His gaze scanned the entire room and discovered four dead bodies lying around. Their throats had been slashed, and they were battered and bloodied. His eyes caught a glimpse of his Beta on the floor, blood oozing from his mouth, a broken nose, and a sharp long injure on his abdomen. But he was still breathing. He glanced at her hazel eyes and saw fear flash in her eyes for a fraction of a second before they closed and she fell. He was by her side in an instant, catching her fall in his broad arms. His eyes went black, and canines protruded from his gums, indenting his lower lip. As a thunderous growl erupted from deep within his chest, the veins in his neck and hands popped out. The wolf whimpered and lowered its head, resisting the man's command. He was already in the room's darkest corner, staring at the beast in the center. The moment Aiden's long, sharp claws rip through the wolf's flesh, shredding it to shards, the beast was bathed in fresh blood, and he had vanished from the room as if he had never been there.

He attempted to summon aid, but an invisible barrier around the room prevented him from mind-linking. He hurriedly exited the room, called for aid, and the pack healers arrived in an instant. The healers carried out Nicholas and Aiden carried out Ariel secured in his broad arms.

When they emerged from the packhouse, everything was in disarray. The fire had spread throughout the manor, and wolves stood outside in horror, watching their packhouse burn down. Warriors, guards, omegas, and other wolves were scurrying around, attempting to help people and erect temporary tents for pack members to sleep in. The packhouse housed nearly 60% of the pack population, as well as the infirmary, kitchen, and armory. They had rescued as many necessities as they could, such as medical supplies, food, and weapons. Now they were mostly defenseless, their shelter was gone. Not to mention the vital documents kept in the Alpha offices. On the other hand, everyone was relieved too, as there weren't any casualties except Ariel and Nicholas. Beta Nicholas was taken to a small tent constructed just outside the packhouse premises. One of the healers had led Aiden and Ariel into a tent next to the one where Nicholas was. Aiden placed Ariel on the small bed and with one last look, he got out, leaving her in the hands of the healers. As much as he wished to be with her, by her side, his responsibilities as the Alpha awaited him. He had the pack waiting for him for further instructions and guidance.

He walked to the nearest house and, after washing the blood from his body, he walked out to join the wolves in putting out the fire. While his hands worked to aid, his mind was busy with other thoughts. When his eyes located the Beta of Dawn pack in the distance, picking out some ropes, he was in front of him in an instant. He grabbed Robin by his neck pinning him to the nearest tree, a few feet above the ground. Aiden's pressure on Robins's neck increased and he choked,

"Where have you been, Beta! Where is your Alpha!" He inquired and the man continued to choke

"Answer me, Beta. Where have you and your Alpha been when your pack was burning from the inside out!"

"Answer me or I won't hesitate to tear out your heart! Shred you into tiny little pieces and feed you to the hounds!" Aiden growled out loud

"I-I don-n't kn-now," Beta Robin clawed Aiden's hand, choking out the words.

"Then your mind might have something useful for me! I think I'll just break it out of your thick skull! Should I?" Aiden's chest was trembling from low growls. Robin was turning blue with each passing second due to a lack of oxygen.

"Tell me Beta! Should I?" Aiden growled "Alpha! The chef healer is requesting your presence!" Instead of turning to face the warrior, Aiden relaxed his grip enough for him to breathe.

"Don't be fooled into thinking I don't know anything. I'll shred you and your Alpha to bits the moment I see him!" Aiden let go of Robinson's neck, and the beta landed with a thud on the ground.

"Put him in the dungeon." He ordered the warrior while folding his sleeves.

"But Alpha, the packhouse is burned down!" The warrior blurted out

"I'm sure the dungeon is under there somewhere, even though I couldn't care less even if he was crushed under there." Aiden walked away towards the tents.

"Your Highness," the healer bowed quickly. "What happened?"

"Your Highness, the Beta must be moved. His condition is not worsening; he requires better medical attention!" Aiden was taken aback by his words, but quickly composed himself

"Don't let him perish!" Aiden muttered a low growl and walked away from the tents toward the royal warriors. After numerous phone calls and hours of blubbering, the arrangements were made, and Beta Nicholas was whisked back to the Royal Pack within the hour, guarded by a swarm of Royal warriors. Aiden summoned a contingent of twenty warriors and after briefing them on the potential dangers and orders to catch the Alpha of Dawn Pack, at first sight, he made his way towards her.

