Chapter 9: The King

Maya's Pov I don’t remember the last time I genuinely felt something close to a real emotion, whether happy, sad, or anything in between. People around me call me the Cold Alpha, and over the years, I’ve learned to live with it, embrace it, and become this person completely. Emotions are useless in our world. They just get you into trouble, soft hearts get crushed, and that is one of the hardest lessons I’ve had to accept. But today, as our private jet cut through the clouds, I felt something strange and out of place. It was an uncomfortable feeling sitting heavy in my heart and soul, and no matter how hard I tried to push it down, I couldn’t get rid of it. I stared blankly out the small window, resting my chin on my hand. "You haven't touched your water, Alpha" Terence said from across me. I blinked, pulling my gaze away from the white clouds outside, and looked at my Beta. "Are you okay?" he asked, setting his tablet down on the small table between us. I gave him a tight, polite smile. "I just have a headache." "You look really pale," Terence insisted, leaning forward slightly. "You've been staring out that window for two hours without saying a word." "I’m just worried about the pack," I lied crossing my arms over my chest. "We left Jax in charge of the northern border, but with the hybrids getting bolder, I don't like being away from our land." "You don’t have to worry about home, Maya. We have you as our Alpha. You built those walls, trained our warriors, and everyone back home knows exactly what to do. The pack is safe." "I know" I replied. "We'll be landing in twenty minutes" he said, checking his watch. "Do you want me to review the summit schedule with you one more time before we touch down?" "No," I sighed, rubbing my temples. "I just need a few minutes to get ready." When the jet finally touched down on the private runway, I walked into the small dressing room at the back of the plane to change out of my travel clothes. I picked out a dress I had specifically packed for tonight. It was a sexy, steal-the-moment backless dress made of shiny material that fit tightly around my waist and hips. It had a high slit up the side, showing off my leg, and I looked hot. I adjusted the thin straps over my shoulders, made sure my dagger was hidden securely under the fabric, and stepped back out into the main cabin. Terence looked up from his phone, and his eyes went wide for a second before a small smirk appeared on his face. "All eyes will be on you tonight" he said, leaning against the doorway. "All eyes are going to be on me regardless of what I wear" I told him, picking up my clutch from the table. "Everybody in that room has been dying to see this mysterious female Alpha who built Silver-Falls into an empire." "Are you worried about seeing–" He didn’t even get to finish his sentence. I snapped my head toward him, and he held his hands up in surrender, but I didn't drop my eyes. "Terrence, I really like you and you're my friend, but there's some things that I prefer that we don't talk about, and he is one of them," I said, my voice dropping to a low, quiet tone. I had never lied to my pack about my past. They knew where I came from and what I survived. But I just didn't want to talk about Ezra right now. Terence swallowed hard, seeing the dark edge in my eyes. "Of course, Alpha. I'm sorry." "It's fine," I said. "Let me grab my jacket." We stepped off the jet stairs and were immediately met by a sleek, black luxury car waiting on the tarmac. It's no secret that the Royal Pack is crazy rich, but the fact that they sent personal, heavy-armored cars straight to the airplane to escort us into their territory was next level. As the car doors slammed shut and the driver pulled onto the main road, Terence looked out the tinted window at the armed royal guards escorting us in sports cars ahead and behind. "They don't take any chances with security" he noted, watching the guards. "because they get to have the power to control who comes in and who goes out of their land," I said, looking out at the passing trees. "They want to know every Alpha stepping foot inside their borders." As we drove deeper into the territory, I found myself leaning closer to the window. The Royal Pack was nothing short of a fairytale. I’ve heard people talking about it for years but its true beauty was genuinely underestimated. I've never seen a place more beautiful than this in my entire life. The nature was perfectly preserved, with massive green trees, colorful blooming flowers, and a pure, calm magic you could physically feel in the air. I was genuinely amazed by how peaceful it looked on the surface. The car finally came to a stop right in front of the grand entrance of the Royal Palace. I opened the car door and stepped out, the heels of my shoes clicking against the pavement. Terence stepped out right behind me, smoothing down his suit jacket. We made our way towards the front entrance, but before I could take a step through the inside, a guard stepped right into my path, holding out an arm to block me. "Introduce yourselves" the guard said, his voice flat and bossy. I stopped in my tracks and looked at him, letting a cold smile spread on my face. "I’m pretty sure you didn’t ask anybody who just entered before us to introduce themselves," I said, stepping closer to him until I was looking him straight in the eye. "And we obviously wouldn't trespass. So I’m going to enter, and if you have a problem with that, you can take it up with the person that invited us." he blinked, completely taken aback by my cold attitude and the heavy Alpha aura leaking off my body. I didn't wait for his permission. I pushed right past him and made my way inside the grand entrance hall, leaving Terence behind to handle the guard and officially register our names on the pack guest list. The moment I stepped through the double doors into the main ballroom, quietness washed over the room. As soon as I got inside, all eyes were instantly on me. It wasn't only because they didn’t recognize my face, since this was my very first time standing in these high-ranking royal spaces, but because I looked damn good. I had dressed to impress tonight because I wanted every single Alpha in this realm to see exactly who I was before I opened my mouth. Whispers started breaking out among the crowds of dressed-up wolves standing around the room. I held my head high, my posture straight and powerful, enjoying the shock on their faces. Then, without warning, and electric shockwave slammed straight into my chest. My breath caught in my throat, and my heart began hammering wildly against my ribs like a trapped animal and my wolf let out a wild, deafening roar in my mind. I froze mid-step. My eyes moved across the grand room, pushing past the crowd of staring Alphas, and locked directly to a breathtakingly handsome man standing near the center of the hall. He was powerfully built with a broad chest, sharp features, a perfectly cut jawline, and the most striking, piercing blue eyes I've ever seen in my life. And he was staring directly at me. MATE.