Chapter 6

SELENA’S POV

I woke up a few seconds later as the High Priestess rushed into the shrine.

The scared ledger had slipped with me and it lay face down on the floor.

“What happened?” The High Priestess asked. I picked up the huge scared ledger with one hand as I got up from the floor.

I touched my head. There was a residual ache from the blinding flash.

“There was a rat. I made a mistake in the last step of the ritual.” I said in a calm tone as I pointed to the blood splatter on the wall.

Only there was no blood splatter and there was no rat.

For the first time, my voice wavered.

“But I was sure I killed it.” I remembered the blood splatter. But the wall was spotless now, as if there had never truly been anything there.

“Give me that.” The High Priestess rushed forward to snatch the sacred ledger from my hand. She tried dragging it away but it remained in my hand.

She glared at me. “You messed up the ritual because of an imaginary rat. Now hand over the sacred ledger to me so that I can consult the Moongoddess and make sure that you haven’t done any damage with your carelessness.” She said.

My eyes darkened.

“Watch your mouth Priestess. I am your Alpha.” I said. I wasn’t going to take disrespect like my father had.

The High Priestess seemed to shrink even further, but she held her ground. I let go of the book and she staggered backwards.

“Tell me the results of your inquiry.” I said. I needed to get back to my manor room. There was something different about me. I needed to inspect it personally.

The High Priestess looked like she was barely holding back a hiss. I ignored her and left the temple.

…

Back in my manor, I took off all my clothes in my room. My waist length hair flowed freely behind me. Then I closed my eyes.

My scent. It had changed. It had become more potent somehow.

A knock on my door interrupted me.

I heard the voice of my messenger girl. I had her installed after I became Alpha. She was more trustworthy than the men.

“Open the door.” I commanded.

She opened it. A bright blush covered her face as soon as she saw my naked body. She averted her eyes but I still saw the interest in them. My body was covered in scars I had gotten from my years in the wilderness.

“Alpha Selena. The Council of Alphas have requested a council summit immediately. On the case of the blood moon.” She said in a distracted voice.

“Is that right.” I replied. I would be attending the summit.

…

The venue was not in my pack. But instead it was a neutral ground in-between the major packs.

I had to commend them that they had at least done something right by making it in this location.

But of course, it was still a disadvantage to me. If I were a conventional Alpha then no one else would dare to attack me in a neutral ground, because the other Alpha’s would attack them in turn since they left themselves vulnerable.

But I was the target of all. So I could be attacked freely if they dared.

My retinue entered the free city. We were allocated an entire building by the council members. We arrived there and I dropped them off.

I had never been able to come here when my father had been Alpha ten years ago. Now I wanted to explore the city myself.

I took five guards with me, but it was only for show. I wouldn’t really need them. And although assassination was technically possible here, attacking with a large group will be met with too many repercussions to be viable.

I walked around the bustling city with interest. I heard it was governed by a woman. Although not a true ruler but a manager, because it was a free city. No wonder it flourished. I would like to meet her.

I caught him from the corner of my eye first.

“Who is that following us by the left.” I asked one of my guards. He was shocked that I had noticed a tail before him. He covertly checked and turned back with shock.

“My Alpha. That is Alpha Dain of the Hollow Fang pack!”

So the council had sent one of their own to assassinate me. At least they were smart enough to know that it would take an Alpha to threaten me.

I watched him with the corner of my eye as he got closer.

Alpha Dain was tall. But not as tall as Darth had been. He had forest green eyes, dark curly auburn hair. A rugged face and a square jawline. He was visibly very muscular and I saw a few scars on his arms.

I might have been intimated if I was someone else. Instead I only felt contempt. This so called Alpha was a coward that would hide in the shadows to do the bidding of the council.

I hated him already. He would die by my hand.

It happened as we passed by an intersection.

“Alpha!” My guard screamed as a hooded man stabbed him to death.

I had underestimated how far the council would go to silence a woman in power.

Up to twenty cloaked men attacked us in broad daylight.

Five rushed me. I had no time to shift, so I maneuvered around them, tossing some to the ground and killing one instantly.

“Hey what’s going on there!” A member of the city guard called.

The window of assassination was quickly closing.

Then I felt him close in.

Alpha Dain.

I turned back just in time to see him take a dagger to his neck. It was from an assassin that was sneaking up on me.

He swiped off the assassins’ head with a single motion, but knelt on the ground as all the other assassins fled.

I rushed over to him as he fell flat.

“Why did you do that?” I asked, completely confused.

“Your scent…” He coughed up blood. “It drew me…”

I looked around. We were surrounded by hundreds of bystanders plus the city guard.

He would be death in mere moments.

I gritted my teeth. I had hidden this power I attained in the wilderness. I had no intention of revealing it in the most public place possible.

But I suddenly didn’t want Dain to die. There was a chance it wouldn’t work, and every second of delay increased that chance.

I pulled the dagger out, then I touched his neck to heal him.

As soon as I made contact with his blood, I felt the mate bond click.

My hatred for Dain, softened instantly.