The First King

Rowan grumbled as he adjusted himself in the saddle. Since Etiba, he had chosen to ride his horse to be closer to Prew. But now that nearly two weeks have passed, his back and legs were sore from being in the uncomfortable position. As the sun continued to set in the sky, the air was becoming cold. He looked over at Prew curiously.

“You must be getting cold, my Luna,” he remarked gently. “We should stop soon for the night and set up camp.”

“I suppose you’re right,” she nodded as she looked up at the darkening sky.

“I see a fire in the distance,” he added as he leaned up higher in the saddle. “Since we are so close to a known vampire keep, perhaps it would be a good idea to camp amongst others?”

“Do you think we can trust whoever is around that fire?” She questioned as she glanced at him.

“Well, if they are around a fire, it has to be either humans or wolves,” he replied. “If you feel uncomfortable, I can be in my wolf form in front of your tent the entire night.”

Prew gave a slight nod of her head as she looked back at the road before them. She gave Meeka a gentle kick of her heels, pushing him to go faster. Prew was getting cold, and she did not want Rowan to see her shivering. Since the incident at Yogon, he had been more attentive to her. Every move she made or emotion she expressed, Rowan was always there to offer his help. It was beginning to suffocate her. But she couldn’t tell him that. He seemed so eager, so happy to be of use to her. It was not his fault that she was not used to someone caring as much as he did.

As they approached the camp, she pulled on Meeka’s mane until he came to a stop. Off the road a little ways, was the small camp. There weren’t any tents set up, and there was only three people sat around a fire. But one of the men looked familiar. Half of their head was shaved, while the other half was longer.

“Well, what a surprise. It’s my husband,” Prew called out to the men.

Konrad quickly turned around, startled by the sound of her voice. Rowan and the other wolves quickly dismounted their horses and approached their Alpha. There was excitement in the air as everyone greeted one another. Except for Konrad, who stood there quietly, staring at Prew. He was surprised that there was a hint of excitement within his chest when he saw her.

“What are you doing here?” He questioned when she walked up to him. He took in a deep breath, inhaling the familiar scent of blueberries.

“We are on our way to the Paderus Kingdom, the last stop on my list,” she answered as she looked up at him. He looked tired as if they had been fighting rather than just traveling. “What about you? Why are you so far north?”

“I am on my last pack as well,” he replied with a slight scowl. “But it is the Frostpaws pack.”

“Oh, right, Alpha… Aidan or something?”

“Alder,” he mumbled while she rubbed her arms. She was freezing, but rather than sit by the fire immediately, she had chosen to stand in the cold to speak to him. “Come sit. We were just eating some dinner.”

Prew nodded her head as she followed Konrad. He sat on the ground, allowing her to sit on the stump that he was previously using. He took his bowl full of rice and two rabbit legs and held it out to Prew.

“I did not eat from it yet,” he insisted after she gave him a skeptical look. “I’m sure you’re hungry.”

Prew nodded her head a she took the bowl. She was not worried about eating after him; what worried her was whether there was enough there to eat. She looked at the nearby pot, noticing that it was empty. The men she traveled with ate their dried rations, while Konrad’s two warriors ate their food. The only one who was not eating was Konrad.

Prew stood from the log and walked back toward the horses. On the wagon that followed her were several supply bags. She reached into one, grabbing a plate. With a smile, she poured half of the food onto it. She walked back toward the fire with the bowl in one hand and the plate in the other. Once she sat back down, she offered the bowl back to Konrad. He shook his head, refusing it.

“I didn’t poison it,” she stated with a smile, while pushing the bowl into his hands. “You need to eat, too.”

“I’m used to going without,” he shrugged as he looked down at the food.

“If you don’t eat, then neither will I,” she said as she put the plate on her lap.

Konrad grumbled as he picked up the rabbit's leg. As he took a bite of the meat, his eyes stared at Prew. Once she began to eat, he looked away. After everyone was done eating, some of the soldiers began to set up the tents. Rowan moved around the fire and sat on the ground beside Konrad.

“How has it gone for you?” Rowan inquired of his cousin curiously. “Have all the packs chosen to join under you?”

“Three of the four agreed to the charter,” Konrad replied with a shrug.

“What happened with the fourth?” Prew questioned.

“They said they were not interested,” he shrugged as he looked at her. “What about you? Any successes?”

“I have only gotten Etiba and Rovia,” she answered.

“That is only two,” he commented as he crossed his arms. “What about the others?”

“They weren’t interested,” she stated with a roll of her eyes. “I’m sure it’ll be the same for Pedarus.”

“It’ll be the same for Alder,” he scoffed. “That man won’t listen to reason.”

“Want to trade?” Prew inquired with a raised eyebrow.

