The First King

Just to the north of Plaman Lake, beyond the woods where the Wild Haer pack had set up camp, was a small mountain range known as the Faraway Tops. These mountains were not extremely large and had steep, grassy slopes. Lying down on a ridge overlooking the valley below was a wolf. The wolf was beige in color, with a notch missing on the side of its right ear. It was Julius, patiently waiting for Konrad to return from the kingdom of Guilford.

In the distance, he saw a large wolf crossing the nearby river. After exiting the water, the animal stopped and looked around. He quickly noticed the light beige wolf sitting on the edge of the greenish mountains. The wolf sprinted forward until he finally reached Julius. Konrad shifted into his human form at the same time as his mentor.

“How did it go?” Julius questioned with a smile.

“Fine,” Konrad shrugged.

“What did you think of the princess?”

“She was fine,” Konrad continued to answer, seemingly uninterested.

“Fine? It was all just fine?”

“Yes,” Konrad growled in warning. “All was fine.”

Julius looked at Konrad’s blue eyes. They were darker than usual, with no shine or glimmer to them. He knew that something was wrong with the young Alpha. But Konrad seemed unwilling to talk, or at least express his thoughts on Prew. It frustrated Julius, but he would not push it.

“So, tell me then, are you accepting her as a mate, or are you taking Lorelei?”

“How do you know her name?” Konrad questioned.

“The remaining members of the Silvertail pack are down at your camp,” Julius answered. “I instantly knew it was her because she kept asking where you were.”

“Why is the pack at my camp?”

“Because they have no Alpha nor Luna to lead them. They want to join your pack. But, if you choose to reject the girl, I can incorporate the Silvertail into my own pack.” Julius stated as he crossed his arms. He was mentally thinking about the letter he would need to send to the other kings, informing them of Konrad backing out.

“No need to take them; I’ll let them join my pack. It only makes sense since, in a few weeks, they shall have a permanent home in Guilford.” Konrad replied.

“Wait, you’re going to still take Prew as your mate?” Julius inquired curiously.

“Yes, I still intend to marry her,” Konrad nodded.

“So, you are going to reject Lorelei? Are you sure you want your rejected mate living in your pack? I can take her to my-”

“No, she will stay,” Konrad interrupted.

“Don’t you think it’s cruel to have your rejected mate watch you be with your chosen?”

“Don’t worry about what is cruel!” Konrad snapped as he stepped closer to Julius. “Don’t worry about what I do with my life, got it?”

“What has gotten into you?” Julius questioned with a frown. “This isn’t you.”

“What? Are you upset that I am no longer the scared pup who came to you for help and advice? Are you upset that you no longer have any control over my choices?” Konrad spat as he glared at Julius. Without waiting for a response, he turned around, heading down the slope to return to his pack.

Julius watched as Konrad walked away. The young Alpha was angry, but that wasn’t anything new. What was new was the reason behind his anger. Konrad was defensive, and it worried Julius. It wasn’t unusual for males to become aggressive once they found their fated mates. But how would the young Alpha be when around both his chosen and fated mate? There was a chance that he could become intolerable. With a sigh, Julius shifted back into Rhys and headed north toward Huthwaite.

Rather than shifting back into Nero, Konrad walked in his human form. Reaching his camp on foot would take a few hours, but he didn’t seem to care. There was a lot on his mind, a lot that was bothering him. He still regretted what he said to Prew. He hated seeing the hurt in her eyes. But he could not help but be surprised by her. She held herself well, never letting her eyes falter, constantly standing her ground. She was strong; he could clearly see that. It was a shame that she had to be his wife. She would make for a great Luna, but instead, she was paired with him - a man who could not fully appreciate what she would bring to their relationship.

And then there was Lorelei. It did not matter if she wasn’t strong or couldn’t fight on the front lines with him; she was his destined mate. The one that the Goddess, Bil, made for him. She was the missing piece to his soul, the person that would make him whole. He craved to touch her, to feel the electrifying sparks that would come from their bond. But at the same time, it scared him. If he were to touch her, he would crumble before her. Marking Lorelei would mean that he could not marry Prew. It meant that he could not lead the army.

