The King Without a Queen Book 2

SYLVIA

The following day, only Luna paid me a visit. She was dressed in a light blue checkered dress that fell to her knees, its sleeves puffed up. She was a vision, and it was clear why Alpha was head over heels for her.

“Hi,” she greeted me, her smile lighting up as I opened the door. I noticed the day was bright and sunny.

“Hello, Luna,” I returned her smile.

“Is the house empty?” she asked, settling herself on the sofa. I took a seat next to her.

I shook my head. “Mom’s at work and my brother’s at school. So, yes, I’m alone,” I informed her.

She clapped her hands together. “Perfect. We can chat without any interruptions. A conversation between two lunas, isn’t that interesting?”

Her words took me aback for a moment, then I remembered that I was a luna too. My wolf’s joy was tangible, or perhaps it was my own.

I nodded in agreement.

“So, you’ve heard about Jerome?” She rested her hands on her knees.

“All I know is that he’s the alpha of the half wolves,” I confessed.

“That’s right. He’s been in that position for about two months now. Do you know how an alpha is chosen?”

I shook my head. As far as I could recall, Silvic had always been our alpha. He was a constant presence for us. For most of us, the word alpha and the name ~Silvic~ were synonymous. I’d never been interested enough to look into it.

“That’s fair. Let me explain. The wolves decide who should be the alpha. It’s a bit like democracy,” she said. I snorted at the idea of democracy among wolves. Our society was fundamentally hierarchical.

“And if someone believes they should be the alpha, they challenge the current alpha to a duel. If they win, they become the alpha.” It was a crude form of democracy, but it made sense. An alpha had to be strong enough to protect the pack from any threat. They had to be the strongest.

“And honestly, he’s been doing a good job. Not a single half-wolf has lost control in the past two months.”

I was surprised to hear that, but what surprised me more was my own reaction. I felt a sense of pride. That’s my mate echoed in my mind. I wondered how my wolf could be so happy for him when I hadn’t even met him yet.

I thought about how strong he must be to command the respect of the half wolves. Luna grinned at me, as if she could sense my emotions. I felt exposed, as if she could see right through me.

I cleared my throat. “That’s good to hear.”

She nodded. “Yes, it is. But…” Her eyes darkened. “Even his power is useless against wolves who refuse to accept him as their alpha. And their numbers are growing every day.” She paused, deep in thought, then sighed. “I won’t sugarcoat it, this isn’t good. We can’t afford to have more rogue half-wolves.”

Her words made me want to sigh in frustration. Of course, there were wolves who craved power, and the easiest way to gain it was to let their wolf side take over. I had no idea how they managed to suppress their human side, and frankly, I didn’t want to know. It sounded dangerous.

She fell silent for a few minutes, the quiet stretching between us.

“So, what should I do?” I finally asked.

“You’re his mate…” She paused, sighing. “We thought this could be a good political alliance. You’re from our pack, and if you become the luna for the half wolves, it could improve relations between our packs. And, our manpower, or should I say wolfpower”—I chuckled politely at her joke—“would increase to counter the rogue half-wolves.”

So, I am just a pawn in their game. I kept that thought to myself.

“That’s a good idea,” I said, nodding. I agreed with the plan; I just wished I wasn’t a part of it. I had no desire to get involved in wolf politics. Politics, whether human or wolf, were always messy.

“Yes, but it’s just a plan Silvic and I came up with. We won’t pressure you if you don’t want to meet him. I’m just letting you know your options,” she said, patting my shoulder before returning her hands to her lap.

I nodded in gratitude. I appreciated that Alpha and Luna were considering my feelings, but fate had already decided my mate was a half-wolf. And I had decided long ago that I would do anything to be with my mate. I had been obsessed with the idea of a mate when I was younger. While getting involved in wolf politics wasn’t ideal—being under the scrutiny of the judges—I would do it for my mate.

“Good for me, I’ve always wanted to be a luna,” I told her, smiling.

She grinned back. “I like you.”

“But don’t worry!” she added quickly. “Half-wolves have never harmed their mates.”

“That’s just a theory.” I chuckled, then added, “So, I’m going to be the guinea pig, right? To test the theory?”

“Maybe,” she said, amusement clear in her voice. She cleared her throat. “But I’m serious, if you don’t want to meet him, just tell me. I should mention, Jerome was quite violent when he was younger. But he seems to have changed.”

I wanted to ask what she meant by “violent,” but she continued speaking. “And half-wolves’ mates are supposedly the only ones who can control them.” I had heard this before, but I didn’t know how true it was. Then I thought about our own alpha and luna, and how Luna seemed to ground Alpha Silvic.

They were a team, neither one superior to the other. They seemed to bring out the best in each other.

It was a beautiful thing, and I had always been a bit envious. I wanted to know what it felt like to have a mate, to care for someone and have them care for me in return.

My mate is a half-wolf.

The Moon Goddess wouldn’t make a mistake, I reassured myself. ~And I will be the luna of the half-wolves. Maybe I can help them.~

With that thought in mind, I nodded at Luna.

“I’ll be the guinea pig. I’m okay with that.”