“Alder would eat you alive,” Konrad chuckled.

“I’d like to see him try,” she smirked. “But seriously, it is our last ones. Why don’t we go together? Perhaps we might have better success with the two of us combined?”

“I don’t think you understand,” he replied sternly. “The Frostpaws are nothing like my pack. They are savage, almost to the point of being inhuman. Their culture is entirely barbaric. Everything is a challenge to them. If they aren’t fighting, they’re eating, and if they aren’t eating, they’re having sex. The entire pack is full of degenerates.”

“Do you think that scares me?” She questioned with a frown. “Do you think that I am some child who is frightened of wolves?”

“I’m beginning to wonder if anything scares you,” he snorted as he turned his head to look at the fire. Konrad could not help but feel worried about bringing her with him to the Frostpaws. Alder was a strong Alpha, and he was not shy about showing it. What if Prew liked Alder? Would she want him as a secret lover? Thinking about anyone else with her made his blood boil.

“Heights.”

“What?” He questioned as he looked back at her.

“I am afraid of heights,” Prew admitted as her face grew hot. “If I climb stairs, I need to be against a wall. Otherwise, my knees get weak. Also, I can’t go near the railing of a balcony.”

“Interesting,” he commented with a slight smile.

“Your Majesty,” a guard said as he approached Prew. “Your tent is ready.”

“Oh, thank you,” she replied as she stood. Prew took a few steps before turning back to Konrad. “I am going with you tomorrow. It will be nice for me to have a change of scenery.”

“And if I say no?”

“Do you think mere words would stop me?” Prew countered as she continued to her tent.

Konrad rested his arms on his knees as he watched her. He could not tell if he was angry or pleased that she would accompany him. In the back of his mind was the jealousy that was beginning to form. But, at the same time, he had felt utterly alone since Lorelei went back home. Sure, he had his two warriors, but they weren’t the same as a mate. Mate… Thinking of Prew as his mate brought the all-too-familiar pang to his heart. Which, in turn, brought about Nero’s incessant growling.

“Alpha?” Rowan’s voice pierced through Konrad’s thoughts. Everyone else had made their way to their beds, leaving only the two of them around the fire.

“Hmm?”

“You should go with Prew to Pedarus,” Rowan stated. “You should see how the human kings treat her.”

“Prew?” Konrad growled.

“Her Majesty,” Rowan corrected as he looked down to the ground. “But I still insist that you go with her. They disrespect her, asking her to flash them or to sit on their laps. Only the first king showed her any decency.”

“And? Why is that my problem?”

“Because she is your wife? Because she is the Luna to your people, whether or not you accept that.” Rowan retorted as he glared at his cousin.

“I’ve already told you that she is only my wife in name!” Konrad snapped as he did his best to keep his voice low. “I do not care what other men do to her or what she does to them! She could sleep with every king to get his armies for all I care.”

“Sure,” Rowan huffed as he stood to his feet.

“And what is that supposed to mean?!” Konrad demanded as he stood as well, pushing against Rowan’s chest.

“You are a fool,” Rowan hissed through gritted teeth. “You have no idea what you have!”

“Oh? Then tell me, cousin. What is it that I supposedly have?”

“You have someone who puts your pack first, something you used to do,” Rowan asserted as he stepped close to Konrad. “Everywhere we went, she bought something for your people. Then, once we finished up with Rovia, we went to Guilford. She didn’t stop by Sella castle to see her father; rather, she went straight to the pack. She insisted on delaying our trip to Pedarus so that she could drop off the supplies. And then, while we were there, I discovered that you had not dropped by to check on them or even mind-linked to them. What you have is a woman who loves your people, but you don’t even have the courtesy to care about how others treat her.”

“You seem rather invested in how I treat my wife,” Konrad growled as he closed his hands into a fist.

“Wife? Is she even that?”

Without thinking, Konrad’s fist shot up, striking his cousin’s left cheek. Rowan stumbled back as he looked up, stunned. Konrad took a step forward, hitting his face again. As much as Rowan wanted to fight back, he couldn’t. Konrad’s aura was intensified to the point that all Rowan could do was sink to the ground and submit to his cousin.

“Don’t you ever talk to me like that again,” Konrad commanded as he took Rowan’s shirt and pulled him upwards. “Don’t you ever talk to me about Prew again! She is none of your concern, and neither is how I treat her. Do I make myself clear?!”

“Crystal clear, Alpha,” Rowan mumbled as he averted his gaze.

Konrad released him and turned around. The other wolf warriors were standing there, watching. They had felt Konrad’s aura and had left their tents thinking there was a fight. But to their surprise, the fight was not with a vampire or witch but with their Beta. None dared to step forward and intervene. Without saying a word to them, Konrad stormed to his tent. He was furious… he was jealous.