CHAPTER 8

ASTERIA

Mara walked around the palace as she awaited the return of the messenger.

" Isn't he back yet?" she asked with urgency in her voice.

" No my princess, there hasn't been any word from the crystal moon pack either, I guess Alpha Zeev is making his decision," the maid behind her said in a low voice not daring to anger her.

" He should be back with that bitch, he must come back to Asteria with her," she said pacing around unsettlingly.

" I'll go and check if he has arrived, my princess," the maid said, walking away in a hurry.

The quickened footsteps of the maid was no longer heard in the corridor and Mara was left alone to her thoughts.

" I'll make sure I kill that bitch once she gets back to Asteria, how dare she follow Alpha Zeev instead of Alpha Loki, she sure has some guts to covet my things," mara murmured to herself.

" I never thought of her as a threat, it seems like I've to eliminate her and then everything will be in my grasp," she broke out of her thought when she heard the maid running back.

" My princess, the Messenger is back, and he's not with Fenrir," she said as she gasped heavily for breath.

" And his left fingers are missing, he seems to have been tortured by Alpha Zeev before leaving the crystal moon pack, " the maid continued to relate everything she had just witnessed to Mara

" Lead the way to the messenger," her voice dropped low and the atmosphere turned hostile.

She walked behind the maid leading her to the messenger who was kneeling in front of the king, half of his left fingers mutilated.

"He refused to let me bring his wife with him, Alpha Boron, I insisted that it was an order from you and he called you a clown to my face giving no regard whatsoever to what was in the letter," the messenger said fearfully.

" He what!" Alpha Boron sprang up from the throne intimidatingly, his voice carried an unspoken urge to kill.

" Yes Alpha Boron, he also said that he'd send back the head of my princess if she dared to step foot into the crystal moon pack," he reported dreadfully.

" He dares to do as he says, does he?" Luna Kia said with utmost anger, her body shaking violently as she struggled to keep calm.

Mara stood at a corner looking at the mutilated fingers of the messenger, her face carried a hostile energy.

" Calm down Kia," Alpha Boron said, re-adjusting his body on the throne. " Come here Mara, what do you think we do on this," he said again.

" I've no idea Father, Alpha Zeev's mind cannot be changed on whatever he's set his mind on, did you forget what happened to those who spied on him." A chill ran through the spine of everyone seated, Alpha Zeev is indeed the devil they speak of him to be.

" You can go," the king said to the messenger who knelt in front of the throne. A small sigh of relief escaped from the messenger's mouth.

" No he can't leave Father, have you forgotten our deal," Mara said looking at the messenger who was half bent. Trepidation filled his eyes as he plopped back to the ground.

" Guards, take him and kill him, " she said without batting an eye. The Messenger cowered in fear following Mara's words.

" Or, wait, it'd be too easy if you just take his life, skin him and make sure he doesn't die, let him die from the pain, her vicious voice filled the room.

The Messenger's eyes bulged in fear.

" No my king, please let me go, I promise to do whatever you ask of, please Alpha Boron," he said as he rushed towards the feet of Alpha Boron.

" Stop, take him away," Mara's voice halted the messenger. He darted his eyes in all directions while the guards all rushed forward to take hold of him, his hands reaching for a knife from one of the guards.

Fresh blood gushed out from his neck as his body fell to the ground lifeless.

"Clear his body and clean the ground, throw his body to the lagoon," the king said Walking out of the room.

Mara stomped her feet as she fumed with anger at her failed request.

" Send another person Father, send someone from a higher rank that he'd give face to, give a lot of benefits too, I'm sure he'd change his mind," she said persuading.

" Stop Mara, I've lost my face in front of an insolent Alpha who's a murderer and you expect me to bow again because you want him, never Mara, never will I lower myself in front of that devil," Alpha Boron said roused in anger.

" But father, you caused this, Fenrir got to marry Alpha Zeev because of your carelessness, he took her away right in front of you, you're the one who's shameless father, you!" Mara's voice trailed after Alpha Boron as she walked.

Pak, the large palms of Alpha Boron landed on her face, as she held her hand up to the spot.

" Have you no shame Mara, how dare you talk to your father like that just because of a man ," Luna Kia said angrily, also surprised by the action of Alpha Boron.

" Call a meeting with Alpha Loki, I rather give you to him than get you married to that devil," Alpha Boron said.

" What? No father, I refuse to marry Alpha Loki, I refuse father, I'd rather die than get married to Alpha Loki," Mara cried out helplessly.

Luna Kia looked at Alpha Boron pleadingly. " I'll give you one chance to do whatever you want and if it fails, I'll give you a list of Alpha to choose from," Alpha Boron said and walked away from the midst of the mother-daughter duo.

" You shouldn't have angered your father, Mara, you and I both know that Alpha Zeev will eventually get tired of Fenrir and drop her like

a waste, it is you who can't wait, Mara," her voice lowered as she talked.