The First King

Prew sat on the edge of the bed, holding tightly onto the bow in her hands. Her left shoulder was still stiff, which meant it was difficult to hold her weapon and use it. Though she was irritated by her inability to shoot arrows, Prew would not say anything to Konrad. For two days, he did nothing but constantly apologize to her. At first, it was sweet, but now it aggravated her. And if she were to mention her painful shoulder, he would start up again, begging for her forgiveness. With a sigh, her hands released the bow, dropping it to the floor.

"If you aren't careful, you're going to knock the string loose or crack a limb," Sofia warned as she stood at the tent's entryway.

"How long have you been standing there?" Prew scowled as she looked up at the witch.

"Long enough to see you go through the various stages of grief, anger, and depression."

"Very funny. What do you want?"

"I've brought you more medicine," Sofia answered as she approached the bed. She held out a cup filled with a dark, murky liquid.

"I'd rather not," Prew murmured as she refused to take it. "The taste is awful."

"It will help with your shoulder pain," Sofia insisted. "In another day or two, you'll be able to shoot with minimal discomfort. Within a week, it'll be just a distant memory."

"Fine," Prew huffed as she took the cup. She drank it, gagging as the foul-tasting liquid went down her throat. As she gasped for air, she could hear Sofia chuckling. "You must think I'm a child."

"You are a child to me, but not because of how you act. I am 231 years old. Nearly everyone in this camp is a child in my eyes."

"Oh, so rather than the camp mother, you're the camp grandmother?" Prew teased as she stood from the bed.

"Do I look old to you?" Sofia questioned as she crossed her arms.

"You're right," Prew mumbled as she did her best to hide her grin. "You're the camp Great Grandmother."

"If you weren't the Queen of Queens…" Sofia grumbled as the young monarch scurried from the tent.

Prew chuckled to herself, glancing back at Konrad's tent to make sure Sofia wasn't chasing after her. But the witch was headed in another direction, shaking her head as she went. As Prew turned around to continue walking, she ran into someone with a hard thud. She reached for her left shoulder, wincing as someone grabbed her arms.

"I'm sorry, Prew. I thought you saw me standing here," Rowan smirked. Excitement had fluttered through his chest when he saw her leave the tent alone. At first, he had planned to watch her, but his feet moved against his will, placing him within her path. Prew looked so happy as she laughed to herself; all he wanted to do was be part of her happiness. But now, her smile was fading as her face twisted in pain. Rowan ran his hand up to her shoulder, hovering his fingers over where the mark. "Are you alright? Should I go get Sofia?"

"I'm fine," Prew replied curtly as she stepped back. She glared up at Rowan, but then relaxed her eyes when she saw how worried he was. No matter how hard she tried, she could never be truly angry with him. Rowan was a kind, gentle soul who only aimed to please. "It's just a bit tender."

"I hate seeing you in pain," he admitted softly.

"You and Konrad both," she scoffed with a roll of her eyes. "Yes, it is sometimes painful, but I'm not a glass doll."

"No, you are not a glass doll, but you are not a wolf either. That mark on your shoulder was never meant for a human."

"I don't need a lecture from you, too. Please," Prew pleaded. I'm an adult, and so is Konrad. What he did was both of our decisions, one that I still do not regret. So, please, spare me the side glances and pity."

"Of course, forgive me," Rowan said, placing his hands behind his back. "I shouldn't have mentioned anything about it."

"About what?" Konrad questioned as he walked up behind his wife.

His sudden presence surprised Prew, causing her to gasp. He smiled as his hands snaked around her waist, pulling her close to him. Konrad buried his face into her good shoulder and deeply inhaled her scent, ignoring Rowan as he answered his question. Since marking her, Prew's scent had changed. It wasn't a smell that lingered on the skin like soap. This scent was one that came from deep within her, from her heart and soul, emanating out similar to an aura.

"You're wearing my shirt again," Konrad remarked happily.

"That's because my clothes are still with my army, and Gods only know where they are," Prew stated as she leaned her back against his chest. He was so warm against the cool breeze that blew through the camp.

"Well, you're in luck because Alder and Callum were spotted recently. They should be here shortly. Would you like to walk with me to greet them?"

