The First King

Prew sat on the ground, overlooking the waters of Linfell Lake. She stared momentarily at the small waves that lapped at the shoreline. It had been over a week since she hunted with the Alphas. And ever since that hunt, she has refused to say a single word to her father. She blamed him and hated him for the situation he put her in. All she wanted was a choice, a say in the marriage.

She grumbled to herself as she picked up a piece of jasper. She held it in her hands, eyeing it thoroughly. The rock was reddish brown, with bits of green speckled throughout. It was just barely smaller than her hand, with jagged corners and rough edges. Prew held it up in the air, looking at it against the sun's light.

“Perfect,” she whispered to herself as she lowered the stone.

Prew leaned over, picking up a piece of flint. After adjusting her hold over it, she struck the rock against the jasper. It caused small pieces of the gem to fracture, flaking off from the stone. Hit after hit, strike after strike, she kept going until there was a taper point. Prew ran her fingers along the tip of what would soon become an arrowhead. She turned the jasper around, striking the other end until she shaped the base.

After spending nearly half an hour meticulously shaping the arrowhead, she set the finished product in a basket filled with others like it. Prew looked down at the ground between her legs. It was littered with flakes of jasper and some chert. These two gems were her favorites to use when making arrowheads herself. But now she sighed. She had only carried a few stones with her. With nothing to do, she leaned against her knees with a huff.

If she were home, she would be able to make the rest of the arrows. But she needed a fire and her tools. She picked up her quiver, studying the arrows that were stored within it. The glossy raven feathers shined against the sunlight, and felt smooth against her fingertips.

As much as she tried to occupy her mind, it always wandered back to Konrad. Her father had said that the Alpha was loyal beyond reproach. That he put his people first and was willing to drop everything to help others. But it did not matter how selfless he was. She could not, would not, love a man that she was forced to be with.

Far behind her, hiding in a tree, was Konrad. For hours, he watched Prew. Hours of watching her work, of listening to her hum and muttering under her breath. Hours of studying her features. He stared as she threw pieces of stone into the lake. He could hear her; she was angry, seething. It made him curious as to what was on her mind. Prew had intrigued him.

“She looks strong,” Konrad remarked to his wolf.

“Looks can be deceiving,” Nero scoffed.

“When do we want to go meet her?” Konrad questioned as he leaned forward on the tree limb.

“I’d rather we take our mate,” Nero growled.

“And I’d rather my parents be alive, but we don’t always get what we want!” Konrad snapped as he climbed down from the branch he sat on.

Once on the ground, an arrow landed in the tree right by his foot. His head jerked up, noticing Prew standing, staring at him with her bow held up. She had another arrow nocked, waiting to shoot it off.

“Don’t shoot!” He shouted as he held his hands up in the air. “I am unarmed!”

“A wolf is never unarmed!” She replied as she held her bow steady. “Your weapon is always hidden within your soul!”

Konrad could not hold back a chuckle as he listened to her. She was not wrong, after all. Nero was his primary weapon.

“Smart girl,” he murmured, taking a few steps forward. “I am Konrad.”

“I know who you are,” she scowled as she stared at him.

“How about laying down that weapon of yours?” He questioned as he stopped a few feet away from her. “It is rather rude to keep aim at a king, wouldn’t you agree?”

“You are no king until the day we marry!” She declared as she narrowed her eyes. “And that is if I allow you to live that long.”

“Julius said you were feisty, but I think he was wrong,” he replied with a frown. “You are downright feral.”

Prew scoffed as she lowered her bow. She took the arrow and held it firmly in her hand, but she did not place it back in the quiver. Konrad lowered his arms as he looked at her. Her black hair waved in the wind, a few strands going across her face. There was something about her copper eyes, how there was fire in them as she glared at him. The anger that her eyes held, he recognized it.

Konrad looked down at the ground behind her, at the broken pieces of red rock scattered about. He saw the basket filled with the fresh arrowheads that he had watched her make all morning. From what he could see, they were perfectly straight, and he was sure they were perfectly sharp. As the wind blew, he took in a deep breath. The smell of blueberries lingered in the air. He looked at the ground around where she sat, but he could not recall ever watching her eat. He then looked at her, at the quiver that rested on her back. The smell was coming from her. But it was not an intoxicating scent, not like Lorelei’s.

“Lorelei,” Nero whimpered within Konrad’s soul.

Konrad frowned as he looked back to Prew. She was beautiful and resourceful. But she was not Lorelei; she was not his mate.

