My Fated One

7.THE AFTER SHOCK

POV (THOMAS)

"MINE!" I roared.

"What did you just say?" He growled deeply, as a mess of kneaded angry wrinkles rippled like a frothing sea across my Father's face.

"Mine." I commanded again, as I straightened my back and glared at him with a pair of seething red eyes, while I took strong commanding steps towards her. "This girl is mine now and I won't let you touch her!" I declared, as I reached out my hand to her causing her to gaze up at me with a tear stained face. Had her eyes always been that rich golden color?

"Mine? Are you serious?" My Father hissed, bringing me back to the task at hand.

“Do you think I am not?” I said aggressively, as I wrapped an arm around her quivering frame.

“Ha ha ha… This is not funny, Thomas.” He chuckled in an exasperated tone, as he ran his hands through his hair. “Enough playing around, son. Why don’t you take a step back and let me take care of this like a good boy.”

I watched as he raised his hand, motioning for the guards to come forward, causing her to crouch down so low that I was certain that if I did not hold on to her she would disappear into earth.

“STAND DOWN!” I bellowed again in my Alpha tone, making the guards hit the ground in obedience and my Father to become irate and extremely peeved. “If you do not stop this and give up Father, you will leave me no choice but to make you do so!”

"Make me? Are you so wet behind the ears, that you believe I will let you..."

“Then what do you want? To put those cursed bracelets on me next?” I shouted, as I pointed at the damned item and in turn made Beta Gregory make a move.

"Alpha, maybe we should stop for today?" Beta Gregory urged softly, as the crowd began to whisper and chatter, carrying my proclamation on their tongues like a grapevine that was now strangling my Father from proceeding any further. I watched as his fists tightened, yearning to punch me into submission, but that was impossible now.

"This is not over Thomas, not by a long shot.” He snapped, but before he left he made sure to stop and narrowed his eyes at her, still unwilling to let it go. “We’ll play again soon my little niece.” He smiled, as he and the rest of his guard finally left, putting an end or pause to everything at least for now.

Yet, as I watched my Father go, the only thing I could feel at that moment was anger. Why did I have to take care of Lucas’ sister and make my Father into the villain of the story and turn her into my…

Wait, where was she? Suddenly, I realized that the tiny body that had only a minute ago been shaking by my side was no where to be seen.

“You’ve got to be kidding me!” I yelled, as I let out a sigh. “You better keep your damn word cousin.” I growled, as my feet clicked on the cobblestones, signaling the beginning of my and her journey as reluctant mates.

Yet, now that the heat of the moment was gone, and the danger had returned home, all I could feel was the paralyzed aftershock and the realization if what I had just done. Did I really just claim Abelia, a ten year old child, to be my future mate? My Luna?

“What the hell is wrong with you?”

I groaned, a little too loudly, causing the already dispersing crowd to scurry away like I had an infectious disease. Maybe they were right to run, for I was now a deadman. No worse than that, I was a cursed man. Cursed to forever be controlled by a split-second decision that would demand that I live my life shackled to a child who had refused to offer me the simplest courtesy of thanking me for saving her life. Yet, just before anger could consume me, the soul-crushing reality of how I would ever justify what I did to Lucas took hold.

Dear God, what if the news reached him before I even had a chance to explain? Was it even possible to stop my idiotic proposal from making the rounds at every dinner table before sundown? Wait, what about my table? After what transpired between her and my Father would there even still be a seat for me?

“I really am a deadman.” I said, as I begrudgingly tried to locate my runaway bride while not letting my regret control me.

Yet, as I stood there in front of Lucas’ house staring at the Nanny who was supposed to be tending to her, I could not help but feel something was amiss.

"Sorry, my Young Lord, she is not here." Her young nanny said, as she rested her back against the door frame. She looked to be around 15 maybe 16, but the cigarette dangling from her fingers and the rancid smell of midday sweat made me think otherwise.

"I have not seen her since she left to go after her brother. Maybe he took her with him. He does so hate to have the little pup out of his sight." She hissed, as she took a deep drag and blew the smoke through her nose, giving off the feeling I was talking with an ill mannered dragon.

"Lucas did not take her with him.” I clarified. “So I came here to see if she…”

“Really, he left the little whelp behind!” She interrupted, as her eyes sparkled with delight, causing my stomach to churn.

“Excuse me?” What the heck was this? This nonchalant behavior that this servant spoke in about her master. Yes, the girl was a pup, but a whelp? How dare she refer to the lady she serves in such a way? Yet, before I could say much else, she vanished into the house humming a horribly off-tune song with glee.

“Excuse me!” I barked again, but she seemed completely oblivious to me as I watched her rush from one room to the next with a massive bag half her size. “What in the world are you doing?” I ordered.

“Packing.” She said, slightly irritated about why I was bothering her when her actions were so obvious.

“Yes, I can see that, but what I don’t understand is why?”

“Because I am leaving this godforsaken prison before it becomes my coffin!”

“Your coffin, what are you talking about?” I snapped, as she let out a frustrated sigh while she put her bag down. It made a loud metal clanging noise the moment it touched the floor. I should have known something was strange about that, but I was so taken aback by her impertinent attitude that I could not be bothered with anything else.

