A Kingdom of Wolves

Chapter Five.

Chapter Five.

Present Day. The Glacier Pack.

Alpha Greyson approached Eliza, rage bubbling in his veins. He would make this woman pay for the death of his pup. The woman he once loved, he held nothing but contempt for. He understood it would have been difficult for her. After finding his mate, he expected her to be upset. But to murder his unborn pup was something so egregious, it chased away any of the guilt he had felt for breaking her heart.

The truth was, he had not even known that Rein had fallen pregnant with their child, yet he felt the loss keenly when he became aware, too late to protect them both. Deep feelings of inadequacy consumed him. He was an alpha, unable to protect his mate and his pup. The whole event had been shocking. After all, Rein had not gone into heat during their time together. Although it was not unheard of for a pregnancy to occur without a heat taking place, it was rare. Add to that the undeniable fact that Eliza, the woman he had once cherished, had been the killer of his pup had shaken the very heart of him.

He glared at the woman, a sneer on his face as his claws extended, but rather than cower or whimper, there was not a single element of fear on her countenance. Instead, this woman, who had stolen his future heir, looked serene, her head tilted up towards the peaking sun, enjoying its warmth. This enraged Greyson further. He wanted to witness her suffering, to see her quake in fear at his presence, to beg for mercy. Yet when he had allowed her to speak her last words, they were simply ‘goodbye, cruel world’, as if she were somehow the victim.

The king’s justice was normally swift, almost merciful to the prisoner sentenced to death, but the Alpha was so enraged, he wanted to hear her screams of pain, to feel her fear. Rather than immediately pierce her heart and rip it from her body, Greyson decided he would make an example of her. Strike fear into the hearts of his pack, that anybody who attacked the Alpha’s family would be shown not a scintilla of mercy. Their end would be long, gruesome, painful and bloody.

His claw cut down the fabric of her long white muslin robe, exposing her to the elements, with a determination to miss her heart, the first, second, third attempts at ending her existence, ensuring she felt consumed with agony by the time the final blow was delivered. As he did so, he caught a glimpse of something gold, shining around her neck. He glanced down and gasped. Immediately, his claws retreated into his hands.

“Greyson, avenge our pup. What are you waiting for?” Rein’s voice screeched out, before she doubled over in pain once more.

“I cannot touch her” he simply stated, his eyes still wide with shock.

“What do you mean? Kill her!” Rein screamed, her face no longer twisted with pain, but with rage.

“She is wearing a royal moonstone. To kill her would be to kill myself,” the Alpha roared out.

“What. Who gave this b***h a royal moonstone?” Rein bellowed her eyes scanning the pack, before resting on her parents.

She moved her hand up, pointing at her father.

“YOU. YOU did this. YOU gave her the Moonstone,” Rein screamed her accusation.

“She was always your favourite. You protected her. If anyone should have this artifact it should be me! Rip it from her neck, give me it now! I am the Luna, only I deserve it, not her!” she commanded her father.

A low mummer echoed around the pack, their luna was becoming increasingly unhinged before their eyes. Most believed it to be her grief for the loss of her pup, whilst others, who had felt uneasy about the whole situation and had witnessed Rein’s erratic behaviour when she was a child, were beginning to believe that her true personality was manifesting itself. Some even believed the artifact was proof that Eliza Whitestone was innocent of the crime she was charged with.

Aiden stood motionless; he had not given the extremely rare artifact to his youngest daughter. He had never possessed one. Only those related to the royal household who had served above and beyond the call of duty held such a treasure. There were but four in existence, and yet, by some miracle or coincidence, one hung around Eliza’s neck, protecting her from the Alpha’s vengeance. As he was not the giver of the gift, he would not be able to remove it from her body, even if he had the mind to do so. He was even more sure than ever; his youngest daughter was not the perpetrator of this crime. His eyes moved to Rein, and he observed his eldest closely. What he witnessed was the Rein from years gone by, screaming, now incoherently, as she became unravelled before his eyes. She held the same look in her eyes; the day he had found her attempting to drown Eliza in the icy waters of the Glacier Lake. If he was sceptical before about his daughter’s innocence in this matter, now he knew, Eliza had not done this. She would not kill an innocent pup. She did not have it in her. Even when she fought against the snow bear who had stalked her, before attacking, she had apologised to it before delivering her final blow, tears falling onto her cheeks, for the death of the animal.

“I cannot remove it,” Aiden’s voice rang out, as once again the pack gasped. If the mighty warrior who had once served the old King was to refuse their luna, then he would also be sentenced to death.

“REMOVE IT!” Rein screeched, as Greyson stood before Eliza, almost paralysed with fear of the moonstone.

“I cannot remove it. I did not give her it!” Aiden shouted back to his eldest child.

“ARREST HIM!” Rein screeched to the guards, as Meradith sobbed, clinging to her mate with all her might, unwilling to let him go. The enforcers moved through the sea of people, approaching the king’s warrior, the strongest man in the pack, bar none, their hands clasping him on his shoulders, whilst his mate still clung to him, tears streaming down her cheeks.

“STOP!” a voice, rang out.

Elder Maisy Starlight, slowly approached, a cain in hand, to help steady her aged legs as she navigated the ice and snow. Her voice was strong, despite the fragility of her body.

“I gave Eliza the moonstone as a gift for her birthday. Because she is to be protected,” Maisy shouted.

“YOU b***h, I AM THE LUNA, REMOVE IT NOW!” Rein screeched at the elderly woman.

“No!” Maisy said, still slowly and valiantly shuffling her legs across the iced ground, toward the pack gathering.

“GREYSON, MAKE HER REMOVE IT!” Rein screeched at her mate.

