Rage of the Alpha (Part 2 of the Alpha Queen series)

SABER

Training the wolves was not the problem. It was their brute force getting in the way and getting them to “look before you leap” seemed impossible. They found it incomprehensible that taking a moment to see the enemy before charging at them could be a decisive factor of winning the battle. Even after Saber, Asher and Sebastian had proven this over and over.

Knowing the wolves were getting just as frustrated as they were, Saber stopped them all to take a much needed break. She was so sure there was some minuscule detail they were failing to communicate. Some teeny tiny detail that would connect all the dots once received.

An older man, maybe in his fifties, approached the tree Saber was cooling off under. He didn’t look too winded, but seemed tired to her. He was from a different pack since she had not seen him before.

“May I share your shade my Queen?” He bowed his head in submission.

“Of course. It doesn’t belong to me,” she smiled at him.

“I’ve heard you were nice,” he grinned back, “guess I doubted it with all that power. I apologize my Queen.”

This made her chuckle. “My father taught me to love before he ever taught me anything else, but after he died…” Inhaling deeply, she reminded herself that her mother was still here, even if by a miracle, she was not alone. “If it weren’t for Asher, I may not have come back to myself.”

“My condolences to you dear Queen…”

“Please, call me Saber, I don’t think I’m quite ready to be called that all the time,” she interrupted.

A soft smile came to his lips as he eyed her. “Your father was a great leader. It would make sense that he would pass that along. His way of ruling us held for a long time. He had us living in peace for most of it. I don’t think there has ever been such a united front from all the packs. Even if there was another Queen at one stage. You, my Queen, have only started your reign. Already you are doing wondrous things.”

“You know,” Saber snickered, “I think you might be trying to soften me up for something.”

At this, he bellowed out rowdy laughter, smacking his knee every now and then. When he calmed down a bit, he had to get his breath back before resuming their conversation.

“Indeed, I admit it, you are no fool despite your age,” he grinned widely. “I was wondering what else you are hiding beneath all that power. It seems you are the full package. A Queen who will carry her people, serve them with a kind heart, yet reign with absolution. I do not think you will find an enemy strong enough to contest you. Do you follow what I’m getting at, my Queen?”

Saber had listened patiently while he spoke. She just didn’t know if she could place as much faith in her abilities as him. What else am I hiding huh? It mulled around her brain as she picked at the grass, and then it hit her.

She looked over to where Asher was explaining something to another trainee. “Everyone, I have a different approach to what we’re trying to achieve here. Will you be kind enough to your wet-behind-the-ears Queen to try it? Feeling unanimous agreement beyond their amusement, she spoke again.

“When we resume our training, I would like you to find out what it is that your opponents are hiding. I’ve given some special instructions to exactly half the group. Be careful, this will ensure their victory. My advice is to uncover this truth that could mean your end before the fight ends.”

Saber’s newly discovered fan was eyeing her a bit suspiciously, but she winked at him with a smile. “Wanna be first?”

“What are you hiding my Queen?” He looked a bit nervous.

Wagging her eyebrows at him, she said, “Exactly.” She left him frowning at her and went to find someone to spar with.

LIFFIN

If someone had told him a few months ago that he would be aiding the Winter King, he would have thought they were mad. If someone had told him that his youngest brother would be mated to witchy panther while his eldest would be mated to a daemon wolf, he would have laughed his head off.

Now, here they were, on their way to the Vampire Kingdom’s Nest - a King, two Princes, a Princess and a handmaiden. The King refused to take any men - saying it would be counter-productive to their efforts if they came with guards. It would be an ironic turn of events if they were all killed before the war they were trying to find soldiers for.

But in spite of all that, Liffin would not have it any other way. He desperately wanted his parents safe. It was yet unclear how they would interfere once they arrived - they would have to play it by ear.

As the medieval wooden structure making up the gates came into view, Liffin warned his companions to keep their eyes downcast. “If a vampire can look into your eyes, they will own you, body and soul.”

LOLA

It was all very well and good to avoid eye-contact, but easier said than done. This was something Lola had worked on all her life. And if someone knew you were purposely not looking them in the eye, they could make things difficult. Even aside from that, it was a natural reaction if said person did something shocking.

She grit her teeth and balled her fists as they closed in on the barrier - she just knew she was going to get them all in trouble. They should have left her at the Winter Castle. This would end badly because of her.

