ALEXANDER'S POV

Opening my eyes, I looked around myself and couldn't help but wince when I felt my hands burning. Gazing down at my foot, I noticed, I was tied to chains laced with the copper-silver combination. ​​

'Where the hell I am? And why have I been bound like this? Who dared to bind me?' I thought, my head filled with nothing but the images of water everywhere.

Water. Yes. That's exactly what I have been dreaming of for soo long. But, why would that happen?

All I remember is coming back to the mansion, meeting my father and the council members, then going inside the dining hall to eat something. But something was unusual about the food. It tasted different, and there was someone else besides me. Who was it?

'Uhhh...why can't I remember!' I shouted in my mind as I felt the absence of Hunter.

Someone has poisoned me. But who?

Looking around myself, I winced at the chains one more time before applying some energy to the chains to break them off. They were quite strong. Wincing at the burning marks that I was getting around my wrists, I took a deep breath to contain the pain.

After few more attempts, I couldn't help but feel a bit discouraged when I still couldn't free myself. They must've injected me with something to make me this weak.

As I was still thinking about how to free myself, I heard someone talking not far from where I am.

"Boss, I think something wrong is going in the palace. I think the king's mate, Victoria, suspects something." Someone said.

"She is a half-human. What can she suspect? Besides, her best supporter is already thrown out by Alexander. What can she do alone?" Someone else said.

Wait! What are they talking about? I am here! How can there be any other Alexander out there? What's going on? Is someone else taking my place while I am stuck here? Victoria, my mate, must be in great pain without me. We have completed our second step, which means she will be able to feel some of my pain and miseries.

I need to do something. I can't let my love suffer like this. I need to protect my love, my mansion, and my people from these people.

With a newfound determination, I groaned in my mind before applying all the energy I could muster, and it wasn't long before the chains started to break before shattering to shambles as my hands got freed.

Looking at my feet that were tied to the legs of the chair, I hastily pulled on the chains, sweating as the chains were burning my hand before breaking them off too.

I don't know how many of them were here, and with my limited capability, I know I won't be able to fight these people. Keeping in mind how they were successful in kidnapping me and creating that haze of water on my mind, I am sure that they are backed by a strong witch.

Punching the glass of the window, I jumped out of the room as I noticed a few men rushing towards my pack while murmuring,

"Hurry up! We need to attack them as soon as possible while they are still unable to heal."

They are unable to heal? What is the meaning of all this? What in the world is happening?

________

VICTORIA'S POV

Blood, tearing of flesh, wailing cries, screams of agony, and tears were the only thing I could see when I exited the mansion and ventured into the forest to save Alexander.

It was a horrific sight for me. I felt torn from inside. I know my pack bond was yet to be established, but I could feel their emotions as my own. Like it was all happening to me.

"Victoria! Go back inside! This is the order of the council head! We already have Alexander's life at stake. We can't put you through such an ordeal too. The females of the pack who are inside the mansion need you. Rosaline needs you. They are in a panic, we need you." Theodore said as the motherly queen instinct of Carla started engulfing my body.

Walking back inside the mansion, I took the ancient sword that was hung on the wall before standing in front of the mansion's gate. I can't fight on the battlefield, but I'll make sure that no soul shall enter the mansion, and hurt the females and children today.

It wasn't long before I heard a war cry-like thing, which was followed by a thunderous growl.

Alexander! He was here! I can feel him near somewhere.

I was itching to meet him, my mate. But I knew protecting the pack was our priority right now. However, it didn't mean, that the distance from Alexander wasn't making me agitated.

I noticed a few men half turned into their wolf forms, with red blazing eyes running towards the mansion, however, before I could even swing my sword, they were shredded away by Daniel and Sean, who were fighting not far from me.

"Queen." Sean bowed to me before concentrating on his fight again.

Queen? Why would he call me that out of the blue?

Though our guards and pack males were very strong and a good fighter, it didn't mean we were having an upper hand in the situation. Our inability to heal was becoming a major hindrance as more people were dying than expected.

I saw Daniel and Sean fighting more than 40 wolves on their own. It made me felt useless as I was just standing there watching the show, but I knew one wrong decision taken out of impulse from me, can put hundreds of lives in danger.

I was thinking about how to help our pack fighters, and it looked like moon goddess was on my side as the wolves started to come to my side as they saw me standing there on guard of the mansion gate.

'Yes, very well. Come to me. Attack me.' I thought before I growled, and swing the sword at a black wolf, marking my first kill of the fight.

It felt good. It was a good way to channel all my agony and agitation. Raising my sword in the air, I started killing more wolves as they tried to enter the mansion. One after another, I even lost count of how many men I had killed in ten minutes. All I could see was a pile of dead bodies forming near the gate.

As I was taking out the dagger from behind my pocket, I felt a sudden pang in my chest making me fall on my knees as it became unbearable. Seeing me falling on my knees like this, one of the wolf-man came at me before kicking me, making me hit the door of the mansion as I coughed blood. However, rather than being hit by the wolf, or my pain, only one thing crossed my mind, something has happened to Alexander, and it wasn't long before I started feeling a sense of loss as I felt like my heart was being ripped out from my chest for a second.

The pain didn't last for long, however, the feeling of emptiness was still there, and what was more was, I wasn't able to smell Alexander anymore.

Killing the wolf-man, who had kicked me earlier, I closed the door of the mansion and decided it was best if I protect the mansion with my spells and go find Alexander. I can always make them understand all the things later, but right now saving everyone was my priority.

However, before I could even put my hand on the door to start the spell, I hear a voice that both shocked and surprised me,

"Victoria? Is that you? What are you doing here?" I heard the familiar voice from behind me, and couldn't help but turn around to meet the person.

"Rob? What are you doing here in this town?" I asked hurriedly, remembering my friend that I had made after I had saved him from drowning in the river.

"Well, that's a very interesting question, Victoria. Or should I say, our future queen? Let me introduce myself properly. I am Robert, Robert Roosevelt. The real king of the mansion whose door you are touching, and you are going to be my future queen." Robert said, making me look at him quizzically.