The army, those cursed witches that plagued his mind. Part of him wished that he could move past this rage that dwelled within him—but each time he went to sleep, the nightmares continued to plague him. The expressions on his mother’s face, the blank stare, haunted him. At first, killing witches helped to ease his pain, to make the images go away. But after a while, killing became a habit for him. It no longer brought relief. And yet he kept killing in the name of revenge, hoping that the next kill would be the one to make the nightmares go away. So, he had to keep fighting; he had to be the one to lead the army.

“Alpha Konrad has returned!” A voice yelled after he exited the woods.

Konrad looked up, noticing as a large group of people began to surround him. Some of the faces he recognized as his own people; the rest must have been those from the Silvertail pack. The only face that he did not instantly see was Lorelei’s. He walked to the center of the camp, his eyes searching, but to no avail. And yet, he could smell her; the scent of rose petals and thyme was strong. It made his heart flutter with each breath he took. After a moment of listening to everyone bombard him with questions, he finally raised his hands for silence.

“Who here speaks for the Silvertail pack?” He questioned as he looked around at the people. An older man walked forward.

“I do, Alpha,” the man answered. “My name is Harrison. We come seeking to join your pack. As you know, we have no leadership. Our Alpha and Luna had not had a pup yet. None of us have a wolf who is strong enough to lead. So, we have come to you, the savior of our people, seeking to join your pack.”

“And I shall grant it, but first I must tell you something, tell you all something,” Konrad said as he looked around at the faces. “Some time ago, a group of Alphas and human kings gathered together. They discussed the problem that we have all faced: the darkness that has seeped from the pit of Thresnora. The men that met agreed that we needed to combine our forces because if we stand alone, we die alone.”

“But, they also determined that one wolf and one human shall lead this combined army together,” he continued. “One Alpha paired with one human princess, as husband and wife. I was asked to become that Alpha and I want you all to know that I have accepted that responsibility. But, in doing so, it means that my pack, all of you, shall move one last time. You shall settle down, along with me, in the kingdom of Guilford. Now, if that is something you are unwilling to do, the Winding Path pack shall accept you. And I shall not be angry. We are wolves, nomadic at heart. If you wish to keep with our tradition, then I shall see you off with pride. But, if you choose to remain with me, we will relocate in two weeks.”

The crowd around Konrad was silent as they listened to him. They looked around at the faces of those around them, but none dared to speak or move. Instead, they looked at the young man who stood in the middle of them. For those of the Wild Haer pack, Konrad was their reason for being there. They followed him, even at 17 years of age, without question. He never once put them in danger and worked hard to ensure they survived. Against all odds, he became a man they were proud to call Alpha. They would follow him no matter where he went or what he did.

“No one shall join the Winding Path,” one man stated. “No offense to Julius, but you are our Alpha. We would follow you even to the depths of Hell.”

“The Silvertail pack shall also follow you,” Harrison commented. “Another move shall not deter us.”

“Good,” Konrad smiled as he placed a hand on Harrison’s shoulder. “In the morning, we shall officially welcome your pack into the fold. In the meantime, please eat whatever food we have available. What is mine is now yours. And now, I shall go to my tent. I have traveled for a few days, and I can hear my bed calling my name.”

There were some cheers and excitement as Konrad turned and walked away. He needed to be alone, to be away from people, as his mind became clouded with Lorelei’s scent. She had to be nearby, but he could not see her. Where was she? Was she hiding from him? As he entered his tent, he froze. There, sitting on his bed, was his mate. She was not hiding from him; she was waiting.

Lorelei quickly stood to her feet when she saw Konrad. Seeing him again made her heart ache. She wanted to touch him, to kiss him, to be his and nothing else, but she couldn’t. She could not make the first move. Everything within her body prevented her from going any closer to him.

“Lorelei,” he whispered, sending shivers up her spine. “Why… Why are you here?”

“I…” she murmured as her hands clasped together. “I wanted to see you again.”

“But in my tent?” He questioned gently. He could see that she was trembling, and he tried to keep his voice soft to avoid startling her.

“You’re my mate,” she replied. She was confused as to why he was not throwing himself at her. Why did he question her and not hold her?

“I’m set to marry another,” he admitted as he looked away from her. “A human princess.”

“A man told me you might be doing that.”

“Julius spoke with you?” He growled as his eyes snapped back up to her. It caused her to quickly look down, bowing her head to his aura.

“Y-y-yes,” she answered.

“What did he tell you?”