"Of course!" She answered excitedly as she turned to face him. "They haven't sent word on what happened at the Twin Mountains, and I have been waiting on pins and needles!"

"Then let's go," Konrad chuckled as he took her hand in his. As they started to walk away, Prew stopped and turned back to Rowan.

"Are you coming?" She questioned the Beta. Rowan looked at Konrad hesitantly. Though he wanted to go with them, Rowan knew his Alpha was unhappy with him. Without words being exchanged, he knew it was because Konrad found him so close to Prew.

"No, my Luna. I have some things I need to attend to here."

"Alright," Prew nodded as she furrowed her brows. She watched Rowan walk away before turning to look at Konrad. He was smiling to himself, pleased about something. "What did you do?"

"Nothing," Konrad insisted with a shrug.

"You're a terrible liar."

"I swear, I didn't do anything directly."

"Then what are you doing indirectly? What can Rowan feel or see that I cannot?" She questioned harshly.

"My aura," Konrad mumbled as he turned his gaze away from Prew's.

"Gods, you are a possessive fool," she scowled as she pushed against his chest. "I'm mated to you, and I don't even like Rowan that way. He is more of an older brother than anything."

"Perhaps to you, but I can see the longing in his eyes. It has been there since the night before your fight with Alder. Or, at least, that was the first time I saw it."

"Well, despite what you're saying, Rowan has never once been anything but courteous to me. Sure, at times, his niceness can be suffocating, but he is harmless. Even if he longs for me, as you say," Prew stated as she attempted to look at his eyes. When she saw him looking to the ground between their feet, she placed her hands on his bearded cheeks, lifting his gaze to hers. "I know it's hard for you to control some of these urges and feelings. But I need you to trust that if anyone crosses the line, I'll handle it. I don't need a big, bad wolf scaring off everyone because they look at me."

"Big bad wolf, huh?" Konrad questioned with a sly smile. His hands went to her waist, pulling her flush against his body. Prew's face grew hot as she felt him against her.

"Do you two need a tent?" Callum called out. Prew and Konrad turned, noticing him and Alder approaching.

"Ah, Alphas, good to see you two again," Prew smiled as she stepped away from Konrad's grasp.

"And good to see you again, my Queen," Callum smiled as he gave her a bow. Alder, though, was frozen beside the Alpha. He was staring unblinkingly at Prew. Even though her mark was covered, he could smell it.

"So, tell me. How did it go with the vampires?" She questioned as she looked between the two men.

"Well, the night before we arrived, some vampires did leave," Callum answered with a scowl. He ran his fingers through his thinning hair as he thought to himself. "My warriors estimated that about thirty left. It might have been more if it wasn't for a storm that blew through. The wind probably hampered in their abilities to fly as bats."

"Then the next day, we get there about an hour after midday," he continued. "And we were met by human soldiers at the front."

"Just like when we were at the Black Shadow Keep," Prew interjected.

"Exactly. But, surprisingly, most of those humans surrendered. We stormed into the keep and killed about forty or so vampires. It was hard to get an exact count since some were burned by the Lode Star witches."

"What about the rest?" Konrad inquired curiously.

"They surrendered," Callum answered in a surprised tone. "27 vampires gave up without a fight, much to our surprise."

"But you killed them, though, right?" Konrad questioned with a frown.

"I commanded them not to," Prew stated as she glanced up at him. Konrad let out a low growl as he looked at her. His brows were furrowed, and his jaw was clenched.

"And why, dear wife, did you do that?"

"Because some of the witches who serve under me can place an incantation on chains and cuffs, preventing other witches or vampires from using their magic. So, since the vampires are chained up, with no way to turn into bats, what harm are they?"

"Believe me, Konrad, I was skeptical too," Callum stated with a chuckle.

"But why allow them to live?"

"At the end of all of this, there will be vampires who survive the fight. Whether it is because they retreated during battle or because they hid like cowards. Either way, vampires will keep existing, taking over keeps or creating new ones. I thought that, if we could save some, maybe they would be somewhat loyal to us. Don't get me wrong, I'm not foolish enough to think they would blindly follow us, but perhaps they might be friendly enough to work with us." Prew answered with a confident smile.

