Chapter 8: The King

Alexander's Pov I pulled the blood-soaked towel over my knuckles, wiping away the blood drops left behind by the hybrid assassin lying motionless at my feet. "Have you gotten confirmation from all the Alphas?" I asked Samuel, my Beta, my voice low and steady in the dim light of the stone dungeon. Samuel was standing near the door, staring at the body in front of me. I don’t know why it surprises him every time, because I make sure to make an example of all of my enemies, and I make sure they die a very painful death as courtesy for messing with me and my territory. Before he could answer, the hybrid tied to the heavy silver chains let out a weak, agonizing cough. Blood was dripping from his cracked lips on the cold floor. He was still barely breathing. I tossed the dirty towel on the torture tray, my eyes narrowing into as I stepped closer to the creature. "I thought I made myself clear," I growled, my voice dripping lethaly. "If you didn't give me the names of the traitors inside our borders, your death would be long, slow, and brutal." "Go to hell, King" the hybrid spat, his voice trembling despite his attempt to sound brave. I didn't lose my temper. Instead, I wrapped my hand around his right arm and l twisted and snapped his elbow backward. A horrific, bone crushing sound echoed around, followed immediately by a blood curdling scream from the hybrid's throat. He thrashing with tears of agony mixing with the blood on his pale face. "AAAGHH. STOP. PLEASE" he shrieked, gasping desperately for air but since he refused to tell me what I wanted to know I didn't have any intention of making the pain stop. "Give me a name, or the other arm comes off next," I whispered, leaning in so close he could feel the terrifying heat that was vibrating around me. "I don't know the master's name. l swear on my life" the hybrid cried, his body shaking violently under my gaze. "They only call him the Shadow. He's supplying us with weapons and border patrol maps from inside the kingdom" well that's certainly took him long enough. Satisfied that he told me every last detail his pathetic brain knew, I tightened my grip on his jaw and snapped his neck with a single motion. His lifeless body went limp, hanging in the iron chains. I stepped back, picking up a clean towel from the table to dry my hands once more. "Yes, my King," Samuel finally spoke up, clearing his throat to regain his composure. "We have received confirmation from almost every pack leader in the region. And surprisingly, we even got a confirmation from the Cold Alpha." I stopped wiping my hands for a split second, looking up at my Beta. "And of course, misogynistic men like you find it surprising and typical for a woman to build something of her magnitude," I said, my tone sharp and firm. Because I always hear chatter about this woman, about what she’s done for her pack, how she took a dying land and turned it into an untouchable military powerhouse, and what she’s capable of doing to her enemies. And they wouldn’t be speaking about half those things if she was a man. Men in our world love to doubt female strength until that strength puts them six feet under. Samuel shifted uncomfortably on his feet, holding his hands up slightly. "Of course not, my king. I was just--" "You don’t have to say anymore," I cut him off, tossing the towel aside because for some reason I didn't want to keep talking about this mystery woman whose name affects me. "But go dump this body right in front of our main gates. I need the hybrids to see what I’m capable of, and what I’m going to do to every single one of them when I finally get a hold of them." "Right away, Alpha," Samuel nodded firmly. "I need this to be a lesson to all of them in order for them to stop messing with me," I added, looking back at the hallway leading upstairs. "Because their attacks are getting too frequent and way too close to home, and I hate it." I rolled down my shirt sleeves, buttoning my cuffs as I walked out of the dungeon and made my way up thestaircase into the Royal Palace. My mind was restless. My wolf has been feeling quite restless for the last couple of days, pacing back and forth inside my soul like we’re going to see something or someone really important. But I refuse to pay any heed to it. I know for a fact that I’m not going to meet my mate anytime soon, or even ever. I’ve been searching for her ever since I turned eighteen and got my wolf, and that has been more than thirteen long, lonely years. At thirty one, I'm convinced that wherever she is, she probably found another mate, had children, and built her own family or maybe she died years ago and the Moon Goddess simply decided not to give me a second chance mate. I had accepted my fate long ago. I was born to be a solitary King, a warrior who protects his kingdom without a Queen by his side. However, every time people talk about this Cold Alpha of Silver-Falls, my wolf tends to react in a weird, intense way. I don’t know why. Maybe it’s just because I respect women in power, or maybe it's because her reputation as a ruthless, untouchable leader intrigues the dominant warrior in me. I walked into my private quarters, pulling off my shirt and pouring myself something strong then l walked over to the balcony overlooking the kingdom. The cool night wind brushed against my skin, but it did nothing to soothe the strange, electric hum vibrating deep within my veins. "Whoever you are, Cold Alpha," I murmured into the dark night. "I look forward to seeing if you truly live up to your name."