Prophecy: The Alpha Kings and Luna story

ANNA

It was finally the day of the ceremony. Charlotte helped me to get all dolled up. After all, I should look and feel my best, regardless of the outcome.

I wore a deep-green satin dress with sleeves affixed to my shoulders to accentuate my bust. The dress had a generous and classy thigh-high slit on my right side. I also wore a necklace my mother gave me with several pearls affixed to a gold chain.

Lastly, I carried her most sacred ring, a gold ring with a picture of a moon and two wolves facing it. The ring had been passed down through her maiden pack for years. It felt heavy but right on my finger.

To complement the outfit, I wore a pair of pointed-toed heels with gold stones and sparkles embellished on them. Charlotte had done her best on my makeup, adding warm tones to accentuate my blue eyes. She had styled my blonde hair into large curls and added a nude-pink color to my lips.

We were only a couple hours south of the ceremony location. The alpha kings’ domain laid across all of Montana, even though their rule spanned all of the United States.

Victor insisted I drive with him to the ceremony, which I not so politely declined.

Instead, Anthony promised that he would take me there. If I remain unmated, then Victor would drive me back home. Cringe. At least it seemed to appease Victor for now.

Anthony turned down the radio and said, “Don’t worry, I’m sure you will find your mate today. We’re almost there. T-minus ten minutes until the rest of your life!” Anthony offered me a weary smile.

I offered him the same weary smile back and adjusted my dress. I didn’t want him to worry about me tonight.

I got out of the BMW X5 and waved goodbye to my brother as he drove back home. As my feet hit the ground, the smell of fresh pine and mahogany wafted around me. I wanted, no, needed, to find the source. But the alpha kings’ palace was huge.

They ruled together, jointly. A long time ago, the werewolf community decided that one king shouldn’t have all the power in his hands.

To end a bloody war, and to balance the power, the werewolves wanted two alpha kings. One for each kingdom. And with each kingdom being nearly half of the United States, the whole country was brought under joint rulers.

It was archaic and outdated. People were simpler back then. They liked the illusion of the balance of power. They didn’t understand the notion of unification.

I carefully stepped into the palace entranceway and offered my name for the guest list.

“Anna Patterson, daughter of Gregory Patterson, alpha of the Moonlight Pack of Colorado.”

The guard shuffled through the papers until he found my name and nodded.

Once inside, a dozen eyes fixated upon me. I shook off my apprehension and made my way across the marble floor. The alpha kings weren’t at their thrones yet.

A dozen hungry suitors circled me with desperate eyes. But none of them were the source of that scent. None of them tugged on me with the mating bond. So I made my way to the courtyard, grabbing a glass of champagne on the way outside.

The courtyard was beautiful, full of blossoming flowers in all shades of colors and delicately crafted trees surrounding a large three-tier fountain. I was engulfed in the perfume of the blossoms.

I lifted my hand up, and my ring glitzed with the last remaining bursts of sunlight before sunset sank in over the garden. A gasp sounded behind me, and I turned to see an older woman with dark-blonde hair. She had magnificent features and a soft smile on her face, but her eyes pierced mine.

“I apologize for my shock. I have a ring just like yours,” she said. She snatched my hand and held it firmly next to her own. Our rings were eerily similar. The only difference was her ring had one wolf facing the moon instead of my two.

I tried to politely free myself from her clutch but couldn’t. Her grasp didn’t particularly hurt, but the strangeness of the interaction turned my stomach.

“Who was your mother?” she asked in a strong whisper.

“Her name was Aurora. She was a healer from a pack somewhere in Austria,” I gushed, hoping the information would end our conversation.

“Your mother and I hailed from the same pack of healers. I knew your mother well.” She smiled and cupped her hand to my cheek.

Before I could fully make sense of her words, a second woman appeared with three men in black suits behind her.

“Caroline—there you are!” the unknown woman said. She had black hair like a raven and deep-green, emerald eyes. She was tall and thin and was much more serious than Caroline.

The raven-haired woman took in Caroline, comparing our rings. Her eyes met mine, and she froze. She reached out her hand and showed me the same kind of ring that my mother and Caroline wore.

“You’re also from my mother’s maiden pack.” I smiled at her, trying to make sense of it all.

“And this is yours?” the black-haired woman asked.

“My mother gave it to me before she died. She said it was passed down through the women of my family,” I explained, not understanding the connection to this ring.

“The joining of two dynasties.” She took it in her grasp, twiddling my fingers and the ring around to inspect it.

“That’s what my mom used to say,” I whispered under my breath.

“So, you’re aware?” Caroline gasped.

“Of the fairytales my mother would tell me before bedtime?” I laughed, and finally removed my hand from the black-haired woman’s grasp.

