In another place Two days ago:
In the heart of the Kingdom of Darkness, where sunlight does not dare to penetrate the thick fog surrounding its palace, a funereal silence prevailed in the great hall.
"Aryn," the Royal Beta, stood with his body stiffened in a reverence tinged with caution, gripping a set of papers in his slightly trembling hands.
Before the massive throne sat the King of the Kingdom of Darkness; a mass of prestige, mystery, and lethal coldness.
Aryn broke the silence in a tone he tried to make balanced:
"Alpha, there is an invitation that came to us yesterday to attend a party for the Red Moon Pack."
The King raised his head slowly; his features were carved from black rock, and his eyes held a cold glint that reflected nothing but the void.
Nothing moved of him except his lips when he spoke in his hoarse voice, which resembled the rustle of the winds on a stormy night:
"Must we go?"
Aryn swallowed his saliva and tried to breathe a little warmth into his tone as he said:
"Yes, we must.. it is possible to find your mate in.."
"ARYN!"
The name echoed in the hall like a lightning bolt that tore through the silence, an angry voice charged with an authority that cannot be refused, which made Aryn's body jump in terror, causing the papers to fall from his hand and scatter on the cold marble.
The King stood up from his throne with a breaking pride, while a wicked smile was drawn on his face, tinged with contempt for everything related to the subject of "mates."
He fixed his dark gaze on Aryn and said in a voice dripping with firmness and poison:
"Do not speak of these things again.. and even if I find her, I will turn her life into hell."
His words carried a promise of destruction, as if the idea of the "mate" represented for him a shackle he intends to break before it wraps around his neck.
The King turned to leave the hall with confident steps that shook the earth beneath them, but Aryn gathered the remnants of his courage and asked, interrupting his departure:
"Alpha.. do we accept?"
The King stopped and tilted his head a little toward Aryn, and a mysterious side-smile was drawn on his lips, carrying within it a premeditated intention for cunning:
"Why not? Let's go and have some fun."
The King departed while his dark aura expanded behind him like a cloak of nothingness, as if he were sucking the light from every corner he passed through.
Aryn remained alone in the middle of the vast hall; a sigh heavy with regret came out of his chest as he bent down to collect the scattered papers.
He looked at the empty throne with sad features and muttered faintly:
"I hope you find the one who removes this coldness from your heart, my friend."
He cast one last look at the place that reeks of the scent of power and loneliness, then withdrew quietly while the servants were closing the massive doors, to drown the hall in its usual darkness, waiting for the journey that will change everything.
•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
I sit on my seat like a captive inside my room, watching Zoe as she moves with amazing skill in the middle of the piles of things she brought.
Despite my desire to grumble, I was feeling a hidden gratitude sneaking into my heart; for her insistence on preparing me and paying attention to the smallest details had removed mountains of tension from my shoulders.
After hours of restoration, as she called it, I finally stood before the long mirror.
My features stilled for seconds while I examined my reflection; I was wearing a black dress that flows on my body with softness, its dark color gave my skin a glow caught between mystery and elegance.
I left my wavy hair to fall freely on my back like a waterfall of night, while she settled for putting simple touches of makeup, which were enough to highlight the sharpness of my eyes and the features of my face that looked more mature today.
As for Zoe, she was a painting of boldness; her wine-colored dress was screaming with confidence, and her hair raised in the shape of a messy bun with light bangs gave her an overwhelming femininity, and her bright red lipstick increased the glow of her presence.
She turned to me and began to jump with excessive excitement, performing childish movements while she screamed:
"Oh my God.. we are radiating femininity!"
I laughed lightly at her madness, but she stopped suddenly, and her features changed to become more serious and anxious as she lowered her voice, saying:
"The most important of the invitees today is the ruler of the Kingdom of Darkness.. the ruler who inhabits the underworld."
I felt a strange shiver running through my spine at his mention. Zoe continued, her eyes widening in amazement:
"Everyone is excited to see him; for he usually does not attend any parties or meetings in our world, and does not appear except in major occasions. Since he accepted our invitation, this is considered a historic achievement.. even Alpha Jack did not believe the matter when he heard the news."
Silence prevailed in the room for a moment.
I looked at my reflection in the mirror again, but this time I did not see the black dress, rather I saw the anxiety dancing in my pupils.
The presence of the King of Darkness was not just an honor, but it carried with it a harbinger of something unknown, something that made my heart beat with a strange apprehension for which I found no explanation.
Zoe's words fell on my ears like a lightning bolt, I felt a sudden coldness invading my limbs and the features of confusion were clearly drawn on my face.
"By the sake of the moon goddess.. why did no one tell me?"
I muttered to myself while feeling my chest tightening. Is it possible that the ruler of the Kingdom of Darkness himself would attend to our land?
"I feel curious toward this being!"
