Chapter 9
"COME HERE," Helga flinched as Siegren's voice suddenly reached her through their mind link. She hadn't been expecting him to use it, especially not in order to tell her to come to him. Her eyes darted down to Ezra, who was still on all fours and visibly struggling. His
heavy panting and trembling body caused her heart to race, knowing that things could quickly go wrong if this didn't stop soon.
"Didn't you hear me? Come here, he won't die." the Alpha King commanded again, causing Helga to gulp and hesitantly turn towards the balcony again. Just as she took a step forward, Ezra reached out and grabbed her ankle, preventing her from leaving. "H-help... Me." A soft, pained whisper escaped his lips, barely audible. He sounded so weak as if he could die any moment. Helga clenched her fists and bit her lip, torn between her hatred for Ezra and the sight of him in such pain. This was not the kind of suffering she had wanted for him. She had imagined him broken emotionally, but never physically. Seeing him struggle like this, on the brink of death, was not satisfying at all.
"Please, release him, Your Majesty." Helga requested the Alpha King whose piercing gaze, even from a distance, seemed to bore into her very being, but Helga refused to back down. Siegren's lips twisted into an amused smirk, and he finally relented and released Ezra from his Alpha powers. With a deep groan, Ezra collapsed onto the ground and lay still, completely drained of energy.
"Now, get over here before I come to get you myself," Siegren demanded, his voice low and threatening. Helga gulped and gave Ezra one last look before reluctantly making her way inside the palace. Fortunately, she remembered that Beta David had pointed out the balcony where Alpha King was standing as being on the second floor, where his study was located.
"The Alpha King called for me," Helga's heart raced as she stood before the grand doors, flanked by two imposing royal guards. With a silent exchange, the guards received a command through their mind link and opened the doors for her. Helga took a deep breath as she stepped inside, the scent of fresh bamboo filling her nostrils. She couldn't help but feel slightly startled as the doors closed behind her with a resounding clunk. It wasn't that long ago that she was eating with the Alpha King, but now, she was in his presence once again. "What are you doing?" Siegren's deep voice broke through the silence, causing Helga to jump and turn towards him. He sat behind his desk, his broad frame leaning back in the chair with his arms crossed over his chest. "Sit down,"
"Yes, Your Majesty," Helga hesitated before slowly making her way to a nearby wood-carved sofa and sitting down, her eyes still locked onto Siegren's intense stare. The silence between them stretched on until he grew bored and cleared his throat.
"Let's continue our conversation earlier," His words caused Helga's finger to twitch, and he could see her tense up. "I've been thinking about it and had a realization: according to the Incarnadine's prophecy, a female wolf with red hair and green eyes was supposed to bring great fortune and influence on their pack. If you believe that Ezra's mate will bring destruction instead, does that mean she is not the true chosen one?"
A cold shiver ran down Helga's spine as she flinched, startled by the sudden question. She had been desperately holding onto this secret, hoping to reveal it only when Ezra ascended to the role of Alpha. But now, with the Alpha King having caught on, her plan was crumbling before her very eyes. With a heavy sigh, she resigned herself to revealing what she knew. She thought she could just ask him later to keep it a secret.
"That's right, Your Majesty," Helga answered calmly and with great care. As she spoke, the king's eyebrow arched curiously, and he slowly stood from his seat. Helga watched in perplexity as he made his way across the room to the sofa opposite her, sitting down with an effortless grace that took her breath away. The distance between them now was much shorter than it had been in the dining hall earlier, with only a wooden center table separating them.
She couldn't help but notice how his simple attire of a white long-sleeved lace-up shirt accentuated his tanned, muscled chest. His presence seemed to fill the room, commanding attention without even trying.
"So, what you're saying is that you are the one who holds the key to the prophecy?" he inquired, shifting his position to cross one leg over the other. Helga pursed her lip, hearing her wolf Stella asking her if she was going to reveal the truth, but she stayed silent, keeping her attention fixed on the Alpha King who was waiting for her response.
"Yes, Your Majesty. I am quite certain that I am the true one, not the fake," she replied honestly, her tone steady and unwavering. A smile tugged at the corners of Siegren's lips as he observed the exchange. Things were already becoming intriguing, he mused to himself. Though he had no personal stake in the matter and could not care less about the outcome, there was a thrill to be entertained by the drama unfolding in front of him.© NôvelDrama.Org - All rights reserved.
"Tell me more, what makes you certain." He prompted her to continue with a slight nod, "This whole situation at Incarnadine Pack is making me curious."
"That's..." Helga's voice trailed off; her confusion evident as she tried to understand the Alpha King's keen interest in another pack's affairs. But it seemed he was relishing their conversation and eagerly sought out every detail. At that precise moment, she saw an opportunity to catch his attention and decided to share everything with him in hopes of sparking his interest in her.
"Miranda has been deceiving Ezra and the entire Incarnadine pack," she explained. "Her hair and eye color were a mere illusion, created by a rare magic that can alter one's appearance. She's been playing tricks on them all this time."
Siegren felt his brow twitch at the words that had just been spoken, especially at the mention of magic. The word brought a surge of emotions and memories to the forefront of his mind. Magic was supposed to no longer exist. The previous Alpha Kings had made sure of it, hunting down and eliminating every last trace of it as revenge for their ancestor who had cast a curse upon the Royal Pack centuries ago. The very thought of magic still existing sent chills down Siegren's spine, reminding him of the dark and dangerous powers that once threatened his pack's existence.
Helga's spine tingled as she sensed the King's Alpha aura growing stronger. Every instinct in her body was screaming at her to leave, as it became increasingly difficult to breathe. She placed a hand over her chest, feeling her lungs ache. Trying to steady herself, she took deep, slow breaths through her mouth, but her heart continued to race against her rib cage. The room seemed to spin around her, making her feel dizzy and disoriented. Even Stella was whimpering in discomfort.
"Y-Your Ma..jesty." Her voice faltered as she struggled to speak, but Siegren's mind was still consumed by the information she had just revealed. His anger was building, so much that even his inner wolf was growing agitated and both of them exerted Alpha power without Siegren realizing it. It wasn't until he felt a light touch on his shoulder that he snapped out of his daze. He looked up to see Helga, her red hair almost touching his face, and her entire body trembling in front of him. He scowled and was about to speak when suddenly, she lost consciousness and fell forward.
His arms wrapped around her instinctively, holding her close in place and feeling the delicate curve of her waist in his grip. A jolt of unfamiliar warmth coursed through him, especially the way she breathed on the crook of his neck, making his mind buzzing with confusion. "Tsk," Siegren clicked his tongue, his brows furrowed in frustration. "What did you do?"
"You're blaming me?" Ivo, his wolf counterpart, interjected with a defensive tone. "It was you who was releasing your rage. You're the reason she lost consciousness."
Siegren let out a heavy sigh, carefully lowering Helga onto the soft cushions of the sofa. His mind raced as he returned to his seat, unable to tear his gaze away from her unconscious form. With a sense of urgency, he called upon Beta David through their mind link, needing guidance or assistance in this dire situation. The room was filled with a tense silence, broken only by the slow and steady rise and fall of Helga's chest as she lay motionless on the sofa.
Beta David arrived shortly after, taken aback to find Helga lying down on the couch. He immediately turned to his best friend and asked, "What's going on?"
Siegren pinched the bridge of his nose and proceeded to explain what exactly had happened which made Beta David speechless, his eyes widening in shock as he absorbed the shocking information. The weight of Siegren's words hung in the air, causing a tense silence to settle between them.
"Focus on investigating Ezra's mate thoroughly and make it a top priority. The report on Helga's background can wait until later."