Four

Rex

The air in the dungeons hung thick and heavy, a miasma of iron, sweat, and fear. It suited me. The rhythmic drip of water echoed off the cold stone walls, a morbid metronome keeping time with the ragged breaths of the spy strapped to my table. He was a pathetic sight, all bravado stripped away, leaving only the whimpering shell of a man.

For weeks, he'd slipped information back to the rogues of the North, feeding them our troop movements, our supply lines, the very heartbeat of my kingdom. He'd cost us lives, good people, loyal wolves sworn to my pack. And now, he would pay.

The heavy blade in my hand felt comfortable, an extension of my own lethal intent. I ran a thumb along its edge, a silent promise of the agonizing end to come. "Tell me everything," I growled, my voice a low rumble that vibrated through the dungeon. "Every name, every meeting, every piece of information you leaked. Tell me, and maybe, just maybe, I'll make it quick."

He choked, spittle flying from his lips. "I… I told you everything!"

Lies. I could smell them on him, rank and clinging. I pressed the blade to his throat, just enough to draw a bead of blood. He flinched, his brown eyes wide with terror. "One last chance."

Before he could answer, a guard burst through the heavy oak door, disrupting the symphony of fear I was conducting. "Alpha," he stammered, his eyes darting between me and the spy. "We found another one. A female… in the forest."

My hand tightened on the blade. Another spy? Another viper in my garden? A harsh laugh escaped my lips. "Bring her to me," I commanded, my voice laced with a fury that made the guard flinch. "Immediately."

I tossed the bloodied blade onto the stone floor. The spy would wait. I had a new guest to greet. I wiped my hands on a rag, the blood in my hands staining the fabric. This intrusion had soured my mood considerably.

As I strode out of the dungeon, the sunlight felt harsh, almost offensive after the oppressive darkness below. I paused in the courtyard, the air filled with the scent of earth and blooming roses. My gardener, Tobe, was laughing with his wife, Elara, handing her a bouquet of freshly picked roses. Her cheeks were flushed, her eyes sparkling with affection.

A sharp pang resonated in my chest, unexpected and unwanted. It was a ridiculous, fleeting ache, conjured by the simple image of love and companionship. I quickly brushed it away. It was foolish to dwell on such things. I was Rex Trueblood, Alpha of the Trueblood Pack, and I had a kingdom to run. The prophecy, etched in ancient texts, was clear: my mate didn't exist. A phantom, a myth, a cruel joke played by the Moon Goddess.

Even the servants and the runts had mates yet the Alpha had no one to rule alongside him. The Moon Goddess was sure having a lot of fun playing these games. 

I clenched my jaw. Love was a weakness I couldn't afford. My pack needed a strong leader, not a lovesick fool chasing shadows. I couldn't careless about a mate now. 

"Alpha!"

Jude, my Beta, his face grim, hurried towards me. "The female spy is in the dungeon, Alpha. Just as you commanded."

I nodded, the momentary lapse of focus banished. "Let's see what secrets she holds. Has she confessed yet?"

"No Alpha. We are yet to question her." He replied and I nodded.

The descent back into the dungeon was swift, my senses sharpening with each step. The familiar scent of damp stone and fear filled my nostrils, a grim comfort. Jude pushed open the heavy oak door, and I stepped inside.

And then I saw her.

She was bound to a chair in the center of the room, her head lowered, her brown hair obscuring her face. But even in the dim light, even restrained and likely terrified, she possessed a grace that drew my eye. She was small, almost delicate, but beneath that fragile exterior, I sensed a strength that surprised me.

Jude cleared his throat, his voice a low murmur. "Alpha, this is the spy. She was apprehended in the Forest, attempting to cross the border."

I ignored him. I couldn't tear my gaze away from her. As she slowly lifted her head, revealing her face, a jolt of electricity coursed through me, a feeling so intense, so overwhelming, it stole the air from my lungs.

Her eyes… they were the color of emeralds, bright and alert, even now, in the face of such danger. They pierced me, seeing straight through my carefully constructed walls, reaching something deep and primal within me.

My heart, which had long been dormant, a cold, hard stone in my chest, seemed to flutter, to awaken with a life of its own. I felt my wolf, usually a controlled, contained entity within me, stir restlessly, its instincts screaming a single word: Mate.

The prophecy. The cold, hard, undeniable truth of my solitary existence. It suddenly felt like a lie, a cruel fabrication. This… this woman felt like the missing piece of me, the melody that resonated with the silent hum of my soul.

But she was a spy. A threat. An enemy.

My mind warred with itself, logic and instinct locked in a furious battle. I wanted to roar, to claim her, to protect her from the very danger I represented.

But I couldn't. I wouldn't. I was Rex Trueblood, Alpha of the Trueblood Pack, not a lovestruck pup blinded by foolish hope. I had a kingdom to protect, and spies, regardless of how they made my wolf howl, needed to be dealt with.

This feeling had to be a lie, a hallucination. Maybe it's because I saw Tobe and his wife a few minutes ago. The prophecy was clear. My mate doesn't exist. This was just a filthy spy.

I forced myself to speak, my voice a low, dangerous growl. "You have a lot to answer for."