Chapter 2: The hazel eyed girl

Alcot's pov

As we had dinner on the dining table, I occasionally stole glances at Arabella's face. She didn't look like her cheerful self today. Rather, she seemed gloomy and disturbed. In my head, I tried to think of a hundred reasons why she was in a bad mood but I couldn't pinpoint exactly which was the problem. Did she have a fight with mother again? Or was she feeling sick? I tried to refrain myself from acting too nosey and asking her any questions but I couldn't contain myself anymore. I dropped my cutleries on the plate in front of me and stared harder into her pale face.

"Bella. What's wrong? Are you okay?" I was never one to show the slightest bit of care or interest for anyone. Not even my own mother. But Arabella was different. She was more sensitive than the rest of us and was too innocent. Too weak and fragile. Sometimes, I feared that someone could try to use this to their advantage and try to hurt my little sister. If there was ever anyone like that, I wouldn't hesitate to snap their necks off. They'd steer clear off Arabella's path in their next life.

"I'm fine." She murmured without sparing me a glance and instead, continued to pick on her food.

"No, you're not." My temper was quick to get a hold of me as usual but I fought to hold it back. I was the quickest to lose my temper but I knew getting angry in this kind of situation was the dumbest move to get Arabella to be honest with me.

"She already said she's fine, Alcot." My mother chipped in, rolling her eyes rather nonchalantly and taking a huge bite of her chicken. "Arabella is a full grown woman. She is no longer that little girl of yesterday. Let her handle her shits herself. She needs to learn how to grow up and be tough. Stop allowing her to be a weakling. Your father would be so displeased if he was still alive."

I sent a cold stare my mother's way before looking away and back to Arabella again.

"You know you can always talk to me, Bella. If you're going through anything…"

"You should listen to mother." Arabella cut in, still refusing to look my way. "I already told you I'm fine. I am no longer a child, brother."

"But…" I tried to insist but she seemed to have had enough and she rose from her seat, rather carelessly, causing her chair to screech against the marbled floors.

"Stop treating me like a child, Alcot! I've had enough of you meddling in all of my affairs! Give me a goddamned break!" She suddenly snapped at me and I watched her with furrowed brows in surprise wondering what had gotten into her as she stormed away from the dining room. She had never raised her voice at me before. Something was definitely wrong with her. Something she didn't want to share with me or anyone else.

"Listen to the girl, son. Give her a break. Your focus should be on more pressing matters involving the pack." Mother said after Arabella disappeared out of the hall. "Eat up. The elders are awaiting your presence in the throne room."

I scoffed at her words and stared at her rather ridiculously. "You don't give a fuck about what is going on in Bella's life, do you?"

"Language, Alcot. Language." Her stern tone rang into my ears. Fed up with her narcissistic attitude, I got off my seat too and stormed out of the dining room, abandoning her to eat alone.

"Extend my regards to elder Leonard. The beetroot he sent the other day was a lifesaver." She yelled after me and my nose flared at her words.

If I could kill my own mother and bury her body without anyone's knowledge, I would. I would just have to wait for the right time. Once that time reaches, I would send her straight to hell where her husband is burning away.

...

I sat on my throne, listening with zero interest as the elders planned my mating ceremony that would be held tomorrow during the full moon night. Last week, Alpha Raven of the Azure pack had proposed a marriage to his daughter as a means to strengthen the friendship bond between our packs and I couldn't agree more. Even though I had little to no interest in his daughter, I found his proposal a wonderful idea and my power thirsty mother, as usual, had jumped on the proposal. That woman would do anything to become the most powerful wolf in the entire werewolf realm. I hoped her quest for power would bring her down someday in the near future.

We weren't so different from each other. My mother and I. I was equally as power hungry as her and ready to consume anyone who gets in my way. Maybe that was why I hated her. Because she wouldn't get out of my way. It was as if she was contesting with me for the highest position in the entire werewolf realm. She was more of a competition than a mother.

"Witch Sia would be conducting the mating ceremony as usual. The moon goddess would be summoned for the ritual." Elder Leonard informed me and I nodded lazily towards him.

"My Lord…if you want me to drive them away, I could do that." My beta; Sterling leaned closer and whispered into my ear. I chuckled slightly at his ridiculous idea and shook my head at him.

"No. Leave them be. They seem excited about tomorrow."

"Who wouldn't be?" Sterling agreed with me. "A lifelong union between the two most powerful packs in the entire realm. Such an event hasn't been witnessed in hundreds of years, my Lord."

He was right. Many Alphas before my reign had prayed for an opportunity like this and never got one. And here it was, handed to me on a platter of gold.

And as for Alpha Zack's daughter; Willow, she seemed excited about this union. I had always known she had a thing for me but I didn't feel any attraction to her. Yes, she had full perky busts and nice rounded ass—the type most men would kill for. But none of those moved me. Maybe she would only be useful if I needed someone to warm my bed. I had never felt any form of love for any woman before.

Except the masked girl I had encountered in the forest when I was just a teenager.

I could never forget the way my heart beat when our eyes met. Even though her eyes were the only part of her face I got to see because of her mask, it was the most memorable. Those beautiful, scared hazel eyes. I wondered how breathtaking the rest of her face would be if her eyes alone were this beautiful and captivating.

I could remember quite vividly the day we had our encounter. I was hunting in the woods when I noticed the guards searching frantically for something or rather…someone. I was the only one who had seen her. Her slender frame was hiding behind a large oak tree and she was dressed in overall black, bearing a sinister look. When I got closer to inspect her, she pointed her bow and arrow at me, threatening to shoot if I came an inch closer. Her foot and arm were injured and bleeding badly. And then, I saw something else. Something that had haunted me for many years and gave me sleepless nights.

The moon crescent birthmark on her shoulder. I should have seized that moment to end her. To stop the prophecy. But I was foolish and only a boy. And I had fallen in love with those beautiful hazel eyes, that my own bow and arrow froze in my hands and refused to point at her. Instead, I had helped her escape from the guards. It was the biggest regret of my life. Sparing a great evil because it caused my heart to flutter for the first time in my life. I had allowed my heart to cloud my sense of reasoning and make a big mistake.

I had spent years after our encounter, regretting and waiting. Waiting for another chance to meet her again. This time, I would drive my sword into her heart without having second thoughts and I would be immune to those beautiful eyes.

Love had caused me to be weak and foolish. I would never allow it to happen again. I would rather give my life than see myself in love again. Not even if she had eyes that were prettier than the hazel eyed girl.