“Maybe I should just wait here for all of you,” she told Liffin softly. He glanced at her, surprised.

“Leave you alone here at the gates? That seems rather counter-intuitive. Why would you want to do that?”

“I am the weakest link in our little troupe. It wouldn’t do to ruin anyone’s focus on the mission if I were to mess up. I am only a handmaiden after all. Your royal blood has enough arrogance to counter whatever they throw at any of you.”

A confused look crossed her face when she realized how that sounded - like she was insulting the royals. Lola’s hand flew to her mouth as Liffin quickly stifled his mirth when he understood where this was coming from.

He lifted her hand away from her face quickly and stopped dead in his tracks. “I understand what you are saying, and I think I know where this is coming from, but trust me. I won’t let you come to any harm.” He trailed her jaw with a finger.

“That is exactly my worry. Liffin, I do not want to compromise the mission. If it fails because I was inept and you all had to save me at the cost of this potential alliance, what good would that have done?”

His gaze bore into hers, “I hear what you are saying, but I doubt that could happen. No-no, hear me out,” he said quickly when Lola made to turn away in frustration. “You are immune to me, remember? Just keep that in mind before you go selling yourself short. You have so much undiscovered potential that we don’t know where your limits are. Just… Trust me okay?”

Liffin carried a strange expression which Lola had not seen before. She was unsure what to make of it, but still, his words did ring true. “Let’s go then, before I lose my nerve and get us all killed.”

The King of Winter stood proudly in front of the spiked, wooden gates that loomed high above them. With a commanding voice, he bellowed a command to have an audience with the Vampire-in-charge. Silence followed.

Winter had plenty of patience, when he was hunting, or in battle. But he hated being ignored so he bellowed even louder. Silently promising himself that their irksome behavior would not go unpunished, he strode forward and lay a hand on one of the many long stakes making up the gates.

His eyes frosted over as he blew out an icy breath onto his fingers and splayed them widely. In a matter of moments, the entire gate was frozen over with fine layer of ice. Lola could not comprehend what good this would do, since frozen or not, the gates would still be in their way.

A loud crack filled the air, followed by several more and then suddenly, the barrier exploded into millions of tiny fragments hanging suspended in mid-air. They fell to the ground as soon as Winter dropped his hand.

“I wonder if Asher knows he can do that? That would make him more terrifying.” Ferian said to no-one in particular, shuddering at the memory of Asher’s dragon and the resulting implications. He turned to Winter.

“Do you know your son is a Dragon?”

“He has fire?” The King was baffled.

“No your Majesty. He has your ice.” Ferian strode through the opening, leaving the King stupefied. The almost fabled Ice Dragon...

Liffin passed him as well, adding, “As we told you, Asher is the best of us.” And he reached these heights without me - or his mother, Winter thought bitterly.

“No your Majesty, don’t see it that way. You and his mother are the very foundations of Prince Asher. Foundations so strong that your presence was not a requisite for mastering his potential.” Lola squeezed his arm lightly before following behind Lamia.

A shell-shocked Magnus could not believe the unassuming girl had penetrated his mental shields far enough to know his inner-most thoughts. He stood gaping at her disappearing form until a shout brought him out of his reverie. He ran forward.

Lola stumbled over something, flying to the ground in her haste to get to whoever had shouted. She groaned as she picked herself up slowly, at least the tons of clothing from the Winter Court had ensured the would be no scrapes on her body.

Just as Lola was getting up, shuffling noises to her left made her freeze. It was only then she noticed that her fall had caused her to skid behind crates - many, many crates of different sizes. Peering slightly over the edge, she could now make out her companions. They were being dragged and hauled onto a cart, bodies limp. Vampires! Lola tried to make herself as small as possible to figure out what was happening.

It became clear that they had walked straight into a trap, but she didn’t know the why of it yet. Another vampire came into view, sniffing the air close to her. She ducked down, wishing she could become invisible. Fear was starting to constrict her throat, and her heart was thundering, but Lola tried her best to shove it aside.

When she felt his presence move away, she chanced another look. And that was when she saw it - when her fear and panic had been suppressed. The same monstrous figure that had haunted her as a child in the human realm. They had been everywhere and not one person had believed her.

There were demons here. Just as there had been when she was a child. More than 50 years later, here were demons possessing vampires in their own realm. She could see the demon’s silhouette as clear as day.

This. Was. BAD.