My wolf's voice pierced my consciousness suddenly, her tone was charged with an exaggerated excitement that I have never known from her at all.
I knitted my eyebrows with suspicion; what is wrong with her today? Has she gone mad? She has never shown this kind of eagerness toward any stranger, and the feeling of anxiety inside me began to inflate.
"Why all this excitement?"
I addressed her inside me in a firm tone trying to suppress her noise.
"I don't know.. I feel excessive energy, I want to go out!"
She answered while she was bouncing in the corners of my mind, followed by an annoying purring that began to cause me a sharp headache behind my eyes.
I sighed with distress; for from where will comfort come to me while my wolf is acting as if she has lost her mind?
At that moment, my mother burst into the room.
She stopped at the door and her features froze for a second before they were overcome by a shock mixed with pride.
She placed her hand on her mouth to stifle a gasp of emotion, and her eyes welled up with tears of joy:
"My little girl.. you look beautiful! Oh my sweetie, you have truly grown up."
I smiled shyly and tried to ease the intensity of the situation:
"Mom, do not exaggerate please."
But she approached me and held my hand with extreme tenderness, and I felt the warmth of her touch absorbing a little of my tension.
The calm did not last long, as my brother burst into the room like a raging bull, filled with his usual energy.
As soon as his eyes fell on us, his features widened with frank admiration, and he let out a long whistle that shook the corners of the room:
"Wow! You look wonderful! You will not believe how much you two are different from the usual!"
My brother laughed with pride, while I felt a real smile making its way to my face despite all the fears.
Those spontaneous family moments were the only ones capable of making me forget, even for a moment, that after a while I will be face to face with the King of Darkness.
I looked at Zoe next to me and felt a pity mixed with fun; for her face had completely turned into a ripe tomato from the intensity of shyness under my brother's gazes and his boldness.
As for me, I settled for a calm smile trying to curb my tension, and I said in a firm voice to cut that moment:
"Come on, we are late and the party is about to start."
We entered the great hall, and immediately upon our entry, I felt hundreds of eyes piercing us like blades.
The atmosphere was charged, and Zoe quickly led me toward one of the side tables to escape the noise of the gazes, while my brother Jack withdrew with his usual dignity to receive the leaders and delegations.
Not much time passed until the noise began to escalate, and the whispers turned into a continuous hum that fills the place.
I leaned toward Zoe and asked her with a concern that seemed clear in the knitting of my eyebrows:
"What is happening Zoe? Why has the place become so noisy like this?"
"The king of the party has arrived!"
She said it while her eyes were roaming the hall obsessively in search of him.
I tried to imitate her and search for the source of this confusion, but before my eyes fell on anything, my senses were raided by a scent I have never known a likeness to.. a scent that hit my being with madness.
It was a fatal mixture of bitter coffee and dark black chocolate, a scent that possesses a strange authority over my breaths.
I closed my eyes against my will, drowning in that sensory bliss that invaded me suddenly.
"Oh my God Sira.. he is heading toward us!"
Zoe's trembling voice cut my seclusion, so I opened my eyes in terror and my lip trembled:
"W- w- what?"
I felt his presence directly behind me.. a cold, heavy, and dark aura enveloped the place around me.
I swallowed my saliva with difficulty, and felt my heart drumming the walls of my chest violently.
I turned very slowly, as if I were facing my inevitable fate.
And when our eyes met, the explosion happened. My wolf screamed in the depths of my soul with a scream that shook my being:
^^ MATE! ^^
My features froze and shock occupied my face, and my pupils widened while I was staring at his handsome and terrifying face at the same time.
But his shock did not last long; as it soon faded to leave a place for a lethal coldness, and his lips parted for a wicked smile that sent terror in every cell of my body.
Before I could be able to retreat, he stepped one step and surrounded my waist with force, sticking my body to his body which is solid as stone.
He buried his head in the cavity of my neck, and I felt his hot breaths burning my skin.
He brought his lips close to my ear, and spoke in a deep distorted voice, which froze the blood in my veins and brought back to me the memory of my cursed nightmare:
"Welcome to your hell.. my mate."
The words froze the blood in my veins, and I felt a shiver running in my spine.
He did not wait for a reply from me, rather his reaction was charged with possession and arrogance; he tightened his grip on my waist until he stifled my breaths, then raised his head slowly to look directly into my eyes.
His eyes at that moment were reflecting an eternal darkness, and a look telling me that I am not a mate he will take care of, but a prey that has just fallen into his trap.
He tilted his head a little, and passed a scrutinizing and provocative look on my pale face, as if he were relishing seeing the fear dancing in my eyes.
At that moment, I no longer felt the hall nor the music; all I was seeing was the darkness that swallows me from his eyes, and I realized that the nightmare I was running away from in my sleep, has now become my tangible reality.