The Alpha King's Claim

Aero

I can’t wait until tomorrow.

I need answers now, so I call an emergency meeting with my council, my alphas, the high priest who officiated my wedding, and my father’s royal augur, Sedsah.

Sedsah is one of the most respected augurs in all the realms. I need his insight on the magical event that happened earlier. I’m that desperate.

As I sit in my chair, tapping my fingers impatiently, I watch them file into the conference room.

I can see the confusion in their eyes, the unspoken questions hanging in the air.

Why am I here with them when I just got married? Shouldn’t I be in bed with my new wife right now?

I grumble to myself. They should know better.

Elijah, standing next to me, comments in my head, Look at them. They’re not happy about this sudden meeting.

They were enjoying your wedding reception, you know.

Shut up, Elijah. I shoot him a glare.

“You called, Your Highness?” my beta, William, asks once they’re all seated. The oval table in front of us is large.

On a normal day, it would be covered in papers and maps. But today it’s empty, probably because the servants thought I’d declare a holiday.

Not happening.

“I’m sure you all saw what happened to me and my... bride earlier?” I ask, making eye contact with each of them.

William lowers his head and clears his throat while the high priest flashes a toothy grin. The others break into proud smiles, probably seeing the event as a good omen.

“It was a wonderful sight to behold, my liege,” Hindall, the high priest, comments. He leans closer to the desk and looks at me with bright eyes.

I take this as my cue to cut to the chase. “Do you know what this mark on our wrists means?”

I hold up my right arm, showing the crescent moon mark that’s slightly raised on my skin.

They all look at the mark and gasp. They must think it’s amazing, this thing made by the Divine.

“I... unfortunately have no idea, Your Highness,” Hindall admits, looking somewhat ashamed. “All I know is that your union with Queen Serena has been blessed by the Goddess.”

I clench my fists in frustration. “Fuck the Goddess! I want an explanation!” I stand up, causing them to gasp, and slam my hand on the desk. “Can any of you give me that?”

I look at each of them again, but they stay silent, looking at each other like lost puppies.

“Sedsah?” I say, turning to the only man I think can help me.

He’s wearing a violet-blue printed turban and has a long brown-grayish goatee, fitting for his age and position.

He lifts his chin and looks at the mark on my wrist. “Let me touch the mark, Your Highness,” he offers. “I might be able to sense the Goddess’s message through it.”

I scowl at his words. Why do they all have to bring up the Goddess? What does a nature spirit have to do with my current situation?

Seeing the curious looks on my alphas’ faces, I grumble deep in my throat and say, “Go ahead, after they leave.”

William and my omega, Chris, as observant as ever, take this as their cue to leave. They stand up and exit, and soon after, the rest follow.

Elijah places a hand on my shoulder and clears his throat. “You want me to leave too?” he asks, grinning at me. I shake my head and clench my jaw.

“Stay. You’re the one who got me into this mess,” I say, glaring at him.

“Hmm, fine, I’m curious anyway.” Elijah shrugs, pretending not to care, but I know he’s just as eager to know as I am.

Sedsah stands up from his seat, walks around the table, and approaches me on the right side.

“Your hand, Your Highness?” He holds out his palm.

I don’t like the idea of him touching me, but I need answers. Sedsah wraps his hand around my wrist and raises his head high.

A few seconds later, he starts speaking, but his words are too vague to understand.

“I see a boy... I see loneliness... Eshtha? What does that mean?”

My mind reels at the mention of the foreign word. Foreign to them, yes, but not to me. I invented that damn word when I was a kid!

It’s a memory I’d rather bury deep within the castle grounds.

“Leave,” I say, pulling my hand away.

“Your Highness?” Sedsah looks surprised.

“I said leave!” I shout. “Your services are no longer needed!”

Understanding my mood, he bows and says, “As you wish, my king.” I watch as he leaves the room.

“Judging from your reaction, I think you know what that mark means, right?” Elijah says once we’re alone. He takes the seat next to him and faces me with a smug grin.

“No, I don’t,” I reply, huffing. “But I certainly remembered an unpleasant memory from my past.”

“What does eshtha mean, brother?” he asks, his face expressionless. “I know you’re hiding something from me.”

He crosses his arms and looks at me like the cunning wolf he is, his grin widening.

I can’t hold my temper any longer. “Get out, Elijah. Let me have some peace!”

“Okay, okay.” He raises his hands in surrender and stands up. “I won’t tease you anymore, but a word of advice? Go to your chamber now and spend some time with your new wife.”

I give Elijah a stern look. “If you don’t zip it, I swear I’ll rip your tongue out.”

“Yeah, yeah,” he replies, not taking me seriously. “But you know we can still mind-link, right?”

“Just leave, Elijah…” I rub my forehead, feeling the weight of the day.

He must see the exhaustion in my eyes because he finally backs down. “Alright, bro. Just remember, I’m here if you need to talk.”

“Sure, Elijah,” I mumble, not even bothering to look at him.

Eshtha...

The word I invented keeps echoing in my mind. It’s like a ghost, teasing me, taunting me, haunting me more than my little brother ever could.

If he knew what the word meant, he’d probably laugh at my younger self. He’d probably think I was just expressing my resentment towards women. But the truth is, I crave a woman’s touch too.

“Eshtha…”

I let the word roll off my tongue and a shiver runs down my spine.

“Mate…” my lycan side translates. And just like that, thoughts of my new wife rush into my mind, overwhelming me like a tidal wave.