“My name is Georgia,” she offered, this time with a calculated smile. “Your mother was a lovely woman. We loved her so much. You look so much like her. What is your name, dear?”

“Anna,” I said.

“Tell me, Anna, are you mated yet?” Georgia pressed.

“No. My father and brother hope I will be after tonight. Otherwise, I’m promised to another.” I took a swig of champagne and grabbed another from the nearby waiter. “He’s over there somewhere, and he never allows me out of his sight.” I laughed and turned my gaze to Victor at the edge of the courtyard.

His gaze locked onto mine, and he began to walk toward us. I can’t even be alone with women.

“Victor!” Georgia hissed and stalked over to him.

“You know him?” I laughed.

“Victor is our royal second nephew,” Caroline said.

“Oh.” I tried to hide my shock. “So that makes you all part of the royal family?”

“We are the kings’ mothers,” Caroline responded. “I’m sorry for our strangeness, and we’re sorry for Victor’s behavior.”

“If anyone has to apologize it’s me.” I dipped into a rushed curtsy. “I hope I didn’t disrespect either of you in any way. I’m not used to people asking about my ring or my mother.” I smiled toward her.

By now, Georgia clutched Victor’s arm and dragged him over to the corner by a large tree.

“Has Victor been persistent? Rude? Inappropriate?” Caroline asked me.

“Well, cocky more than rude; he hasn’t tried to force himself sexually on me, if that’s what you mean. But his behavior is strange. He asked my father to mate with me if I remain unmated after the ceremony today. He keeps going on about this strange connection, but it isn’t the mating bond,” I insisted.

I finished my champagne and snatched another glass. Maybe Victor will leave me alone after chatting with his relatives… This whole thing was making me nervous, and I kept hoping the champagne would calm me down.

“A connection? How odd!” Caroline laughed to herself.

“Well, it was wonderful to meet both Georgia and yourself, but I have to make an attempt at finding my mate today.” I offered her a small curtsy along with a smile.

Victor was getting an earful from Georgia. I took the opportunity and glided through the gardens, through dozens of male wolves, and still did not feel the mating connection.

The familiar smell of mahogany and fresh pine floated through the air again. My wolf howled at me to find the source.

I couldn’t place it; it was close but still distant.

Victor slugged down shots at the bar area. The queen mothers spoke to each other in the corner near the kings’ stage. My eyes locked with a few other male wolves. Still the scent lay distant, and the connection lay dormant.

I had to keep focused and find my mate. My best shot was to continue circling the main ballroom to locate those familiar scents. If I didn’t find the source after another lap, I’d check the garden again.

Suddenly, there was a strong hand on my shoulder along with a familiar scent of musk.

Victor.

I turned to Victor, and he was angry. His breath stank of alcohol, and I wrinkled my nose. His calloused eyes trailed across my body.

“What did you tell my family?” His eyes were cold and demanding.

“Nothing, only that you hope to claim me as a mate.” I shrugged and walked away from him.

He gripped my arm, trying to keep me from leaving. “Now I have them yelling at me for harassing you and warning me to stay away. But I don’t see you with your mate yet. Soon, you will be mine!”

I pried his fingers off me. “But I’m still not, am I? The ceremony is still going!” And with that I walked away toward my table.

There was a flurry of movement near the thrones as palace staff seemed to take their places for something big. I grabbed two glasses of champagne and politely chugged them as I waited for the entrance of the alpha kings.

God, this whole thing is making me drink, A LOT. I’m so nervous. I need to find my mate! I struggled with my emotions. What did I really want?

Did I want a mate out of duty? Yes.

Did I want a mate to avoid being forced to mate with Victor? Yes.

Did I want to make my father proud? Also, yes.

But at the end of the day, I figured I was always better off alone, that no one would truly understand me, not even a mate.

I was at war with myself, at an impasse, desperate to find a mate to keep from being forced to mate with Victor, and desperate to retain my freedom.

The alpha kings approached the stage and took their respective thrones. Their mothers stood next to them alongside their fathers, who looked as if they were the aged doubles of the kings.

One of the alpha kings I learned to be Apollo, Caroline’s son. He was about six feet, three inches in height, lean but his muscles were quite evident, and he had light skin and curly brown hair. He felt kind. I could not tell how I knew that, but somehow I did.

In contrast, the other alpha king I learned to be Ares, Georgia’s son. He was about six feet, five inches in height. His body was lean but with broader shoulders and muscles than Apollo. He had light skin and dark-black raven hair. His expression was more rigid, serious, and strict, but there was something about him that scorched my insides.

I dulled the flames that seared inside me, fanning myself internally while sucking in a deep breath.

It must be the alcohol. Why else would I be attracted to the two alpha kings?