Chapter 3 - Arrangements

The Moretti Castle - The Throne Room: Beta Ivan

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King Moretti spoke to each of us and while King Kade and Greyson spoke politely, I simply spoke for Alpha Alexander while he processed the new development we had established.

Then he spoke for the first time since we arrived at the castle and I clenched my fists to stop from trying to restrain his mouth.

"Is the Princess betrothed?" Alpha Alexander held Evangeline's stare but the question was for her father, the King. Because women had no part in the conversations of men. That was how it worked in our Kingdom, and in our pack.

Despite this fact, Evangeline answered with an air or arrogance, "No, I am not betrothed. I am much too young to marry."

My suspicion was confirmed and I took a deep breath. This would pose an array of issues within the pack and possibly even the Moretti kingdom.

King Oliver hushed his daughter and diverted the conversation swiftly, "King Alexander, King Kade, you both must be famished and fatigued from the long journey. Please, feel welcome to rest and feast as you like. I will assign guards to your disposal."

A deep growl rose from Alexanders chest, "I would prefer it if the Princess would escort me."

His golden eyes met hers in a battle of tension.

King Oliver should have been offended and simply disregarded the request but instead he turned to his daughter and in a hushed tone, gentle and kind, he proposed the idea to her.

"Would you be so kind as to escort King Alexander to a personal chamber?"

The Princess fluttered her eyelashes at her father in a way to decline but sighed eventually and stood from her throne. Her hair tumbled over her shoulder and down her back, a lithe and tall body revealed.

She walked gracefully down the steps of the high podium her throne was placed on and when she reached the last step, Alpha Alexander stepped forward and stretched out his hand.

Her dark eyes looked at him for a moment and she accepted his hand with hesitance and stepped down onto even ground only to leave him behind as she waltzed off, passing me and opening the French doors without any help.

I snorted when the Alpha growled lowly and followed her. They would make a peculiar pair.

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King Oliver was preoccupied in a conversation with King Kade and I took that as my cue to leave.

Despite the fact that Alpha Alexander could take care of himself, I still followed the pair around the castle. It was more for the sake of the oblivious Princess; I needed to make sure the Alpha kept his composure with his mate.

It was detrimental to our future as the werewolf Kingdom that he made his union work.

Anything could go wrong and I was here to make sure it wouldn't.

The Princess gave account for every statue and every painting in the castle as she walked beside Alpha Alexander, he listened intently and spoke when she had a question. I followed behind the pair, scaling under the cover of the thick tapestries that lined the castle walls.

"-do your servants always keep such a close eye on you?"

I was snapped out of my thoughts by the Princess' voice ahead.

Alpha Alexander turned and I stepped away from the tapestry I tried to use as cover. He did not look impressed at all.

"Ivan. A word." He ground out.

Princess Evangeline stared at me even as I moved towards a staircase with the Alpha, she looked at me as though she could sense I was different. That Alexander was different as well. She may have been young but her eyes were wise.

Alpha Alexander's hand on my shoulder shook my attention away from the Princess, "I understand that my orders were to stay close. But I assume you're aware of the newfound circumstances?"

I nodded slowly but explained, "I am aware Alph- your highness, painfully so, but I have a responsibility to ensure that all events following this new discovery are... Pleasant."

The Alpha shut his eyes momentarily and grit his teeth, through his clenched teeth he muttered, "However do you think anything will be pleasant with you following me around everywhere?"

He had a point, so I stepped back and bowed, "Alright your highness, I'll leave you be."

With a curt nod, he let me leave.

I passed the Princess on my way back to the throne room, her searching eyes on me.

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When night had fallen, I sat by the window and stared out at the half moon. New things were coming to the kingdom and everything was uncertain. What was even more unsettling was our sudden alliance with the vampires and the traitorous General.

It wasn't my place to question my Alpha though. I was here to fulfill my duty as Beta, to protect and advise.

Something about the human kingdom was... Strange. Not because they were human, but because they were so safe and secluded from the rest of the lands. The kingdom was shrouded in mystery by the forests and mountains. There were barely any strongholds around the castle and the guards were all friendly and relaxed. Everyone seemed certain of their safety.

The Princess was just as strange as her kingdom, a subtle aura of 'all-knowing' around her. The way she looked at us all today wasn't with curiosity. It was with suspicion. I had no way of knowing whether she knew what we were or if she was just a very cautious human.

The kingdom was a whole other story, the scent in the air was clean but it didn't smell natural. And the sounds around the castle were all so harmonious it couldn't be real.

I would do my utmost best to uncover why the castle and the land surrounding it was so unusual why the people were so unusual. I needed to know why it made my skin crawl.