The young alpha knew all to well that he could not force the elder to remove the artifact from Eliza’s neck. She may have been old, frail, and in the final months of her life, but she was still an Elder, unable to be compelled. He let out a long sigh. His mate wanted revenge for the death of their pup, as did he, but they were hampered by the moonstone.

“Elder Maisy. This woman killed the alpha heir, she must die,” he attempted to convince the Elder to remove the artifact with the accusations his mate had made against her sister.

“Did she really?” Maisy’s tone was thick with sarcasm.

“Well, isn’t that a pickle. If I am not mistaken, the king has not yet pronounced his judgement,” Maisy stated, unmoved by the Alpha’s declaration.

“YOU OLD b***h, REMOVE IT OR I WILL KILL YOU MYSELF!” Rein screeched, her plan to rid herself of her sister falling apart at the seams.

“Rein Whitestone, I do not fear death. I welcome it. I have lived for five hundred years, and these cloudy eyes of mine have witnessed many things.” Maisy said, coming closer and closer to the gathered pack.

“I remember you, Rein. I know what you are capable of,” Maisy said, raising a hand and pointing a wizened finger toward the luna.

“GREYSON, KILL HER!” Rein screeched, becoming increasingly unhinged, not wanting the old b***h to voice the transgressions of her past, and risk turning her mate against her.

Knowing he could not kill Eliza and wanting to appease his heartbroken mate, Greyson sighed. He nodded his silent command at the enforcers, who swiftly moved from their position around Aiden Whitestone and surrounded the Elder.

He moved with purpose towards the elder, his eyes filled with the hatred oozing from his mate. This frail old lady had protected the girl who had murdered his child. Extending his claws, he pierced the elder’s heart, ripping it from her body.

Eliza felt the tears fall onto her cheek, as Elder Maisy fell to the ground, her life blood flowing from her chest, the bright red in stark contrast to the crisp white snow as it puddled beneath her. A scream bubbled in her chest, but she refused to allow her sister, or the Alpha to see her despair. In that instant, the flames of Eliza’s unrequited love for Greyson extinguished, he was no longer the man she had once adored. Maisy had sacrificed herself in order to save her. Yet, Eliza fully believed the sacrifice had been in vain, that she had only prolonged the agony that was waiting for your death to come. Once the Kingsmen arrived, they would take her to the young king himself. He had the power to remove the moonstone, and bring about his justice, even though she was innocent of the crimes she had been accused of.

A sadistic laugh echoed around the glaciers, as Rein almost jumped for joy, forgetting her supposed pain and grief as she looked at the dead body of Elder Maisy Starlight. Her eyes fixed on the pool of blood, relishing in its macabre beauty.

The gathered pack mumbled, unable to believe what they had witnessed, as Meradith sobbed in her mate’s arms once more. Rein’s, psychopathic tendencies were on full show for the pack to witness.

“She has lost it completely, all those years in that sanitorium were for nothing, and now the pack will be subjected to her madness,” Meradith whispered to her mate.

The distant sound of snow mobiles begun to echo around the pack.

“The Kingsmen have come, now justice will be served,” some muttered, as Greyson looked at his mate, fear evident in his eyes. He had committed a crime; he had killed an Elder without just cause. The king’s judgement would fall on him, not the woman who had brutally murdered his child. However, his mate seemed unbothered by their impending doom, only joyful that the elder was dead.

“Clean that up. NOW!” he ordered the enforcers, in a desperate bid to hide the evidence of his crime for killing an elder without a trial or the kings authority.

Two enforcers, dragged Maisy’s body away, moving it to a small snow cave, in the side of the high westerly glacier mountain. Whilst the others made a desperate attempt to cover the congealed blood frozen in the ice with freshly fallen snow. Yet despite their desperate attempts the scent of death still filled the air, and the blood seeped through the layers of fresh snow, refusing to be hidden.

“NOBODY SPEAKS A WORD OF THIS!” Greyson roared his alpha command to the pack, compelling them to remain mute on the subject of Elder Maisy’s death. The pack members all bared their necks in submission to their alpha’s command, as Rein, suddenly remembered she was heartbroken and in pain, and slumped back down into her luna throne, groaning and holding her stomach. Only Aiden stood tall, unyielding to the command. After the murder of Elder Maisy, it was clear he was not in his right mind. Poisoned by his mate, Aidens eldest daughter. The mighty warrior, no longer recognised Greyson as his Alpha, breaking his bond with the pack.

The snow mobiles approached, the sound of their engines drowning out all others. Greyson stood tall, a grave look upon his face, as he moved away from where he had killed the Elder in his desperate bid to please his heartbroken mate. He moved passed the killing poles and took his place beside Rein, sitting on his Alpha throne, placing his arm around her trembling body.

Eliza watched her sister’s performance as she still hung, spread out between the poles, her shoulders burning from the uncomfortable position. Yet it was nothing compared to the pain in her heart as she looked at Greyson comforting her deranged sister. Eliza shook her head in disbelief, already he had changed. The man she had loved would never have killed an innocent woman, an elder no less. She had never thought her Greyson would have turned out to be such a weak man, yet she had witnessed with her own eyes, how after just a couple of short months of living with her sister had changed him into just that. Her heart broke anew, for the man he once was, to the killer he had become. For her beloved pack, who she had been willing to serve with all that she was, and the travesty that would befall them under Greyson and Rein’s leadership.

Yet now that the king’s enforcers had arrived, she had little doubt in her mind, she would soon join Elder Maisy in the heavenly realm, putting an end to the permanent pain that resided in her heart. Her only wish was that her parents would heal from their grief, and escape this pack, before her mad sister turned her attentions, fuelled with vengeance toward them, and anyone who questioned her thirst for power and death.