“Perhaps you can push her away? Be mean, cruel if you have to. Make her change her mind about wanting to marry you,” Nero suggested. “You don’t need the title of king to rule an army. You’ve been doing all that already as an Alpha.”

“You think her mind would be easily changed?” Konrad questioned his wolf.

“Are you just going to stare?” She questioned as he gave him a quizzical look.

“I was just wondering if you should be playing with weapons,” he replied as he crossed his arms.

“Playing?!” She shouted as she raised her bow back up, quickly drawing her arrow as far back as it could go. “I shall show you playing, wolf!”

“Down, dog,” Konrad scowled as he reached out, touching the tip of her arrow. He attempted to lower it, but it only caused her to tighten her grip. “Fine, keep the arrow pointed at me. Whatever makes you feel safe.”

“Jerk,” she hissed as she lowered her bow once again.

“There, now, was that so hard?” He questioned.

“Typical wolf,” she mumbled after placing her arrow in her quiver. “Arrogant, self-centered, and foul-smelling.”

“Foul-smelling?” Konrad repeated as he held back a laugh. “Let me guess, do I smell like a wet dog? I’ve heard that line a hundred times from you humans. It’s not a clever comeback.”

“Saying that you smell like a dog would be an insult to the senseless mutts,” she quipped.

“I want to tame that mouth of hers,” Konrad growled lowly to Nero. Prew was not what he was expecting, and it excited him. He could tell with how steady she held the bow, she was a skilled archer. And he was enjoying her brash attitude.

“Think with your brain, not that other head of yours,” his wolf retorted.

“No wonder you accepted the position as my wife; no other man would take a woman with a mouth like yours.”

“What did you say?” She questioned as her face became hot.

“You have a hot temper and no manners. You are not wife material, let alone Luna or Queen.” Konrad expressed as he furrowed his brow. He wanted to rile her up. To make her angry enough that she would back out of the arrangement. “What makes you think I’d even want you?”

Prew’s lips tightened into a straight line as she nodded her head. He was pushing her buttons, but she would not back down. Wolves thrived on confidence, on dominance. If she caved, if she bowed down to his words, it would make her look weak.

“Well, from what I was told, it isn’t even your choice. Four Alphas chose me, hunted with me, painted my face red with blood. If I am too much for you, just say it.” She hissed as she stepped closer to him.

She stood face to face, toe to toe with him. Konrad was only two, maybe three inches taller than her. Her eyes stared hard into his. He looked at her, at her unwavering stance. She was oddly calm as she stood before him. The only emotion she showed was the rage in her eyes and the flush on her face.

“Nothing to say?” She questioned, pulling him from his thoughts.

“I just didn’t want to hurt your fragile heart,” he replied, smirking. “Plus, I fear you might kill me if I tell you the truth.”

“Do you fear me? If you did, I wouldn’t blame you. Many men fear me, fear what I might do to their…” Prew whispered as her eyes glanced down his body before snapping back to his eyes. “Jewels.”

“Or perhaps they are wanting someone more… feminine,” he shrugged as he cocked his head to the side. “Someone who doesn’t outshine them on the battlefield. Can you even sew? Cook a meal? You stand here, before me, wearing men’s clothes. How do I even know you don’t have jewels under your pants? How can men even fear you if they are not even interested in you?”

Prew broke eye contact as she looked away from him. Konrad could see how she clenched her jaw, how the bridge of her nose became a deeper red. There was a glimmer in her eyes, and to him, it looked as if she were about to cry. Although he was trying to push her away, seeing her like this made him soften. Konrad reached out his hand, gently touching her arm, but she pulled away from him instantly.

“What do you even want?” She questioned as she balled her hands into fists. “Why are you even here?”

“End. This. Now.” Nero demanded. He could tell that Konrad was getting soft. If they were going to push the girl away, it wouldn’t happen if he suddenly started to care about her feelings.

“I want nothing more than to get this over with,” he growled.

“Well, you’ve seen me, we’ve talked. You can go back now.” Prew stated as she turned around.

She gathered her items from the shore, placing everything within the basket. Konrad watched as she bent over, her hair cascading over her shoulders, blocking her face from his view. He shook his head as guilt suddenly came over him. This was not who he was, and it was not her fault that he found his mate when he did. He wanted to run after her, to apologize, but Nero kept his feet frozen to the ground. He could not help but watch as she left, leaving him standing there alone.