The messenger swallowed hard, his throat suddenly dry. "My Alpha, Yakim of the Southern Pack, sends his greetings, Your Majesty," he began, his voice trembling slightly. "He offers… he offers a proposal."
Roan's eyes narrowed suspiciously, any offer of friendship from the southern pack was to be treated like an extremely venomous beast, dangerous to even consider letting into your house and to be ended on sight. "A proposal? What kind of proposal?"
The messenger hesitated, his gaze shifting to the floor. "Alpha Yakim… he offers the hand of his sister, Seren, in marriage to you."
A stunned silence fell over the room. Roan's breath hitched, and a muscle twitched in his jaw. The messenger, sensing the rising storm, rushed to explain.
"He… he understands that your previous mate has proven… unworthy of the title of queen," he stammered, his words barely audible. "He believes that this union would strengthen our packs and the kingdom as a whole, and bring peace and prosperity."
Roan's roar ripped through the silence, a primal sound of pure, unadulterated rage. The messenger flinched, his body trembling. "How dare he?" Roan thundered, his voice shaking the very foundations of the hall. "How dare he offer me his sister as if she were a mere prize to be won? Does he think I am so easily swayed? Does he think I have so little respect for myself? How does he even know the affairs in my court so quickly."
He had only just returned from the Northern Pack but the scheming Alpha was already sending mating proposals.
Ewan pushed himself off the pillar, his amusement gone, replaced by a grim expression. He knew Roan's pride would never allow such blatant disrespect.
"Yakim has overstepped his bounds," Corvus said, his voice low and dangerous. "He has insulted you, Roan, and by extension, the entire kingdom."
Roan turned away from them and looked out of the window, his eyes burning with fury.
"Does the Alpha think he can just swoop in, offering me his sister like some consolation prize, after Arin's betrayal? Does he think that the throne is so desperate for a new alliance?" Roan paced the length of the room, his powerful strides shaking the floor. "He dares to suggest that I would replace my mate so easily?"
The messenger, his face pale, tried to speak, but Roan cut him off. "Tell your Alpha this," he snarled, his voice dripping with venom. "Tell him that I would rather tear his pack apart with my bare hands than accept his offer. Tell him that I will not be insulted by his arrogance. Tell him that he has made a grave mistake by doing this."
The messenger's eyes widened in terror. He knew that he was carrying a death sentence back to his Alpha. "What… what should I tell him, Your Majesty?" he stammered, his voice choked with fear.
Ewan stepped forward, his expression grim. "Tell him to prepare for war," he said, his voice cold and hard. "Tell him that we will not tolerate his insolence. And tell him… tell him that I suggest he brace himself for the worst or better still, run. Run as fast as he possibly can, because King Roan will not be denied his vengeance."
He paused, a flicker of dark humor in his eyes. "In fact," he added, a lighthearted tone belying the deadly seriousness of his words, "I suggest that you run too my friend, and fast. Before The king decides that messengers are also to blame for the message they carry."
The messenger, his eyes wide with terror, did not wait for a second invitation. He turned and fled, his footsteps echoing through the hallway as he tried to put as much distance as he could between himself and the king.
Roan watched him go, his eyes narrowed. "He will pay for this," he growled, his voice filled with a promise of violence. "Yakim will pay for this insult."
Corvus placed a hand on Roan's shoulder. "We will make him pay, Roan," he said, his voice filled with a quiet determination. "We will make him regret ever crossing us."
The hall was filled with a tense silence, broken only by the echo of the fleeing messenger's footsteps. The air was thick with the promise of war, a war that would be waged against a man who dared to underestimate the wrath of a betrayed king.
"How did he get his messenger here so fast?" Ewan asked thoughtfully as the thought had been plaguing him. "I have no doubt that the conniving Alpha has spies in the palace and around the city, but how did that messenger get here so fast?"
*
The wind howled like a banshee, tearing at Arin's cloak as she stumbled through the deepening twilight. Her legs burned, her lungs screamed for air, but she dared not stop. The feeling of being watched had intensified, a chilling predator stalking her through the desolate landscape. Fear, cold and sharp, pierced through her exhaustion.
Suddenly, a sound broke through the howling wind – a guttural growl, deep and menacing. Arin froze, her heart pounding against her ribs like a trapped bird. She strained her ears, her senses on high alert. The growl came again, closer this time, followed by the crunch of footsteps on the frozen snow.
Relief washed over her, so sudden and intense that it almost knocked her off her feet. "Ivor?" she called out, her voice trembling with a mixture of relief and apprehension. "Is that you?"
She smiled, sure that her friend had been unable to bear the thought of her doing this journey alone. She would have to ask him to return home, she could not let him suffer on her account. If it was discovered that he helped her he could get punishment, this cross was hers alone to bear.
The growling stopped. A figure emerged from the swirling snow, silhouetted against the fading light. But this was not Ivor. A chill ran through her spine.