“T-that you might m-marry a human,” she stuttered. “O-or you m-might mate with m-me.”

“Well, today I made my decision. I shall marry the girl. But…” he stopped speaking. He watched as a tear fell from her cheek down to the rug below. She was crying, and yet again, it was him that was causing someone’s pain.

“Are you g-going to r-reject me?” She questioned as she held back a sob.

“I don’t want to,” he uttered as he stepped closer to her. “I want you as my mate, not the human girl. But there are things that you and I cannot do. So long as I am married, you and I cannot mark one another. I cannot publically acknowledge you as my mate.”

“So you are going to make the human your mate?”

“No,” he growled. “I am only marrying her. I shall not mark her, she shall not be called my mate, or the Luna of my pack. She shall be merely my wife. Perhaps, when this war is over, if there is life on the other side of this, I shall do everything in my power to end my marriage. If you can bear this pain with me, just for a little bit, I promise to try and make it so you are mine.”

“Do you swear it?” She questioned as she looked up at him. “If you swear to try, I shall be by your side the entire time. Even if we cannot touch, cannot ki-”

Konrad finally closed the space between them. His hands went to her face, cupping it gently. He pulled her closer to him until their lips finally met, sending sparks radiating through their bodies. Finally, she was able to place her hands on him, to feel his skin and his hair. She could kiss him back and invade his mouth with her tongue. She was able to drown in the urges of the mate bond and no longer cower because of her status. He was hers, even if they could not make it official.

Konrad removed his shirt, giving her access to his chest. Her fingers ran through the little hairs that curled over his muscles. He was warm to touch, and she yearned to feel every inch of him. His hands went to the sleeves of her dress, tugging them roughly down her shoulders. He pulled the fabric until her breasts were exposed. His hands eagerly held them, squeezing the globes tightly.

“Oh!” She gasped as her head fell back, breaking their kiss.

“Hush,” he commanded as he leaned close to her ear. “These tents are thin, and no one can know what we are doing in here.”

“Yes, Alpha,” she whispered as her hands traveled down to his pants.

As she worked the button loose, Konrad was able to shimmy out of them. While he kicked them away, Lorelei slipped out of her dress. When he turned and noticed she was standing naked before him, he quickly laid her back on his bed. He crawled on top of her, positioning himself between her legs. He leaned down, kissing her soft lips, down to her jaw and her neck. She giggled as his beard brushed against her skin. He continued to kiss down between her breasts to her stomach. But then he stopped as he looked at her.

“What’s wrong?” She inquired as she reached up, caressing his cheek.

“I can’t have you get pregnant,” he replied with a sigh. "It would only hurt us further."

“I can go to a human town and visit an apothecary,” she stated with a small smile. “I can have them make me a tonic to drink to help prevent that.”

“Alright,” he nodded as he got off of her. He sat on the edge of the bed, his feet resting on the floor. “But until then, we cannot risk it.”

“I understand,” she said as she sat up.

Lorelei could not help but stare at Konrad, at the hard staff that rested between his legs. She bit her bottom lip as a thought crossed her mind. Slowly, she eased herself off the bed and stepped in front of Konrad. As he looked up at her, she slowly sank to her knees.

“What are you doing?” He questioned as he raised an eyebrow.

“Let me please you, my Alpha,” she begged softly. “You deserve a release.”

“Are you sure? Have you ever done… this… before?”

“I’m 21. I’m not untouched.” She stated as she cocked her head to the side. He frowned at her statement, causing her to look down at his knees. “I didn’t expect to ever find my mate.”

“I’m not bothered by that,” he assured her as he lifted her chin, forcing her gaze to meet his. “I’m bothered because I did not even know your age. I know nothing about you.”

“Well, I’m not going anywhere,” she whispered as she put her hands on his knees. She pushed them apart, giving her space to move between them. “We have time to learn about one another.”

Konrad remained silent as he watched her hands slide up his thighs. His breath hitched in his throat as her fingers wrapped around his member. His right hand went to her hair as her tongue licked him. He gripped her tightly, slowly urging her further down until he was entirely within her warm, wet mouth. It did not take long for Konrad to find his release. It had been some time since he last sought the comfort of a woman, and now that he was with his mate, his body was unable to hold back. Without having to say any words, the two laid together on the bed, cuddling one another until each fell into a restful sleep.