He entered the tent and saw her unconscious body lying on the small bed, next to which a healer was writing in a pad. As he approached, the healer bowed,

"How is she?" He inquired,

"Your Highness, she is fine. All of the external injuries were attended to. She just needs to get some rest and she'll be fine." The healer informed Aiden, and he dismissed her with a nod. He drew a chair and sat beside her. He rested his chin on his hands and stared at her.

He should've confronted her when he first saw the sign, he reasoned. Even if he didn't question her at the time, he should have when he saw the blood in their room. Or when he discovered the letters, or when he unintentionally discovered the dagger in the closet. Finally, he should have questioned her when she emerged from the woods, drenched in fresh blood. But he didn't, and you might wonder what he expected. He expected her to tell him, to reveal her secrets to him.

All she could see were his beautiful eyes slowly turning murderous with each passing second. Just by looking at his eyes, she knew how lethal the Prince can be. When her eyes opened, she found herself in an unfamiliar environment. Her eyes scanned around and she took in the dimly lit tent, with just a bed and a small table. But his scent lingered strongly, and she knew he was with her.

"Were you ever going to tell me?" She sat up slowly and a dark, cold voice came from the tent's corner. He never spoke so coldly with her, there was always warmth and it would feel her up from the inside. But it was so cold today, she knew it was nothing new in him. The coldness was nothing new to her, but the coldness he held in his voice caused a chill to run down her spine. And empty up her insides.

"Were you ever going to tell me who you are?" His crystal blue eyes were glowing as they stared at her intensely. The moon was shining brightly outside, and the soft light illuminated his face just enough to show off his sharp features. His face was cold too, with no expression, his eyes blank.

"Or what you are?" He inquired once more. She felt irked in front of his intense gaze, her eyes fell on her lap on their own accord. They sat in silence for a while until she heard him rise from his chair. He came to a halt right beside her, taking bold, steady steps. He grabbed her chin and yanked her head up, forcing her to look at him.

"Answer my questions, Mate! Were you ever going to tell me?"

She was taken aback by his harshness at first, but she quickly recovered. She locked her gaze on his and yanked his hand away from her chin.

"There wasn't anything to say!" She spoke calmly.

"Was there nothing to say when my beast saw you in the forest that day, right after we discovered the bodies?"

"There was nothing to tell me when I found blood in our room? The day my warriors burned to death? Or when you started receiving those letters? Or when you emerged from the forest drenched in blood?" He continued, and she looked at him blankly.

"I never questioned you, never suspected you. You pushed me away, you disrespected me, but I never held that against you. I gave you time, space. I did my best to treat you as my Queen deserved to be treated. I tried to open my soul to you! But after all this time we were together, all the efforts I put in, was I not worthy enough to know who my mate really was?"

She couldn't look at him any longer and her gaze returned to her lap. He grabbed her chin and forced her to look at him once more.

"Look at me when I'm talking to you! Tell me! Was I not worthy enough?"

"Hadn't I earned enough trust for you to at least tell me who you are?" His voice raised with each word.

"Did you even have a speck of faith in me?" His voice continued to rise.

"Don't dare to raise your voice at me!" She abruptly growled. His eyes widened for a fraction of a second before refocusing. He let go of her chin and straightened up.

"You really are not human!" Her eyes glowed bright red as he yelled in disbelief.

"How could you have lied to me like that?"

"I never lied to you!" She growled

"You still have the audacity to growl at me after all of this!"

"I never said I was human, so search your tiny little brain! You simply assumed I was a human! I told you just because you think someone is something, you shouldn't make an assumption that you actually know! So, don't yell! I have perfectly functional ears!"

"I assumed you had werewolf parents, but you never shifted. Who are your parents in the first place? Is Ariel even your real name?"

"Didn't I just say not to make assumptions? And stop yelling!"

"First, you stop yelling and answer my question!" He growled

"Did you even trust me, Ariel?"

"I don't even trust myself! How could I put my faith in you?" She exclaimed loudly! She was standing straight on her knees. They were literally only a breath apart. She has no idea when they got so close. His eyes softened slightly as he looked at her.

"I've known myself since the day I was born, and even now I don't fucking trust myself! How can you expect me to trust you when I only met you a few months ago?" Her voice became weak, and her shoulders drooped.

"Tell me, how can I trust you when I don't trust myself around you?" she exclaimed as she sat back down on the bed. He was about to say something when they heard an explosion outside. Another explosion was heard, followed by horrified screams and wailing. They exchanged glances, and she climbed out of bed. They were about to scramble outside when a warrior rushed in.

"We're under attack!"

_____________________________________

Sorry for the late update. But I'm suffering a nasty migraine for the last couple of days. The next update might be late too. I apologize in advance.

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Daisy Chaseley