“Listen, my Lord.” She said, as she placed her hands on her hips and took a step towards me. Giving me the chance to get a better look at her features. She had brown mossy hair that was sort of wrapped up in a white bonnet that was in bad need of washing. Actually, everything about her needed a good scrub. Why in the word would Lucas allow such a woman to care for his precious sister? Nothing made sense here.

“If you were me, my Lord, you would not be asking such a question, and you certainly wouldn’t be hindering me in my quest to leave this place.”

Was she serious? Not only had she been zero help in locating my missing bride, but now she was going to shirk her duties of taking care of her too. No way, not a chance.

“How dare you woman! It is clear you have forgotten yourself, as well as to whom you are speaking to!” I growled, causing her eyes to go wide and her body to instantly lower.

“F..Forgive me, my Lord.” She said clumsily, as she stumbled to a bow. “I am unfortunately in a hurry. Which is why I mindlessly let my tongue flap about, when I should have held it in.”

I could feel my blood boiling as she glanced up at me, showing her impatience. Honestly, did she really think I was going to let her get away with this so quickly? Not only had she been rude to the rightful heir of the pack, the Alpha’s eldest and only son, but she had the audacity to instigate the pack's future Luna was a whelp. A derogatory term we used to describe a commoner's pup who was useless or showed no value towards the betterment of the pack. Did she really believe that Lucas’ sister, who had just been granted a royal title and carried MoonLight blood, was worthless and deserving of such a name?

“Please, My Lord, if you will allow me to explain.”

“What!” I snapped, causing her to gulp. “Did you just ask me to let you further insult my family’s honor!”

“No, no, no, my Lord, that is not what I meant!” She whimpered, in such a pathetic way that I was finding myself more and more repulsed by her meager presence.

“Go ahead, then.” I mussed with a raised eyebrow. “I look forward to the next way you will deface my family's honor.”

“Please, I beg of you.“ She cried, as she fell to her knees, while I took a seat at the kitchen table. To my surprise it was spotless, so clean that the afternoon sun which was streaking through the window curtains had turned it into a golden mirror. A mirror that reflected just how angry and tired I was.

“Oh, now you're begging. Interesting, I would have expected a different phrase to come from your treasonist lips.”

“No, my Lord please. I’m sorry. I swear, I did not mean any harm.”

“Did not mean any harm!” I roared.

“No, what I mean is, it was a mistake! A horrible mistake! I should never have said what I said! I was wrong, very very wrong!” She screamed, as she began to wring her hands as if she were praying to some invisible god for salvation. But I was not ready to let her go.

“Then why did you do it?” I said, as her sobs filled the room.

“I just…I just…”

“You just what?” I yelled, as I slammed my hand down on the table, causing her to jump. “SPEAK!”

“I just don’t understand.” She yelled back.

“Understand?” I said, as I closed my eyes and tried to remain calm. Everything about this situation was confusing and aggravating. Why was she not home? Why was this Nanny being such a complete waste of my time, and why did Lucas not just take her with him? Was it really so impossible to hide a secret in the capital?

“What the hell don’t you understand?” I shouted back, through my teeth, causing her to look at me and open her mouth. “And let me remind you, before you speak, you better think very carefully about your next words.” Quickly she shut her mouth and nodded her head, as she tried to gather her thoughts. But what came out of her ugly thin chapped lips was like nothing I could have imagined.

"Are you sure you really wish for her to be found?"

“What did you just say?” I could feel every nerve in my body reacting as my eyes glowed red. Fifteen seconds, it would only take me fifteen seconds to unleash my Alpha nature and turn Lucas’ golden table into a bloody alter.

"Please, my Lord. I don't mean to offend. But if you wish to protect the ones you love. It would be best for you to kill her in a way, you can't be blamed for."

“Kill her?” I repeated, as I slowly stood up while the Nannies cold, calculating words lingered in the air. Dangerous, Abelia was dangerous and even if I entertained the thought of killing Lucas’ baby sister, I knew in my heart he would accept no excuses for the loss. He would throw honor, brotherhood, and family out the window, the minute she was gone. And in their place, a monster would be born, a beast not even the kings army could contain.

“Yes, all you have to do is…”

“HOW DARE YOU?” I roared, sending her flat to the ground. “If I had the time I would punish you with death or banishment for your insubordination!”

“No my Lord, please.”

“But instead.” I mused with a smile. As I took a deep breath. “I have decided to grant you a pass, thanks to your dedicated care of my intended all these years.”

“Your inten….”

In a flash I raised my clawed hand and slashed her across the face, speckling the floor and leaving four deep wounds forever embedded in her flesh. Her howls of pain provided me a little solace and seeing her clutch her bloody cheek was all I needed to feel her punishment was just.

“If I ever catch you near this house or near her again, I will do much worse than a slap!” I snarled, as I headed for the door, but just before I left I could hear her gasping something out.

"Trust me, you’ll understand my warning the moment you really see her. But by then it will be too late! She laughed. “And you will forever be caught in her web.”

“Foolish woman. I am not a fly and I certainly won’t let any childish she-wolf get the better of me. I am an Alpha and your words mean nothing.” I scoffed, as I slammed the door behind me.