Chapter 3

Longwei Shen

" Witches can't be trusted," I said to my mother.

It's been years since my father killed himself and I became the Alpha King. I was still very much angry with that witch that brought about all these things happening to me. Not that I didn't like my new appearance. In fact I love my wolf and its wings but I couldn't stop being angry at myself for watching my father kill himself while I did nothing.

"It's never your fault Longwei, your father chose his part and there's nothing you could do about it" my mother does tell me any time she notices I'm brooding about my father's death.

But I wouldn't stop getting angry. I had made sure to warn all those that witnessed what happened not to say a word. I made them tell another different story that I killed my father. My mother objected but I won't let my father's name be ruined. He died quite early and I won't give him a tarnished name again. I'll rather take the blame, than to see my father and the pack be ridiculed. He might not be good to me but I'm still grateful to him.

I've been asking questions about the prophecy and only a few things were said to me. Even the few words weren't well explanatory enough. My mother said that only the old ones can tell me what this prophecy is all about. She then said the more I ask questions, the more trouble I might get.

In our pack, we couldn't find an old one that lived long enough to witness the prophecy and tell us about it. This kept me wondering. What happened to them all?

I was only sixteen when my father died and now I'm thirty four. I've started to believe that all those witch days were a lie. I know that when a prophecy is said, there are some things that do happen. Nothing about me is so different except that I'm a wolf with wings. Well that's not new since I'm not the first one to be with wings.

My mother once told me the story of Jumei, the first wolf to have wings in history. He is said to be the most powerful. She said the moon goddess allowed the wings so that Jumei would save the world. Now she believes I'm Jumei reincarnated and that I don't believe.

"No one can be trusted, my son. We just have to take the risk" she replied.

" But I don't want to marry a witch," I objected.

Not a witch of all the people in the land. I hate them and I don't hide it.

"Longwei Shen, this is for the Kingdom. It's a sacrifice that would bring peace to each kingdom and you have to pay the price my boy. This long wait has to stop. It is your destiny".

Not that I'm so much in love with wars. In fact I love to make peace but not at the expense of one of them coming to my territory. I hate witches. They are very tricky and can never be trusted. I don't know what brought about the war between witches and werewolves but I'm not ready to know. What the old witch did years back has made their hatred become personal for me.

"Let's look for another way to make this truce work. I'm not ready to marry a witch. Moreover I still have a mate to meet. What if my mate shows up and I'm already bound to another?" I asked bluntly

I love my mother but I don't like the way she's forcing things on me.

"According to history, the moon goddess gave Jumei an opportunity to choose any female he desires. He is not bound to a mate".

" I am not Jumei," I growled.

" Then why haven't you found yourself a mate all the while?"

My mother can be pretty stubborn especially if she wants something done.

"What if this girl is a trap to come kill me and you want me to spread my arms and receive her?" I frowned.

" None of such would happen. This is for a truce. You are King Longwei. You have to show your people that you can sacrifice for them as they can for you. This is not a very hard thing to do".

" Are you implying I sacrifice my life, love and peace of mind for my people? I said already getting angry with her pestering me.

She should know that once I say I don't want, I don't want.

"Just accept the lady. No one is telling you to be so close to her. All we just have to do is take good care of her" she said plainly.

I shook my heart at her words.

"Are you going to ruin the poor girl's life just for your truce?"

" No it's not ruining. It's a sacrifice" she argued.

I hate to hear that word sacrifice. That's exactly what killed the old witch and my father. They all think they were doing it for sacrifice. I'm then not going to get myself involved in that ruining sacrifice.

"Damn sacrifice mother. I don't need it" I said, stood up from my throne and walked away.

This I've never done to my mother but I don't want her to pester me into accepting what I don't want. I don't want to get married to the witch girl. I don't want anyone getting entangled in my life. I'm a monster. That girl might be a witch but she has blood flowing in her veins. Her bonding with me will bring her nothing but troubles. My life is already messed up and I don't want her coming into such a life.

I was grateful that my mother didn't pester me with that marriage of a thing with that witch. I was glad that she accepted my decision of not getting ready to marry, not wanting a witch for a wife. But a few days later, I was in my office doing my thing when I felt this powerful aura. Then I decided to look out the window, I noticed a lot of people gathering. Then I noticed a carriage was moving in between.

"What the hell is going on?" I asked myself.

I looked again to see if I would know but the more I look the more confused I am.

"Su Mo!" I called the guard I knew would always be near.

"Alpha" in no time Su Mo ran inside.

"What the hell is going on down there?" I asked him.

" I don't know Alpha," he replied.

"Call me Xingyun". I said not wanting to waste time with him.

That is My Betta's name. Even if he doesn't know who the hell entered my territory in grand style without my permission, my Beta wouldn't dare tell me he doesn't know. The door to my office cracked open slowly and instead of my Beta I saw my mother walk in. Behind her was my Beta.

"Alpha," she said.

I knew something was up immediately when I saw my mother and how Xingyun was trailing behind her. I didn't even bother to reply to her , I just looked at her.

"They've arrived," she said.

The way she said it was as if I'm supposed to know who came into my territory when I'm not informed at all.

"And who did I invite?" I asked blankly.

" The Willand village. They came to sign the truce" she replied.

" The Truce" I scoffed.

I should have known that with her silence all these while she would definitely be up to something. Now she's telling me they've arrived as if I know a thing about it. My mother just loves to test my patience.

"Alpha...." She called.

I know she wanted to give some unreasonable explanation which I'm not ready to listen to.

"Don't you Alpha me mother" I snapped glaring at her.

" Please listen to me," she begged.

"I don't need to since you don't listen to me. To you, my sitting here and called Alpha is just nothing but a figurehead to you. You are the one doing the ruling" I said harshly.

" You know that's not true Longwei," she said. " I just had to do something. We were losing people" she said in a very pained voice.

" And I enjoy losing people" I said crisply.

" I never meant that Alpha," she said.

"Well what can I do? The deed has already been done" I said calmly.

I looked at my Beta who quickly looked away. I'm sure I'm going to deal with him later. I then returned to what I was doing before I noticed the people entering.

"You have to come sign the truce Alpha" she said, reducing her voice.

This was then I really dashed her a real angry look. I didn't want to make her weep so I just focused on what I was doing.

"Longwei" she called softly.

"Don't get me involved in your thing. You are the mastermind of this thing. Go ahead and sign the truce yourself and don't pester me" I said baldly.

" I know you are angry with me but please save our land" she pleaded.

Now she's doing that thing again. She's playing the pity party again and now I'm not going to let it work on me.

"Stop it!" I ordered in my Alpha voice. "Don't you dare blackmail me with that save our land of a word. You are the one who wants friendship with the witches, not me. So go finish what you started and just know you are definitely the husband of that witch girl coming here not me" I shouted.

I'm not ready to get any woman into my life. Women are distractions and I'm not going to get one. Not even a witch at that. I can't even imagine myself having a witch for a wife.

My mother looked at me for the last time and left sadly. I know she's equally angry with me but I'm more angry to notice her anger. I thought my Beta was going to follow her but he didn't. He stood there and watched me.

"What are you waiting for? You should follow her and maybe you can husband the witch. It shouldn't be bad since you are next to me" I s6in a very hostile voice.

Xingyun didn't say a word. He just stood there. My anger grew, then I took the golden little statue on my table and threw it at him. Xingyun didn't try to avoid it. He let it hit his head and blood gushed out. I didn't mean that it should hit him but I had thought he would try to avoid it. Seeing his blood gushed out melted my anger.

"Why didn't you avoid it?" I shouted glaring at him