Charles in a distress manner

Chapter 22

"Alpha!"

Charles could hear Lucas as he yelled while hurrying towards him. He couldn't tell why he had to feel that way, at that moment when he was in front of his subjects.

It was a brutal challenge trying to get up again, but he refused the help that his beta tried to offer him at that point.

He would rather not come off as weak in front of his people, who were probably asking themselves questions at that point.

"Let me help you up," Lucas wouldn't let that moment pass him by without him trying to show just how much he wanted to be of help of to his alpha.

"I'm fine! Get away from me," Charles retorted as he slapped off Lucas's hand that he tried to put on him. He continued the fight to get to his feet on his own, as he refused any sort of help.

As he could recall, a sudden pain hit him on the chest, as he had tried to land the first lash with the long, unforgiving whip.

The pain seemed determined to floor him right in front of all the people, as he could barely breathe without a paralyzing discomfort.

His eyes scanned his surroundings to know if the strange creature had reappeared again, but it was nowhere to be found. What could be wrong? He wondered.

Suddenly, the last words that the creature had said to him last night came ringing again in his ears. "Prepare…"

With that, he fell on both knees as the pain was more than he could bear. Lucas came along with other men who came and helped him up and took him inside, and away from all the curious eyes that were on him.

Alpha Charles had tremendous difficulty while trying to inhale, and even more difficulty while exhaling. It felt like his consciousness was slowly slipping away from him.

They soon took him through the door of his chamber, and set him on the bed. The struggle for breath continued as he was lay on his back.

"Summon Edna at once…" he ordered, before his eyes closed.

***

Maya couldn't believe what had just taken place right before her eyes. It all seemed like some sort of déjà vu that kept replaying in Alpha Charles's day-to-day living ever since he had received that prophecy from the witch whom she was yet to see.

She could hear indistinct chatters that went on throughout the fortress. There was no doubt what it was all about.

Next to Alpha Charles's sudden breakdown, her next concern was the girl who had been tied up to the stake.

Maya watched as she was in tears, weeping profusely for both her sister and the humiliation she had been subjected to. She couldn't help but feel pity for her, as she was moved to go there and untie her. Besides, the alpha wasn't going to whip her anymore— not in his current state.

"Hello, Sheila," Maya noticed how startled the young lady was when she realized that the queen was speaking to her.

"My queen…" she was almost speechless, as she tried to still herself from crying those tears, but they wouldn't stop escaping her eyelids. "I'm sorry I…"

"No… you did nothing wrong," Maya interrupted immediately. "You were overwhelmed by the grief of seeing your only sister dead, and I feel your pain as well. I counted Freda as a part of my life, and as the only person I could trust within these walls."

"Thank you… my queen" Sheila muttered, as she was surprised to receive compassion and sympathy from the most unlikely source.

"You're always welcome," Maya said, as she turned to one of the guards standing there and ordered, "Untie her."

The guard was startled. "But… my queen, Alpha Charles, is—"

"Untie her!" Maya ordered more angrily, forcing him into acting. She wasn't concerned about what was at stake, as all she wanted was to see the girl untied.

In a minute, the young maid was standing free, and could barely look up at Queen Maya as she shakily said her words of appreciation.

"It's alright, Sheila," Maya said. "From now on, you will become my maid."

Sheila's eyes lit up in surprise.

***

"I see that bastard, Alpha Charles, has grown some balls," Alpha Ryder said angrily, pacing around his throne room, as he was still seething from the insult he had received on his visit to him the day before.

"Just calm down a bit," Zach, his beta, urged, as he recalled his brief encounter with Lucas who hadn't failed to leave him titillated. "He probably didn't want to let you in on whatever it is he's going through."

But then, Selene, his sister had been all over him because of the mate pull that existed between the both of them. He could tell that Lucas had wanted to speak to him, but Selene hadn't afforded him the chance to do that.

"That's none of my concern," Alpha Ryder retorted. "I am alpha, and I will not be spoken to like I'm some cheap omega. Not even by another alpha."

"I understand, alpha. But I think we shouldn't take any rash decisions just yet. Let's wait until the dust settles," Zach said in a suggestive manner, as he would rather not be in the position of having to fight against Lucas's pack.

"I'm not going to wait for any fucking dust to settle, Zachary. Besides, it has always been on my mind to take down Alpha Charles, and now, his arrogant display has just given me the marching orders to carry on with it," Alpha Ryder declared, as he gallantly made his way to his throne.

"But, Alpha… that's just unthinkable," Zach said, as he was troubled by his alpha's sudden and subtle declaration of war against Alpha Charles. "We can't be just—"

"We will do it, and that's final," Alpha Ryder's voice thundered him shut. "I noticed that you and Selene were getting along with his beta pretty well. Looks like we already have something we could use against that bastard."

"No… not Lucas," Zach whimpered.