As she talked, Konrad stared at her, mulling over everything she said. He could not help but feel that she was naive for thinking that she could join hands with the vampires. And yet, as he looked in her eyes, at the glimmer of hope that sparkled through them, he let out a sigh. There was no way that he could tell her that her idea was dangerous and idiotic.

"Well, what's done is done," he conceded as he pinched the bridge of his nose. "Alright, so a good amount of their people have died; how many of ours?"

"Just over thirty. Some wolves, some humans. Only one witch died."

"Were any of the humans from Guilford?" Prew inquired with a frown.

"Yes," Callum answered. "I have sent them and Rovia's lost men to Sella Castle. Porter can handle the burial of those men."

"Thank you," Prew murmured before turning her attention to Alder. She had noticed him staring, and at first, she ignored it, but now it was irritating her. With her hand resting on the hilt of her dagger, she stepped closer to him. "Is there a problem, Alpha Alder?"

Alder blinked his eyes rapidly as he broke out of his trance. He swallowed the lump that had formed in his throat as he shook his head. Prew being marked had come as a shock to him. Never in his wildest dreams did he think that she would allow Konrad to mark her. Although Konrad was an excellent fighter, he was not a great partner. How could this strong woman fall in love with a man who cared so little for her? Given the time to do so, Alder was sure that he could have won her over. But now, all hopes of ever wooing her were gone.

"No, Your Majesty," he replied, turning his gaze to the ground.

"Good, both of you go rest up," Prew instructed as she returned to Konrad. "Tell your men not to unpack too much. We will need to leave in the morning."

As Callum and Alder walked away, Konrad wrapped an arm around Prew. She looked up at her husband, noticing him staring at the backs of the Alphas. Her hand went up to his cheek, turning his attention to her.

"I can handle myself," she stated with a smile.

"You can handle yourself," he repeated with a slight nod. As he looked at Prew, the words she told the men finally ran through his mind. "Wait, we are leaving tomorrow? When did we decide that?"

"Just now," Prew replied. "With my army here, there is no point in sitting around, waiting for the witches to come to us."

"Alright. So we are heading to Thresnora then?"

"No. I want to go to Huthwaite first. If we leave just after dawn, we should be there by nightfall," she answered.

"Prew… Huthwaite is three days away. And, on top of that, it is directly to the East of us; Thresnora is to the North East. You would be adding onto our-"

"Did you forget me telling you about the witch who was able to allow us to move quickly without stopping?" Prew interrupted as she raised her eyebrows.

"Oh," he nodded as he closed his eyes. "That's right. I completely forgot you told me. I'm sorry."

"Don't be sorry. It was late, and we were both tired that night."

"Alright, so we go to Huthwaite. But why? What is the purpose for going there?"

"Honestly? I wanted a place to leave Meeka," she admitted as her face grew hot and her cheeks turned red. "I didn't want to risk him getting hurt. Plus, it would be a good spot to leave our excess supplies. And, should we need to retreat, we can regroup there."

"I shouldn't be surprised you thought of that beast," Konrad chuckled as he moved strands of her hair from her face. "If I am being honest, I was going to tie a rope to that horse and secure him to the largest tree that I could find. But Huthwaite sounds like a better idea."

"I'm surprised you care enough about his safety."

"I wasn't going to do it for him, but for you," Konrad replied as he leaned in, giving her a gentle kiss. "I know you love the beast, and even though he hates my guts, I would protect him—even if it meant a few cracked ribs."

Prew chuckled at his words, but then she quieted down when Konrad pulled her to him tightly. She could feel his body tense up and his breathing change. Her hands went around him, holding him just as hard as he held her.

"But, now that he will be far away and safe from the battle, all that I worry about is you," Konrad continued as his voice wavered. He was doing his best to hold back his tears, but as he held Prew, all he wanted to do was let it out, to be vulnerable with her. She would not judge him for crying into her shoulder, for expressing the emotions and thoughts that caused him to be anxious. But he took a deep breath, calming himself before speaking again. "I know this will sound possessive of me, but I want you by my side, always. Whether we are out there fighting or if we are back at home. If you were to be hurt, or worse, I don't know if I could handle it. You have my heart and soul; should you perish, so would they. You are more than just my wife and mate. You have become my everything, my will to live, and my motivation to be better. Without you, I am nothing. So, when we are out there, stay with me, stay safe. Please."