Alpha King's Playmates

TWENTY-FIVE

Knox

Three days.  We only have three days.  

The thing that burdens me most is that Lyanna and our pup are suffering because of me and the consequences of my past.  After a brief emergency meeting about our course of action my mother suggested I rested a bit.  She meant rest mentally and emotionally.  Lyanna is fast asleep and Nadia is staying guard.  Rest is a luxury I cannot afford.

I went to the library to attempt to learn more about the dilemma curse.  I am giving myself just half an hour for this and then off to interviewing palace staff.  My head was bent down and unaware tears drop on the page of the book.  I guess I could not really focus and my mind never left my predicament.  Suddenly a hand was placed on top of my head.  I looked up and to my surprise at who it was, I stood for an embrace.

"Father!  You are awake!"  

"Son."

Silence followed as we embrace tighter.  "I am so scared, father.  I never felt this hopeless.  I do not know what to do.  I am King but what good is it now?  Help me, please, father.  Lyanna...."

My father broke the embrace and guided me to the couch.  "I know son, your mother told me everything.  The Moon Goddess spoke to me in my slumber.  She told me I am still needed, that my son and King needs me now more than ever.  Knox, son, for all my shortcomings before, forgive me and I promise you that your mother and I will live our last days supporting and protecting you and your family."

"Forgive me.  I took Lucian from you."

"No, son.  Lucian's death is all on me.  I never believed that you can hurt Princess Jada.  You may have made bad decisions but I pushed you too far.  Let us leave the past behind us and focus on our present and future."

"Lyanna's curse, where do we start in finding the witch who did this to us?"  I asked.

"Genoveva said if ever the witch is masking herself with a spell, touching her left shoulder will reveal her true self.  Start with the wolves working in the palace, have them listed and lined up.  Rhett will test their shoulders.  If the person is not in the palace we extend to the entire royal pack.  If still not here, send a directive to all the alphas in the world to do the same.  No wolf will be left uninspected.  Now if the witch turned rogue, we do have a big problem.  But for every problem there must be a solution."

"Thank you, father.  We will start right away."  I assured him.

...............................................

Rhett

The process of inspecting every wolf in the palace has commenced but unfortunately the witch is not here.  Motions to go wider in the search is soon to roll.

"Rhett, I need to speak to you."  Vino approached.

"I hope this is good news.  We could need good news for a change.  The king and the queen are walking on tight rope as it is."  I said.

"We are all in the knowledge that Yara has been the king's favorite for the longest so probably she knows something.  I called her and tried to pry if she knows of a witch who had been infatuated and overly jealous with the alpha king.  And here's the thing, she instantly suspected that something bad happened to the queen.  So, I asked her why she concluded that way.  She narrated that there was a time when her hair was falling off at an alarming rate.  She thought she caught an illness but as it turned out she was cursed.  How did she find out?  On the day King Knox announced that Yara will study abroad as requested by our parents, a beautiful woman approached her and told her  'Here I was worrying that the king has fallen for you for real and now he can't wait to discard you like the rest of us.  Lucky you, I absolve you now of my detestation.'  Yara said the woman took a pair of scissors and snipped a lock of her own hair and walk away with a sinister grin.  After few hours Yara's hair started to go back to normal.  Yara swore that if she comes across the woman again that she will kill her for attempting on her life.  This is the only reason she is sharing information.  She also wants the witch dead."

"Well, that's not much help.  Did she say who the witch is or at least how she looks?"  I examined.

"Exactly!  So I asked her the same things.  She sketched the woman and send it via email.  Here."  Vino then handed me a paper.  I looked at the sketch and the witch is indeed alluring.  Have I seen her before?  It was like there is something fishy with all this.  I tried to think hard.  

"Alpha King Knox and Alpha Magnus needs to see this.  Come, Vino, you did very well dear gamma!  Thank you for this."  I grabbed him by his shoulder.

We took the sketch to the king and he could hardly remember the woman.  Understandably, King Knox has been with many gorgeous women and he often did not establish connections nor relations with them.  It was all bed and fun for him those years.

This is not good.  Two days left.  

I was on my way to the dining hall when, "Beta Rhett, Beta Rhett, we found her, the blasted witch!  We found her!"  Myla has hollering in the hall ways.

"How?  Are you certain?"  I was skeptical.

"The warriors had the people in the royal dining hall lined up randomly in the middle of their lunch.  Everyone obeyed except for a lad seated at a far table who was giving excuses that he needs to go home urgently to his sick grandmother.  We all got suspicious with his agitation."  Myla's face was so expressive that I got very intrigued with her story.  

She continued, "One warrior acted like he was going to allow him to leave so he approached him and said some lines but quickly he pulled the lad's shirt and grabbed his left shoulder.  And to our surprise the lad screamed as if burned and the lad transformed into a beautiful lady.  Beta, truly I say, she is a beauty!   Good thing, Luna Amanda and Genoveva were in the dining hall.  Genoveva restrained the witch with enchanted shackles.  They are bringing her to the throne room to face the king and queen.  Which brings me, we need you there too, quick!"  She pulled me. 

We jogged our way to the throne room which was starting to fill up.  Few minutes later it was packed and the only people not in attendance yet are the king, queen, and the scorned witch.  I stood next to Gamma Vino who was oddly fidgeting.

Soon King Knox appeared wearing his royal suit and carrying the royal sword and in his arms is Queen Lyanna.  Her belly is really showing now.  Our young prince or princess now has a chance to live a normal life with his parents.  Thank Moon Goddess that things are now falling into place.  Soon this will be all over.  We could all breath and celebrate and finally sleep.  

We were all in our places.  The silence is eerie.  And then the warriors and Genoveva brought the witch to the center.  Vino was even more restless and I worry about him.  I examined the witch and indeed her beauty is uncommon.  But what is beauty if your heart is black?  The moment the doomed witch and Vino met eye to eye, I was shocked!  I know that look!

They broke the immaculate silence of the throne room as they both uttered what their wolves discovered....

"Mate!"