoming parents. I put out my finger, one simple movement and my fingernail would have cut its little throat, but the little one held it tight and pulled it to itself, surprising me.

For a moment I felt something strange inside my chest, as if something before broken was coming together. I kept looking at the puppy and realized that it had absolutely nothing to do with me but with Charlotte. His curious gaze, his little heart-shaped lips, the subtle brown drops in his big blue eyes. A child made of Charlotte and me. I reached out and carefully picked up the creature, the fear of squeezing it was absurd, so I quickly supported it on my arm. Fenrir smiled and a warmth seized my chest, it was painful, but not bad. Born of my flesh, blood, soul, and heart. My son, a bond as strong as the one of destiny I had with Charlotte.

"You are my son and I promise you, I will destroy anyone who stands in your way," I said quietly, making Fenrir smile and stammer. I felt a smile forming on my lips and allowed myself to enjoy that moment of peace in my kingdom.